Over the past 12 years of actively playing this game, I've seen players go into surgeries for several days, take weeks-long vacations without internet access, go on months-long voyages across the ocean, be called up for a +15 month military deployment, etc. More often than not, when the player returned, they wished they had planned their leave from Torn better.

It is generally understood that a player cannot train, attack, participant in contests, complete missions, find items in the city, loot NPCs, or do crimes while inactive. That said, an inactive player can still make positive gains in the form of dividends, interest, work-stats, drug addiction, marriage merits, education, etc. Furthermore, the inactive player can still receive books and special items for 3 months by maintaining subscriber status and the inactive player will receive +1 free refill that can be strategically used later for approximately each 1 consecutive week the player was inactive.

Here is a checklist of items to review before going inactive:

1.) Are you employed in a starter job? If you're going to be inactive for several months as a company director, it will typically make the most sense to either sell your company and buy back in when you return or have a trusted friend/factionmate run the company until you return. NOTE: As of the 29th of June, 2021... you'll be auto-kicked from your starter job upon hitting the 400 inactive day mark.

2.) Did you give your faction leadership notice and turn your revives off? If you're in a faction, give your faction leader notice to ensure you return in good standing. This is particularly important if you lead organized crimes or are in a faction that wars often. You don't want to be an easy chain target who leaks respect.

3.) Do you have more than $10M listed for sale in your bazaar? You greatly increase your risk of becoming a mugging target if you go inactive with valuable items in your bazaar.

4.) Do you have drug addiction points built up? Depending on how long you will be gone, it might make sense to completely avoid rehab before going inactive to take advantage of your natural addiction decay.

5.) Does your bank investment have time left? Generally speaking, you will want your bank investment earning interest while you are away. In some cases, it might make sense to purchase/use the Gift Card item to re-up your investment to match the time you will be away. (Up to 3 months)

6.) Are you renting out your Private Island? This serves a dual purpose; you generate rental income and you avoid daily upkeep costs. When you return, you will simply take a Xanax and fly to Switzerland to rehab 1 time to get your happy back. If you're going to be gone for more than about 9 months, it might actually make sense to liquidate your Private Island and invest the proceeds in item-producing dividend stocks or the Cayman Islands; and then simply buy back into a private island when you return.

7.) Are you holding onto dividend stocks that pay cash, happiness, energy, or some kind of passive bonus that requires you to be active? (WLT's travel bonus for example) Depending on how long you will be away, it might make sense to liquidate any stocks that do not pay out items. Note that the stock blocks which intermittently pay out cash (upwards of $80M/quarter) make you a juicy mug target. Once you have all the dividend-paying stock blocks, invest the rest with trusted friends/factionmates or stash the remaining cash in the Cayman Islands until you return.

8.) Do you have a plan for your refills when you return? When you return from inactivity, you will have +1 free refill for roughly each 1 week you were inactive. You will not be able to use points to refill your energy/nerve/tokens until you use these free refills. Having a plan outlining what you want to do with your refills upon returning will be very useful.

9.) Have you started an education course? You can make progress toward an education course while you are away, might as well take advantage of that!

10.) Do you have any items worth +$250M? Depending on how long you will be gone for, it might make sense to liquidate some of your weapons/armor/items or lend them to friends/factionmates to utilize in your absence. Welding masks, RPGs, high-quality Armalites, Cesium-137, large quantities of energy cans and FHCs, Hazmat suits, etc. all have a high opportunity holding cost over long periods of time. As extreme examples, a Dirty Bomb, Gold Plated AK47, or Dual SMGs cash value could be earning you upwards of $125,000,000/month in the Cayman Islands, risk free. Lootable items are also going to be worth liquidating if you plan to be gone for several months. These lootable items are only getting more common as time passes.

11.) Are you married in game? Be sure to talk to your spouse before going inactive. Some players desire an inactive spouse to maximize their chance of getting the marriage-length merits.

12.) Are you signed up to receive the quarterly newsletters from Torn? Not that you would forget about Torn... but this could prove to be a gentle reminder.

Note: Prior to Duke missions, a player was able to completely avoid getting attacked by flying overseas before going inactive. That is no longer the case, inactive players are now subject to becoming mission targets while overseas.

If you fill I missed anything or have tips of your own, please post them below!

- Andyman