actually you just need to know the names, skunks editor won't load other fiels afaik, so you'll have to go in notepad and paste in the right ship names.

So which file(s) do I need to open with notepad, because I have tried to do it with the .Big files and they just go into a not responding error.  OR do I just use the already decompressed data folder and edit things in there?

Would it be better if I contacted you a different way (email or PM) or is this forum alright?

Progress: OK, after some more research I got the necessary files from microsoft and registered them in my system 32 folder.  That allowed me to use Spookyrat's .Big decompiler to view the .Big files.  I guessed that your ships were in the SHIPHODS.Big file.  So I, for testing, extracted the CORE.Big file to get all the ships and platforms.

Now I am stuck at getting these files to be used by Skunk's editor.

Sugestions?

I've never found a way to use skunks editor with the ships, I simply place a dummy ship where I want it with the right orientaton and then edit the level in notepad to put the right shipname in.

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH.  I got ya...I think.  Let me just make sure.  So I use the editor to place objects and ships.  Then you open the new level with note pad and place the names of the ships I want.  By putting in the proper names and running warlords the level will load the proper ships, correct?

Do platforms like the golans act like ships as well?

golans will be stationary, they may move a little bit, but not much

Hehe, I get that.  I meant will they be put in with note pad the same as ships?  Can I use the editor to put a ship in and then change the name to whatever platform I want?

yeah just change the name, all you are really inserting is the position info which is the hard part

I've a suggestion.

For the Size limit, you have small, medium, and large, and then smal, medium, and large with no fighters.

How about a small, medium, and large with fighters(and maybe shuttles) only?

dunno if it's implemented already, haven't noticed

but when you spawn a large capital ship, could it come with a few fighters and bombers?
Not enough to do anything serious, but maybe 1-2 fighter squadrons and a bomber squad.

Or if you like, you could bugger all and have as many fighters/bombers as canon says

that is implemented in skirmish mode with fighter spawning on.