Ok, new to the game. Played with friends mostly.

The way i read the rules damage works as follows.

Crits happen first

Then dmg.

They are evaded in the same order.

The crit token is simply there to remind you the ship has taken a crit.

The crit also counts as damage. I ask, because a guy keeps swearing the crit is just an effect, not damage.

You've got it backwards:

Hits first.

Then crits.

Evades cannot cancel crits unless there are no more hits to cancel.

And crit cards DO count as point of damage (see p.16 of the rules). The crit token is indeed just a reminder to check for any crit effects.

I knew the order, i typed it wrong. But thank you.