RoE is not a play-by-post type game;
It is a strategic game with elements of role-playing. The core component is the DO; everything else is just fluff. Enjoyable fluff to be sure, but the driving mechanic is and will always be, the DO.
That said, in this case its probably mostly the fault of the DM...once a few weeks pass without activity, one cannot expect players to be instantly ready for action again.
