Captain

**Captain** is one of the four bridge crew roles available to players.

The captain's job is to coordinate the crew, communicate objectives and assign tasks to accomplish the mission.

In order to accomplish this, the captain is given the screens and tools to see what is happening, and to communicate to the crew what he wants accomplished.

## Screens

The captain has several screens that give him information and summaries to accomplish the missions.

### Objectives

The objectives screen gives the captain the tasks that need to be accomplished to complete the mission.

### Ship Status

The status screen gives a summary of what the engineer can see.

### Local Map

The local map shows what helm and tactical can see in local space in relation to the ship. It allows the captain to see results of scanning targets from tactical and to direct instructions to tactical and helm. The targets selected are mirrored on the tactical and helm screens.

### Impulse Map

The impulse map displays the travel points in the local system. Your selected target is mirrored on the helm's impulse map.

### Warp Map

The warp map shows the systems within the sector that the ship is able to travel to. Your selected target is mirrored on the helm's warp map.

### Display Mode

Display mode selector screen allows you to choose what is displayed on the main view screen. There are options for exterior, target and magnified target views. There is also a switch to display navigation information on the main view screen.

## Actions

### Red Alert

This button informs the crew to prepare for combat.

### Answer Hail

This button allows the captain to respond to communications that show on the main screen.

## Standard operating procedures

* Upon arriving at the bridge, confirm that all bridge officers can hear each other ("mic check"), and everyone's console is operational
* Activate the navigation display on the viewscreen controls so everyone can see the current speed and heading on the top of the viewscreen
* The captain is the only person on the bridge who can see the mission objectives; if they change, only the captain will know; it is imperative for the captain to monitor the mission objectives and communicate them to the rest of the crew
* The captain is primarily responsible for coordinating the actions of helm, tactical, and engineering. Ensure you are giving the correct commands in the correct order. For example, don't ask helm to fly through an anomaly if you haven't asked tactical to scan it yet (you won't know if it's hazardous); don't ask engineering to charge warp coils if you haven't asked helm to plot a warp course yet (the charge may expire by the time the ship heading is aligned).
* Tell the crew the reason for your orders, in addition to the orders themselves, so that they can better implement mission goals; for example, telling helm to set a specific heading "in order to avoid that anomaly" is better than simply telling helm to set a specific heading
* On the Aegis, typically tactical will handle system intrusion and engineering will handle transporters; most experienced crews will assume these assignments unless you order otherwise
* There are multiple ways to achieve virtually all mission goals; learn your ship's abilities and your crew's abilities, and choose a mission strategy that takes advantage of their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. For example, the Aegis can fire weapons while undetected, while the Galaxy class is capable of cloak hunting; if you have a rookie engineer, you may want to avoid choosing a mission strategy that requires frequent complex power rerouting; if you have a skilled helmsman, you may be more comfortable taking the ship into a close-range dogfight.
* When time allows, it's helpful to give a "prepare" order prior to an "execute" order, rather than just giving a single order. For example, "prepare to fire phasers, fire phasers" rather than just "fire phasers." This ensures the crew will be ready to execute your order at the exact time you give your order, and avoids catching a crew member "flat footed." For example, a "prepare" order will allow your crew to ensure they are looking at the right screen on their console to execute the order when the "execute" order is given.
* Stay calm, be encouraging, keep crew morale high

## Basic combat strategies

* Know your battlefield. Be aware of your surroundings (asteroids, anomalies, etc.) and use them to your advantage. For example, asteroids and obscuring anomalies can provide cover; hazardous anomalies can block an escape route.
* Know your battle rhythms. Weapons, shields, system intrusion, power rerouting, and other ship systems have a limited duration or a limited number of shots, and take a certain amount of time to re-arm, recharge, or otherwise recycle. Different ships have different turn rates and max speeds. Both your ship and the enemy ship will only be able to fire a certain amount of shots before having to wait a certain amount of time until firing again, and both ships will take a certain amount of time to turn to face their targets. Pay attention to these battle rhythms and coordinate the timing of your crew to take advantage of them. For example, when the phasers are fully recharged, make sure helm has the enemy ship in the firing arc, and engineering has allocated enough power for the necessary phaser range. Timely "prepare" and "execute" orders can help your crew maintain an efficient and effective battle rhythm.
* Know your ship, and your enemy's ship. Familiarize yourself with the relative capabilities of the three Starfleet ships, as well as major Klingon, Romulan, pirate, and Borg ships, so that you know, in any given matchup, whether your ship has more or less firepower, and is more or less maneuverable, than the enemy ship you are facing. Choose a combat strategy that will take advantage of the specific matchup. For example, the Aegis can fire while undetected, thereby delivering damage to enemy ships without taking any damage to your ship. This allows the Aegis to be effective even in an outnumbered (1-vs-many) combat situation.
* Know when to make a temporary tactical retreat. If your phasers are spent and recharging, your torpedoes are all re-arming, and your shields are depleted and recharging, there is little point in remaining within the enemy's weapons range, taking damage to the hull, while those systems recycle. Power allocated to phasers or shields is useless when those systems are depleted and recharging, so put the power into engines and have helm move the ship out of the enemy's weapons range and/or firing arc. In some cases, you may want to impulse to another location, make repairs, and then return to battle. Remember: your ship cannot fight if it is destroyed.

### Alpha strike

* An "alpha strike" is a large, coordinated strike, firing all (or most) of your weapons at once
* The first strike should usually be an alpha strike
* Plan an alpha strike that is as effective as possible in the given circumstances
* Ideally, your alpha strike will be your only strike, destroying or disabling the enemy in a single, conclusive strike; for example, with shield intrusion, the Aegis can dispatch most pirate ships, D5 cruisers, and birds of prey in a single alpha strike
* If a conclusive alpha strike is not possible, plan an alpha strike that places you in an advantageous position for your subsequent attack; for example, a pursuit position (your nose behind the enemy's tail, i.e. attacking from behind) will typically be better than a merger position (nose-to-nose)
* If your alpha strike will result in a merger, coordinate with your crew in advance how you want to handle the merger, so everyone will know what to do immediately after the alpha strike, as time will typically be limited between the strike and the merger

### 1 v. 1 (single combat)

* One conclusive alpha strike is always preferable whenever possible
* If the alpha strike will not dispatch the enemy but will leave it nearly destroyed, such that only a few more shots will be needed, you will likely want to plan an alpha strike that puts your ship into a pursuit position, and maintain pursuit until your weapons have recharged enough to dispatch the enemy
* If facing a strong enemy that will require more than two strikes, you may instead opt for "hit-and-run" tactics, by making an alpha strike that puts your ship into a good escape position, escaping outside the enemy's weapons range and/or firing arc while your weapons recycle (using any available battlefield cover such as obscuring anomalies or large asteroids), and then turning back towards the enemy to make the next strike

### 1 v. 2+ (outnumbered combat)

* If facing multiple enemy ships, dispatching them with a single conclusive alpha strike (if possible) or a series of "hit-and-run conclusive alpha strikes" (when there are more than two enemy ships) can "even the odds" back to a 1v1 situation or a more-favorable outnumbered combat situation
* When facing multiple ships, none of which can be dispatched in a single alpha strike, look for opportunities to separate one or a few ships from the others and engage them in a more favorable numerical matchup (such as 1v1); opportunities may arise due to the patrol/flight patterns of the ships (e.g., if one ship is far from the rest of the pack), or by using battlefield environmental factors to your advantage (such as by using obscuring anomalies or large asteroids for cover)
* When engaging multiple ships is unavoidable, a common tactic is to engage the weakest ship first, in order to "thin the herd" as quickly as possible and reduce the enemy's numerical advantage
* Alternatively, if some of the enemy ships are significantly stronger than others, and your ship is able to absorb the weaker enemy's attacks, you may wish to engage the strongest enemy first
* If you are fighting alone against multiple enemies, you will likely want to "stick" with one enemy ship and continue attacking it until it is dispatched; unlike multiship combat, you are unlikely to find any targets of opportunity; the enemy ship you are currently damaging will typically be the "most damaged" enemy ship because your ship is the only ship doing any damage to any of the enemy ships
* It goes without saying: try to avoid entering into one-vs-many combat; if you have backup, wait for backup before engaging the enemy; if you don't have backup, look for a way to accomplish mission objectives that do not require you to fight alone against many enemy ships
* When one-vs-many combat is unavoidable, a well-timed temporary tactical retreat will allow you to repair and rejoin the fight, thereby extending the total amount of damage you do the enemy; a series of hit-and-run alpha strikes can maximize the damage you do, while minimizing the damage you take, thereby extending your fighting ability
* Remember that your tactical officer cannot scan one ship while firing at another; plan accordingly; a good time to scan is when weapons are out of range or recycling
* Ensure your crew is familiar with the appearance of the target selection icons for the captain, helm, and tactical; helm will want to track which target tactical is targeting so that helm can keep the target in the ship's firing arc; tactical can look for the captain's target to know which target to target when the current target is dispatched
* Be ready to tell your crew what the next target (or next maneuver) will be after the current target is dispatched; the captain should think and plan ahead so the crew can focus on completing the task at hand
* On the Aegis, you can engage one enemy ship while using system intrusion to disable the weapons of the other, effectively turning a 1v2 fight into a 1v1; if there are multiple enemies, disable the weapons of the strongest one

### 2+ v. 1 (wingman combat)

* When fighting with a wingman, you will generally want both your ships to maintain a pursuit position (behind the enemy), with the enemy between you and your wingman (e.g., you are behind and to the left of the enemy, and your wingman is behind and to the right of the enemy); this forces the enemy to make a choice and turn towards one of the pursuing ships, allowing the other to maintain pursuit and surround the enemy
* If the enemy ship turns towards your wingman, you will likely want to maintain pursuit of the enemy, increasing engine power if necessary
* If the enemy ship turns towards you, you will likely want to increase shield power and prepare for merger
* Monitor whether the enemy is targeting you or another ship; if your ship is the target, you will likely want to boost shield power; if another ship is being targeting, shield power may be more useful in phasers or engines, and escaping the enemy's firing arc may not be a concern
* In some situations, you may wish to allow the enemy ship to establish a pursuit position behind you, and then lead the enemy ship on a chase. For example, you may adopt this tactic in order to allow a wingman to more easily establish a pursuit position behind the enemy, or to move the battle into a more advantageous location on the battlefield, or to move the enemy ship out of weapons range of a distressed ship. On the Aegis, if you can outrun the enemy, you can lead it on a pursuit and then "disappear" off of its sensors, circling back to re-establish a pursuit position undetected, with your wingman behind the enemy firing the entire time
* Do not confuse a 2-v-1 situation with a combat rescue situation. In a 2-v-1, both ships are engaging the enemy. In a combat rescue, you are trying to extricate the other ship from combat, and will need to use different tactics (see below).
* On the Aegis, it is possible to fight while undetected for the entire battle; this will induce the enemy to attack your wingman instead of you; your wingman may not appreciate this tactic, and if your wingman is significantly outmatched, this tactic may turn a 2-v-1 into a combat rescue situation
* The tactical officer will generally be focused on firing at the enemy ship, so it will be up to the captain to monitor the health of the wingman during the battle, and begin combat rescue if necessary

### 2+ v. 2+ (multiship combat)

* Typically, the lead ships in your fleet will attack the closest ships in the enemy fleet; plan accordingly. An alpha strike on the closest enemy ship may not be effective if the enemy ship will already be destroyed by the time you are in range to fire (leaving you to make a last-minute adjustment rather than executing a carefully-planned alpha strike). You may wish to engage an enemy ship other than the closest ship. Alternatively, an alpha strike that would otherwise be inconclusive may become conclusive if it's quickly "backed up" by your allies; thus, you may want to engage the closest enemy ship if you are the closest friendly ship.
* In multiship combat, look for targets of opportunity, particularly where you can deliver a kill strike.
	+ Your allies may be able to drain an enemy ship's shields but not have enough firepower remaining to finish the enemy off; if you can dispatch the enemy with well-timed attacks to their unshielded hull, you can quickly "thin the herd" of the enemy fleet and gain a numerical advantage in the battle
	+ Look for unshielded enemies, preferably in your firing arc; however, torpedoes can be used to attack targets of opportunity outside your current firing arc
	+ The tactical officer will be focused on firing at the current target, so it is up to the captain to constantly monitor the battlefield for targets of opportunity, and to order a change in target when an opportunity presents itself
* As with wingman combat, monitor whether you are being targeted by any enemy ships, and adjust your tactics accordingly
* In general, you will want to stay outside the weapons range or firing arc of as many enemy ships as possible, while keeping as many enemy ships as possible within your weapons range and firing arc; this usually means staying on the outside of the battle looking in (keeping most enemy ships in front of you), and avoiding the center of the battlefield (where you may be surrounded by enemy ships)

### Hit-and-run attacks

* In a "hit-and-run" attack, your ship approaches the target at high speed, delivers an alpha strike, and then escapes while recharging weapons for a subsequent attack run
* Hit-and-run attacks can be an effective tactic in situations where a prolonged direct engagement (such as close-range dogfighting) would put your ship at a disadvantage (for example, when the enemy is more powerful or more numerous)
* A basic hit-and-run attack has three stages: approach, attack, and escape
	+ Approach
		- Ideally, start your approach outside of detection range, and plan an approach vector that places you in an advantageous position for your attack and planned escape vector (usually, behind the enemy ship, with an escape vector as close to your approach vector as possible, minimizing the necessary turning time)
		- Ensure weapons will be ready to fire by the time you reach weapons range
		- Engineering should allocate 1 pip to phasers (not needed at this stage), 5 to engines, 4 to shields
		- Helm should approach the target at maximum speed, and may need to adjust the approach vector "on the fly" if the target detects you and begins evasive maneuvers before you reach weapons range
		- Tactical should perform scans of subsystems as needed once within scanning range; in some situations, the captain may order tactical to fire torpedoes during the approach
	+ Attack
		- The attack stage begins once your ship is within phaser range
		- Engineering should allocate 5 pips to phasers, 1 to engines, 4 to shields (allocate more to engines and less to shields if a faster turn rate is needed or if incoming fire is not a concern)
		- Helm should turn towards the escape vector; the turn rate and speed may need to be adjusted "on the fly" to ensure the enemy ship does not get too close but stays within the firing arc and in firing range while phasers are firing
		- Tactical should usually execute an alpha strike, firing all phasers and torpedoes; if phaser fire is expected to be enough to bring down the enemy's shields, it may be wise to wait to fire torpedoes until after the enemy's shields are down
	+ Escape
		- The escape stage begins once your weapons are exhausted
		- Engineering should allocate 1 pip to phasers (not needed at this stage), 5 to engines, 4 to shields
		- Helm should fly along the escape vector at maximum speed, and may need to engage in evasive maneuvers and adjust course on the fly if the enemy ship gives chase
		- Tactical can fire torpedoes if necessary during the escape stage once they re-arm
		- Plan an escape vector that will avoid enemy fire during the approximately 60 seconds it will take to recharge your phasers (or the 75 seconds it will take to recharge shields)
		- The choice of escape vector will often be determined by battlefield conditions; obscuring anomalies, large asteroids, etc., may provide cover for an escape
		- If a choice of multiple escape vectors is possible, turn in the direction opposite from the direction the enemy turns (e.g., if the enemy turns right, you turn left); the best escape vector, like the best approach vector, is behind the enemy
* Hit-and-run attacks with the Aegis
	+ The Aegis can hit-and-run without being detected, using specialized procedures
	+ Approach (Aegis)
		- Beyond torpedo range (usually about 35km), engineering should allocate 4 pips to phasers, 5 to engines, and 1 to shields (usually not needed when outside detection range), and route shield power to engines, to allow for maximum speed of up to 7600kph; the Aegis's detection range will be 20km
		- Once within torpedo range (usually about 35km), engineering should allocate 5 pips to phasers, 4 to engines, and 1 to shields, and begin to reroute engine power to phasers for the attack stage; engine power capped at 4000 will reduce the Aegis's detection range to 10km; arming torpedoes will then increase the detection range back to 20km
		- Helm should monitor the Aegis's detection range during the approach and be prepared to reduce engine speed to 4000kph or less prior to approaching within 30km of the target (30km is the Aegis's detection range with speed at 5000+ and torpedoes armed)
		- Tactical should keep shields down and take necessary scans for the appropriate system intrusion; at the captain's option, tactical can arm and fire torpedoes during the approach stage, or wait for the attack stage
		- If environmental or other conditions require shields to be raised (increasing minimum detection range to 20km), fire torpedoes between 35km and 30km from the enemy, then disarm them after firing (and before closing within 30km) to allow your ship to approach within phaser range (26km) undetected
	+ Attack (Aegis)
		- Engineering should have engine power rerouted to phasers by the time the Aegis is within 26km of the enemy ship (the Aegis's maximum phaser range)
		- Helm should keep the enemy ship between 26km (phaser range) and 20km (detection range) while the phasers are firing, and speed at or below 4000 (to keep the detection range from increasing)
		- If necessary, torpedoes can be disarmed immediately after firing (delaying their re-arming) in order to reduce the detection range to 10km
	+ Escape (Aegis)
		- Within 20km from the enemy, keeping torpedoes off and engines capped at 4000 will limit the detection range to 10km
		- Between 20km and 30km from the enemy, keeping torpedoes off will allow you to reroute power to engines and increase speed to up to 7600 while keeping the detection range at 20km
		- Beyond 30km from the enemy, torpedoes can be armed and engines can be maxed to 7600 without being detected
	+ If at any point during the hit-and-run attack, your ship is detected, shields should usually be raised immediately, and power allocated to them, as there will probably be incoming enemy fire soon

### Combat rescue

* Combat rescue is coming to the aid of a ship under attack; the distressed ship is usually losing the battle and taking heavy damage
* Unlike most alpha strikes, in combat rescue, the immediate goal is to induce the enemy ship(s) to stop attacking the ship in distress, and instead to focus on your ship; this is typically accomplished by attacking all enemy ships as soon as possible to "get their attention," even if these first strikes will not be conclusive
* If the enemy ship is outside of weapons range, you will typically want to put maximum power into engines and head straight for the enemy ship to close the distance as quickly as possible, and then maximize power to phasers once the enemy ships enter within your maximum phaser range
* Once the enemy ship is within weapons range (typically, 35km for torpedoes will be your longest distance weapon), fire at the enemy, just enough until it turns away from the distressed ship and towards you; if there are multiple enemy ships, fire at all of them, to induce all of them to disengage from the distress ship and turn towards you; continue firing until you've successfully "got the attention" of the enemy ship(s)
* Once you successfully induce the enemy ship(s) to disengage from the distressed ship and turn towards you, you may want to lead the enemy on a chase, in order to put distance between the enemy ship(s) and the distressed ship, giving the distressed ship time to repair and hopefully rejoin the fight
* Once you have separated the enemy ship(s) from the distressed ship, you may engage the enemy ship(s) using whatever combat strategy you deem appropriate for the situation
* On the Aegis, you may wish to increase your detection radius by activating torpedoes and raising shields, in order to make contact with the enemy ship and "get its attention" sooner; be aware that if you decrease your detection radius and "disappear" off enemy scanners, that may cause the enemy to turn back and re-engage the distressed ship rather than searching for you; use the detection range to hold the enemy's attention as needed

## Guides

* "Myths and Mechanics: Extended" (with video, via Reddit)