Can an Amishman get a decent teammate?

Over the past 3 days I have been losing. Constantly. Not me losing mind you. I've been playing games where I either had a 2v1 from the start and recieved no help or won a 1v1, but no one else on my team won their personal battle.

Here's what I've seen. In 2v1, I'll hold my ground, but in 2v1, against two competent players, I don't care who it is. With no help, that 1 person will slowly fall back. 2 econs are always better than 1. I don't want to take away from the guys I played. They played well, and I commend them. But....In the meantime, I look to my ally.....who's doing several things....all of which don't include sending any aid my way to even the playing field.

In 1v1, I'll rock someone's world....only to find all 3 or 4 of my allies falling back to their homeworld or actually on the run and are pretty much dead.

I try to stay nice and polite online, but I'm about at my limit for tolerating newb play. I don't mind losing, but losing because of misunderstanding of team/good play makes my blood boil....SO, here goes.

To any new player reading this....here are some general rules for team play in online matches.

Rule #1: Expand as much as is reasonably possible within your skill range and your style of play

In the first 15-30 minutes (before combat is starting), the idea is to expand and get planets. You need them for econ, logistic slots, and launching points for your frig factories. Does this mean spend the entire game just sending your colony cap from planet to planet colonizing? Not necessarily. What this means is don't be that guy who gets his asteroid, a terran, and then decided to buy a starbase for each planet with some turret, some hangar bays, some repair bays. JUST DON'T.

Entrenching is a good strat that has its uses at times. Very early game before any battle has been decided in online play is NOT that time. This leads me to rule #2

Rule #2: Unless you are facing a 2v1 or 3v1 situation very early, do not entrench from the start

I've seen this one a couple times now. Your goal in online play should never be to just dig in once you have 3 planets. EVER. Guys will expand a little, and then go straight to buying stationary defences. If you've got two guys barreling down on you in a situation that you couldn't hold your ground without defences, then sure, do this. I understand.

Don't expand, see that your opponent is coming your way, panic, and then construct every defence possible. When you do this, you essentially turn a 5v5 or a 4v4 into a 4v5 or 3v4 respectively. When you have absolutely no fleet (cause you won't if you're spending ur $ on defences and have only a couple planets), you aren't helping your allies AT ALL. You can't mobilize, and the opponent can just send his ships elsewhere to colonize and put up some defences of his own to fight back any ships that you may actually send.

If you entrench form the start. You take yourself out of the game. You give an ally a 2v1. It's ok to use starbases and defences. Just don't spend everything (above 50%) of what you got on them.

Rule #3: If you're losing, or feel you're going to start losing, SAY SOMETHING

There have been too many times I hear "One of our allies capital ships has been lost", or "One of our allies has lost a planet", only to see that my ally is definitely on the losing side of a battle. There's no shame in being this person. Everyone out there, including myself, has been bested by opponents. Your teammates can't help you though, if you're only words to be said are "Uh guys, I'm gonna need feed" AFTER you've lost ur fleet, 1-2 planets, and are on the run.

You need to communicate as early as possible if you're going to be in trouble or might lose. This DOES NOT mean be the guy who says "Uh oh, I have 20 Illums, he has 21, feed me!" (Little over the top, but you get what I mean). Don't be the guy who begs for feed early on when no battle has even happened yet. If you have a feeder, it makes more sense to let him develop his econ as much as possible so he can feed you more later rather than earlier. A feeders econ grows on what's almost an exponential curve. Every time you make him feed you early takes away from what he can give you later.

Is there a balance of early and late game feed? Of course. I don't think there's anything wrong with early game feed. Just don't be the guy who asks for it way before he needs it, and don't be the guy who asks for it way after it could really do you any good. This isn't all encompassing, and I get that feed early on can spur an ally to early victory, but still, the point in general stands. This leads me to point 4.

Rule #4: If you are in a spot on the map where you have either an ally on each side, you are the econ player. Get tradeports, not fleet

When you're in this spot, you need to gobble up as many planets as possible, get as many tradeports as possible, and never tech past the first tier of fleet taxation if possible. Too many times I see allies who get a fleet and are in the econ spot. You're not near an enemy, and you only need so many ships for pirates, so NO FLEETING IN THIS SPOT.

Rule #5: Sending your ally $$$$ is going to be more effective than sending your own fleet to help

This falls under rule #4, but it's a point that needs to be made on it's own. Traveling in this game takes TIME. A lot of it. If you have an ally who's fighting a 2v1, who's doing alright for the situation, it's just that he's got a 2v1 and has to slowly fall back, $$$, not your own fleet, is what will help him much more in short run. Yes, you should send what fleet you do have to support, but not every sitation calls for you making more of your own fleet to send to help your ally.

If you have an ally in trouble, ask him what he wants. If he thinks you bringing your own fleet will help him, then do it (although if ur more than 4 jumps away you should then be asking for a plent to launch from). Sending your own fleet to help an ally takes time. Time for construction. Time to get there. Time is something an ally who needs support DOESN'T HAVE. Cash can be given instantly, so do it. If you're ally is competent, he can put it to good use. Also, you can advise him since you're not fighting, but he is.

When you're not on the front lines fighting someone, it's very rare that you ever need to fleet up early and not a good sign for your team if you have to fleet up to save an ally. Losing an econ player hurts when he has to fleet up. Try to avoid that by feeding effectively to save your allies.

Rule #6: No light frigate swarms

Oh for the love of god let it stop. No more cobalt spamming! It may work on the ai. Won't work on a human. In online play, there are effective ways to use scouts, long range frigs, flak, carriers, support cruisers, and heavy cruisers. Never light frigs.

The online community probably about 90% of the time uses long range frigates as their first fleet. It's a pretty good rule of thumb. Don't be the guy who makes cobalts. I'm beggin you. They're good for early expansion help (10 of them max), and for flak/support/carrier cruiser elimination. That's it.

If you're new and don't know what to do for early game fleet, my best advice is long range frigates as a starting point. You can learn as you go, but if you have those (and in decent numbers mind you), you'll learn much much quicker.

 Rule #7: Scout

Ok, a lot of people who see this are going to think "Oh god, it's rage and his scouts again". Believe it or not, I'm suggesting as a noob that you use scouts to....drum roll plz....SCOUT. I've seen one too many times that an ally loses a good portion of his fleet to a well placed starbase with Phase Jump Inhibitors. Send 1 ship before you go on a massive offensive to check if you're walking into a trap. Going on the offensive is tricky business. Intel is worth almost as much as the fleet you've got. This leads to another point of mine.

Rule #8: Outmuscle you're opponent if on the offensive

This is just a rule of war. Playing defensively will always and has always been easier. This game is no exception. If you're going on the offensive, if ur fleets are evenly matched, your defensive opponent will most likely win. He has access to defense structures. You don't. Those tip the scales and pretty much make it that if you're going to be on the offensive, you must, MUST have:

1. A bigger/stronger fleet. I'm not going to say be twice the size. That's a little out of line. But ballpark 1.2-1.5x his size is what you need.

2. Constant Supply Line of reinforcements. You will falter and fail because he can reinforce right there at the battle. YOU on the other hand have to jump it in.

That's all I got. I'll think of more later. Peace.