First and foremost, this is merely a guide. I'm hoping that it will help you but it should in no way be interpreted as a way or method to dictate how you should play the game. Simply put, I've found that the methods listed in this guide have helped me lead many IRL and virtual battles very effectively and very efficiently.

I am a US Army Veteran, so the translation of Naval Command structure is a little challenging, as I'm more used to ground-oriented combat for area denial and point fortifications. If you notice I have made a mistake, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments section.

Having one or two players in your fleet, everyone knows who the boss is and everyone knows who to report their problems to. However when you get more than 20 or 30 players in the same fleet, you'll find yourself quickly overwhelmed by all the information that will be flowing in from all of your players.

This is why it is necessary to create a chain of command and even have your players understand how it works. Simply put, it is the delegation of authority and administration. Each person you have in incremental steps below you (like chain links) you delegate your own authority and administration tasks to them. So let's say you have three ranks on your ship:

Officer
Petty Officer
Deck Hand

You, as an officer, would assign likely 2 petty officers. As you get more players in your fleet, you will need more Petty Officers to help manage it. You would delegate some of your authority to them. So, say you would assign one Petty Officer to Engineering and the other to Security. Each of these petty officers could act just as you would to Deck Hands in those areas. So they would be able to assign a deck hand to a gun or to operating the shields depending on the Petty Officer.

Here is where the Chain of Command shines. Say your ship is then attacked. You tell both Petty Officers, "Prepare for combat".

Both of them then should alert their deck-hands to proceed to their battle stations and await orders from the Petty Officers.

Your engineering Petty Officer would then instruct the deck hands to harden the shields and ensure power output is maximum while instructing non-essential devices to be powered down.

You would then instruct your Petty Officers to return fire. Now your security Petty Officer tells his deck hands to open fire, he will handle the targeting, and will tell the pilot how to maneuver the ship to maximize firing efficiency.

And when there is a problem, the issues are reported up one level. So a deck hand tells his Petty Officer his woes such as he's out of ammo, and if it is something that is not within the Petty Officer's power to rectify, he then takes the issue with the Officer.

This method of communication works under extremely stressful situations as well as during calm situations.

Knowing who will be online and when is the difference of being combat ready and sitting online and twiddling your thumbs. Make sure your players have some sort of steady schedule in which they will be online to help. Ensure you create your own schedule and know the times in which you can conduct operations and what your manpower will look like to better gauge what type of operations you can engage in.

Knowing this tidbit of information will allow you, as an officer of your fleet, to instantly know whether or not you need to stay and fight if engaged, or immediately flee. You will know this information based on the day of the week and time of the day.

I've been in many guilds before in other MMO's such as EverQuest where we raided on a schedule and coincidentally there were consequences for not being online during those raids such as deductions in DKP (points earned to buy loot-rights on raids).

I can tell you for a fact that these systems almost always fail; when you require people to be as attentive to a game as they are in real life, they are quickly drawn away from your fleet as they want the game to remain a game and not another job. Creating a system in which can keep track of your players should only be for your benefit and not a detriment to your players.

There are multiple ways to lead any group of people, players included, but almost always there is a definitive balance between ruling with an iron fist and speaking with a soft voice.

Under most circumstances you'll always want to keep your cool and ensure you remain the decisive decision maker. However, there come times where insurrection and mutiny just don't fly, especially in combat. Combat is won or lost based on how fast and precisely your crew follows your orders and the orders of those delegated under your command. When you have a member of your crew or fleet that does not follow orders, you should always refer to the iron fist. Honestly, I have no room for them in my fleets and will immediately remove them.

I know, it sounds harsh for a game, but the dirty truth is, when a trouble-maker is removed, the rest of the fleet is allowed to have a lot more fun and work more cohesively together. But what makes this even more difficult is the low numbers this game inherently has, removing a player from your fleet really feels like you're taking a huge workforce from your fleet without other prospects for the job you'll need filling in his absence.

For that, I will refer you to another guide I created, "Survival Guide: Multiplayer".

While the title of this section seems to portray the idea that people are after your leadership and that it needs defending, that is largely untrue. The person you need to defend it from is yourself. You can be your own worst enemy or your own success story. Making the right decisions at the right time will be your key, and there is no guide that can be written to show you how to do that. Great leaders are born, they are not made from a Steam Guide. Either you have the talent, or you do not.

When it comes to making decisions it is paramount that you stand behind them, for instance, IRL if I order a group of soldiers to charge a hill, I have to be ready to lead that charge. My leadership skill is more lead from the front. Some people do find success with leading from the rear, but that is simply not my style but to each his own.

Simply put, no one will want to challenge your leadership if you show you have the ability to lead. Ensure your actions are decisive, avoid ambiguity, and ensure your delegated officials are loyal and supportive.

I will keep this guide up-to-date. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to post them in the comments section. I'll gladly consider any advice and add it to this guide.