Immortals of Thera
First time in a fleet some things to know
This is our living fleet doctrine, which the majority of IoT fleets are based around. The general characteristics include a heavy emphasis on armor and Electronic Warfare, Heavy BS fleets and hit and run attacks, We encourage our pilots to only fly the ships that have the most to contribute to our fleets. Preparation So you want to join in and kill stuff. GREAT!, but if this is your first op there are some things you must check before you “x up for fleet” Turn off your CSPA Charges. In your Email settings. This stops the FC or Wing Commander having to spend money to get you into fleet. You will not be able to join fleets unless you do this.Outfit a ship you can afford to lose like a T1 frigate fitted for Tackling.Make certain your overview settings are set correctly so as to avoid friendly fire and general embarrassment. This is very important as it will enable you to pick hostiles out quickly. The corp has its own overview to keep all pilots on the same page. You need at the very least to do the following:
Turn off Cargo Containers and Wrecks.
Turn off Asteroids and other celestial objects that you don't need to see in combat
Learn the Tactical Basics below and don't be afraid to ask how.
Have fun as you kill the enemy faggots. When a Fleet starts forming up in base, someone will say something in corp chat channel ingame, usually along the lines of;
FleetCommander > X up for fleet FAGGOTS TO KILLFleetCommander > Fleet Invitation X up for fleet (Alliance chat)
When this happens, to request an invitation, type an "x" in the text channel usually with a 3-4 word summary of your role: Right: Newbie > x newbie tacklerWrong: Newbie > xGenerally, summarising your role isn't especially important, although it can make life much easier for the fleet boss Simple identifiers are the best, and the most common ones are: "tackler", "sniper BS", “DPS”, "ewar", “Reper” or "titan".
Tactical Basics These basic orders will be given a lot during fleet operations. You should familiarize yourself with the concepts below and practice them once or twice before you leave to join a fleet op. Aligning
"Aligning" means lining up your ship in the direction of the next warp point so that when your fleet commander gives the group warp command everyone will warp RIGHT THEN, as a unified group.To warp, you have to be traveling toward your warp target destination at a minimum of three quarters your maximum speed. you can right click on a star gate or celestial object and select "Align to", or just right click in space and select it from the drop-down menu! Yay! At the beginning of an Op, the op leader (Leader of more than one fleet) may set a destination system. Go to people/places and search for the destination system. Right click and set destination. The next gate will show up in yellow making it easier to spot. Keep in mind, however, that changes happen during ops - the yellow gate may very well not be the gate you will align to, so be sure to pay attention to your fleet leader. After you are aligned and moving toward your intended location at full speed, the FC will gang warp everyone to the next position. He will have already indicated what you should do once you arrive. You should do one of three things once you come out of warp: Align on the next warp-in. Move to the position indicated by the FC (within jump range of a gate, at your optimal from the gate, halfway between the bubble and the gate, etc.). Engage the primary target (as directed by the FC).The moment you come out of warp you should make your move, as directed by the FC. If you have no order, you should ask in gang chat what you should be doing. Never assume you shouldn't be aligned on something. Unless there are hostiles in the immediate area (within shooting range), you should be preparing to warp to another location. Align yourself as fast as possible in order to stay up with the fleet.If your FC orders you to warp to a Covert Ops pilot, be certain you do NOT warp to him at zero unless specifically ordered to do so. That will decloak him, which is a Bad Thing when warping to a stargate, your fleet commander will give one of two orders: Hold on gate means do not jump through the gate when you reach it. Make sure you are within jump range of the gate, and be prepared in case of enemy ships appearing, but do not jump until ordered.The opposite order is jump on contact, in which case you should jump through the gate as soon as you reach it. Your FC may be busy talking on other channels with scouts, etc., and has not noticed that the gang has reached a gate. If the FC does not give an order, your default action should be to hold on the gate until ordered to jump, unless the FC has stated otherwise. It is also important to remember that other individuals within the gang may have orders different to yours (e.g. scouting ahead) - do not jump through just because someone else did, since this can cause a cascade of copycats.Once you have jumped through a stargate, your ship will be cloaked and invisible for 30 seconds. If the FC says hold cloak you should not move, align, or activate a module (doing so will break your cloak) until the FC says otherwise. Again, if the FC does not give an order, your default should be to hold cloak until instructed otherwise.Tackling is the process of nullifying an enemy's ability to warp away from the engagement. If you are flying a frigate, your primary objective in a fleet operation is to get within tackling range and lock down an enemy.A good tackler will know how to position themselves to catch enemies jumping in or out. When using a 20km warp disruptor at a gate, orbit the gate at 2km or so. This will put anyone uncloaking in range of your scrambler; meaning they are dead as soon as you lock them. When using a 7.5km scrambler, orbit the gate at 13km so that you have the best chance possible of catching an enemy as they decloak. If you are just arriving at a gate with the intention of stopping someone coming through, it is expected that you will immediately head for your optimal tackling position.Having a proper overview setup is extremely important for tacklers. Dicking around trying to select a decloaking enemy from your main screen wastes valuable time. You should select them as soon as they appear on your overview and start closing/locking them. When warping in on enemies as part of fleet, you want to have your mouse on the overview as you come out of warp and have them locked by the time you start moving.Etiquette and Discipline Staying focused and aware is how fleets win battles. Don't get distracted and follow these guidelines to make yourself as effective as possible on PvP operations.
Most fleets have TS3 if you can get on teamspeak in the right room, but once the OP starts don't speak unless you're spoken to or you have an emergency report. An emergency is not when you get left behind unless you are flying the fleets only battleship. An emergency is not when you stub your toe on a loose toolbox and can't get out of the station fast enough. You can catch up. An emergency is when a previously unknown fleet jumps into system behind the gang and you're the only person who can see what kinds of ships they're flying.If you have anything to talk about that isn't an emergency then type it in corp chat. DO NOT type anything frivolous in fleet chat. Filling up the chat window with crap causes other people to miss things they need to read. Pay Attention
Don't miss a command. Follow the commands you get to the letter. The FC needs to know that the ships he has will be where he wants them when he wants them. If you get an ambiguous command (e.g. "stay on the gate" when the fleet is split between two gates) ask for clarification by typing in Fleet chat. Pay attention and the commands will usually not be ambiguous. Following orders given by the FC is the key to winning. The FC has more information about the enemy and situation than any other member of the Op. Follow his orders and trust his judgment and the op will be successful. Do what you are told to do.If you are ordered to get on a gate then get within 2500m of it as fast as you can. If you are told to jump through, jump through immediately. If you're told to align then align immediately.When the fleet leader is calling targets locate them in your overview, target and orbit them and attack them. Do not just pick your own targets. The fleet's firepower must be concentrated on one or a few targets at a time. Always be alert for commands and follow them as quickly as you can. Don't do what you are not told to do. Don't warp to any gang member unless specifically told to. Ops have been set back hours from people doing this and a trap that took days or weeks to planhas now been F**ked up. Don't jump through a gate unless told specifically to do so. Teamspeak is often difficult to understand. Do not jump if you are not sure you have been ordered to. When in doubt, ask in fleet chat.If you are told to be somewhere, don't wander off. The FC needs to know where the fleet and its members are and if every one is in place to shut the trap.Do not loot cans unless you are instructed to. Distribution of loot is up to the fleet leader. If you loot without orders and the enemy is still in system you may be blown up. This is especially true for capital wrecks Don't attack pods while there are actual enemy ships around unless you are told to.Don't chase the enemy unless you are told to. They may be leading you into a trap. They may be trying to break up the fleet. The movement of the fleet is up to the commander.who will order the hot shots to hunt down the enemy ships.Don't take orders from people who are not FCing the Op. That means you should not warp to any random Fool who starts spamming the channel with "WARP TO ME!" unless the FC specifically tells you to do so.In general, do not take the initiative. Wait for orders or volunteer request Don't tackle or bump friendly capital ships Don't Argue Most of the people leading you will be vets with many months or even years experience. Do not piss them off. Do not debate their calls. If you know something they don't know about the situation then give them that information in Fleet chat and let them think about it. Don't assume that you know better.No PvP Ops are mandatory, but if you are on an Op and absolutely can't stand the person in charge, don't argue, don't storm off in a huff, just excuse yourself in Fleet chat, leave the gang and head back home. Absolutely do not blow your stack on teamspeak or fuck with the op in any way.If you do and other people get killed you could get kicked from the corp.Get in the Fight and Stay in the Fight.
Do you think you have what it takes to be a fleet FC for our corp ?
Discipline
No matter if a doctrine is enforced or a kitchen sink fleet is being flown, a fleet cannot be successful unless people follow orders and don't go off running on their own. Chaos has rarely been advantageous for a fighting force to succumb to.
“Those who are not willing [to listen] but prefer to slack get kicked from fleets in a fairly short order,” says Zwo.
Ivanrus follows the same thought process. “I make the rules public and ask people to uphold them. I kick those who don't.”
But to keep people discipline and in fleet, there are many different methods. “You make your fleet self-managing,” Squeebles says. “The only truly effective way to maintain discipline is to have part of your gang trained and able to enforce discipline on the other part. More often than not questions asked in fleet chat or comms are answered by someone without me needing to address it. That, in my opinion, is the ideal of fleet discipline.”
Jayne and Kutris prefer to use their method of speaking to enforce it. Kutris says he keeps discipline “By my words (sometimes bad words).”
Jayne has what he calls “FC voices”. Most of the time, he is relaxed and encourages banter. But when things get serious, he does too. “When people aren't doing what I want, I break out my 'annoyed' voice that tells people that I'm disappointed in them, guilting them into doing what I want. Finally, if all else fails, the 'angry' voice does wonders, but I reserve that one for special occasions. The key is to never yell, though. Always be calm and your calmness will trickle down to the fleet.”
Others, though, don't worry too much about it. “Keeping discipline in a fleet usually isn't very difficult,” says Greygal. “Those that are experienced are generally well-behaved. Those that are inexperienced are usually so afraid that they will make a mistake that they pay attention and follow every order to the letter. The most important thing an FC can do to main discipline is to explain their comms and fleet movement preferences, what the goals of the fleet are, and what their expectations are in advance.”
Canaris, meanwhile, relies on “my reputation in my alliance and coalition. After years of FCing, my guys know who I am and how I FC, and for the most I would say they trust my decision making. A lot of poor fleet discipline stems from people second-guessing new or inexperienced FCs.” But, much like Jayne, he knows tone of voice can go a long way. “A change in tone is typically enough to reestablish discipline in a fleet.”
Picking Your Battles
Deciding whether to engage or not is a big choice. Many inexperienced FCs can become frozen with indecision. Do we fight this or do we back off?
A lot can go into taking the plunge into battle. “Mostly I look at our fleet composition and theirs, who their FC is if I know, and how important whatever objective we're going after is,” says Canaris.
The point of objectives is echoed by Squeebles, who responds by first asking a question of his own. “What is your fleet aiming to do? Ultimately, I think the good FC starts analyzing a fight by asking 'What's good about this fleet comp? What advantages does it offer?' and then crossing those off when considering the enemy fleet. If too many things are crossed off, you must seriously consider avoiding the fight.”
“This is an impossible question to answer explicitly without considering the near infinite amount of variables that can occur during EVE combat,” adds Jayne. “When choosing to engage, remember that it's not just 'if' you engage, it's 'when', 'where', and 'how' that really makes the difference.”
Kutris specifically looks for weaknesses. “If the enemy is weaker or somewhat equal to ours in quality and quantity we engage. If we are outnumbered, we wait to kill someone who was slow enough to be cut from the main fleet.”
Others, however, are simply out for fights, no matter what. “If I think there's even a chance that I might win or even just have an entertaining battle, I'll charge right in,” says Clio. “I only refuse to engage if I know for a fact I'll get crushed.”
Greygal takes it even further than that, saying she just asks “'Can I kill ONE of them?' That's how I decide whether or not to engage an opponent fleet.” And when a fight turns sour? “I usually retreat when half or more of our fleet are in pods.”
As one of the leaders of RvB, it should be no surprise what Mangala's mindset is. “It's more a case of 'Will I inflict enough pain for them to bail before we have to?'”
Tactics
Everyone favors their own tactics in EVE and the FCs are no different. Each of them has a favorite way to take a battle.
A lot of them agree with what Squeebles says, “Outright aggression. There's no real counter to the all-in by an enemy fleet other than just outright tanking it.”
The in-your-face brawling style is also favored by Greygal, who says her favored tactic is “rush in and start shooting”, though she will adapt when needed. “Tere are times when I will use hit-and-run tactics to pick off a weak target in a fleet I otherwise might not engage, and I am really good at GTFO tactics either to save the remnants of my fleet or to avoid significantly larger fleets.”
Mangala also answers “drop down dirty brawling is what I really, really favor. It helps that I often have the larger fleet, so I can brute force a win if need be without it being too much of a pyrrhic victory.”
Of course, not everyone prefers the go-in-swinging approach. For an RvB FC, Clio differentiates himself by preferring tactical fights. “I prefer fights where positioning and fleet movement are important.”
So too does Canaris, for practical reasons. “You can take a ton of fights if you can mitigate the enemy's damage either through field position and EWAR.”
Being able to take a lot of different fights is why Jayne prefers sniping. “It allows for a wide variety of targets that can be engaged effectively and teaches people about tracking, transversal, signature radius, sensor resolution, and other very important facets of EVE combat. Making a mistake in a sniping doctrine is unforgiving and punished with heavy losses.”
Command Shakes
Most people who have engaged in PvP have gotten the combat shakes. Even experienced PvPers can have these happen when they're put into a command role. “I used to get the shakes bad when FCing,” says Mangala. He has overcome them, however. “I am considerably calmer,” he says, which helps him out quite significantly. “I am continually evaluating the field for the best targets to call at a given time, focusing on the status of my fleet, and ensuring that my calls/broadcasts and other orders are followed as smoothly as possible.”
Clio has a hard time describing the mindset. “It feels like the game becomes my entire universe and 100% of my brain power goes into trying to process all the information the game throws at me. Instinct takes over and I call targets by their threat/tank ratio, meaning I try to get as much threat off the field as quickly as possible.”
The nearly-overwhelming flow of information is a big part of what gives many FCs their greatest thrills. “There exists no greater adrenaline spike than the start of a large fleet engagement,” says Jayne. “The experience elicits an incredible range of emotions: excitement, anticipation, fear, hope, and panic to name a few.”
Greygal says there are rare fights where “you are in a kind of zone and everything falls into place just so perfectly. You feel connected to everyone in your fleet, nothing exists except for you, your fleet, your targets, and it's just so smooth, so surreal. It's magical.”
For some, though, the process of FCing is old hat. “At this point, I would say it's mostly muscle memory,” says Canaris. “I know what enemy ships need to die first and how to position my fleet.”
Kutris keeps it simple. “The only thought is to not miss the time when we need to retreat if the battle turns bad.”
Kpekep, the CXBATKA anti-pirate channel FC, actually says thinking can be harmful. “There is nothing going on in my mind during the fight. If that happens, the fight is lost. You have to think before the fight. The fight itself is a time of constant action. Your mind switches off and wakes up only if the battle conditions are changed greatly. You don't need your mind, you need your instinct.”
Advice for New FCs
It may seem daunting for new FCs, but there is plenty of advice to go around. Everyone makes mistakes and Canaris says, “Don't be afraid to lose, but learn from your losses.”
And, even in the face of failure, follow Clio's advice. “Just do it, over and over and over again. It gets easier with practice. In the beginning, we were all rubbish. Even the best FC in the game made dumb mistakes when he first stepped up. And even if you do make mistakes, the simple fact that you're willing to put yourself out there makes you a hero in my book.”
To help get through these rough times, Jayne suggests you “find a community, a corporation, or an alliance that will allow you to experience [failure] without any pressure or obligation. The best place to learn is somewhere that experienced players and fleet commands can help you, let you know what you did wrong, and coach you how to do better.”
Having a friendly group is one of Squeeble's pieces of advice as well. “Don't set out to FC tfor your entire 200-man mining alliance if you have no experience. You'll make plenty of mistakes, but there are people who won't forgive your inexperience and their confidence in you as an FC is very, very difficult to regain. Find a friend or 2 or 5 and form a fleet. This is a group you can truly learn with.”
He adds in a couple of pointers to learning, suggesting you “FRAPs the fight! Watching/listening to the playback of your fight is amazingly fun and a huge educational tool. Fights get so much simpler when they're not happening to you.”
Greygal offers some additional advice, saying “Keep it simple. Delegate everything possible. Ask for advice, but make the decisions yourself. You don't need to know all the ships, tricks, systems, and opponents in EVE to FC well, all you need to do is get out there and do it.”
Kpekep suggests a broader view. “Find your own way. Read some classics about warfare. This will help you understand the reasons for your actions and will keep you safe from doing some mistakes.”
Final Thoughts
A thought echoed by all of the FCs was that being a fleet commander is one of the most challenging and rewarding things to do in EVE. It may seem difficult to do, or too risky, or too nerve-wracking. But if you have confidence and want to make a mark in EVE, jump in and do it!
Overview
Having a solid understanding of the terminology and lingo used in fleet operations is key to clear, concise and effective communications. This page explains the common terms a pilot will hear over Mumble from the fleet's commanders. It will also list short cuts you may see your squad commander type in your squad's chat channel.
Fleet Forming Terms
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FC -- Fleet commander. This is the pilot in command of the fleet. A FC may be in command of 1 to 5 wings.
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WC -- Wing commander. This pilot is in charge of 1 wing of the fleet. A WC may be in charge of 1 to 5 squads within the wing.
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SC -- Squad commander. This pilot is in charge of 1 squad. A squad may consist of up to 10 pilots.
A fleet commander or wing commander will post several things in Alliance to form a fleet. You may see:
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Scouts convo me -- this is a fleet commander asking for available scouts to start communications with him. Scouts are unique in the way they join the fleet. Normally, people joining the fleet will post in Alliance, but scouts use this method to help shield their identity from those who aren't in the fleet.
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Leadership X-up -- this is the fleet commander asking individuals with leadership skills trained to volunteer to be wing commanders or squad commanders.
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L5 3/3/3/3 -- this will be posted by other pilots volunteering for wing or squad commander roles. More about Fleet Leadership can be found here.
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Tacklers sign up -- this request is for ships who's primary job will be to tackle (use stasis webifier and/or warp scramblers/disruptors on the enemy).
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EWAR sign up -- this request is for ships who's primary job is to use electronic warfare against the enemy.
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DD sign up -- this request is for "damage dealers", ships whose primary job is to inflict damage on the enemy.
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RR signup -- this request is for "remote repairers", ships whose primary job is to provide fleet logistics support. Possible responses might include "arr" (armor remote repair).
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Last call -- this may or may not be made by the FC. This is an open invitation for anyone who didn't get invited to the fleet to volunteer.
Fleet Movement Terms
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+1 / -1 - One to several ships (typically fast Interceptors or Frigates) who are one jump ahead (+1) or one jump behind (-1) of the current system the fleet is operating in or moving through. The purpose of the +1/-1 is to provide fleet intelligence instead of or in addition to fleet scouts.
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Offensive / Defensive Gatecamp -- You can find more details about Gatecamps here.
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Align destination (A destination) -- Align to the specified destination. Usually a gate, may also be a station, planet, etc.
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Best speed to ____________ -- Unless told otherwise, use shortest route, and make your best speed (on your own) to the called destination.
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Bounce -- Warp to safe spot, planet (70 to 100 KM), sun (70 to 100 KM), or other safe celestial (not a moon), and then come back to last fleet location or new location provided by squad commander, wing commander, or fleet commander.
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Defensive Modules Hot -- After uncloaking, turn on defensive modules such as damage control and active hardeners (armor / shield). Shield boosters and armor repair units not included for this command.
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Jump, Jump, Jump (JJJ) -- Jump through the gate you are at, or are in warp to.
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Jump on Contact (JOC) -- Jump as soon as you can when you reach the gate.
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Hold on Contact (HOC) -- Do NOT jump through the gate you are at or are in warp to. Hold at destination.
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Reapproach the Gate -- Move back into jump range (less than 2500m) of the nearest gate. Larger (slower) ships may accomplish this faster by bouncing off a near by Celestial, preferable a planet or asteroid belt, not a moon.
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Hold cloak (HC) -- When you jump through a gate, you will stay cloaked for 30 seconds as long as you don't move. If you are told to hold cloak, don't move, change speed, change direction, etc. You should always hold cloak after jumping unless given other orders.
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Primary -- This is the target the FC wants the fleet to focus on. Generally, this means that tacklers and damage dealers focus on this target. As a rule of thumb, EW usually ignores the primary target and goes for the most dangerous targets or remote reppers. Obviously this doesn't apply if you're target painting.
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See Flashy, Shoot Flashy -- Indicates that the fleet's rules of engagement allow you to attack any legitimate (flashing in the overview) target that shows up on grid without waiting for the FC to command it.
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Scatter -- If you hear this, select your Pod Saver tab on your overview and warp away to a random planet. Continue to warp around the system until told to do something else, like go to a gate and leave the system, or the FC tells you to warp back to him. If you scatter, don't warp back to the FC to see what's going on unless you were told to. Keep moving. Stay alive. Don't get into fights. Let your aggression timer expire so you can leave the system if necessary.
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Break Break -- This is given by someone who wants Mumble communications to cease so he or she can report something important. If you hear this, do not speak on Mumble.
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Warp yourselves at optimal -- Warp yourself to the target at the optimal range for your ship's "primary role." If you are ewar and have guns, but your primary role is ewar, warp at the optimal range of your ewar equipment.
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Camp a gate or station -- This means the fleet will sit at a station and wait for the enemy to either arrive or undock.
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Warp to x -- where x is typically a person on your Fleet Watch Lists; please note when warping to an Intel person, never warp at 0.
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Warp to top station or top belt -- refers to the first station or belt on the pull down menu when an area of space is right clicked and the appropriate station or belt menu is selected.
Other terms you'll hear that are less common
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Gate is green -- same as "jump, jump, jump" or "jump on contact"
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Gate is red -- Hold on gate, do not jump
