News Files - Idle Characters

If you do not meet your activity requirements as a character (see +news activity), your character may become idle. There are several ways, already built into the code of the game, to know if you have an idle character, or a character who will need a scene soon. When you login, you will see a list of your account 1-Ups. It shows all of your characters, when they received their last +1up (votes that show you were in a scene and thus count towards your activity), and when your next scene is due for that character.

The minute that due date happens; your character will turn red on this list and is therefore idle. There is no grace period after the character goes idle. It is that very moment the scene was / is due. As such, it is best that you keep track of this information and make sure you get your scenes before the character goes in the red. You can also check at any time by using '+1up/account' or '+vote/account', each of which shows you the same information as that data provided upon login.

If you have a character that is showing idle, this means you have not met the minimum requirements for the character.

For EFC, DFC, FC, VFC, SFC and AFCs (see +news Types of Characters), the character will appear on the idle list (type +idle) if you have not met your activity requirements. As such, several things can happen at that point.

First, they can be claimed by another player. This may be through a standing reservation (See Reservations News file) or a player can see them on the idle list (Using +idle on game) and request them at that time. If either of these happens, the character bit will be given to the new player with no warning to the idle player.

Second, they can be opened due to being idle. If they are on the idle list for seven days, they will be opened so that others may apply for the character without having to ask for an idle, but still played character. If a character that was approved and has never gotten a scene in at all, they will be opened immediately without this seven-day grace period. There will be no warning given before they are opened.

For OCs and OSCs, you will not appear on the idle list as your character cannot be claimed by another player. It doesn't mean you aren't idle, it simply means they can't be taken away from you by another person since they are your original creation. While we don't enforce activity requirements on OCs for the most part, if you are idle more than 30 days, your character will be shelved.

If you wish to ask for an alternate character (+news alternate characters), you will only be able to do so if all of your current characters are active and all of them must have at least one lifetime 1up.

If you lose a canon character (EFC/DFC/FC/VFC/SFC/AFC) due to being idle without that character being claimed in some manner, you must wait seven (7) days before you are allowed to pick up the same bit again. OC/OSCs have no such limitation since they cannot be claimed by others for play.

If you lose an idle character to someone else, do not contact that player unless it is simply to offer information on past history in play. Do not page them saying you were the former player and didn't want to lose the character, were the victim of the rules, etc. That makes a new player feel very uncomfortable and will be considered harassment. If you do page in a way that isn't simply welcoming and offering help, it is grounds for a strike (see +news player firings).