During a HoTAC mission, one of the guys newer to the game dropped a proton bomb in a bad spot and hit our YT-1300 (and a few enemies) causing the YT to flip "Major Hull breach" - all damage cards are dealt face up.

The YT still had shields, but took 5 damage from tie fighters that same round before he could resolve the Major Hull Breach. Are those damage cards (as face up) dealt directly to the hull despite shields? For example, if a direct hit is flipped and I still have shields left, but the Major Hull Breach is still in effect, those 2 damage apply directly to the hull? The other cards flipped face up, even if they have random effects are still 1 damage directly to the hull as well?

I've searched and cannot find much on this.

Were you dealt cards? No, you were dealt normal damage which only converts into cards if you do not have any shields.

Major Hull Breach means that all damage cards are dealt faceup. You are only dealt damage cards if you have no shields left when you take damage.

The only exception is when an effect explicitly deals you damage cards instead of dealing damage.

Thanks for the reply, that makes sense.

It's also important to note that Major Hull Breach specifies that AFTER the turn in which you take the major hull breach all damage cards are dealt faceup. So if you take a hull breach and then get 5 more damage cards taht turn, they're still facedown as normal (unless they're from crits of course).