[Paul M]

use the following.

I have marked the relevant values in red.

// ###################### Start Reputation Image Hack - Paul Marsden v1.1 #######################
function fetch_reputation_image(&$post, &$perms)
{
	global $vboptions, $stylevar, $vbphrase;

	$band_a_val = 500;
	$band_a_count = 2;

	$band_b_val = 2000;
	$band_b_count = 2;

	$band_c_val = 5000;
	$band_c_count = 2;

//  For each band 'band_x_val' is the vaulue of each pip and 'band_x_count' is the number displayed before moving onto the next level.  

	if (!$vboptions['reputationenable'])
	{
		return true;
	}

	if (!$post['reputationlevelid'])
	{
		$post['level'] = $vboptions['reputationundefined'];
	}

	if (!$post['showreputation'] AND $perms['genericpermissions'] & CANHIDEREP)
	{
			$posneg = 'off';
			$post['level'] = $vbphrase['reputation_disabled'];
			eval('$post[\'reputationdisplay\'] .= "' . fetch_template('postbit_reputation') . '";');
	}
	else
	{

		$repval = $post['reputation'];	

		if ($repval == 0)
		{
			$posneg = 'zero';
			eval('$post[\'reputationdisplay\'] .= "' . fetch_template('postbit_reputation') . '";');
		}
		else if ($post['reputation'] < 0)
		{
			$repa = 'poo';
			$repb = 'poo';
			$repc = 'poo';
			$repval = $repval * -1;
		}
		else
		{
			$repa = 'star';
			$repb = 'star';
			$repc = 'star';
		}

		$count = $band_a_count;
		while ($count > 0 and $repval > 0) {
			$count -= 1;
			$repval -= $band_a_val;
			$posneg = $repa;
			eval('$post[\'reputationdisplay\'] .= "' . fetch_template('postbit_reputation') . '";');
		}

		$count = $band_b_count;
		while ($count > 0 and $repval > 0) {
			$count -= 1;
			$repval -= $band_b_val;
			$posneg = $repb;
			eval('$post[\'reputationdisplay\'] .= "' . fetch_template('postbit_reputation') . '";');
		}

		$count = $band_c_count;
		while ($count > 0 and $repval > 0) {
			$count -= 1;
			$repval -= $band_c_val;
			$posneg = $repc;
			eval('$post[\'reputationdisplay\'] .= "' . fetch_template('postbit_reputation') . '";');
		}
	}
	return true;
}

You need four image files ;

star.gif = Positive rep image.
poo.gif = Negative rep image.
zero.gif = Image when rep is exactly zero.
off.gif = Image if rep display is disabled.

This will give you the closest possible to what you want - you will get ;

1 Star = 0-500
2 Star = 501-1000
3 Star = 1001 - 3000
4 Star = 3001 - 5000
5 Star = 5001 - 10000
6 Star = 10001 +

No more than 6 stars.

Negative scores will work exactly the same, but display poo.gif