Welcome TerraCottaGamer!
Each phase of the game will need orders before the end of the phase. If you don't input orders, your turn is treated as a No Moves Received (NMR). Depending on the phase and what orders you have (builds, disbands), the effects can be different. You can find that in the rules. Note that build and retreat phases have the same length as the diplomacy phases.
As for inputting orders, there are two different ways. After you input your orders with the drop-down menu, you can choose to 'save' your orders, or 'ready' your orders. When you 'save' your orders, the system will process your orders at the time the phase ends, and no sooner. If you 'ready' your orders, you indicate that you are open to quicker processing of the orders. If all people who have orders due have 'readied' their orders, the phase progresses immediately. This is especially useful for retreat or build turns when few people have orders due.
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, just post them here on the forum, or if they're a bit more involved, feel free to mail the mods at
[email protected].