SynCronus / SYNCRONUS

SunCronus strives to achieve solidarity, in-game success, and continuous improvement. We like to have fun, but we often get serious because the bottom line is… you only keep what you can defend.

We are freelancers, not pirates. While we will often play as “reds” at PVP events and engage in “consensual PVP”, we don’t typically hunt players and strip them of their in-game assets because we prefer to fight those who can fight back.

We are listed “hardcore” not because we force members to show up to a particular event, but because we put a lot of emphasis on respecting each other’s play time. This means showing up on time and prepared when you commit to doing something with us in the ‘verse. Playing with us also requires the ability to rapidly switch back and forth between our usual banter and strict combat comms.

Core Principles and Standards of Behavior

• SynCronus is:
1. A hierarchical organization that respects the chain of command
2. Open to all gameplay styles; PVP is not required
3. Organized around the most critical and team-oriented role – PVP combat

• PVP will not include griefing, hunting “blues”, or outright piracy, though we will loot those we defeat in combat and engage in various gameplay activities that result in crime stats.
  Transparency: leadership serves the membership by sharing their thinking and inviting input and feedback.
  Members are expected to show up when they commit to something and notify the relevant officers ASAP when they need to drop out of an event.
  Members are not expected to log a minimum number of hours or participate in specific organizational operations.

Code of Conduct

• Adhere to CIG and Discord’s Terms of Service.
  Be respectful and kind to each other; especially when delivering criticism.
  Follow orders promptly, especially in combat and at group operations.
  Be punctual and prepared when you commit to a group operation.
  Work to maintain a positive organizational reputation at all times.
  Refrain from unapproved org.-related communications with outside parties
  Rather than “smack”, the types of things you should enter in global chat are:
  SynCronus, o7, GF or other similarly polite communication
  Helpful information about gameplay mechanics
  Messages that aim to get a player into the party and/or organization

Conflict Resolution Policy

• Members should bring an interpersonal conflict to their crew’s Captain and/or other officers if they cannot settle a dispute themselves or do not feel capable of doing so in a respectful manner.
  Conflicts should be brought up the chain of command promptly; do not allow incidents to turn into grudges.
  Punishments will include, but not be limited to, Discord timeouts. If the misbehavior is severe or prolonged, members will be kicked from the org.
  If a dispute is with a member’s Captain, the issue may be brought to the Admirals for arbitration in a group Discord DM that includes both Admirals and all parties involved (minimum of 4 individuals).
1. The Admirals may also be asked to “appeal” a captain’s decision.
2. The most likely solution in these instances will be to have the member switch crews, so consider that option before involving the Admirals.

• Once a Captain or Admiral has resolved an issue according to their definition and standards, failure to comply with their directives will likely lead to removal from SynCronus and its Discord server entirely.
  If conflict arises that requires an immediate and action-oriented solution:
1. All members and nonmembers should be reminded that they must comply with orders immediately, even if they do not agree with them.
2. If an order to leave an event/operation/activity is ignored, an officer may carry out an execution to remove the offending player(s) from play.
3. If an execution is carried out, the incident must be reported to both Admirals via group DM ASAP (preferably within one hour).
4. Executions should be a last resort and may result in immediate review of the officers involved.

Organizational Structure

Combat Command

• Crews, led by Captains, are the primary building block of the fleet.
  The clear chain of command is intended to promote quick action.
  Crews will be added by the Admirals, as necessary.
  Full org. membership requires admission to a captain’s crew.
  If a member is ejected from their crew and cannot gain acceptance to another one, they will not retain full org. membership.
  Captains may explicitly set one or more focus areas.

Focus Areas

• Combat roles
1. Navy: large ships, fighters, bombers, and dropships
2. Marines: infantry, gravlevs, and ground vehicles
3. Medical: long-range search and rescue and short-range medivac
4. Reconnaissance: scouting and counterintelligence

• Non-combat roles
1. Engineering: repair, rearm and refuel
2. Supply: hauling, mining, salvage and resupply
3. Mercantile: in-game item sales and purchases

• Staff roles
1. Academy: training org. members and posting in the knowledge base
2. Recruitment: finding and processing Cadets
3. Media: content creation and graphic design
4. Information Technology: programming and web development

• Staff positions
1. Staff may volunteer to assist the org in one or more focus areas, but this does not confer combat rank.
2. Staff members will be confirmed by Admirals.
3. Staff members will be expected to work together as a group within and across their focus areas.
4. Admirals will act as mediators if conflict arises.

Academy

• Trainers may self-identify under any gameplay area.
  Trainer status is subject to the approval of Admirals.
  Members may request trainers’ time directly.
  Posting of official training material is limited to trainers.
  “Knowledge base” posting is open to all members.

Finance

• Organizational finance will be managed, assessed, and reported on by Admirals.
  Any member may negotiate and execute buy/sell transactions internally or externally.
  Taxes may be implemented later, and their collection method will largely be based on evolving game mechanics.
  Taxes may, at least initially, be encouraged rather than required.
  If viable and practical, taxes may be calculated as a percentage of profit rather than revenue.
  Proceeds will be dispersed for the betterment of the organization rather than Admirals’ in-game assets.

Leadership, Membership, and Recruitment

• Fleet Admiral: Connacht007 | Admiral: HyperionVI
  The Admirals assign members to the rank of Vice Admiral or Captain.
  Captains assign their crewmen to one of the following ranks: Commander (no more than 2 per crew), Lieutenant, Ensign, or Crewman
  All elements of crews’ structure, function, and composition require approval and are subject to review by the Admirals.

Captains’ Roles and Responsibilities

• Culture and content:
1. Creating a coherent outline of their crew’s focus areas, long-term aspirations, and other information that depicts “what they are about”
2. Maintaining a healthy crew culture and communication dynamic
3. Posting events and achieving an appropriate level of participation in them

• Personnel management:
1. Determining and documenting each rank’s responsibilities
2. Determining and documenting the number of individuals at each rank
3. Managing all discord roles for their crews to the Admirals’ standards, including the moving of Cadets to Crewmen (which cannot be delegated)
4. Ensuring officers are effective combat leaders (in addition to effectiveness in other formally-assigned duties)
5. Judiciously managing conflict within one’s crew and between crews

• Communication:
1. Regularly and proactively updating Admirals on crew leadership, composition, ops, communications, etc.
2. Responding to Admirals’ information requests in a timely manner
3. Relaying org.-related comms with outside parties to the Admirals

All recruits are labeled “Cadet”.

• Cadets must be at least 18 years old.
  Cadets only have access to the public discord channels.
  To cut down on administrative tasks, Cadets must list themselves as affiliates on the RSI website until after they are made Crewmen.
  Cadets who are not accepted to a crew will either remain affiliates or be ejected from the org. and/or Discord.

Cadets must be formally accepted by a crew’s Captain to become full members.

• There is no predetermined timeframe for the acceptance or denial of Cadets.
  The primary criteria for full membership, in descending order, are:
  Personality fit and general human decency
  Ability to play cooperatively and willingness to follow orders
  Ability to accomplish in-game objectives competently
  Ability to reasonably contribute to in-game and/or staff roles

Rules of Engagement

• Do not attack, ram, or grief players on orbital, LaGrange, or terrestrial pads at which there are armistice zones.
  Follow the orders of the ranking officer on location, in-game and/or present in the Discord channel.
  Do not attack players who do not have a crime stat and have not been flagged for PVP (“blues”) unprovoked unless:
1. You continually post in global chat indicating you are in an area looking for fights
2. They engage you after giving them a few shots across their bow or on their shields to indicate you would like to fight
3. You are protecting a “red” Synch member
4. Do not attack players who you strongly suspect were flagged for PVP (“went red”) by accident without asking for the ranking officer’s permission.

When operating in a PVP area like Jumptown or Security Post Kareah:

• High-threat or profit-oriented mode: Continually post a global chat message that the area is closed to non-member (if running the event more stealthily, ignore this point)
1. Free to kill red players
2. Free to engage blue players to drive them away
3. Free to kill blues if they return and/or appear to be lingering/scouting

• Recruitment mode: Continually post a global chat message that the area is open to non-members who:
1. Enter Synch’s public discord voice channel
2. Arrive in non-combat ships
3. Arrive alone or in groups no larger than 3
4. Arrive without weapons or a container large enough to fit a rifle
5. Free to kill all red players
   Free to engage blue players to drive them away
   Free to kill blues if they return or appear to be lingering/scouting
   Take the communications array offline for “scenario a” but not “scenario b”, subject to the ranking Military officer’s orders.

When on foot:

• Use in-game comms channels when there’s time and relative safety to do so
  Play defensively by shooting first and always having the ability to revive players
  Disarm players before reviving, then protect the team from a takedown

Defense Conditions and Communications Discipline

The ranking military officer sets defense conditions (hereafter, “conditions”)

• Other officers recommend condition changes
  Conditions match comms color unless stated otherwise

Condition 3:

• Comms green: open once battle stations are sorted out
  Free to move about the ship
  Typical when: organizing and refitting at stations

Condition 2:

• Comms yellow: limited to questions and updates on battle readiness
  Move quickly to battle stations
  Typical when: threats are likely to appear

Condition 1:

• Comms red: limited to threat identification and target tracking
  Remain at battle stations and scan actively
  Typical when: threats remain or are likely to return