Etiquette

Overview

See how valiantly the Federation defends itself by bombarding small defenceless mining vessels. Note that Galaxy and Descent class vessels can be acquired via the Warp-In.

Etiquette is probably one of the more important aspects of the game. Always respect your opponent. In a 1v1 if your opponent is not very good, give friendly advice (if they want it) and be gentle. Do not smash them from the get go even, but show them how your tactics are superior. Typically if your opponent is a new player they are not usually prepared for fast rushes. Thus it is a good idea to ask whether they are okay with being rushed, or whether they’d prefer a longer build up. In matches it is generally proper etiquette to establish rules beforehand. For instance, if there is the possibility for contested mining in a 2v2, 3v3 etc, decide who gets what mining so that there are no squabbles later (unless you all agree to duke it out). If someone tells you to stop doing something, do what they say. It is no fun to play if both sides are not enjoying the match. Since people get especially touchy in "free for all" matches (FFA) it is important to make sure that nobody is feeling especially ticked off - keep complaints civil and try to resolve your disagreements without unnecessary hostility. Lastly, when you record a game for the purpose of releasing it on a forum (or on YouTube), be sure to ask your opponent for permission to avoid later fights.

Do not complain that a faction or unit is underpowered / overpowered just because you have been beaten / have beaten another with that faction before playing a sizable number of multiplayer games. Likewise, please do not complain that a particular vessel is underpowered simply because "it isn’t like it was in the shows". Obviously Fleet Operations cannot always be balanced accordingly with the various series or movies (which often even have internal inconsistencies) and still remain fun for lovers of all the playable factions.

Note that playing against the AI will not teach you effectively about balance and tactics, but can help you learn the roles of the individual units. Finally, because Fleet Operations is about fleets, comparing a particular unit from one faction to another faction’s unit will never give you a good idea of how balancing is accomplished in this RTS.

Cheating and the Ilk

Above all else, refrain from exploiting bugs. This includes:

• List in progress of being updated... stay alert
• Using the "cloak-follow bug" (where you can follow cloaked enemy units automatically)

Using these and other bugs/exploits to your advantage is not a valid strategy, but merely shows one to be a poor player who enjoys abusing flaws. If you find a new glitch, be sure to report it on the Fleet Operations forums so that it can be fixed.

Spam

Let us start with a simple definition: spam is simply making only one or two classes of units, regardless of the situation. The most powerful spammer will use "generalist" units that might be very fast to build, happen to be powerful (with or without special abilities) against most other units found in a game, or a combination of these factors. Spam will always be found in any Real Time Strategy Game, and Fleet Operations is no exception. Spam itself is not a "bad" thing, as theoretically a mixed fleet of support vessels and varying classes of warships should be much more efficient than an armada of purely one type of unit. This is largely because Fleet Operations is designed to reward players who are good at changing build orders and using each vessel to complement the others in an armada. Accordingly, spam is usually associated with players who are new and have not learned the benefits of special weapons and fleet composition.

Despite the best efforts of any balancing team, unfortunately mistakes are made and there are occasionally one or two units which are more efficient than all the others and cannot be countered. Although not a bug, nor an explicit exploit, it is seen as very poor sportsmanship to simply rely on these units. Even with greatly superior micromanagement, it can prove extremely difficult (if even possible) to stop the flood of these types of vessels. Those who choose to spam these units might argue that this is the only way that they can win or that they were "going to tech up", but it still does not stop this tactic from being quite boring and unoriginal to most gamers. As a consequence, be aware that many players will become upset and disgusted if they are treated in this fashion. There are no "rules" laid out here intentionally, because spam cannot and should not be banned - it is solely up to the players in question to restrain themselves when having access to an uncounterable "spam unit".

The current list of "highly annoying spammed units" includes:

• List in progress of being updated... stay alert

Having a Long Game

Many (often potential) players will complain that they do not enjoy rushing (in other words, harassment early on with few numbers of units) and feel that it prematurely ends the game. Unfortunately, this reasoning does have some merit. If you attack and destroy the research structures and mining structures of your opponent early on (within the first 10 minutes), your rival will rarely be able to recover and the game will effectively be over. However, if you destroy merely fleets of vessels and mining and construction ships, you can neuter your opponent without actually completely destroying their ability to rebuild. Thus, if you prefer the quick paced action of early game harassment and continuous fleet action, but also like to experience the thrills of seeing large vessels destroy each other, perhaps it is wise to not destroy your opponent’s stations immediately, but to give your opponent a chance to rebuild. Remember, this is a game, so have fun. Don't forget that having fun does not equate to winning.