I found my copy of AV:T and had a read through the hopefully-relevant sections of the rules.
Here's what I've found:
Lasers do less damage as range increases, and those with the shortest range do the most damage. They can be 'downfired' (to make the high-output ones cycle faster) or fired in 'armor piercing' mode - the target counts as being father away, but it penetrates armor better. They can also operate in an anti-missile mode, doing no real damage to ships.
Coilguns fire penetrator rods that have seeking sensors and rockets to correct their flight; their main purpose is to influence how the enemy maneuvers - but if they hit, it's a world of hurt. They can be shot down (and they can be armored against that). They fire a handful of small shells, a few medium shells or one large one.
Missiles are big things that can carry all kinds of neat toys - nukes (which hurt, if they go off close to the target), decoys, etc.
There's no shields/screens, only skin armor and armoring of internal components.
One of the basic analogies they use is that each ship is like a police officer with a firearm and a dog. You can't outrun the bullets, just hope that they miss or don't do too much damage. The dog is faster than you, but takes time to get there, and can be shot with the firearm, and you can maneuver against the dog.
I'm going to have to think on this, and read over SAE some more...
Just tell me where and when.
(Interestingly, it's given me a whole new appreciation of why some of the numbers are they way they are.) And while I have a nostalgic adoration for High Guard, Starmada's design process is cleaner. 
).