Since the patch of 9 April 2019 we had to change the umbrella mechanics of the Standing Fleet. It is now clear that we have to take the whole thing more seriously. Therefore, read the wiki entry exactly to get up to date!

Standing Fleet (SF) GUIDE _{if you are new to Test, start here!}

1. About it
2. How to join
3. Configuration and setup
4. Communication Notes!

SF MANAGEMENT GUIDE _{if you are interested to create or help the SF!}

1. Fleet Boss ABC
2. Fleet Setup Notes
3. Fleet Composition
4. Proper Rorqual Save Procedures
5. Umbrella Status Explanation
6. Final Words

GOOD LINKS _{to improve your survival!}

• Deklein Umbrella Range Map (Dotlan) ^{Systems without Borders are not within the Range!}
• DSCAN Pastebin
• TEST Intelmap

This fleet should has its own defense which makes it possible to secure each other. However, this requires various ships in advance in the Standing Fleet who are ready to respond to cries for help (Rorqual tackled, NPC Dread Spawn, Enemy tackled…). This means that optimal protection is only possible if enough ships are present! Therefore, please always join in the appropriate category of the fleet to provide an overview.

Another important point is to name the definition of this defense. In that case, we call the whole “Umbrella”. The Umbrella are the ships in the Standing Fleet that are ready to jump to a cynosural field within T0DT Titan bridge range. Furthermore, it's now important that enough Recons are ready to bridge from a Titan in T0DT to the destination (Read more). At Dotlan you can see all systems that are in range. They are highlighted by a black frame! (Click here for Dotlan Map) Be sure that there is no Cyno Jammer active (see picture).

Sometimes there are two standing fleets due to lack of available spots in fleet (max. 256). Please do not ask the Fleet Boss to throw others out when the fleet is full. It does not matter which fleet you are in. The umbrella also applies to Standing Fleet 2,3…

Please read the motd first after joining the fleet. Check the status of the Umbrella and related information. Below the three standard definitions that could be set as umbrella status:

1. RED no Mining/Ratting allowed, read Motd Info and Pings!
2. GREEN protection should be fine, be sure you are in comms and watch intel

Click here to learn more about the status of the Umbrella.

Please try to actively contribute so that the Standing Fleet is not too full. The umbrella only benefits those who have a Recon Ship with a cyno!

I refer here to Cornak Firefist's statement: “Please aim to have fleet at around 210 max”. In this case, simply join the next possible Outer Passage Standing Fleet (Fleet Boss ABC).

To join the SF, open your fleet menu and search for the “OP STANDING” Fleet name. Be sure your Scope is set to My Alliance Fleets.

In the example above, there are two SFs. If you use a smaller ship then you should use SF 2 if it exists. Else just join the SF 1 and hope that it's not full. Click here if you want to learn how to create a SF in case the existing one is full.

After joining the fleet, switch to Wing > Squad where you fit in! This is important to give the other members a quick overview. This means if you are a Rorqual, you may go to CRABBING Wing and search a free Squad you want to use. You can move your self by right-click on your name on local chat and go to: Fleet > Move Member > choose yourself!

Before you start your business you should properly configure your Client and your Overview.

Check the options in your Overview and activate the Mobile Cyno Inhibitor as shown in the screenshots. It is important that you activate it for every tab in your overview.

If you see a System Cyno Jammer tell the FC the status of it.

Light a cyno with your Recon Ship when ordered by the FC. If there is a Mobile Cyno Inhibitor they may want you to light it before it goes active. Communicate.

more Content coming soon™

A good communication is urgently needed for a protective measure. Therefore, read carefully what you have to consider in case of a call for help.

Mumble Channel: Root > Test Alliance Please Refer All Questions To Our Lawyers > Non Military Fleets > Fleet 66 - Dunning Kruger Platoon

After you called for help, speak up on Comms and report all needed information. The SF uses the TEST Alliance Mumble Server Channel called Standing Fleet. Make sure you speak loud and clear and get the attention of the people present in the channel! It is not a problem to interrupt active conversations for that. Please use your shout key only for emergencies! If you feel that no one is responding, you can also make an additional emergency call in Alliance or TEST Intel Chat!

Make sure you have the info DDFC needs to your rescue ready to be sent before you are exposed to possible danger. Here is a template of a @JUNIOR FC ping:

  * @everyone Rorquals tackled (01101)
  * Fleet: <Region> Standing
  * System: WX-6UX
  * Anom: Colossal
  * Comms: Fleet 10 (will move as needed)
  * Cyno: Fit not active
  * PANIC: Fit not active
  * Tank Status: [Holding]
  * Dscan: (provide link)
  * Enemy alliance: (VOLTA, goons, etc.)

Procedure for tackled Rorquals

1. Scoop your Mining Drones
2. Use your Recon Ship to light a Cyno
3. Make sure you are on comms (read communication notes from above)
4. Activate the Panic Mode if needed
5. Ping @Junior FC in Discord as soon as possible
6. Report to FCs what is tackling you and number of hostiles in local
7. Follow the instructions on comms

Click here to read more about the Proper Rorqual Save Procedures or/and may also read the Umbrella Status Explanation.

Useful communication tools

• DSCAN Pastebin
• TEST Intelmap
• TEST Signature Report

Quote from Cornak Firefist > Much like with fleet bosses, comms is not like an ordinary standing fleet. The absolute focus is on being alert for drops, if someone speaks up about anything, intel, drops, being tackled, whatever, shut up. Don't be talking about random shit when we're dropping a trillion isk onto the field. That's a classic dick move. If someone yells check, stop talking. Intel, stop talking. Any questions, anything about the fleet, stop talking. If you want to talk the whole time, just sit in bacon bar and hop over to Fleet 6 when you get tackled. Also, on a related note, use your whisper keys unless it's critical info like drops or whatever. This is still a fleet comms channel, there's literally no reason not to use your whisper key. People who want to only hear key stuff relevant to the fleet are in the subchannels, they don't want to hear about how tiny your dick is or whatever you're on about. Just because it's not a pinged fleet doesn't mean you should forget everything you've ever known about mumble.

A. Fleet boss should always be held by a member of the FC structure in test, DDFC above, exception being when no DDFC or above is present, then fleet boss can be held by a member, until one is available, boss must always be yielded to a fc or ranking test official. This is not your daddy's standing fleet where everyone is AFK and the only thing that matters is having the advert up. If you aren't at your computer, don't be fleet boss. If you don't have the confidence to manage the SF correctly, don't be fleet boss. If you go AFK, immediately hand off fleet boss. Never ever let the fleet boss be AFK, if you think the boss is AFK, try to get a hold of them, if they don't respond, make a new fleet ASAP.

B. In this, the role of fleet boss is key. You're responsible for managing your fleet comp and drops. If you aren't able to do this, don't be fleet boss. Read the Fleet Composition, Proper Rorqual Save Procedures and the Umbrella Status Explanation to make sure you are doing it right! If you are not sure yet and are still Fleet Boss, keep the Umbrella Status on “Amber” or even “Red” and try to find a suitable Fleet Boss.

C. Another big concern that gets brought up is numbers. Fleets are capped at 256, and we have a lot of rorqs and stuff, and you want room to be able to move in PVP Ships. Aim to have fleet at around 210 max. There are several ways you can manage this.

• One option is to sort out VNI ships. Every hour or so, take a looksee at the fleet comp window. If there are any VNIs/ishtars/deadfish in fleet and boot them from fleet.

• The next way to keep numbers down is range checks. You can sort fleet comp by system, so just do that and boot everyone outside of T0DT range. They can't cyno you in, so they shouldn't be in fleet. Pow pow chuck em out.

You should not create a SF if you do not have the template. You can simply copy the template from an existing SF.

Just click on the Fleet menu (as shown in the picture) and select “Store Fleet Setup”.

There are currently many different setups of Standing Fleets. To reduce this in the future, version numbers were introduced which are at the beginning of the MOTD. Therefore always try to have the most up-to-date setup saved.

Below are screenshots of how such a setup could look like. However, since manual creation is quite a hassle, it would be better to copy the setup of an existing fleet. We created the Channel Outer Passage SF MOTD (Alliance Access) for that to share the setups. Just ask in the channel if someone can create a fleet with current setup and invites you. Sometimes there are also SF Setup Template fleets which you can join to save the current version.last seen Version of the Setup: 6.1 ^{The following screenshot may differ from the current version!}

It's possible to copy & paste the MOTD from below. The whole squads in the wings you can only enter manually if you do not want to import a setup like told above. Below an example list. But without formatting, the whole thing looks pretty ugly

MOTD CODE

<font size="13" color="#ff999999"></font><font size="14" color="#ff007fff"><b>OUTER PASSAGE STANDING FLEET<br><br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">Please make sure you have read and understood this </font><font size="12" color="#ffffe400"><a href="http://wiki.pleaseignore.com/training:rorqualmining ">Wiki Post</a></font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">!<br>Keep in range of the </font><font size="12" color="#ffffe400"><a href="http://bit.ly/3BLUtmP">SF Outer Passage Umbrella (Dotlan)</a></font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff"> and pay attention to the </font><font size="12" color="#ff6868e1"><a href="joinChannel:player_-81260614//None//None">TEST Intel Channel</a></font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">. <br></font><font size="12" color="#ffff0000"><i>Systems on Dotlan without Borders are not within the Umbrella Range!</i><br><br></font><font size="14" color="#ff007fff">Umbrella Status:<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffff0000">RED</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">No save ops. Please cycle red and dock up immediately!<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffff00">YELLOW: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">Krab at your own risk!<br></font><font size="12" color="#ff00ff00">GREEN</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">Safe to krab with full FC support.</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff"> </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">Umbrella on standby!<br><br></font><font size="14" color="#ff007fff">Umbrella Keywords:<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffff00">XXX</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">I'm tackled<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffff00">WWW</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">Hostile tackled<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffff00">DDD</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">NPC Capital Spawn<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffff00">AAA</font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">: </font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">Abort request<br><br></font><font size="12" color="#ffffffff">Please be in Outer Passage Standing Fleet on Mumble!<br></font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">If you are tackled use your Fleet/Shout key and provide as much information as possible. (</font><font size="12" color="#ffffe400"><a href="http://dscan.nimos.ws/">D-Scan</a></font><font size="12" color="#ffb2b2b2">, cyno availability, siege timer, etc.)<br><br>Please drop out of fleet if you are going AFK or leaving Outer Passage!<br><br></font><font size="14" color="#ff007fff">★★★ IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED YOU HAVE A CYNO READY IN YOUR SYSTEM AT ALL TIMES ★★★<br><br></font><font size="14" color="#ffffffff">Active FC's: X<br>Titans Count: X<br>Recons Count: X<br></font><font size="18" color="#ffffffff">________<br>Umbrella Status: </font><font size="18" color="#ff00ff00">GREEN</font><font size="18" color="#ffffffff"> / </font><font size="18" color="#ffffff00">YELLOW</font><font size="18" color="#ffffffff"> /</font><font size="18" color="#ffff0000"> RED</b></font>

WINGS & SQUADS

✰ LOBBY> ⁂ ENTRY, ⁂ DANCEBAR, ⁂ BEERBAR
♕ CRABBING> ⁂ ALPHA, ⁂ BETA, ⁂ GAMMA, ⁂ CARELESS, ⁂ PROTON, ⁂ BEASTS, ⁂ BUTCHER, ⁂ DELTA, ⁂ MAGNUM, ⁂ RAGGAE, ⁂ ROIDLOVE, ⁂ CORNETTO, ⁂ COLUMBO, ⁂ MAXDOME, ⁂ MASCOT, ⁂ KICKBACK, ⁂ HANGOVER, ⁂ KINGFISH, ⁂ ISKWHORE, ⁂ KRYPTON, ⁂ SWATTER
☣ RATTING> ⁂ NPCLOVER, ⁂ FALCON, ⁂ EPSILON, ⁂ VNIROCKS, ⁂ SULTANS, ⁂ COSSACK, ⁂ MADBOYS, ⁂ FISHPOT, ⁂ FLIPPER, ⁂ FOXBAT, ⁂ MANPOWER, ⁂ MALLLOW, ⁂ GINGER, ⁂ KAZOO, ⁂ KOALA
☭ PVP MAIN> ⁂ MAESTROS, ⁂ SHADDOCK, ⁂ SKYFALL, ⁂ STOOGE, ⁂ MADGUYS, ⁂ SNIPER, ⁂ SCALLION, ⁂ GAMMON, ⁂ GRIZZLY, ⁂ GECKO
✈ PVP CAPS> ⁂ SUPERS, ⁂ DREADS, ⁂ SQUADWARP
✘ PVP SUBS> ⁂ DPS, ⁂ LOGIS, ⁂ TACKLE
㋡ PVE MALL> ⁂ SINNER, ⁂ MERMAIDS, ⁂ COCKPOT, ⁂ CRUSTY, ⁂ UNICORNS, ⁂ CHILLAX

Get sure to be in one of the squads within the LOBBY as squad command due all new members will automatically join you. Last but not least you have to set up an advert now. In the following screenshot you can see the basic settings that should be made. The option to create an advert can be found in the same menu as saving a Fleet Setup from above.

Depending on whether you are doing the SF 1 or 2 please adjust the name of the Fleet. If you want such a glittering description, you can copy the following code into the description.

<color=0xFFff6633><b><i>better be inside!</i></b></color>

If you are sure that all settings have been made, you can create the advert. Now everything should be done and your SF Fleet is created. Just make sure you put your character in the Entry Squad as a commander!

The April 9th 2019 patch has made us seriously reconsider the fits we use on our capitals, as well as the subcaps, and as such we are making a lot changes. It’s most important to remember we are an armor capital force at home more than anything.

The primary weapon of our save fleets will be Armor Carriers and HAW Dreads. We will also be using subcap fleets pretty extensively, which for now will be Muninns.

Click here to open the list of everything you need to have in Outer Passage

Have the following Ships ready in T0DT

• Muninn Fleet
• Possibly others, check for pings.

Have proper capital fits ready in T0DT

• ARMOR carriers (Thanatos, Archon, Nidhoggur), with refits. The Wiki also lists the standard home defense fighter bay pre-load, which is different from normal fighter bay pre-loads. Please make sure to have that at all times.
• Armor Fleet FAX
• HAW dreads (with the proper rigs from the wiki fits). If you have bomb dreads that’s fine, but HAW dreads are pretty critical. All HAW dreads need to have T1 close range anti-capital guns sitting in your items hanger just in case we need to refit them, even though the rigs won’t allow you to go to a standard bomb dread fit
• Max Rep FAX (Minokawas, Ninazus, Apostles)

Outer Passage Armor Supers

TBD

As you all know, the Armor super fleet is staged in Esoteria as home defense for now. We’re aware that there have been a lot of issues with this. The current requirements to get into the Armor super fleet are high, and a lot of you have armor supers but are not in the Armor Super group. All I’ll say now is that we recognize this is an issue and we’re working on it. In the meantime we’re not going to change the situation with our supers in Esoteria. You need to continue to work to get your Armor supers into the Armor super group for Esoteria home defense. We will use the armor supers where appropriate however it is no longer a drop supers win meta in the home defense aspect. The other big thing that needs to happen is that the ratting Hels really need to start to phase out. This doesn’t need to happen right away, but over time you Hel pilots need to get switched into a Nyx instead. The Nyx is better for ratting than the Hel anyway. Cross train into the Nyx with that pilot and it will also allow you be able to eventually join the armor group. Having to keep a bunch of shield FAX in Esoteria because we have 8-10 Hels trying to drop with us every time is really straining us in a variety of ways.

Clone Management

TBD

We’re at war, and death clones are staged in T0DT. Because of this, it’s important that you avoid using your jump clone unless absolutely called for. You should also have a jump clone in FAT-6P and Hophib, to support our war with Goonswarm.

The first thing we are doing is formalizing an escalation path for each Rorqual save so that we can stop being so stupid. For starters, THIS MEANS NO YOLOING YOUR FUCKING CAPITALS AROUND ON ANYTHING THAT MOVES IN OUTER PASSAGE. As the saying goes, “this is why we can’t have nice things”.

When this was implemented we started out by not SRPing virtually any of the Supers and Titans that were lost in Eso from a few weeks prior, and this trend will continue. Let me be clear, there doesn’t have to be an official FC taking charge to generate SRP for a Rorqual save (though you should ping DDFC immediately), but you do need to follow the rules if you want SRP for anything, and that includes Rorqual saves now.

Step 1: Rorqual has Recon alt put a Cyno up immediately, and then panics and goes industry core red when needed. DO NOT WAIT TO CYNO AND MISS THE INHIBITOR GOING UP. 90% of our Rorqual losses are because you guys somehow let an inhibitor go up on you. Ping @DDFC in Discord as soon as possible. Report to ddfc what is tackling you and number of hostiles in local. If you can use https://dscan.nimos.ws/

Step 2: Response fleet of Caps AND Subcaps is immediately called to join the standing fleet (Muninn Fleet). Bridge Titans need to be a pretty regular thing on the T0DT keepstar near the subcap undock (MAKE SURE TO EXEMPT THEM FROM FLEET WARP)

Step 3: A Max Rep Shield Fax squad is jumped in first to stabilize Rorquals after panic and buy time (2-3 MR Minos or Shield Rep Ninazus are standard)

Step 4: Once MR Faxes have stabilized the situation, then FC in charge makes the call to escalate as he or she sees fit. NOBODY YOLOS. Even if the situation looks easily savable, it’s important to keep calling for more supers and caps and telling them to hold jump clones until needed. You do not want to be pinging for more caps after the enemy dread bomb has dropped, and as long as people are holding their jump clones then it shouldn't be very disruptive. Always listen to the FC not a random in fleet 6.

The key point here is that we do not jump in unnecessary shit to fight an enemy fleet, we do not jump in Supers ever unless called for by an FC, and we use the MR Fax to buy us more time to get a proper response formed instead of rushing to drop a bunch of carriers and dreads before we know what we’re really up against. Just to say it one more time, Supers and Titans are anti-capital weapons now mainly, do not fucking Yolo them.

text parts by Jon Hun

The status of the umbrella depends on the current situation in Outer Passage and the currently planned fleets. Below is explained how this status is composed. Even if the status is green, you should always check Mumble if there is an FC, DDFC or any kind of fc and at least one Titan and 3 Recon Ships available around T0DT (Read Fleet Composition).

However, the Umbrella Status need to be set to RED as soon one or more of the following applies:

1. a High Command or Fleet Command order to set the Umbrella Status to red
2. there is no FC, DDFC or any kind of fc active
3. there is no Titan or less than 3 Recon Ships active
4. Progod or Vily pings a flash/rageform or similar, this carries the weight of a Stratop
5. a Stratop starts within the next 30 minutes or is already taking place
6. a larger fleet is planned and will make the maintenance of Umbrella impossible
7. “much” hostiles or spikes are (or coming) in Esoteria and there is acute danger
8. there is an active ping at #traffic-signals (Discord) that force status red

The Umbrella Status can be set to GREEN as soon one or more of the following applies and no point in the upper list applies:

1. there is an FC, DDFC or any kind of fc available
2. there is at least one Titan and 3 Recon Ships available around T0DT
3. there are enough PVP pilots active! (check Comms & SF Composition Wiki)
4. there is an active ping at #traffic-signals (Discord) that allows to set status green

Basically, the goal here is to minimize ping fatigue from save fleets and all that, since we end up pinging saves for anything from 3 people to 300. We also want to provide a safe umbrella to rat and mine under, thus minimizing the number of losses. If something dies, we should be figuring out why. The less we feed, the less people come to hunt us, the more we can build up our ore capability, which as you may have noticed from the war so far is pretty key. We've already seen great effects, with the amount of intel reports showing up being way less, and those that do show up being in interceptors or whatever. That is good news for gonzo.

^{1) 2) 3)}