Help needed merging VS prohibited upgrades tech with PU

[targ collective]

We (that is, myself, Chuck Starchaser, Dilloh and any other interested parties) need help merging Vegastrike prohibited upgrades tech into Privateer Universe. While this is a theoretically simple fix, as the data structure seems hardcoded into the EXE we need some real expertise - expertise we no longer have what with the world turning and past developers of PU going their separate ways.

Why do we need this? The original Privateer used a non-linear armour structure. There were three grades of armour - Plasteel, which is 10 times as strong as base Durasteel, Tungsten which was 20 times the strength, and Isometal which was 40 times the strength. (Purchasable hulls are new to the game, inherited from Vegastrike, I've used 33% overall armour resistance for hulls.)
Vegastrike is unable to comprehend the concept of different armour materials in a non-linear fashion - the .template entries, which this version of the .exe uses, choose what may and may not be applied to a unit based on resistance.
This means, for example, that as the max for each unit is Isometal, each unit can apply armour up to Isometal strength, so a cargo tug like the Drayman can apply Kamekh tungsten (nearly Drayman Isometal strength). Multiplicative upgrades caused nasty problems galore, as units could apply up to four Plasteel upgrades, two Tungsten or one Isometal. No upgrades could be applied without a mention in the .template entries. The process itself seemed buggy.

The Privateer executable was made many years ago, using a slightly more up-to-date .exe than the current last release of Vegastrike. A lot has happened, but we don't need to merge all the changes with the Privateer executable - we only need the one new column, the Prohibited Upgrades column. Then we can (finally) restore the original Privateer damage model (allowing for the somewhat more sophisticated enemy AI Vegastrike provides).

Once the Prohibited Upgrades column is implemented, I can introduce a full ship-specific armour list, while Chuck Starchaser works on refining how the system deals with multiplicative upgrades (the eventual goal being a facility for pricing by protection).

Anyone who knows what's needed, you can contact myself, Chuck Strchaser, or the PU dev Dilloh. The other PU devs - Melonhead, Zool and Z80 - have not yet become involved with this project, though I am sure they will happily pass on the message if for some reason we become out of contact.

-Targ Collective