specific questions

[Zereth]

However, couldn't you get rid of some lesser-used item which has an "Only X" damage type for it, and add that as a dummy ability to start destorying components, then change the description on the Only X weapon you've jsut co-opted to say it targets star destroyers?

[douglas]

Slick said:
Unfortunately, you can't add a new damage type such as "only planet destroyers". You are stuck with the ones in the game.

And it just so happens that "Only Planet Destroyers" is in the list of valid damage types at the top of components.txt.

[Slick]

douglas said:

And it just so happens that "Only Planet Destroyers" is in the list of valid damage types at the top of components.txt.

I stand sorta corrected. I sure didn't know that was there. I know you can't add new damage types, but you are absolutely right that "only planet destroyers" is certainly there as a valid damage type. I wonder why the stock game uses all the other damage types except that one. Strange.

edit: wrong again, the double, half, and quarter damage to shields also isn't used in the stock game either.

[douglas]

There are a few others not used in stock. Only Boarding Parties, Only Security Stations, Skips All Shields, Double Damage To Shields, Half Damage To Shields, and Quarter Damage To Shields are all unused in stock, IIRC.

edit: you missed a few in your edit

[Slick]

Ha, I caught it first!
edit: (except I didn't list all of them)

[douglas]

I'm pretty sure your edit wasn't there right when I first viewed my post.

[Slick]

It probably wasn't. I think the last set of damage types (the ones affecting shield damage) were added in one of the latter patches.

[Frederick_d_Ohlmann]

Atrocities said:
This is an interesting modding discussion, do any of you mind if I later on copy and paste your responses to the Mod Works over on SE.net?

No problem.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Why not?

And I figure if "Only planet destroyers" is a damage type, you could try using, say, "only warp point openers" as a damage type. There are multiple examples of situations in the data files where something isn't listed but still works; in CompEnhancement (mounts) you can add "Tech Area Req #" and "Tech Level Req #" to the records. Unfortunately, there are also occurences in which something is listed but not used - for example, the "Monster Troops" mentioned in VehicleSize.