Hello everyone, I'm a newbie looking for guidance. I usually only play match-three games and idle clicker games, but recently an older member on the forum recommended "Fleet Commander" to me, saying it's an RTS real-time strategy naval battle mobile game. I saw it was free, the developer is Xiamen Flash Games Network Technology Co., Ltd., and it runs on platform 5.0, so even my old phone could install it, and I went for it. As a result, the pitfalls I encountered in three days exceeded all my mobile gaming experiences from the past three years combined 😭
Let's talk about how to play first. It's not the kind of game where you just click once and the battle is over; you have to manually drag your fleet, choose targets, and monitor the range. Ships are divided into destroyers, cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers, and weapons include naval guns, torpedoes, missiles, and anti-aircraft systems, which can be combined like real-world military equipment. The first time I went into battle, I was totally overwhelmed by all the buttons.
The first pitfall: I thought the bigger the ship, the better, so I threw all the resources I received into upgrading to a battleship. As a result, I didn't have enough command points, couldn't fit two big ships into my fleet, and couldn't equip weapons. During battle, the battleship turns like an old man crossing the street, and when enemy destroyers launch a full volley of torpedoes, I just watch the fireworks 💥
The second blunder was even more embarrassing. I drew an aircraft carrier and was overjoyed, thinking that with so many planes it would be invincible, so I put it at the very front. When the battle started, the opposing destroyer got up close, and my carrier was as fragile as paper; the planes hadn't even taken off before it sank. Later I learned that destroyers should be in the front row for vision and anti-submarine duties, cruisers hold the line in the middle row, battleships provide output from the back row, and carriers need to stay at the very back to launch planes. By putting my carrier in the front, it was like sending my command center right under the enemy's guns 😂
The third mistake is not paying attention to the range circle. I kept clicking attack, and even though the ship's guns clearly couldn't reach, the ship would charge forward on its own, straight into the enemy's torpedo range. Now I first check the enemy ship type and distance, and wait until it's within range before concentrating fire, while also predicting torpedo movements. Although it's hectic, successfully dodging a round of torpedoes is really satisfying ⚓️
Resources are also a trap. At first, I upgraded ships as soon as I saw them, but then my main fleet had no resources, and I couldn't support new ships. A little tip is to follow the beginner missions first, make sure one team of destroyers plus a cruiser serves as the main force, and don't rush to deploy all ships. Save the free diamonds and resources first, and only spend them when you understand the counter mechanics. The game's monetization model is zero; you can play without spending money, but wasting resources recklessly can hurt more than spending money.
I think the advantages are that the real-time command feels very immersive, and the weapon combinations are deep; it's not just about comparing stats. There are also disadvantages: the tutorial for beginners isn't detailed enough, there are too many technical terms—I had to look up radar, armor-piercing, and anti-air for a while. The phone screen is small, and it's easy to misclick when there are many ships. But once you get into the game, every time you turn the tide with positioning and focused fire, it's really fun.
Thanks to the expert who recommended it to me before. Although I ran into a lot of pitfalls, I really think 'Fleet Commander' is quite suitable for newbies who like naval battles and thinking strategically. I suggest newbies not follow my example of putting the aircraft carrier in the front row—it really gets turned into a sieve 😭. Is there any expert who can help with the fleet? My ID is just 'Newbie Seeking Help,' please help me out!