[Xenon]

when you click on send posting it'll be preparsed.
newreply.php:

PHP Code:

    // check max images
    if ($maximages!=0) {
      $parsedmessage=bbcodeparse($message,$forumid,$allowsmilie);
      if (countchar($parsedmessage,"<img")>$maximages) {
        eval("standarderror(\"".gettemplate("error_toomanyimages")."\");");
        exit;
      }
    } 


as you can see in functions.php:

PHP Code:

    while ($smilie=$DB_site->fetch_array($smilies)) {
      if(trim($smilie[smilietext])!="") {
        $bbcode=str_replace(trim($smilie[smilietext]),"<img src=\"$smilie[smiliepath]\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\">",$bbcode);
      }
    } 


this code runs just once for each sending process, so lets say if you have set 20 smilies this line

PHP Code:

        $bbcode=str_replace(trim($smilie[smilietext]),"<img src=\"$smilie[smiliepath]\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\">",$bbcode); 


is executet 20 times when someone sends a reply.
not really server intesive.

after that preparsing it counts the ammount of "<img" segments, and if its to high, the post is refused, it'll never be added to the post table so it wouldn't be added to the thread.

if your board doesn't use that behavor of checking max smilies you must have hacked it and made something wrong