I hope not to have offended you....
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This is my personal feeling.- please disregard if you disagree...
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Butt ends in 1/700 are a model-making fashion-
they create "modellers models"....-- as opposed to models that look like the ship does in photos of the real ship-- ie they are overdetailed with overscale features -that look interesting nd intricate -- but terminally-- when rationale is applied-- by comparison with a scale figure-they are waaaaaayyyy overscale( place a 1/700 figure next to a butt end on a typical plastic or wood deck ==> usually the butt ends are the size of the figures thigh or torso even-!!when in real life 1/1 scale-- a butt end or indeed a caulking line is usually half a finger width .
( this also applies to PE handrails and most rigging...-- but of course I make an exception there for myself also LOL!!!
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The butt ends on a real ship are visible when you view them in 1/1 scale from the vantage point of your eyes looking down at the deck--look along the deck and you usually nit see the butts anymore...
the eye picks up the longitudinals--but does not form a pattern with the butt-ends
always remember when you are walking on a real ship- Belfats , Missouri, etc etc) and looking down the deck is 1 m 75 or away from the eyes
One will NEVER look at a 1/700 model deck from that scale distance( your nose would be on the turret!!)
In 1/96 scale Butt ends are fine-- but even there they can start disturbing the eye
Now,... whilst accentuated caulking lines in 1/700 are obviously overscale-- but it does indicate the lay of the wood- when shaded with dark brown or grey rather than harsh black the effect is pleasing and looks much like the overhead photos you posted earlier-- but not a butt end to be seen.
Plank butt ends - overscale as they are in a regular pattern ( which may well repeat the plank laying practice of teh real ship) in 1/700--and often in 1/350 also always creates-- in my eyes-- the effect of an 'excel spread sheet' on a model-- completely destroying the subtlety that 1/700 can have.
Indicate the plank differentiation--the smaller the scale the less contrast the effect should have -- either in colour--or as I often do-- a few random planks with a very very gentle pencil stroke-- the observers eye may register the butt end-- but the eye is not overwhelmed...
Here are some image examples that ( in my view!! ) show all that is wrong with portraying butt ends ins small scales
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here are some examples of my own models--these are all 1/350
but indicating the reasons for my above strong feelings....
Older model of mine 1/350 Oregon with pencilled butts-- faaaaar tooo heavy!!
this was a model I built 6 moths later-- less butt ends more subtle--still too heavy ( 1/350 Brooklyn)
here is a recent 1/350 model of mine with no butt ends--just occasional random indication of
and also the caulking hardly accentuated--
in 1/700 I would never indicate any butt ends in planking
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