EditGetting Started
The best bit of advice that I can give to new users and old users alike is to always read their Mission Logs. This can be found on the left menu near the top in the Base Ship section. The Mission Log will detail each individual action your Base Ship makes. Whether it is combat related, system related, or manual updates it keeps a record of everything your ship has done over the last tick. It is important however to note that due to the amount of detail they contain, all log items are permanently removed after 48 ticks so make sure you look at and remember everything that might be important.
EditEmpires
Depending on the Empire you selected on start up, you will be randomly placed in home world territory. All four empires at the start of the game own roughly 1/4 of the galaxy. At this point there are no fundamental differences between the empires other than colour, but be sure to get to know your allies via the Empire chat. This can be accessed by clicking the 'My Empire' link in the intelligence section of the menu.
It is also very important to become familiar with your Empire's strong hold (or Homeworld Command) which can be used as a safe haven should your empire become decimated. As the strongest planet you can possibly control it should always be the last to fall in a full scale invasion situation (if it falls at all)
You can find your Homeworld Command by clicking on My Empire -> Planets from the left side menu, and searching for a planet that is commanded by an Emperor.
EditDevices
As a lowly Captain at the beginning of the game, it is also wise to begin upgrading your ship's devices as soon as you can afford to. What you choose to upgrade depends on you, but keep in mind that device upgrades become more costly as they are upgraded with each level. It might also be worth looking at what kind of upgrades others in your empire have made and act accordingly.
EditMovement
Next you should become familiar with the Galactic Map. You will be using this a lot during your command. There is a mini map on the bridge of your ship that can be used for quick alterations to your course and speed but if you want accurate details on locations or the main galactic situation you can access the Galactic Map from the link in the menu. The Galactic Map provides you with a battle theatre perspective of the Galaxy. Each planet is represented by a different colour according to what empire controls it at this time. The squares are coloured according to how hostile the area is. Green means that all ships in the area are allies, red means all ships in the area are hostile, yellow means it is disputed and black means there is no ships in the area.
Taken all that in? Now it is time for you to engage in
Combat