Weapons on none combat ships?

Nope, I don't waste any resources building something that they should never need to use. If you have them properly setup in a separate TF with a retreat immediately strat then they shouldn't need any armor/shields/weapons. It just makes the ship cost more to build, more time to build it.

Okay, I'll say that I probably build my ships back-assward, but I do put stuff on my Tenders.

I found that If I split my fleet up into 2 task groups, and my "Attack group" loses, my tenders are too slow and will get eaten by the victor anyway.

So:

For any ships that has room after its tender role is satisfied, I put the following on, depending on the tonnage to spare, in those orders: Most of my tenders have cargo hold to replenish fighters/drones.

1 long range missile.
2 PDs
1 Sat launch bay.
Some Sats in the sat launch bay.
The are med sats, with 1 missile, ecm/combat sensor, as much PD as I can throw on.

I found that using this method, I lose tender at the same rate as I lose fighting ships. They also provide a very strong screen of PDs for my core ships.

My retreating ships, if they retreat in the right direction (sometimes not), flies into 2-3 small groupings of Sat dropped by the tenders pre-weapons-free combat. Those Sats sometimes were enough to take out lone chasers, which were often damaged already.

Hexxon, obviously you can design your ships however you fancy, nobody is saying any different. I'm just saying thats its pretty much not needed *if* you setup your ships in a properly strategized task force of their own. If your combat task force gets mauled, the retreat immediately task force should auto retreat out of combat altogether. There will be no chasing unless its them attacking after that battle into the next sector, in which case I would expect them (my logistics ships) to lose in anycase. I want to keep my logistic ships out of combat period if possible so they can perhaps repair my combat fleet and not have to repair themselves first. Plus, its cheaper and faster to produce these logistic ships (and to replace them if they get shot down because of no defenses). Even if they DO have defenses, against a proper combat ship, they are likely to die anyway.

Agreed.. like I said, I probably do things backwards. Just presenting another way of looking at it.

I use separate TFs for non-warships. Currently, I'm working 2 sat bays + 1 PD, and if there's room I'll tack on a weapon or more PD. And sats perform a lot better when one drops them in pairs.

Things might be different if my borders were secure. A good screen of 4+ sats is usually enough for my freighters to escape when they're caught by raiders.

I'm assuming this setup is for a pure non-combatant fleet?

I posted mine assuming that it was about tender + warships in the same fleet. The problem is I can't get my tenders to stay with my warships unless I strap on a non-PD weapon. And I sort of gave up on maintaining formation.

Have you seem how they well they perform in within the same fleet as warships?

It depends on both my strategic situation and how I'm roleplaying the race.

I'll sometimes put an Engine Overloading Weapon on a non-combat ship, in hopes of slowing down any pursuers.

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"Good morning, Pooh Bear," said Eeyore gloomily. "If it /is/ a good morning," he said. "Which I doubt," said he.

Sometimes, it all depends on where the ship in question needs to go.

For example, Colony ships.
I make at least 2 versions of each colonytype.
The standard ones only have neccesary components, Engines, the colony, cargobays.
The LR series I make with, in addition to the above: Armor, a Shield, supply generators, sometimes a PD weapon or two, and a sensor. And sometimes, I'll even put in a fighter bay or three.

Clearly, the LR (Long-Range) isn't going to be used for colonizing the home-systems, or even the nearest systems. They're for outer colonies, hostile terriory, and for crossing vast distances.
Then, of course, I still give each LR an escort ship, usually a light cruiser built for planetary defence. (afterall, it tends to stay with the newly made colony)

I've even sometimes made Minelayers with Fighterbays, (usually on a Light Cruiser hull) so I can send then out un-escorted. true, they tend to die anyway, but the fighters they carry in addition to the mines make them far more lethal.

Space-yard Ships? Sort of.
If there's room left after all the armor, shields, critical components, and launch-bays, then yeah. Usually Meson Blasters.
Of course, I still order them to run away, but at least they have teeth should something get close.
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I'll make one later.

I don't use separate designs for fleet ships. My designs operate both individually and in combat fleets.

I have had fleet disintegration problems, but I'm reducing them. I screwed up and used a saved empire with older strats - haven't got around to fixing everything yet, and that "don't leave until every last combat vessel is dead" setting isn't too good. Should be "dead or retreating" - then we'd see what we want to see a lot more often.

I found that sats dropped individually are much less effective than those dropped in pairs; that's why I switched to 2 bays.

As the game continues, I may secure my borders and change what I'm doing. I really think sats provide better defense than any weapon system, and you can always load other cargo in the space if needed.