If you get the placement wrong (ie, not according to the rules) you'll get an error message; use Back in your browser to correct your mistake.
Do not reload the fleet placement screen after joining, it will not work. This is because the Join Game form changes your password, so that only one other player can join each game.
Initially you'll be selecting locations for strikes; select each cell on the right that you want to attack. Use the buttons at the bottom of the grids to change to selecting scans, or swapping target cells from strikes to scan and back (tickbox selected means a strike, deselected means a scan).
Cells you're currently targeting, but which you're not editing right now, show up as `x' followed by the symbol for the kind of attack: `-' for a scan, `+' for a strike, or `=' for a beam strike.
To target your beam weapon, select its button, and then tick the two endpoint target cells. (It doesn't matter if you also select the middle target cell.)
If you have remaining missiles, each missile will have a `!' in the cell to indicate the unfired missile, and a checkbox to indicate whether you want to fire it. These won't be selected by default, you must do so yourself.
If you have kamikazes available, this too will be indicated by a checkbox in the cell; by default one kamikaze will be selected in each ship (the one `closest' to the cell RED v 1).
Near the bottom of the page is a list of the available weapons, and how you've used them. Select a new weapon, or select Check/Recount, to update this information. If you have unused weapons, or are targeting more cells than you can attack, this will be indicated by sections of emphasised text (usually this shows up in bold).
If your opponent has already selected End Turn you'll go straight to the results/orders page for the next turn. Otherwise the game will tell you your opponent is still giving orders. You can try intermittently, or have the script pause until they're done.
If a cell is destroyed then the ship type, or for as yet unidentified enemy ships the string `??', is shown in the cell crossed out.
Cells in your own ships made visible to the other player by scans or flashcube are indicated with an additional `S' or `F' respectively; enemy ship cells revealed by scans or flashcube just show up as the ship type or `??' (and are selected for strikes by default).
Cells in which something happened in the last turn are emphasized (ie, probably show up in bold).
Light Scout LS * Death Star ** / ** or DS ** / ** Heavy Scout HS ** *** / **. *** / *.. Missile Destroyer MD *** *** / ... *** / *.. Patrol Cruiser PC **** *** / .*. *** or *** / .*. *** Flying Saucer FS ** ** ** (choose one shape) Kill Cruiser KC *** ***