Federation Commander

Play online, can someone explain to me the basics?

Probably a lot easier to play a game with someone that can show you the ropes. I could try to log in tonight and show you some things. You can also hop in the client, open a room, add a ship and monkey around solo for a while. You could even do a solo monster scenario if you have your subscription up. You can also watch other folks when they play to get a feel for things.