diff --git a/src/lib/common/nsc.c b/src/lib/common/nsc.c
index a5c439fa..257b2c05 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/nsc.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/nsc.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ static void *nsc_lnd_aaf(struct valstr *, struct natstr *, void *);
 static void *nsc_lchr(struct valstr *, struct natstr *, void *);
 static void *nsc_nws_timestamp(struct valstr *, struct natstr *, void *);
 
-/* Ugly hack to improve legibility by avoid long lines */
+/* Ugly hacks to avoid illegibly long lines */
 #define fldoff(fld) offsetof(CURSTR, fld)
 #define empobjoff(fld) offsetof(struct empobj, fld)
 
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ struct castr ship_ca[] = {
     {"access", fldoff(shp_access), NSC_SHORT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"mquota", fldoff(shp_mobquota), NSC_UCHAR, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"path", fldoff(shp_path), NSC_STRINGY, MAXSHPPATH, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
+    /* follow can point to dead ship; avoid ca_table for now */
     {"follow", fldoff(shp_follow), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"name", fldoff(shp_name), NSC_STRINGY, MAXSHPNAMLEN, NULL,
      EF_BAD, 0},
@@ -300,8 +301,8 @@ struct castr plane_ca[] = {
     NSC_GENITEM(EF_PLANE, EF_PLANE_CHR),
     {"wing", fldoff(pln_wing), NSC_STRINGY, 1, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"range", fldoff(pln_range), NSC_UCHAR, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
-    {"ship", fldoff(pln_ship), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
-    {"land", fldoff(pln_land), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
+    {"ship", fldoff(pln_ship), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_SHIP, 0},
+    {"land", fldoff(pln_land), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_LAND, 0},
     {"harden", fldoff(pln_harden), NSC_CHAR, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"flags", fldoff(pln_flags), NSC_CHAR, 0, NULL,
      EF_PLANE_FLAGS, NSC_BITS},
@@ -340,7 +341,7 @@ struct castr land_ca[] = {
 #define CURSTR struct lndstr
     NSC_GENITEM(EF_LAND, EF_LAND_CHR),
     {"army", fldoff(lnd_army), NSC_STRINGY, 1, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
-    {"ship", fldoff(lnd_ship), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
+    {"ship", fldoff(lnd_ship), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_SHIP, 0},
     {"harden", fldoff(lnd_harden), NSC_CHAR, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"retreat", fldoff(lnd_retreat), NSC_SHORT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"rflags", fldoff(lnd_rflags), NSC_INT, 0, NULL,
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ struct castr land_ca[] = {
     {"pstage", fldoff(lnd_pstage), NSC_SHORT, 0, NULL,
      EF_PLAGUE_STAGES, NSC_DEITY},
     {"ptime", fldoff(lnd_ptime), NSC_SHORT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, NSC_DEITY},
-    {"land", fldoff(lnd_land), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
+    {"land", fldoff(lnd_land), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_LAND, 0},
     {"access", fldoff(lnd_access), NSC_SHORT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"att", 0, NSC_DOUBLE, 0, nsc_lnd_att, EF_BAD, NSC_EXTRA},
     {"def", 0, NSC_DOUBLE, 0, nsc_lnd_def, EF_BAD, NSC_EXTRA},
@@ -406,7 +407,7 @@ struct castr lchr_ca[] = {
 struct castr nuke_ca[] = {
 #define CURSTR struct nukstr
     NSC_GENITEM(EF_NUKE, EF_NUKE_CHR),
-    {"plane", fldoff(nuk_plane), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
+    {"plane", fldoff(nuk_plane), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_PLANE, 0},
     {NULL, 0, NSC_NOTYPE, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0}
 #undef CURSTR
 };
@@ -487,6 +488,7 @@ struct castr lost_ca[] = {
      EF_BAD, 0},
     {"owner", fldoff(lost_owner), NSC_NATID, 0, NULL, EF_NATION, 0},
     {"type", fldoff(lost_type), NSC_CHAR, 0, NULL, EF_TABLE, 0},
+    /* id's ca_table given by type, but can't express that: */
     {"id", fldoff(lost_id), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"x", fldoff(lost_x), NSC_XCOORD, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"y", fldoff(lost_y), NSC_YCOORD, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
@@ -522,6 +524,7 @@ struct castr trade_ca[] = {
      EF_BAD, NSC_EXTRA},
     {"owner", fldoff(trd_owner), NSC_NATID, 0, NULL, EF_NATION, 0},
     {"type", fldoff(trd_type), NSC_CHAR, 0, NULL, EF_TABLE, 0},
+    /* unitid's ca_table given by type, but can't express that: */
     {"unitid", fldoff(trd_unitid), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"price", fldoff(trd_price), NSC_LONG, 0, NULL, EF_BAD, 0},
     {"maxbidder", fldoff(trd_maxbidder), NSC_INT, 0, NULL, EF_NATION, 0},