More questions...

[SilverRat]

I am playing a game that has me isolated within 8 quadrants--with no other AI in those zones (I sent 2 scout ships out in different directions and they found no exiting warp point they had not explored before they met up on the 'far side'. This isolation provides some time to devote to non-war activities, so naturally I have been working on research so I can eventually form a warp and begin to make contact. (My goal atm is to build an invasion fleet: with ships, SY's, Carriers, Miners, Sweepers and colonizer ships (with people, WP's and mines).
My plan is to build as I research, mothball almost everything and retro to future tech levels/ train before I send them out. I hope for a case where my warp opener opens a passage, THEN my invasion fleet is given the command to 'explore' (which I am hoping will allow them to warp into the next system) then have the warp sealed up behind them ("March or Die!: Failure is NOT an option") so I can build my next invasion fleet and open a different warp...

As I am new to the game I am foggy about the planetary weapons/ items but feel confident that their 'bugs' can be worked out with trial and error (and saving/loading often). I have a few general questions that I'd love some feedback on, some are silly but as a new player I haven't encountered many of them and am filled with anticipation at work... 8)

1-can I mothball minelayers/colony ships with cargo on them? (I doubt it but it would provide vast additional storage space for mines/wp's/Sats)

2-My plan so far is to go 90% research facilities with enough mining to allow for ships to be built.

3-I have colonized the only 12 gas planets available to me (4 of which are methane-my gas) and have researched mine1, warhead3, computer1, research2, destroyer). My SYs are producing ramming escorts and destroyers (with computer controls to make future retroing easier with the high price of the computer component). I plan to finish research on fighters (before I go for research3 and then rock planets) so my planets can churn out planes as my research continues-can they be mothballed on carriers? or should I just stick them in a fleet by themselves above my producing planets?

4-as I build techs for any unknown opponents what suggestions can you make on which weapons and defenses may be best against my opponents? (as mentioned I plan to have mines and fighters but also like troops for captureing planets instead of glassing them).

5-since I will be at the stellar manipulation stage of the game before I make contact (if all goes well...) what tactics or insight into those technologies should a new person know to make the most of them? I enjoyed Slick's tale about building a ringworld around his homeworld's star when the countdown to it's destruction was learned of, but have never reached that level in any of my games so far.

Anyway, this randomly generated game that was to pit me against the AI has me excited at the possibilities of developing a civilization without contact while preparing for it! I had chosen that warp points didnt have to connect all and could be anywhere. I tried the min/max method to learn (and was very pleased). This might make an intresting scenario!

Thanks for any imput. 8)