Okay, setting it up so that it only takes one more click to show the problem is rather impossible, but I did set it up so that it only takes one use of the "Launch Units" function to show the bug. After some further testing, it does seem to have limits, and not be infinite as I previously had thought.
For those who wish to try and recreate the bug, here are the steps I took to replicate it:
Build a drone carrier that can carry more drones than it should be able to launch in a combat turn (use small drones, for the sake of simplicity). I used a 16,900 kt baseship with 5 drone launchers (that's 169 small drones, 5 per combat turn, 20 per game turn). Then I mass-produced drones until it was full up.
After that, go to launch units. Select the "All" option, and launch the drones. On the first click, 20 drones are launched. However, the counter goes to 19/20 instead of 0/20 as it should. You can launch another
380 drones (if you have the space and they are all of the same type, of course).
In combat (you can use the simulator for this directly after you have made the designs), it will launch 25 drones per combat turn. Again, using the "launch all" feature launches 5 drones per launch, and you get 5 launches per turn.
End result: Drone Launchers drop (n*4)^2 drones per game turn, and n^2 drones per combat turn, where n is the number of drone launchers you have fitted on your ship. Thus, to help make checking numbers easier:
code:
Number of Drone Launchers : Launches Per Game Turn: Launches Per Combat Turn
1:16:1
2:64:4
3:144:9
4:256:16
5:400:25
6:576:36
7:784:49
8:1024:64
9:1296:81
10:1600:100
And for planets...
1000:16,000,000:1,000,000
If you get anything like these numbers when launching drones, please let me know. I have tried this in modded games and in a fresh install/update to 1.78 patch games, and gotten the same results repeatedly.
Oh, and if someone feels bored enough, how about making a test to try out the maximum planetary drone launch in the game and combat turns. I'm thinking a Sphere World + Advanced Storage Techniques + Highest Level Cargo Facilities for the entire planet might do the trick. 
+++Edit+++
For those who want to see what I see, here is a link to a zipped savegame file which can be easily tested for the said problems using the above method. It is a fresh install of SEIV Gold, v 1.78, no mods whatsoever.
Here is the file
+++End Edit+++
+++slightly off end bit+++
Additionally, Drones can't fleet, which I find to be quite annoying myself, but I can't really say that's a bug, really. It can be modified without a hardcode change, correct?
[ November 07, 2002, 20:45: Message edited by: Hotfoot ]