[AuroraStorm]

Originally Posted by Frank-kun

Well, that's the thing - just because it isn't a fit for your needs doesn't mean it doesn't fit for someone else's.

In the forums I run, they are as Blaine says, more community-building tools than anything else. We don't want them to just be about what the site is about or how to conduct business, but also to be fun too. You're right - there isn't a "point" to the system. It's just a fun little diversion and a way to get people to post more on our forums by earning virtual cash towards items.

You'd be surprised how much "little icons displayed in the user's inventory" is a status symbol. That's how online communities build themselves.

At some point in the future, at least for the forums I linked in my last post, we're looking to move to something more complex like the RPG integration system in the future. We're testing the waters to see how these fun little tools will have a positive effect on our users.

I totally agree with you. My posters had so much fun with the gifts and point system - the stealing points alone took it to another level once they figured out how to do that. When I learned how to upload my own gifts in, like images of Gucci perfume, bling gifts and the like, it made shopping real fun. Anybody can host a forum to just "talk" but with the vbPlaza and the Arcade, it gave the community more pizazz and made things more interesting. I miss vbPlaza but if this Icash and Ishop will work just as well, I might download them and see what happens...