Project-Specific Forums Available

[PyTom]

As yet another service to the EVN community, the management is now offering project-specific forums for relatively large visual novel projects. To qualify for a project-specific forum, a project must have the following:

1) An existing thread that shows quite a bit of enduring interest. We're talking something that has gone on for a while now, with multiple (more than two) participating in core roles of the project.

2) At least the beginnings of a real project. There should be some usable concept art, and some writing.

3) A team leader-designate. This is just so I don't have to be the one adding people to the project group.

The general idea here is that we will create a project-specific forum when there's enough critical mass behind a project that it's somewhat likely to complete. Also, the project needs to be large enough (in terms of number of members) that communicating via email is somewhat impractical. I'm not going to create a forum for a project that consists of just a writer and artist.

Temporary Privacy

The forum will be kept private until either the project is released, or the project has obviously failed. (For example, if there's no activity in the forum for over a month.) In either case, the forum will then be made public. This will let people see and learn from the project discussion. (And in the latter case, perhaps reuse the assets.)

If you want a forum, please ask in your project's thread in Works in Progress. If your post doesn't wind up on page 10 or later, you may not be ready for a dedicated forum.

[~Julia~]

Oh, this is pretty awesome, maybe I'll ask for one once I get more of my project under way.

Thank you. ~;{@

[PrettySammy09]

This sounds like a good idea - all I'm afraid of are threads that'll turn into dead projects clogging up the forums. Will project forums eventually be purged?

[PyTom]

As the loss of content is anathema to me, I have no plans to purge anything. I might consider merging obsolete forums, or at least putting them under the Archived section.

This is largely meant for collaborative projects that are likely to complete. The thought first seriously crossed my mind when seeing the Cute, Light, and Fluffy project, and the ongoing Pet Project is the first one to actually get a private forum.

[delta]

And in the latter case, perhaps reuse the assets.

Elaborate.

[PyTom]

Say a game project fails, after an artist has produced dozens of drawings. At some point, I will set the forum public, which means people will be able to see what has been created. At this point, others will be able to ask the artist for permission to use them in other projects.

This permission isn't automatic. I don't require any sort of license to post content here, other then the implied permission given to me to make posts public. So anyone who wants to re-use things would need to get permission themselves. But we have had cases where a project has failed, and the art assets have been used for other projects. (IIRC, BCS posted up a lot of useful backgrounds from an older project.) That's something I'd like to encourage, rather than having such assets lost to everyone but project members, Lemma, and myself.

Does that help clarify things?

[delta]

Yeah, that is fine. However, that's so trivial that it's probably not worth mentioning on the agenda.

[maselphie]

I suggest the "obviously failed" inactivity limit be pushed back to six months, or at least something longer. A month is a relatively short amount of time in large-scale productions, I've found ... and some of my projects (non-VN) go months in silent progress. But if that was just an example, and your best judgement will be used, then nevermind.

[PyTom]

Six months strikes me as overly-long. My gut feeling is that a 1-month window is fine, with the understanding that nothing here is automatic, and that I'll use my judgement to determine the progress of the project. If everyone is on a declared vacation for a month, or everyone is working on tasks that will take a month, that's one thing. But if people just leave, that's another.

[Tsundere Lightning]

Depending on how much forward momentum we maintain, I would like to ask for a Bliss Stage: First and Final Act subforum.

We are moving very quickly, now. And this MIGHT be the first major commercial release of a Ren'py game (unless I fail history forever, which is possible.)

[PyTom]

Is this for development purposes? I'm willing to give out forums for development, but not for simple promotion or post-release support.

Depending on what you consider to be "major", there have been several major commercial games released with Ren'Py, like Summer Session, Heileen, Spirited Hearts, and Science Girls.

[Tsundere Lightning]

Then I'm just bad at history.

A devteam forum would be nice, and if this project maintains momentum, a fanforum later.

[JinzouTamashii]

Oh, believe me, it's going to gain and maintain momentum, just like the other Nextburst/Nexiiverse releases. Nothing's gonna hold us back! All the way to the top!

Believe in me! I can do it! Aikan!