When guys get low on hitpoints, retreat them. Usually I try to retreat once I've lost shields (this is pretty conservative, but it helps ensure the unit survives long enough to jump - there's no point retreating if you can't preserve the unit. Naturally, if you're not facing many enemies, you can be more aggressive with retreat timing.)

When you attack, focus fire on priority targets to take them down faster and lower your enemies' damage output. Generally, I focus on repair stations, then LRMs, then light frigates, then heavy cruisers, then whatever else, in that order. Auto-attacking never focus fires and is therefore very inefficient, so make sure you designate targets manually.

If ships have multiple weapons banks on different arcs (Illuminators, Defense Frigates, etc,) position them such that they can make use of all their weapon banks. Usually this involves sending them into melee range.

Take all capship abilities off of auto-cast and use them on your own to the greatest effect. The AI tends to waste them on low-priority targets.

Ta guys,

re: fireing arcs, do you know of any where i can find descriptions?

You asked how to respond to micro as well?

I don't play MP, so big grain of salt, but I'd say two things as general counters:

1. Assume the other guy will follow jodonnell's suggestions and plan accordingly. So, try to anticipate which of your units will be targeted and either decoy them, sacrifice them, or use tactics based on their threat (like split your LRMs to draw him out).

2. Try to face the enemy with difficult choices: Attack your support cruisers or your DPS-heavy units directly? Suffer the loss of their capship, or forgo using it's AOE for this fight?