I’m new to EVE and i think i need some advice, i don’t know when to use Approach, Orbit or Keep at Range during a combat, what is the best option in the most commom fight situations?
If you are referring to PVP, then it isn’t a straight forward question.
The best, but it takes a lot of practice to do well, is to manually pilot by double clicking in space. That can be used to manage range, transversal and speed compared to target; and provides the most control.
However, when learning, the automated options can be useful in different situations.
Approach: if brawling and you want to get in their face and have good defence, so you aren’t concerned about minimising the incoming damage, or are going against weapons that can’t miss (eg. missiles, rockets)
Orbit: if kiting and you want to control range, but also want to minimise incoming damage and know that your own wepons system is fast enough to still hit ok. This can also be used if you are in under the guns of an opponent who’s weapons won’t track you, so you want to keep up the angular momentum, or if you are trying to keep up good speed compared to the target to reduce the damage (eg. of missiles)
Keep at range: You want to control range and are scram kiting, or kiting and either need low transversal so your weapons hit, or you aren’t worried about the opponents weapons hitting so much
There’s a lot more subtlety to it as you learn, but they would be my main uses if I was learning over again.
This isn’t necessarily a complete list of uses either, so I’m sure there will be other people respond with great answers.
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For now i’m facing npc’s with a merlin frigate with blasters and a good defense, so i’m just approaching the most of the time, sometimes i orbit 2000km but i didn’t understand the difference at all, by what you told me i think approach is not a bad option in this case, but if i want to take less damage i should orbit instead, but if my turrets tracking are not good im probably going to do less damage than if i was just approaching, am i right?
Blasters are brawl weapons. So you have to get close to the enemy to fight, and a difference of 1000m will reduce your dps significantly. As long as you are approaching, you can be shot at and can’t inflict much damage yourself. So you need strong tank and should be able to reach the distance your target in optimal weapon range quickly - but then, your boom is real fun 
If you take drones, missiles, or railguns, you inflict less raw DPS, but the distance is less important and way farther, so you can start fighting without receiving damage, as long as you keep the distance to all dangerous enemies (it’s called “kiting”).
I recall my first brawling trips: I was disappointed, because of the lack of skills in armour and gunnery killing the rats by orbiting one by one was hard work receiving much damage.
i would suggest you to join eve-uni to get the basics? but you can also try by yourself, you don’t risk much in a merlin
As Scipio has said, there is no simple answer. It all depends on your skills, what weapons you are using and your opponent. This has to do with how tracking/missile mechanics work.
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If you are in a gunboat:
Keep at optimal range of your guns means you guns apply very well. However, your opponent’s guns will also apply very well.
If your tracking skills are very good, you can orbit at optimal range. If you’re moving too fast though, you’ll outrun your own weapons and they will start missing. However, your opponents guns will also have trouble hitting. This is especially true if you have close range guns and are orbitting a bigger target (getting under it’s guns)
Targets much larger than you are generally easier to hit, so you can orbit closer, meaning they hit you less. It’s all about angular velocity.
Against missile boats you generally want to have as large as possible velocity (as opposed to angular velocity for guns), so wider orbits are preferred, assuming your guns can hit. -
If you are in a missile boat:
Don’t keep at range or approach, your own movement doesn’t matter in your missile’s application, and keep at range/approach both run the risk of having you be stationary, making you a sitting duck. Orbit either at the edge of your missile range for smaller targets, or under the guns of big targets.
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