[Arkcon]

1. Yes

2. Likely, it may need to have individual minister for the ship on.

3. Definitely needs the individual minister for the ship on, also the minister is controled by AI state, so it may not give colonization a high priority, this is rare, but possible. It should go to a high priority empty planet, soon.

4. If this minister is on, it always works. Even if the individual minister for the ship is turned off. At precisely the half supply mark, the ship turns around to the nearest resupply depot. The resupply minister doesn't do what you expect, combining supply ships with fleets for example.

5. Here's something fun, I've mentioned it before. Turn on all ministers, except one. Now you control one aspect of the game, and have to deal with beaurocratic incompetance in every other aspect.

You can be the Visionary scientist(Research) and hope people use your new inventions to the best effect, Mad Engineer (Ship Design) but you use the tech that they give you, or use complete AI on and you just take over one fleet, and try to serve your empire, as the AI declares war around you, researches Drones and loads them onto carriers, and recalls your fleet constantly for refuel/refit.