The Warp Storm

These rules are disclosed to clarify the various responsibilities of all community members here on The Warp Storm. They shall be adhered to by everyone to ensure that our board runs smoothly and provides a fun, productive and safe environment for all of our community members and visitors. It is the responsibility of members at The Warp Storm to familiarise themselves with these rules, as ignorance of them is not considered a valid defense upon breaking them.

These rules are not exhaustive, and where appropriate supplemental forum rules topics can be found within those forums. The rules are subject to change at any time and without warning, but we will endeavor to give notice of changes in the form of a board notification sent to all members. Where possible infractions of new rules will be dealt with in a manner that takes those circumstances into account. That said, The Warp Storm's staff team reserve the right to take action where and in a manner that it sees fit. If you have a concern or a question regarding a rule or a ruling made, please contact one of the team.

Last updated: 24th Jan, 2022

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The most important rule *
Be nice!
The Warp Storm expects the members of its community to treat each other with courtesy and respect at all times.
It's really that simple. Thanks! =]


Language & clear communication (English is the official language) *
Members of The Warp Storm can and do come from all over the world and it is our intention that the content here is accessible to as many people as possible. For this reason we ask that all posts made are in English, without heavy use of 'chat speak' or other shorthand/abbreviations that may be confusing for some users. Use of different languages or potentially unclear forms of typing not only makes messages more difficult to read, but it also makes it more difficult for the staff to ensure that all is as it should be. This does not fully forbid the use of other languages - we merely ask that they be kept minimal and translated for clarity. If linking to a non-English source the onus is on the poster to provide translations where necessary.

Despite the above we do understand that English is not everybody's first language and that even native speakers may not write perfect English - that's absolutely fine! This is a hobby community, not a classroom! However we do ask that you try your best, and if something isn't clear that you are polite and respectful in approaching the situation.


In/appropriate content *
In short: nothing illegal, nothing copyrighted, nothing rude (see 'Mind your manners!' below), nothing that will get you (or us) into trouble. Feel free to read the Games Workshop IP Policy here.


Mind your manners! (the "PG13 rule") *
This forum is open to people of all ages and as such we ask that members conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. The last thing we want is somebody excited about the hobby being refused access because their guardians don't like seeing bad language everywhere (starring words out is not a way around this!)
While we don't like to censor where it's possible to avoid doing so, by asking people to keep things clean we can help make sure that the forum is as accessible as possible to everyone interested in sharing and learning about the hobby.
As a general rule of thumb pretending the board carries a PG13 sticker is probably about right.

The above also applies to the models you choose to share with us: nudity (artistic or sexual) is not allowed. The exception to this rule is given to a small number of older Citadel models (no longer in production) that feature mild nudity and would therefore otherwise be off-limits.


Stay on topic *
The Warp Storm is a place of discussion, and as such we understand that conversations will often drift away from their starting point. We ask however that members try to stay on-topic while using the forums so that topics don't become messy and confusing.

In the event that a topic strays from the original purpose staff might suggest that a new topic be created to continue the discussion, and can split posts from the original topic to do so.


Respecting other's work (or "You don't always have to be a critic" or "Not everyone is as good as you" ) *
When interacting with other users please be aware that people aren't always necessarily looking for feedback on their work. Sometimes people simply want to show off something they're proud of, without other people critiquing or looking for flaws.
If somebody is actively looking for critical opinions that is obviously fine (just don't forget the most important rule!), but if you're unsure it may be better to check first before you give them. This is simply to help prevent disapointment and hurt feelings.


Spam *
We don't really like it. Please try to make sure your posts have some kind of content, and are in the right area of the board. If you are unsure where to post you are always welcome to ask one of the team.


Necromancy & bumping *
Once a topic has become inactive (2 weeks without any posts, as a rule-of-thumb) any posts made to it must either advance the topic in question (for example posting more recent information in a rumours topic, or somebody showing their latest work in a WIP/blog topic) or have purpose enough to merit reviving the topic (for example asking a member details about parts in a conversion, or finding out if further rumour news ever came to light). Posting in old topics without genuine reason, often seen in the form of "nice work"-type posts in topics that have been dead for months, is referred to as 'topic necromancy' and is heavily frowned upon. Undead Necromancers are good, topic necromancers are not! If you're unsure whether your post might contain the whiff of foul magicks you can of course ask one of the team first.
Similarly posting in a topic purely to falsely simulate activity or to bring it back to the top of the topics list (known as 'bumping') is not permitted.


Double posting *
The rules for double posting are similar to necromancy above. In the vast majority of cases double posting (posting twice in a topic without any replies in between) is unneccessary, and thus not allowed. The edit button (top right of your post) can be used to add or change information where needed.
The exceptions to this rule are: When the new post contains significantly new information (e.g. the next entry in a painting blog-stlye topic), there is a significant delay between posts (don't forget the necromancy rule!) and thus the new information would otherwise be missed, and if you have hit the character limit in the previous post.


No recasters! *
Posts discussing manufacturers (including just by name) who recast models from any range are not allowed. These companies are breaking the law by selling IP that does not belong to them, and as such we do not allow it here.


Gatekeeping (the "Warhammer is for everyone" rule) *
If you are unfamiliar with the term 'gatekeeping' then consider yourself lucky. Generally speaking The Warp Storm will not tolerate users trying to 'bar entry' to the hobby to others based on what they consider acceptable. Female Astartes, Skaven/Astra Militarum Ratmen and high-tech Ork/T'au hybrids don't exist in Games Workshop's canonical lore, but if somebody makes them and thinks they're cool then we want to see them in all their glory!

This rule obviously doesn't apply when talking in an advisory capacity: if somebody is asking whether they can build a Guard regiment that belongs to an Aeldari Craftworld then we should tell them that technically no, they can't. We should also tell them that this is their hobby and they can do whatever they want with their toy soldiers. You never know, it might even result in a cool backstory, or an alternative setting that others want to get involved in!


Referral & affiliate codes *
While we're happy for you to share referral codes, we ask that you keep them to your profile signature, and are not linked in your posts.

Conversely, we do not allow the use of affiliate links. The Warp Storm uses affiliate links to help pay for its hosting, and so we ask that you don't post links which may stop our own from working.


Account Security *
Keeping your account secure is both very important, and also the responsibility of both The Warp Storm and individual members.
For our part, The Warp Storm uses phpBB software which is in theory very secure. Our host is reputable, and the security of our back-end systems should be more than sufficient.
From the user's side it is recommended that you do not use an easy to guess or reused password as this may make it easier for an unauthorised third party to access your account. We do recommend using strong passwords (upper and lower case, numbers and symbols) that are unique for both your forum account and associated email account. Services such as 1Password can help with this.
In the event that a member account is compromised while we will try our best, The Warp Storm makes no promises that the account can or will be recovered or returned to its rightful owner.


Other rules (or "Things we shouldn't have to tell you") *
The following is a shortlist of additional things not permitted that we hope we won't have to expand upon: trolling, flaming, hate speech (including discrimination based on race, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, political views or anything else whatsoever, and the support of groups who espouse these views), harassment, or trying to undermine the security of the board. Please don't give us a reason to have to turn any of these into a rule of their own. Don't be That Guy.