I'm thinking about posting a FAQ sticky about everything you need to know about forum activity since we get half a dozen threads every day asking the same things like "how do I rank up" or "why is my activity stuck" etc. What I want to know is is there anything I've missed that gets asked and should I also include other frequently asked questions about the forum or just keep it to activity/ranks? If you have any suggestions for both please share them.
---------------------------
Forum activity:The way activity is calculated is complicated to understand, but simply put
you can only get 14 activity points every two week period. This is basically all you need to know but I will explain the intricacies and technicalities of the system below to avoid any confusion:
★ You can only get 14 activity points every fortnightly period.
★ The fortnightly periods are fixed and do not start when you sign up.
★ A list of all the dates of the activity periods can be found on this
spreadsheet (credit goes to
jambola2 for compiling it).
★ You can technically get more than 14 activity in two weeks if you sign up between periods.
★ You only need to make at least one post in each activity period to be able to collect the activity at a later date. For instance, you could make one post in three different periods and you would then have 3 posts and 3 activity, but a potential activity of 42. Once you made the 42 posts you would then have 42 activity but no more. If you made one post in 35 different periods you would then have 35 posts and 35 activity but a potential activity of 480. That means you would be a Junior Member but if you made the full 480 posts you would instantly become a Hero Member.
★ If your post count eclipses your activity by 14 or more then you will only need to make one post in the new period to get the full 14 activity. For instance, your post count is 200 but your activity is only 28. To get another 14 activity you will only need to make one post in the new period and you will then have a total of 42 activity.
Ranks and activity:Brand New: 0 posts
Newbie: 1-29 activity
Jr. Member: 30-59 activity
Member: 60-119 activity
Full Member: 120-239 activity
Sr. Member: 240-479 activity
Hero Member: 480 activity
Legendary: Somewhere between 775 and 1030 activity
Here is a table of the activity periods and time it will take you to achieve each rank:1 X 14 = 14
2 X 14 = 28
3 X 14 = 42 --- Junior. Member (1.5 month)
4 X 14 = 56
5 X 14 = 70 --- Member (2.5 month)
6 X 14 = 84
7 X 14 = 98
8 X 14 = 112
9 X 14 = 126 --- Full Member (4.5 month)
10 X 14 = 140
11 X 14 = 154
12 X 14 = 168
13 X 14 = 182
14 X 14 = 196
15 X 14 = 210
16 X 14 = 224
17 X 14 = 238
18 X 14 = 252 --- Senior Member (8.5 month)
19 X 14 = 266
20 X 14 = 280
21 X 14 = 294
22 X 14 = 308
23 X 14 = 322
24 X 14 = 336
25 X 14 = 350
26 X 14 = 364
27 X 14 = 378
28 X 14 = 392
29 X 14 = 406
30 X 14 = 420
31 X 14 = 434
32 X 14 = 448
33 X 14 = 462
34 X 14 = 476
35 X 14 = 490 ---- Hero Member (1.3 years)
36 X 14 = 504
37 X 14 = 518
38 X 14 = 532
39 X 14 = 536
40 X 14 = 550
41 X 14 = 564
42 X 14 = 578
43 X 14 = 592
44 X 14 = 606
45 X 14 = 620
46 X 14 = 634
47 X 14 = 648
48 X 14 = 662
49 X 14 = 676
50 X 14 = 690
51 X 14 = 704
52 X 14 = 718
53 X 14 = 732
54 X 14 = 746
55 X 14 = 760
56 X 14 = 784 --- Legendary rank (2 years)
-----------------
Activity FAQ:Why is my activity stuck/not moving?Because you can only get 14 activity every two week period. You will have to wait until the next period starts to get another 14.
Why has my rank/activity not updated?It can take up to an hour to update. Just be patient.
Can activity or my rank decrease?Yes. It can only decrease if you have
all the posts you made from a particular period deleted or the threads you posted in trashcanned. If you do it's possible to drop rank until you have enough activity again.
Can I get more than 14 activity in two week period?No. However, you can technically get more than 14 activity in a fortnight if you sign up in between periods, but you can't get more than 14 activity in a fortnightly period. For instance, if the period starts on a Wednesday and you sign up on Tuesday you can get 14 points on Tuesday and another 14 on Wednesday providing the period has started. You will then have 28 activity points but won't be able to get any more until two weeks' time when the new period starts.
What happens if I miss a period?Nothing. You just won't get that activity and you miss that activity forever. Just make sure to post in the next period to get another 14.
Why can't I change my avatar?You need to be a Full Member and up to be able to have an avatar.
When do I become Legendary?You will become Legendary randomly somewhere between 775 and 1030 activity.
Does time spent online count towards activity?No. It counts towards absolutely nothing and is a meaningless statistic.
Do only certain boards or posts have to be a minimum character length to count towards activity?No. All boards and posts of all length currently count towards both.
If I create an account and leave it for x amount of time will I become a higher rank when I return?No. You will still be a newbie. Activity measures how
active you are on the forum and is to prevent against lazy account farming. If you do not make at least one post in each period then you will not get that activity.
Why can't I post images?Because you need to be a Junior Member to do that. To become a Junior Member you will have to have posted in three activity periods and have at least 28 activity. However, you can bypass these restriction by buying a Copper Membership for a small fee
here.
-------------------
So is there everything else I missed or any corrections? I wan't to try keep the info as simple and digestible as possible to avoid confusion and further questions.