What program should I use to open the file with? I've tried using Notepad, Word, and Wordpad just now, but they do not show the characters properly. I'm assuming "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP" would be the proper file to alter for the Kol? Just haven't done this kind of altering before.

That's because the entity files are normally in binary format, you need to convert them to .txt format so you can edit them. Use ConvertData.exe from the mod tools, you should find it in your Sins installation directory.

I looked at Harpo's, the file extension is .rar and I'm not sure how to use that. The convertdata.exe pops up for a half second or less and goes away. Not sure how to do this, so is there a tutorial somewhere?

Man, I got so used to .rar files I have to remember not to upload my mod in that - seems a lot people have never heard of it.

Convertdata.exe is a command prompt executable. That means you have to start it from the command line (for windows XP thats: Start->Run-> type cmd in the box and press enter)

I suggest using gui interfaces Teal mentioned, they're much more user friendly.

this is the future we all use .rar i never see .zip files.... well I believe that we should keep all the same ships but add titan classes but one shot kill is a little extreme unless its a small ship

I suppose that would be bad for early game. Perhaps capital ship shields could be increased, but still the frigates could be taken out in one shot and the crusiers about the same.... Starting to sound like the Real Cap Ship mod, though I couldn't get that to work.. the only one that I've gotten to work so far is the More Hangar Space mod, and I've only used that prior to playing Entrenchment.

Like, putting "DeathStar Power Laser" at the same distance to be researched as the Novalith Cannon?

Or do you mean making the Capital Ships have to be researched before they can be built?

Giving it the same fire rate as the Kortul's pulse beams is way way too much, too. It'd be fun, sure, but it wouldn't make for an interesting game.

Now, a dedicated capital with nothing but that superlaser and with a cooldown (30 seconds, say), THAT would be a good idea.

Personally I don't see anything wrong with instant capital ship killers (see my mod thread) , but the important thing is to give it some negative effect (such as Damage/sec being lower then others). If you make the Kol instant kill, the Kol would definately win even if the damge/ sec were the same, that is if it is only a Kol vs Kortul. Since the main weapons practically auto fire the vasari player could first send in one frigate, and make it fire on it and make the kol into cannon fodder, then send in the Kortul for the kill. If the Kortul can't defeat it in the time (if damage/sec is the same it techniacally almost should), then retreat it and repeat.

Also note that if you make it so that your eqoution is High*low = Low*high then they will be specialised against different things the Kol will be good at taking out single targets such as starbasses, lvl 10 capitalships and maybe planets? while the Kortul would be good against masses of weaker units and maybe tougher ships (this is more a mather of damage/sec then shotfrequency alone).

Well that was my 2 cents on the mather hope it helped