Activity Strike Policy

Activity Strike Policy

Strikes are issued in three ways: automatically when you aren't seen on the site, automatically when a mission post has been waiting on your tag, and by Command at its discretion. Every strike counts toward the same total. A third active strike of any kind suspends the account, and each strike expires 45 days after it is issued.

Who Is Covered

Covered: every active member of the sim.
Not covered: players on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA or ELOA) while it lasts, the Commanding Officer, and applicants or inactive accounts. Both clocks below start fresh when a leave ends.

1. Signing In

The clock runs from the last time you were seen active on the site: any page loaded while signed in. You don't need to type your password; staying signed in with "remember me" counts.

Check-in — after 84 hours (3.5 days) without activity: a friendly message asking if everything is alright and offering an LOA.
Follow-up — 72 hours later (6.5 days): a reminder of the activity rules, warning that a strike follows in 3 days.
First strike — 72 hours later (9.5 days): an activity strike is added to your record and you are told.
Further strikes — every 48 hours after that (11.5 days, 13.5 days): another activity strike, and you are told.

Each reminder is sent once per absence. Being seen active at any point ends the process, and if you go quiet again later it starts over at the check-in.

2. Tagging

Signing in isn't enough on its own when your crewmates are waiting on you. This clock runs from the last time you tagged: any turn you saved in a post, in any post.

A mission post is waiting on you when it is a Mission Story post still in progress and its last tag line names your character, or is a plain "Tag", "Tag all" or "Tag everyone" (that means everyone on the post except the writer who just finished their turn).

Warning — once a mission post has been waiting on your tag for 7 days: a message naming the post or posts waiting on you.
First strike — once a mission post has been waiting on your tag for 10 days: a tag strike is added to your record and you are told.
Further strikes — every 72 hours after that, while you still haven't tagged and a mission post is still waiting on you.

A tag strike never comes sooner than 3 days after the warning. Saving a turn in any post ends the process, and the clock starts over from that turn.

Suspension

On the third active strike, however they were issued, your account is set to inactive, you are told you are suspended from the sim, and Command will follow up with you.

Every message is sent privately, by Discord DM and email. If there's no Discord ID on your account you still get the email. Nothing is posted where the crew can see it.

How Strikes Work

Strikes expire. A strike stays active for 45 days from the day it is issued, then stops counting. Expired strikes stay on your record as history.
Each strike runs its own clock. A second strike issued 30 days after the first expires 45 days after its own date, not the first one's.
Who can see strikes: the CO, the XO, and the player who received the strike. You can see your own on your Account page.
Removing a strike: the CO or XO can remove a strike, for example one issued in error.

Avoiding a Strike

Any one of these stops the process at any step before suspension. Strikes already issued stay until they expire or are removed.
- visiting the site while signed in (signing in)
- adding your tag to a post (tagging)
- requesting a Leave of Absence
- contacting Command about an absence

If you know you'll be away, request an LOA before you go. Your character and posts are held, and no reminders are sent while the leave lasts.

Strikes Issued by Command

Strikes are strikes. Strikes issued by Command at its discretion count toward the same total as activity and tag strikes, and expire the same way after 45 days.

Command may issue a strike at its discretion, for example for:
- missing the monthly posting minimum (at least 2 posts a month, depending on your role; see Posting Rules, Standards & Activity), without being on LOA or ELOA
- not contributing at least 200 words to a story post you have been added to (a primary point in the mission's story, named like "Cold Blue Steel - Story"). Story posts are mandatory to take part in
- writer behaviour or post content

Removal from the Sim

If you break any of the sim's rules, or commit any gross negative act toward the sim or any player in it, the command staff will convene to decide what action to take. You can be removed from the sim immediately, without any previous strikes, if we deem it necessary. The CO may also decide such a matter alone, without a command group vote. Anyone removed this way receives at least a 6 month ban from the sim.