Energy

Description:

Energy weapons do more damage to shields than they do to hulls. Almost no damage to the population on the ship.

Radiation

Description:

These types of weapons do little damage to shields and hulls, but they kill the population on an unshielded ship at a high rate.

Projectile

Description:

These tend to do more damage to hulls than to shields. Little chance of damage to ship population.

Explosive

Description:

Explosives do major hull damage and deals moderate damage to the ships population. Has very little effect on shields. 

Energy -Projectiles

Description:

These combine the kinetic energy projectiles and the beam energy category.
These do good damage to both hulls and shields. Not too much to the ship population.