So, is the Advent a good one to play? From what I read it's not weak.  Are the three types in balance in power really?

Sounds though like the Advent takes a longer learning curve. 

I just started the game and am learning, and it's the one that attracts me the most. 

Any race is fine to play in single player.

Advent is currently the weakest race to play in multiplayer (this may change at anytime).

Tec is probably the easiest to learn, Advent and Vasari are about the same.

Each update to the game has a habit of swaying power from one faction to the next...it just so happens that currently Advent is by far the weakest faction...

Independent of how Advent compares to the other factions, though, it will likely always be the hardest to play...Advent battle tactics generally require the most micro...

Ships with multiple weapon banks (such as anti-SC ships like the garda flak, defense vessel, or sentinel) need to be positioned so that they are surrounded by targets and therefore can make as much use as possible of all their weapon banks...Advent depend on their anti-SC ship more because it is very damaging and Advent don't have a strong long-range frigate...also, the Advent are the only faction to have other ships with multiple banks (their LRF, the Illuminator, and their anti-structure ship, the Adjudicator)...because of this, Advent players must micro their combat ships more to make full use of all their weapon banks...

Advent abilities also require intense microing...repulsion is probably the hardest ability in the game to micro properly (though vasari's distortion field may have that title)...Advent capital ship abilities tend to be slightly more micro intensive as well (though that is somewhat debatable)...additionally, Advent rely on their capital ships more, so it is crucial you use their abilities properly...

Because Advent have the weakest economy, they are the most penalized for suffering military losses...this doesn't make them impossible to play, just more difficult...

The next update could very well swing the balance of power back to Advent (though somehow I doubt that given the nature of the v1.3 update)...Advent though would still be the hardest to play even if they were the strongest faction, it simply is the nature of how they work...

Seleuceia:

Thanks much for that post.  So, about the micro-managing:

For example I need to keep the Guardians near to the capital ships and illuminators so that they shield protection helps them? Do the guardians go wandering off if I don't pay enough attention to them or do they know to get into the middle of the fight?

Second question if you don't mind.  I have been micromanaging to focus the attacks of all my bombers and Cap ships and drones onto the enemy capital ships to start.  Is that a good strategy? 

Thanks! 

Capital ships have less firepower per hull strength than ordinary combat-oriented frigates and cruisers. If you want to weaken the enemy's attack power as quickly as possible, let your bombers target heavy cruisers or other frigates: you should manually target enemy capital ships only if its abilities are too dangerous to let it keep living.

Capital ships are most effective against other capital ships though, so having your caps target enemy caps is often the way to go (unless you think there's a good chance the enemy caps will be able to escape before being destroyed).

I believe both of the iconus guardians abilities are channeling...this means they cannot do anything else while using their ability...giving them new orders will interrupt their ability, which is a waste of antimatter...

It is very important you do not group them in with the rest of your fleet...if you do, every time you order your fleet to focus fire, you may cause the iconus guardians to cancel using their ability...

So to answer your question, iconus guardians won't go anywhere...this means they won't follow a moving fleet if they are currently using their ability, which leaves them both vulnerable and actively protecting nothing...however, if your fleet is stationary they should leave your fleet either...

Focusing on capital ships is a highly controversial decision...in general, it depends on the level and type of the ship, how many the enemy has overall, and what you have at your disposal...late game, bomber swarms usually can take out low level capital ships in 1-2 passes (particularly Vasari bombers)...early game, taking out capital ships can be impossible if they are kiting and the enemy retreats them before they take too much damage...

In general, the two most critical factors are:

1) as Wrath said, only really dangerous capital ships should be taken out...for example, a level 6 marza...

2) how quickly you can kill the ship...a cap with 100% health is just as dangerous as a cap with 1% health...until you destroy the cap, you have accomplished nothing...as Wrath noted, frigates do more damage per fleet supply, and you can quickly destroy several frigates to get an immediate reduction in enemy firepower...the whole time you focus on an enemy cap, his fleet is pounding at you without taking any losses...

Other things to consider...if you are banking on lots of bombers for taking out enemy caps, be wary of abilities like TK push on the Halcyon or Jam Weapons on the Kortul...they can take away a lot of your firepower temporarily and skew your predictions for how long it will take to kill an enemy cap...wiping out repair bays or support vessels like domina subjugators, iconus guardians, and overseers should be a high priority and may make killing the capital ship a lot easier...

While true, wouldn't that situation (in which the whole fleet FFs) also be relatively rare, unless the enemy is retreating or has a cap (or SB or PJI) which absolutely has to be destroyed asap? Usually a player would give each of their unit types a different attack order to maximize effectiveness due to differing damage types, I would think.

If you are giving each of your unit types separate orders, then you probably have them in separate fleets already...so yes, you are right this would likely be a moot issue...

Some players don't do this however...they group everything in one fleet, either because they're playing casually or they use the empire tree for orders instead of multiple fleets (if you change your settings file, you can raise the stack limit really high so one click in the empire tree selects all ships of a certain type)...

I personally prefer the later strategy because I hardly ever use my keyboard while playing games...I tend to have all my ships in a fleet (useful for quick retreats, setting up attack formations, and phase jumping together/individually), and then give certain unit types orders through the empire tree (stacked, obviously)...

The problem with this is that if I order me fleet to retreat, it disrupts all my guardians' abilities...most ships this isn't an issue, but repulsion is often used to cover retreats and I have shot myself in the foot sometimes by doing this on accident...

I don't know if I'd call FFing rare...regardless of how effective it actually is, a lot of people still do it, particularly new players...so, at least being aware of relevant game mechanics prevents nasty surprises like "Why is repulsion not working!?!?"...I'd agree with you though that giving different unit types different orders is the best way to handle most battles...

I use multiple fleets based on unit type; a long range frigate and flak frigate fleet commanded by a colony capital ship, a light frigate and defensive support cruiser and/or offensive support cruiser fleet commanded by a support capital ship(s), a heavy cruiser, flak frigate, and offensive support cruiser fleet commanded by a battleship(s), a siege frigate and anti-structure cruiser fleet commanded by a heavy assault capital ship(s) and a colony capital ship (TEC Akkan Battlecruiser), a carrier cruiser and flak frigate fleet commanded by a carrier capital ship(s) and a support capital ship (Advent Rapture Battlecruiser), fighter squads from carrier fleet in a group, and bomber squads from carrier fleet in a group. This methodology seems to work quite well, especially when fleets work in concert. I rarely use the siege fleet, because it usually isn't cost effective.

I never ever use fleets... I find that alt-clicking to give each individual unit a command usually feels a bit better than forcing ships to move in a formation.

I haven't ever really studied them, but it seems the formations that fleets make are more aesthetic than anything else...maybe I'm missing something?

I mean, seriously, you hardly ever want your carriers intermingled in your fleet...and the micro needed for flak and support ships just makes virtually any formation pointless...

Agreed.