I dont know what you mean.... exactly.
But if you cant remember whos your friend or foe, try to use some ingame content
Options -> User Interface -> Show Team colors.
And there you are, your empire color will be green, your friends yellow und your enemys red.
On the left side of your screen there is the Empire Window where you can see your full empire. And if an other ship is in one of your Systems, you can see it there as a little square point with a different color.
You can select the ships there and you dont have to chase them in the 3d view.


Ironclad did a great job with that feature,
but i still think blue would be better for friends... yellow feels like they arent friendly at all.

ok cool, will try ctrl, seems easiest.
I will just remember the enemies as i should

One other thing, played a game tonight and it seems that my friend thought he was one colour and he turned up another on my screen?

i think then he is colour blind
He swears he was green, and all i could see was purple. Don't even think many
colour blind peeps could think that though.
Team colours could fix it, but then its hard to find ones own ships and gear?

i will take your word for it that if he chooses green I see green

i will try it..... thanks
he did see me as a different colour though, and we were allies

nope lol