I'm not quite sure what the point you're making is.

And besides, your original survey flagship would probably be lost by the end of the game due to the fact that they tend to wander into enemy territory, making them easy prey. You would need replacements.

I agree. Building more survey ships to gather all of the anomalies can give you an advantage you need to beat your enemies.

Permit me to perhaps explain my thoughts:  The Survey Ship is totally out of place compared to its contemporaries.  There should be an impetus to research for it, rather than just handing one out to everyone - the thing requires Sensors IV and Medium Scale Building to build! 

To put this in some perspective, I've only played DL for some time now - DA and TA is so far gone that the arguments fly over my head. Don't stop using them, but remember I may not catch all the nuances.

Now, I'd failed to notice that the module itself arrives at Sensors I.  I think I'd always thought that it had sensors from Sensors I and the Survey module from Sensors IV.  My bad. 

I guess the point I'm trying to make runs thus:  It's ridiculously advanced, and not giving one to anyone allows (or forces) a divergence in strategies:  Spend time building a Surveyor vs. spending it settling worlds or building starbases. The anomalies are valuable, and denying everyone the right to harvest them instantly cheapens them.

And secondly, the ship itself is too advanced.  Make it cargo-hulled, and nerf the sensors on it.  Sensors I sensors, if we're shooting for consistency.  Else, you have one ship, tough to begin with, that generally toughens up further, and when it upgraded, you (not to mention your enemies) have this ridiculously hardy cruiser that'll stand up to four factory-made ones like it.  Works for a story like Goodbye to an Old Friend, but seems drastically out of place in the game, running around with this God-like ship.

So I think it should be changed.  And yes, I'm working on it.

And it's a level playing field, it's the same for everyone, i see no reason to change it. If it bothers you that much, sell the ship on turn 1 and go ahead and build your lesser ship.
Problem solved. (if there was one to begin with...)

Hang on, let me back up. You do realize that the AI know where all the planets are don't you? I can't recall the debate about this, it was 6 years ago, but if you take away your Survey ship you only nerf your own ability to scout and explore. The AI will colonize at the same pace.

  Only on tiny galaxies is one survey ship (just) enough.  I use my starting survey ship with its range and sensors to manually explore (with some small detours for anomalies);  no way do I rely on it for surveying.  I had played many GalCivII games before I noticed it could be medium upgraded later.

  I think it is good for the gameplay.

  Already.  In most of my games it is building surveyors vs. building freighters;  after research choice being sensors (for the survey module) vs. everything else.  Well,  much of the game is building/researching this vs. building/researching that.

  btw I set "anomalies" to max for my DA metaverse games.

I'm kind of torn as I would like to go for some of the Plague deals but then. Ship Asbestos  . I'll have to wait ages, instead I could buy/trade from people who already have the models and get them now. Hmm...