Note, new players might benefit from reading the SC Jargon page before going through these tutorials. SC players do commonly use abbreviations which might be confusing if you've never encountered them before, and many of these terms are used throughout the tutorials.

Lesson 1
The basic mechanics of how to play Stellar Crisis are relatively easy to learn, but it is harder if you want to be able to play well. In order to become a true master of the game you have to understand exactly how the game works--what happens, why it happens, and in what order. The first step in learning this is to read the FAQ, which will tell you how each ship type works, how combat is resolved, and the order of events in which things happen.

Lesson 2
While you should read and understand all points of the FAQ, it can in many places be hard to follow. It therefore helps to see exactly what the game looks like and how it works. This game interface is taken directly from one of my games. Builds and tech selections will not be registered and you cannot zoom in to individual planet information from the map page as in the actual game, but the model is otherwise functional.

Lesson 3
Another problem with the FAQ is that it gives only the technical details and does not give any practical advice on how to use that information. For example, there are twelve different ship types, each of whose functions are explained. But to really learn how to _use_ these ships you usually have to gain experience through experimenting in your own games. Each ship type has it's own special abilities, and in order to compete you must have a thorough knowledge of how to use each one.

Lesson 4
The next step is to learn some of the tricks of the game which are not to be found in the FAQ. Some of these are specific to a given ship type and are explained in my description of that ship, but some of them are generic to the game as a whole. The two most important of these are overbuilding and the pop trick. Both of these are so common that you have to understand how to use them if you expect to compete with people who play regularly.

Lesson 5
As with everything else in life, the more you play SC the more experience you will get. Sometimes, though, it can help to take advantage of what other people have experienced. Seeing a given situation ahead of time can help prepare you for when you are in that situation. I have therefore saved and posted several of my game maps which point out how to react in a given situation. These maps also illustrate several of the classic SC strategies and tricks.

Lesson 6
Now that you know how everything works, you're ready to learn how to put it all together into a winning strategy. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to do that. Everyone plays with a different style, so what works for me might not work for you. The best I can do is to offer my own insights into strategic decision making and let you decide for yourself which is right for you.

Lesson 7
Become a well rounded player. There are too many game permutations to be able to play the same way all the time. Sometimes you have to be an equal partner with your allies and work cooperatively, other times you should work independently from your allies; sometimes you have to be the leader and give directions to the others, while other times you should shut up and do what your ally tells you to do. Don't let either inexperience or ego get in the way of taking on the right role--I have seen too many newbies lose only because they fail to be assertive, and "Top 5" players lose because they refuse to listen to their ally. You must adapt your style of play to the situation at hand. The true master must be able to take on all of the different roles and know when each is appropriate.