After some aggressive curation and unfair sharing of the original doc. *cough*
Hey, I spent two hours last night and two hours tonight going through these things. Wasn't that the point of the document? To add comments and edit the tool tips? To make them better for potential inclusion into the game? After being locked out of the document, I continued editing these tool tips for grammar, spelling, style, clarity, and length. I'm going to paste them here now. I think if you compare them to the originals, you'll see improvements. I'm pasting them here for more peer review. I have the document saved on my computer.
In the lobby, you can click the name of a ship to view its weapon loadout. Click the icon to the right of players' names to see their equipped tools. This allows you to learn what to bring and what to expect.
Pressing V brings up a selection of voice commands depending on if you're on the helm, guns, or walking around. Using this quickly will often be more effective than attempting to type or speak clearly.
Having more than one gunner on your ship gives you lots of ammunition choices, but the lack of repair tools often means there won't be enough operational guns to make use of all that ammo!
A gunner is not always needed on a ship. Some guns only need one ammunition type.
Most weapons cause two types of damage; check which types before you equip them on your ship. Piloting a "one trick pony" may be a handicap to yourself and your team.
Being the first captain to "ready up" is not necessarily a good thing. Your enemy is planning, scheming, and devising their strategy and loadouts carefully. Do your homework!
No matter how quick, skilled, or aware you are, ship components will break and you will need the appropriate equipment to deal with many different situations. Learn your tools!
Engineers are capable of firing the ship's weapons and gunners often need to help their crew mates keep the ship repaired and aloft. Know your role and prioritize your duties!
It is better to take an undesirable loadout and suggest changes than refuse a captain's orders. A poorly-equipped but cooperative ship will always outperform a well-equipped but dysfunctional ship.
Know which helm tools damage which components. If you bring three tools that damage the engines, you should see to it that you don't use all three frequently. Even the best engineer has limits!
As a pilot at the helm, you can aim at an enemy ship and press B (by default) to mark an enemy ship with a temporary crosshair visible to you and your crew.
Burst ammunition only affects the area of effect (AoE) of weapons which already have an AoE characteristic. So don't bother using burst ammunition with gatling guns!
More damage per shot does not necessarily mean more damage overall. Consider your weapon's clip size and reload speed.
There is no ammunition that works well on every single gun. Check your ships weapons loadout to see if you are bringing a viable ammunition. Captains may suggest a loadout for you to bring along.
Carrying the Dynabuff Industries Kit (commonly known as the buff kit) in your loadout will limit your ability to repair, rebuild, and extinguish components.
The mallet excels at repairing large amounts of damage to working components. The spanner excels at rebuilding destroyed components. The pipe wrench is average at both. Choose your tools carefully.
Failing to bring along a fire fighting tool can be catastrophic. Many weapons can ignite fires on your ship that will continue to inflict component damage until extinguished.
Utilizing voice chat is often quicker and more informative than trying to communicate through typing while in a match. If you have a microphone, use it!
Pressing X (by default) will broadcast your voice to everybody in the lobby and to your crew in a match.
Pressing C (by default) will broadcast your voice to your team in the lobby and, if you are your ship's captain, to your fellow team captains in a match.
Stay near your allied vessels if possible; most lone ships cannot survive for long when facing an enemy onslaught from multiple ships. Press M (by default) to examine the tactical situation on the map.
Be careful when utilizing hydrogen to vertically maneuver your ship; the effect on your balloon continues for a few seconds after you deactivate it!
You can push your ship to its physical limits by activating your pilot stamina (Left Shift by default) while using helm tools. Remember that stamina is limited; use it wisely!
If you want your crew members to do something, tell them.
The most basic tool set carried by an engineer consists of the rubber mallet, the spanner, and the fire extinguisher. These tools are nothing fancy, but they will keep you floating!
You will almost never need two fire tools.
Using a rubber mallet or a spanner in combination with a pipe wrench is generally ineffective. The mallet and spanner go very well together!
When your ship spawns, the Dynabuff Industries Kit should first be used on the ship's engines and balloon. Pilots value the extra speed and maneuverability provided by buffed balloons and engines
When asked to “prebuff” a component, purposely leave a component's buff meter nearly full but incomplete. Finish completely filling the buff meter later to activate the buff when it will be of use!
When your ship first spawns, use the Dynabuff Industries Kit on maneuvering components like the balloon and engines, then “prebuff” the entire ship if you have time before entering combat.
Weapons buffs only last for a few seconds; don't activate the buff until you're ready to fire!
Study the pros and cons of each ammunition type; if you don't understand which ammo type should be used in a certain gun, ask your captain and crew for advice and pass that knowledge to others players!
Large hit markers mean your shots are hitting the enemy and doing effective damage. Small hit markers mean your shots are hitting the enemy but are ineffective; aim elsewhere!
Many ammunition types alter the effective range of your weapons. Some ammo types allow you to hit targets which are farther away, while others shorten your range. Use the right ammo at the right range!
Each square on the map's grid has a length and width of 500 meters. Press M (by default) to examine the terrain and plan your strategy based on the range of your guns, available cover, and line of sight.
Your ship is affected by inertia when maneuvering. A taste of moonshine can thrust your ship forward and steady its course. A puff of hydrogen can rapidly send you into the clouds. Physics are important!
Use your pilot stamina at the helm to supplement the helm tools you've brought with you; stamina can intensify the effects of some tools, but it cannot produce all of their effects or replace them entirely.
Mines and tar barrels do not distinguish between friend and foe; they even damage your own ship and are the only sources of “friendly fire” in the game. Be careful with them, or you might cause a mutiny!
Your vessel will turn to the left and right faster if it is moving slowly. Lower your throttle or throw it into neutral to execute quick and precise maneuvers.
Weapon projectiles are affected by your ship's movement. Moving frequently or erratically will likely result in decreased weapon accuracy. This especially affects long-range weapons. Smooth sailing!
If you must retreat, think twice before turning around and flying away. Exposing your rear to enemy fire might result in engine damage. Consider throttling away in reverse with your weapons pointed at the enemy.
Keep the crew informed of the enemy's position by using voice communication, voice commands, text chat, or applying a captain's cross hair to an enemy vessel by targeting the ship and pressing B (by default).
Assign specific duties to each crew mate while preparing for battle in the lobby. All ship mates should know which components to repair, which guns to fire, and where on the ship they are stationed.
Most ships allow the pilot to help with repairs, and some ships even afford the captain the opportunity to man the guns! Bring an appropriate tool and ammunition type, even if you'll mostly be at the helm!
The crew's duty is to spot the enemy and the captain's job is to maneuver the ship into position. The spyglass and rangefinder should be carried by the crew; the captain needs all the helm tools he can muster!
Do not use helm tools if a damaged component is about to break; instead, deactivate the tool and allow your crew to make the necessary repairs.
If a crew mate does not respond to your voice, try typing. Some players do not pay attention to the game's audio.
If the other team in the lobby is comprised of high level players, ask for a ship swap to balance the match. A blowout victory for one team is a crushing defeat for the other and might break up the lobby.
A silly weapons loadout on your ship might be fun for you but is likely to aggravate your crew, allies, and even the enemy, who might have your ship on their team next round!
To become a great pilot, you must understand what your crew goes through every match and requires from you, their captain. This is best accomplished by gaining experience engineering and gunning.
Clouds, fog, and sandstorms provide concealment from other vessels unless a flare illuminates the area. Firing the flare gun might reveal the enemy's position, but they might see your silhouette as well!
Each weapon can aim vertically and horizontally to varying degrees and turns at a certain speed. Equip your ship with guns that have overlapping firing arcs to maximize your firepower.
Terrain doesn't take sides; colliding with a cliffside will damage your vessel, but smashing an enemy ship into a mountain will damage them as well. Know when to ram and when to exercise restraint!
Altitude doesn't always give your ship the advantage; some ships may still outmaneuver you and some weapons have difficulty aiming downward.
Gravity can be your ally or your enemy; popping an enemy balloon with the carronade or destroying it with flames can send their ship crashing to the earth, but know they will be doing the same to you!
Some weapons excel at damaging enemy guns and engines. Disabling an enemy means you can spend more time firing at the enemy and less time repairing. Your engineers will be grateful.
Heatsink ammunition can serve as a gunner's fire extinguisher to combat flames and prevent additional fires from affecting weapons loaded with these special rounds. Engineers will thank you!
Flare guns are a support weapon, but they also deal a moderate amount of fire damage to enemy ships.
Sorry it isn't pretty.
