Ten-hut! I've seen better landings from a paper aeroplane! You fresh-faced greenhorns better get it together or you'll be scrubbing the hangar with a toothbrush!
Be they spoken or unspoken, piratical or imperial, prescriptive or restrictive, fleet rules maintain order. That order leads to efficiency and killing power.
By following the rules below, your fleetmates will never learn how wet behind the ears you really are. How do we know that? Because this EVE Online fleet-up guide has been put together by some of the finest pilots in the galaxy - pilots who’ve earned their stripes through years of blood, sweat, and tears, then transmuted those stripes into clear advice and sent it to us so we could write this article. So quit your snivelling and pay attention, rookie; we’re not here for a joyride!
The chain of command
When it comes to the pecking order, Félicien Gonneaud knows the score: “In a fleet, the FC is your God and the scout is their saint.” In practice, that means never speaking over your FC, doing what you’re told, and not trying to run before you can walk.
By taking things into your own hands, you might scupper a greater plan. As EveOnlineTutorials puts it: “Never assume anything.” You may think you know the plan, but your FC may be privy to intel that you’re not; they may well have chosen to keep some things within the higher echelons in case spies have infiltrated the lower ranks.
Understanding your orders
At a gate? FUN INC says to make sure you know the terminology of standing orders: ‘orbit’, ‘hold’, ‘jump on contact’. The same goes for when you’ve jumped gate: ‘hold cloak’, ‘crash gate’, ‘burn to desto’.
Some fleets might use their own vernacular; Wadd Enderas ‘splashes’ a wormhole, while Rixx Javix ‘dives’ them. As Wadd says, “at least we’re all agreed that they’re liquid.”
Ship naming conventions
Having an established fleet-naming convention will help you to identify inbound threats on your D-Scan. For that reason, Fun Inc makes a point of always confirming ship naming conventions prior to undocking.
Comms
By keeping communication to a minimum, you keep the channels free for important orders. Every group has their own rules covering informal chat, questions, and whether or not you need to ‘push to talk’. In general, unless previously specified, play it safe by activating push-to-talk. Here’s Wadd Enderas explaining why that’s important: “The last thing a fleet needs is a blaring TV or barking dog coming through over the FC.”
Kshal Aideron highlights the importance of everyone knowing communication expectations. They provide a link to this EVE Rookies guide to voice comms and add “As soon as you hear the FC or scouts say ‘check, check’, the only ones speaking should be the FC or scouts.”
Similarly, Wadd Enderas and EveOnlineTutorials say to never jump a wormhole without specific instructions from your FC. Doing so could throw off the entire operation. In fact, as Sturmer notes, you should never even start a conversation with a word beginning with J “even if that means sounding like Yoda”, because warp-happy pilots might be expecting the word “jump”.
For similar reasons of clarity, Sturmer also advises fleet members to follow the military’s guidelines: “Never use the words ‘me’, ‘I’, ‘here’, or ‘there’ - always provide explicit information such as who you are, precise locations, and enemy composition and status.
If you're still unsure of your fleet’s communications protocol, and you’ve missed your chance to ask, heed the advice of AlexGoesTheWorld: “Mute your microphone. And when in doubt, keep it muted.”
D-Scanning roles
While not every fleet will insist on this, D-Scanning in a fleet works best with assigned roles. When Fun Inc FCs, he always asks fleet members to take up a role, such as 14au, 7au, 1au, and local. That way, all distances are accounted for and the burden is shared. Consider inquiring with your FC whether they’d like you to cover a certain D-Scanning distance.
Warp speeds
Fun Inc also advises pilots to take note of the fleet’s minimum warp speed so that they can stay with their fleet and not get left behind. We’ve all seen what the lions do to the wildebeest that strays too far behind its pack.
Looting
If you’re not already aware of your fleet's rules on looting, you’re going to want to check. The last thing you want to do is annoy the commander of a locked, loaded, and adrenaline-fueled fleet that’s already had a taste of blood. Here’s EVEIL giving more detail:
“So your fleet managed to take down something blingy, and you happen to be closest to the wreck? It’s tempting to scoop all that loot up for yourself, but depending on the FC’s looting rules, you may be about to commit a faux pas. There is a log of who has looted what, and you don’t want to get called out for having sticky fingers in front of the fleet.
“I’ve seen all sorts of looting rules, but here are some examples:
You keep what you loot; first come, first served
Anything over 10m ISK gets contracted back to the FC
Keep anything other than faction/Deadspace items, which get contracted back to the FC “You may think contracting loot back to the FC is a little unfair, but often this loot is sold, and the ISK is used for ship replacement programs for future fleetups. It can also be used as incentives or rewards for hunters who put in the effort to provide content for the rest of the fleet.”
As Fun Inc adds, looting etiquette is too often not confirmed until after the kill. “You should do it beforehand so that people don’t get annoyed!”
Doing your preparation
You call that a pre-flight check? I've seen toddlers inspect their toys more thoroughly! Start over, and this time do it right! As with so many things, it’s best to be prepared. EveOnlineTutorials hammers home the importance of joining fleets fifteen minutes before they’re due to set off, as well as ensuring you have the right ship, ammo, and boosters for the job.
Fleets can last a long time; you don’t want to be caught AFK at a crucial moment. We’ve already covered the vernacular of ‘splashing’, but on splashing of a different kind, Sturmer didn’t beat around the bush: “Don’t forget to take a pre-fleet pee-break.”
The heat of combat
Once the action kicks off, you’re going to need to pay attention. EveOnlineTutorials has some words of wisdom: “Always make sure that you have the primary, secondary, and tertiary targets locked. Never lock or fire on a target unless it’s called out, even if you think it’s best.”
Being considerate
Salartarium raises an important and all too-often overlooked consideration: keeping EVE enjoyable for everyone. The EVE Online community has done some amazing things to keep EVE accessible, but it requires ongoing effort.
“People with all sorts of different backgrounds, physical abilities, and attention spans play EVE Online and like to participate in fleet content. A good rule of fleet etiquette is to have someone take spoken commands from the FC and write them into fleet chat to make sure everyone knows what’s going on and can participate. Whether it’s the primary target, orbit distance, or to warp off and scatter, having a designated person volunteer to copy the FC’s commands into the chat increases the effectiveness and comfort of fleet members.”
General etiquette
“Always hold onto your cloak when jumping unless told otherwise.” Submitted by EveOnlineTutorials
“If you’re scouting, await orders for the direction and number of jumps required.” Submitted by EveOnlineTutorials
“Always make sure your local window is visible. And where possible, ensure that your broadcast window is visible too.” Submitted by EveOnlineTutorials
“Be ready to tell funny stories to keep the fleet awake during night camps.” Submitted by Sturmer
The pirate way
Unsurprisingly, pirates have their own way of doing things. Pirate lord Rixx Javix took a tongue-in-cheek approach to his bounty submission, and we’re here for it.
The Pirate Fleet Rules of Etiquette
"Always compliment the FC, even when they warp the fleet into an obvious bait trap.
If you jump a gate without orders, rename your ship ‘I’m an idiot’.
Enemy ships are ‘threats’ or ‘treats’. Shoot the threats and hold the treats until everyone gets in on the kill.
Someone needs to hold scram for the pod.
All faction loot goes to the FC. Someone has to pay for this foolish playstyle of ours.
Be sure to ask where the fleet is currently at in fleet chat at least seven times.
Please sort your Edencom and Trig standings before undocking.
Saying ‘I’m in trouble’ is not helping anyone. Always talk in third-person like Gollum or Mr T.
Just because someone is showing red on your overview, it doesn’t actually mean they have negative security status.
We know you used to live in this system, but we’re kind of busy right now.
It’d be nice to know what we’re warping into, but it isn’t necessary.”
So there you have it, the rigorous rules of fleeting up with empire pilots or the chaotic carnival of a pirate fleet. While some of these rules might sound strict, fear not; most fleetups are friendly affairs. Still, follow these rules if you want to make friends and get invited again. We’ll make an FC out of you yet, rook! Now move, I’ve seen faster takeoffs from a two-legged turtle!
What fleet etiquette rules did we forget? Are there any you disagree with? Let us know in the comments! Some text has been amended for brevity. You can find the original wording at the bounty post. Image credit: Razorien on Flickr.
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