It's always bothered me that it doesn't really matter for tactics what type of damage type your weapon have.
Here's a suggestion - to add complex math for damage types.
Tier 1 (Direct transfer of energy)
Laser.
░░░░░It's really just a ray of light.
░░░░░Any armor receives this ray unchanged except there's something designed specially against lasers like reflective coating.
░░░░░Damage depends from size of receiving ship.
░░░░░Poor WMD value.
░░░░░Little power usage.
Kinetic.
░░░░░Something thrown at high speed.
░░░░░The damage depends from armor mass and size of ship.
░░░░░It's hard to destroy a big ship by throwing rocks at it.
░░░░░Powerful weapons also bring Blast damage.
░░░░░Poor WMD value.
░░░░░Little power usage.
Tier 2 (Penetrative direct energy transfer)
Particle.
░░░░░Ionizing radiation.
░░░░░It's almost like laser, but more piercing.
░░░░░Damage depends from armor mass and size of receiving ship, but not as much as for laser.
░░░░░Small ships are very vulnerable for this type of damage.
░░░░░Poor-average WMD.
░░░░░Little-medium power usage.
Blast.
░░░░░Chemical explosives delivered and detonated.
░░░░░Damage depends from armor mass and size of ship.
░░░░░Size of ship matters twice (*2) whereas armor mass doesn't really change damage (33% of usual change).
░░░░░It's hard to harm huge ships with just explosive stuff exploded all over the surface.
░░░░░Armor mass doesn't matter because shockwaves make things behave like fluids at some radius.
░░░░░Poor WMD.
░░░░░Little power usage.
Tier 3 (Highly penetrative direct energy transfer)
Ion.
░░░░░Charged particles pulses.
░░░░░Damage depends only from density (armor mass divide by size of ship).
░░░░░Twice as piercing as Particle damage type.
░░░░░It's possible to reach internal system hided behind thin but durable armor, but not thick and dense armor.
░░░░░Small ships with heavy armor are very vulnerable to this.
░░░░░Awesome WMD value.
░░░░░High power usage. (Starting from 100 MW)
Thermo.
░░░░░Thermonuclear explosions.
░░░░░It's like Blast damage type, but three times as big.
░░░░░Also carries a bit of particle and ion damage.
░░░░░Shatters ships easily.
░░░░░Average WMD.
░░░░░Little power usage.
Tier 4 (Basic matter-to-energy weapons)
Positron.
░░░░░Combination of Ion and Antimatter.
░░░░░The same as Ion damage type, but 3 times as piercing.
░░░░░Be careful, though, it doesn't EMP ships anymore.
░░░░░Also carries VERY small load of Blast damage type.
░░░░░Awesome WMD.
░░░░░Very high power usage. (Starting from 350 MW)
Plasma.
░░░░░Fusion temperature flow.
░░░░░Damage depends ONLY from armor mass.
░░░░░There's no difference between big and small ships when they both are being showered by plasma.
░░░░░Awesome WMD.
░░░░░Huge power usage (starting from 500 MW)
Tier 5 (Advanced matter-to-energy weapons)
Antimatter.
░░░░░Special type of damage.
░░░░░Insanely piercing Thermo damage type, a bit of Generic damage type.
░░░░░Strikes insides of ships.
░░░░░Shatters small ships.
░░░░░Awesome WMD.
░░░░░Insane power usage (Starting from 750 MW)
Nano.
░░░░░Nanorobots.
░░░░░Damage depends from size of ship, very piercing. Generic damage type.
░░░░░It's not very damaging though.
░░░░░Shatters ships.
░░░░░Average WMD.
░░░░░Little power usage, but uses ammo.
Tier 6 (Gravitational weapons)
Graviton.
░░░░░Graviton flow.
░░░░░Same as nano, but totally wrecking everything.
░░░░░Awesome WMD.
░░░░░Shatters any ship easily, though light ships are shattered faster than heavy ones.
░░░░░Insane power usage (starting from 800 MW).
Singularity.
░░░░░Absolute insanity, black holes in a pocket.
░░░░░There is nothing able to resist this kind of damage.
░░░░░Pure damage.
░░░░░Usually just shatters ships without inflicting damage.
░░░░░Extremely poor firerate and projectile speed.
░░░░░Only very few reactors are able to supply this (starting from 3 GW).
Tier 7 (Dark matter weapons)
Dark weapons. Same as singularity, but only dark steel can shatter ships. Even more rare than singularity. Pierce through everything except Dark Matter armor.
░░░░░Dark fire: has stats of Plasma damage type.
░░░░░Dark acid: has stats of Nano damage type.
░░░░░Dark lightning: has stats of both Ion and Positron damage types.
░░░░░Dark steel: has stats of Graviton damage type.
Something like that, you get the idea.
