In terms of gameplay, as a real-time tactics game it is a realistic military simulator and only involves resource management of weapons and the fuel of airborne aircraft.

The military realism is emphasised further by such means as using some authentic NTDS symbology on the 2D tactical planning map.

These are generally "wars" verses "battles" that require the player to win each successive challenge before continuing.

The last type of game play is using a feature called "mission editing", where a player can input their own configurations and force strength and objectives.

Preset mission objectives and goals can be input into the editor and displayed to the player at various intervals throughout game play.

The "mission editor" feature is simple to use and relatively uncommon in other game play software.

The feature enables players to interface directly with the software and provide a relatively limitless amount of possible combat scenarios.

This prevents the player from having heavy bombers (like the B-52) taking off or landing from aircraft carriers, something that never happens in the real world.

This can be an effective strategy for keeping the player's ships undetected, but it also blinds their GCI and leaves them "groping in the dark", so to speak.

The November 2024 naval combat simulation Sea Power by MicroProse and Triassic Games is considered to be a spiritual successor to Fleet Command.

[10] The United States Naval Academy had the game installed in computer labs and used it to introduce prospective students to the concepts of fleet level decision making during its Summer Seminar program.

[citation needed] The staff of PC Gamer US nominated the game for their 1999 "Best Wargame" award, which ultimately went to Close Combat III: The Russian Front.