Is there any way to mod a modular ship design. Say something along the lines of a cruiser class that has pods that can quickly change it to different roles. Pods could include weapons,cargo,supply,fighter bays, etc. Just curious.
Sure, just design a hull for one of the roles, then copy it, and replace just the mission-specific components.
When you retrofit between 'em it'll take only one or two turns to finish. Just keep the changes low.
Alternatively, you can take a large transport and put two or three of each type of bay, then add lots of cargo storage. It'll be able to launch whatever you put in, and if you need to launch quickly, you can transfer the cargo to a nearby planet or specialized launch vehicle.