Beam Types:
Beam Type determines whether or not a given beam has any effect on a given material. The vast majority of beams act by heating, melting, or vaporizing the material they come into contact with. Inherent material properties, like reflectivity to beam wavelength, electro-magnetic and spectral shielding, for example, may lessen or negate the effects of a given beam.
D – Disruption
H/M/V – Heat / Melt / Vaporize
Your bog-standard beam, including most lasers, and the most common acts by super-heating the surface
O – Organic
Beam Ratings:
Beam Ratings determine the effectiveness of a given beam, within optimal range, for a given range of materials.