FAQ Archives
Characters and Fleets
Fleets are commanded by Characters; they are attached to them, and their potency is determined by them. For quick link to a character's experience, writers are encouraged to set up a bio for their character in the Biography Forum.
In some instances it may be impossible to perform all the tasks required of a group with player controlled Characters. You may, if you so desire, assign a fleet to an NPC character and use that NPC to attack or defend anything you so please. However, if someone else sends their main, highly experienced character, you may have a hard time winning -- even if the NPC's group has 90 planets and the player character's has 4.
What this means is that having active, player controlled Characters in your group is an incredibly valuable commodity. Recruiting and convincing others to join your cause is vital. Having even one inexperienced fleeter in your group may be more important than capturing ten planets. This remains true to the spirit of the Star Wars mythology, wherein the most important battles were always fought over the loyalty of key individuals.
Since fleets are attached to Characters, Characters also tend to represent your ability to attack and defend your planets, and in some ways the size of your forces. For instance, if you acquire three new members from an enemy group, you are able much more effectively mount attacks. While large groups may seem dauntingly powerful, if you can convince some of their members to defect and join your side of the battle, you have, in effect, crippled them to a large degree.
An example of how valuble Characters are, and how important it is to assign them, would be the following fairly common battle tactic. If you can tie up an enemy's Characters in certain points, and then send your more powerful characters to attack their now NPC-controlled Planets or Assets, you stand a better chance of winning than if you simple went head-to-head.