=][= Special Projects Guidance =][=

[Brother Tyler]

x=][= The following guidelines apply to all projects, whether regular or special, conducted anywhere within the Bolter & Chainsword. =][=x

What is a special project?

Let's backtrack a little bit to what a "regular" project is. Regular projects are conducted across the B&C, ranging from the creation of a DIY in the Liber forums to an ongoing PLOG of miniature assembly/conversion/painting in the Forge forums to the creation of a new named character in the Homegrown Rules forum. Such projects are often the work of a single individual, with their discussions used for feedback and suggestions. However, regular projects can also be collaborative in nature, involving multiple hobbyists in the development of something for the enjoyment and benefit of other hobbyists that frequent the B&C.

A "special" project is a project that transcends the undefined scope of a "regular" project, often involving multiple elements in a single overarching goal. These might include a combination of background, rules, and any number of other things for a more far-reaching project. Special projects might be largely the effort of a lone individual, with the discussion focusing on feedback and suggestions. More often, though, special projects are collaborative in nature, with the discussions providing a venue for that collaboration. Examples of special projects conducted through the years include the Painters, the Chapter Leveling Project, and the Dornian Heresy (and those demonstrate the range of what might be considered a "special" project).

Ultimately, any special project conducted here at the B&C will be intended to create something "by hobbyists, and for hobbyists." This means the ultimate product of the project will be something that other hobbyists can use to further enjoy the hobby, and this will most often mean some sort of file or files that will be available for free download here at the B&C. The only exceptions to this will be when the product is some other form, but still freely available to hobbyists here at the B&C (for example, the painters).

BASIC GUIDANCE

The following basic guidelines apply to all special projects conducted here at the B&C.

• All special projects are by hobbyists and for hobbyists.
• All products developed as part of a special project will be freely available via our Downloads (not just some - all). Exceptions to this must be cleared by the site administrators.
• No product developed as part of a special project here at the B&C may be limited in availability or for sale, either here at the B&C or elsewhere.
• Material in special projects must correspond to our forum rules with regard to subject matter (i.e., family-friendly and set in the WH40K game universe).
• Special projects must also observe Games Workshop's Intellectual Property Policy.

CONDUCTING A SPECIAL PROJECT

As a default, a special project should be conducted as a single discussion here in the Special Projects forum.

If a special project is/will be more complex than a single discussion can support, the special project may be conducted in a dedicated sub-forum. In order for such a sub-forum to be created, the special project leader should develop a basic plan for the conduct of the special project. This plan should include the basic methodology, a (very loose) timeline/sequence, and objective. The internet and the hobby being what they are, we understand that such plans will be theoretical and the actual execution will likely vary markedly from the plan; the intent is simply to show that there is some sort of plan, even if that will change. The special project leader should then contact one of the administrators with the plan. If the administrators agree that a dedicated sub-forum is necessary, the sub-forum will be created and, if necessary, permissions for access given. The special project leader will be identified as the forum leader, but they won't have moderator permissions or authority. Some special projects may be conducted "in secret" with only the participants involved. In such instances, the names of these participants must be included in the plan so that the administrators can assign these members the necessary permissions to participate (and the roster of those participating can change throughout the life of the special project). Note that "secret" special projects are secret only so that the outcome can be a surprise to the rest of the site members - for example, a special project that develops a wealth of lore loses its appeal if anyone can simply read the lore while it is being developed.

Special projects should be conducted here at the B&C. If a special project is conducted elsewhere, you can simply advertise it by including a link in your signature.

xCROWDFUNDINGx

Projects conducted here at the B&C should be considered as labors of love - something we're doing not just for the enjoyment of the participants, but to further the hobby for other hobbyists here at the B&C. No project conducted here at the B&C will derive any material or financial benefit for the participants.

That said, there are times when a project's presentation will greatly benefit from professional services such as artwork, painted models, or terrain. If the resources to acquire such are beyond the abilities of the participants to provide and no other volunteers are available to provide them, project participants may consider crowdfunding sources. If crowdfunding becomes part of a special project plan, there will be controls implemented:

• Approved crowdfunding will be managed by the Bolter & Chainsword under the control of the administrators. Project participants must have a viable plan for crowdfunding as part of a project, and must secure B&C administrator permission before any crowdfunding will be initiated.
• Funds raised through crowdfunding may be used for things such as:
  • commission artwork
  • commission model painting
• Funds raised through crowdfunding may not be used for things such as:
  • miniatures/models (project participants must buy the miniatures/models themselves)
  • supplies and tools (e.g., paints, brushes, etc.)
  • compensation of individuals participating in the project
  • software or applications
  • memorabilia for project participants (e.g., shirts, business cards, etc.).
• Any funds raised through crowdfunding that are not used for the project will be used for the upkeep and maintenance of the Bolter & Chainsword website.

Ultimately, involving money brings in potential legal ramifications, and we don't want to expose the B&C to any legal risk (we all want the B&C to be around so that we can have these discussions and conduct these projects, after all). So crowdfunding should be a means of last resort, used only when absolutely necessary, and it will be controlled by the B&C admins in order to ensure that the B&C isn't exposed to legal risk.

xABANDONED PROJECTSx

Sometimes a project is initiated, only to be abandoned later for any number of reasons. If you decide to abandon your special project and no one else wants to take it over, please notify the administrators so that we can delete the special project, whether it is a single topic or it is a sub-forum. If the moderators/administrators see that a special project has been stagnant for an extended period of time (typically over a year), we'll contact the project leader. We'll exercise the right to remove any special projects that aren't going anywhere (this might mean temporarily hiding a project until the project leader is ready to continue working, or deleting the project entirely).

This helps keep the forum clean by getting rid of dead end topics, and it also reduces wasted server/database space.

FINAL PRODUCT

For the majority of special projects, which should be made available as a downloadable product via the B&C Downloads function, the final product should be a .pdf file (or appropriate file type) as part of the Legio Imprint series. Assistance and guidelines for the Legio Imprint will be provided below.
 
If the file size is larger than the downloads allows, the final product should be broken down into components so that each component can be made available as a separate file. Special project participants are responsible for developing the appropriate files, but graphics and branding for the Legio Imprint series are available from the administrators. If project participants lack the software/skills to create the appropriate files and no members with the skills can be recruited, contact the forum administrators for assistance.

Ultimately, keep in mind the "by hobbyists and for hobbyists" concept. We're all in this to help each other enjoy the hobby, and we want to ensure that the B&C remains available for that purpose.
 

x=][= The above guidelines apply to all projects, whether regular or special, conducted anywhere within the Bolter & Chainsword. =][=x

[Brother Tyler]

We first created the Special Projects forum as a place for those projects that were far more extensive than the existing forum structure would allow. Our basic model was The Dornian Heresy, the alternate heresy setting created (halfway) by Aurelius Rex. While we had no illusion that all possible special projects would follow that pattern exactly, it seemed like a basic template that would apply to the majority of projects (i.e., one or more members works together to create something that other hobbyists can use to play games in the Warhammer 40,000 setting). We never explicitly defined any rules or guidance, assuming that the basic rules of the Bolter & Chainsword (see the “Obey” link in my signature) would provide ample guidance. The internet continues to evolve, though, and things that we didn’t consider or which changed began to crop up. One of the most challenging has been crowdfunding, with sites such as Kickstarter and Patreon providing individuals and organizations with a means of collecting funds from others in order to support a project. Our initial concept was that special projects shouldn’t need crowdfunding, so an early attempt was squashed out of hand. A later effort to utilize crowdfunding approached it from a different angle, and based on limited communication with the administrators, the concept of using crowdfunding to support a project was admitted by the administrators, pending communication of the actual plan the group intended. However, this initiated discussion among the administrators about providing better guidance for special projects, with one of the elements of that guidance being crowdfunding. The focus of our efforts has been the overall membership and the preservation of the site, developing what we believe are fair guidelines.

 

So what you see above is a codification of the guidance for conducting special projects here at the B&C (whether in the Special Projects forum or in any other forums). For the most part, this is merely us putting down in writing the basic concepts that have applied all along; though there are several updates based on the evolving Internet (e.g., crowdfunding) and ongoing changes to the B&C (e.g., Legio Imprint).

 

These guidelines apply to all existing and future special projects.

 

The assumption will be that special projects will comply with these guidelines unless the project leaders explicitly notify us otherwise by replying in this topic. Any special projects that refuse to follow the above guidelines will be given time to save all of their hard work so that they can continue their work elsewhere. Special projects that refuse to comply will be deleted on 16 June, 2018.

 

Administrative notes

 

As part of the ongoing purge of old topics in preparation for the site’s software upgrade, we are taking a close look at the special projects. Some special projects have been moved to other forums where they are appropriate (e.g., all of the 2nd and 11th Legion projects have been moved over to Liber Astartes). Move links have been left so that participants can find those topics and continue working on them. Many others that have been dormant for a year or more have been hidden. If you were working on a special project and can no longer find it, please contact @Brother Tyler by PM if you are still interested in developing the special project. Alternately, if you were a special project leader and have decided to abandon a project, we can delete the special project (unless someone else wants to take it over for you).