Group Etiquette

Overview

Cloud 9 activities take priority over individual and other activities.

Be cooperative when coordinating.

Have disciplined fun.

Details

Cloud 9 group etiquette becomes more of a necessity as more people participate in activities. Participants must avoid becoming special snowflakes. Concerns? Mention group etiquette in chat or send a DM to the appropriate users on the topic. Concerns may be addressed and resolved in private chat. Etiquette extends beyond niceties to cover the ways in which we participate in activities, such as moving around together as a group in the 'verse and in various online games.

Coordinated Decisions and Chain of Command

Coordinated decisions help move activities forward for the group and can be accomplished by participants who have not yet started to climb the ranks.

We have 4 ways to participate in activities: Cloud 9 Crews, Hybrid Activities, Open Activities, and Anybody Anytime Activities. Our fleet and crew activities take priority above all else; crew communications occur in channels only visible to crewmates. Anybody that joins our crews attains a chain of command over anybody that does not join them. A prerequisite to joining crews and fleets is being a Cloud 9 Citizen. Additional information is available on this website (see Join Us section).

Anyone who has yet to join the crews has no rank. Crew orientation occurs initially for new crewmates and additional orientations are available for different purposes. While running operations in the 'verse, including non-crew activities, everybody reports to the crew captain, and future captains report to their C9 leadership. We default to our current leadership taking point when group decisions are not made through our crew and fleet structures.

Anybody that is not in the crews is welcome to participate in ephemeral team activities; the days and times are posted in Cloud 9 Chat or Cloud 9 Calendar. If no crew personnel are available at the time, then the current participants may coordinate together on decisions or select someone to take point for the current activity.

Multiple Activities

• All things fleets and crews take priority over everything else.

• Cloud 9 events take priority over general Cloud 9 activities.

• General Cloud 9 activities take priority over individual activities.

When we have multiple simultaneous activities, we will use different C9 channels or users are otherwise expected to participate in the same activity.

Momentum

Help establish and maintain momentum with activities, especially within contexts like Star Citizen.

Try to arrive early for planned activities.

For any activities, do not do anything that might delay progress or result in others waiting on you.

We will only wait a minimum duration, like at airlocks, elevators, trams, or similar.

We are neither required nor expected to wait for someone who is slowing down the group activity.

If you fall behind, do your best to catch up with the group.

The details below cover common courtesies to help allow for a smoother experience together as a group.

Most of the information in this section is provided within the context of Cloud 9 Star Citizen, otherwise appropriately adjusted and applied to Cloud 9 Games.

Stay Together or Part Ways

Some participants may become sidetracked during an activity.

If that happens, simply ask something like:

"Are you doing something else now, or do you want to stick with the group?"

If there is no response after one minute or they are doing something else, then move on without them.

If they want to go with the group, then wait a minute. Do not further delay the group. They can catch up.

Friends Lists

• Ensure that others participating in group activities are on your friends list.

• Do not use the excuse of missing people from your friends list to not send out party invites.

• Add people to your friends list.

  • From the menu: Click on "ADD FRIENDS" (top right), type their username, select "Send Friend Request".

  • From the 'verse: Walk up to the individual, select your interaction keybind and send a friend request.

  • From the RSI site: Go to the spectrum/settings/friends page, click on "ADD FRIEND" (top right), type their username, select "Send Friend Request".

• Let people know when you send them friend requests. Ask them to accept them.

• Accept friend requests. You will receive them at all 3 locations, including the menu, 'verse, and RSI site. Accept through any of them.

Parties

• How we party

  • Party members receive access to personal hangars. Because of this, we only form and join parties with individuals who we trust to not steal or sabotage anything in our hangars or anywhere else in any way.

  • Party leader does not denote group leader, captain, or any lead role; it is simply the person that can invite the next person to the party.

  • Any participant may send party invites to form a party; this may occur from the menu or in the 'verse via mobiGlas or direct interaction.

  • To avoid one person having to constantly send invites, the current party leader sets the newest party member as party leader.

• Forming a party

  • Ask if there is already a party.

  • If there is not one yet, then send out party invites to the other participants that are present.

  • Do not rely on someone else to form a party.

  • Let people know when you send them party invites.

  • Ask them to accept their invites.

• Joining a party

  • Ask if there is already a party.

  • If there is, then ask who the current party leader is and ask for an invite.

  • Please promptly accept the party invite.

  • Do not form multiple parties, except for special events.

Party Launch

• Launch into the same shard of the 'verse after initially forming a party.

• If you are late, join on the same shard. The party will not relaunch for one person.

• Only relaunch the party if issues are occurring with the majority of the party in the 'verse.

Assemble

• All party members meet at the same location. Transfer imprints to the same location.

• Wait no more than 10 minutes. Anyone who is late or falls behind will have to catch up.

Quantum Link

• If using multiple ships, quantum link to travel together.

• If the link does not work, then do either of the following.

  • The forward ships wait for the others to catch up.

  • Stop quantum travel at a midway point and try again.

Buddy System

• While on foot or in EVA, ensure the group stays on track with activities and that nobody is left behind.

• After forming or joining a party, pick your buddy.

• If the group has an odd number of participants, then one subgroup will have three buddies.

• Stay in relatively close proximity to each other when out and about in most environments.

• Remain close especially in areas susceptible to attack.

• Ship interiors that have been secured, landing zones, and armistice zones are exceptions to proximity.

• If separated, place priority on grouping up again, especially in potentially hostile environments.

If you are going to take too long to catch up with the group, let the group know, ensure someone is with you (buddy system) if there is potential of traversing a hostile environment. The rest of the group will proceed and you can catch up with them.

Buddies help each other move along at a pace that matches or closely matches the group without delaying or rushing the group beyond an appropriate pace.

The group shares the usage of airlocks and elevators in ships, space stations, landing zones, and anywhere else. The group also shares travel through trams, shuttles, trains, buses, and similar modes of transportation. We have systems in place to help with coordinating these movements.

The steps below may appear to be rather involved processes; they are very helpful in avoiding issues while moving around as a group. With practice, these steps can be accomplished in very little time.

Airlocks and elevators:

• First ones in

  • Do not press the button.

  • Walk at a moderately slow pace to avoid bumping into each other.

  • Disallow access from would-be intruders who may attempt to enter a hangar elevator or hangar.

    • Anyone attempting to intrude should be teleported out when the lift reaches the hangar.

    • Anyone attempting to intrude also has access to the elevator button to the hangar.

    • Remain in the elevator, behind them, and prepare to draw a weapon or fisticuffs for a takedown.
      (Middle mouse button takes them down; using it a second time kills them.)

    • Physically remove them if they manage to enter the hangar without being teleported out.

  • The first party members to enter move to the back, allow room for the others to enter.

  • If you are to the right or left of someone, maintain that alignment when entering.
    (Do not go to the opposite corner.)

  • After finding a spot to stand that is out of the way, consider standing at ease (/atease) to prevent being pushed or harmed if someone does bump into you.

  • Wait for the rest of the group or for as many as will comfortably fit; there may be a need for multiple uses. Do not overcrowd the airlock or elevator.

  • Do not block passage to the button. Allow room for the last person to easily access it after they enter.

  • If the last participant is not there within 1 minute, then 2 people stay behind (buddy system) while in potentially hostile environments; they will have to catch up while at least 2 people proceed.

• Last one in

  • Walk at a moderately slow pace to avoid bumping into anyone.

  • Press the button.

  • Prior to exiting the elevator, consider setting it to go back to ship terminals and/or another hangar; this will minimize being tracked by someone, as all elevator displays retain the information of the most recent elevator locations.

• Exit

  • The individual nearest the opening door will exit first, followed by the others.

  • Walk at a moderately slow pace to avoid bumping into each other.

The above steps also apply to shuttles, trams, trains, buses, or any form of city transportation that has buttons to press to activate travel (e.g., Inspiration Park shuttles in Orison on Crusader (Stanton II)).

Some of the rides in landing zones may only allow 10 seconds or less to board and disembark between arrival and departure. Coordinate timing of entering and exiting them together if possible.

Shuttles, trams, trains, buses:

• Boarding the vehicle

  • Wait outside the vehicle until all participants are in close proximity.

  • Let the ride depart and another one arrive if necessary.

  • If the majority of the group of participants have arrived and the remainder are taking longer, then proceed without them; they will have to catch up. Use the buddy system, not only in potentially hostile areas but in general, to help keep as much of the group together as possible.

  • Line up appropriately before boarding, comfortable spacing, and avoid bumping into each other.

  • When boarding, promptly move forward and out of the way so the others have room to board.

  • Grab a seat if available and necessary (generally when crowded). Otherwise, find a spot to stand that is out of the way and consider standing at ease (/atease) to prevent being pushed or harmed if someone bumps into you.

• Disembarking from the vehicle

• • Line up appropriately before disembarking, comfortable spacing, and avoid bumping into each other.

  • When disembarking, promptly move forward and out of the way so the other have room to disembark.

Some activities may only require one ship.

Others may involve multiple ships.

Determine this ahead of time.

Ships and ground vehicles:

• Let the group know if you will use your ship or if you would like to board another one.

• If the group will be boarding one, then decide together who will get the ship out.

• Use the same process for entering and exiting ships and ground vehicles as described above.

Disciplined Fun

There's a difference between well-disciplined fun and being a disruption to the group.

Goofing around may happen in some cases, although without interfering with a group activity.

If anybody disrupts an activity, they may be removed from it.

Have disciplined fun:

• Stay with the group or catch up on your own.

• Help prevent actions that may interfere, slow down activity, or upset anybody.

• Do not harm our group or damage our ships, ground vehicles, or any of our other items.

• Do not alter ships, ground vehicles, or their MFDs without permission.

• Do not run into or push people. Slow your pace when close to someone else in our groups.

• Do not aim guns at our people. If weapons are out, hold lowered at rest (left alt r) until using them.

• Different actions may or may not be okay with different people; if someone says stop, then stop.

• Use common sense.

Rules | First Five | Communication | Etiquette | Ethics | PVE/PVP | Outlaw Activities | Response