Ok, so i have noticed this a bunch..

Game is going along, most planets are colonized that can be with out terra-forming. Yet Civ's with no tech to colonize extreme planets, still build colony ships, and constructors to do nothing but sit in orbit.  I always wondered why it did not put more emphisis on small ships, that could attack/defend..

*edit..

After later going back to these same planets, they now have all been upgraded in to higher level ships.. most are these things called "spore" vesseles..

perhaps the AI uses the production to build ships to upgrade later on purpose?

Looks like my research has come in just in time.. My fleet of small vessles is just coming in..  (should have 12 for the invasion soon.. as i am going to take 3 resources and build a military starbase right near his home world..)    and they say the Korath are Evil...