Add-On Releases - vBExperience 3.8

vBExperience 3.8 (aka xPerience)

Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

Triple Winner of the "Mod of the Month"-Award (March 2008, September 2009, July 2010) on vBulletin.org.

A version for vBulletin 4.0 has been released! Thread: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=245023


vBExperience 3.8.6 is currently (August 2010) in development.


Description
vBExperience is your feature packaged solution for motivation and satisfying your users. vBExperience is an advanced Level/Promotion and Activity System with Shop, Awards and Activities. It will calculate an activity and experience score for every user based on their activites on the forum. Now your users will see how their level is increasing by participating on your forum.

This mod was developed by me because I was never satisfied with the post count. Communities are not only defined by post count, they need much more parameters: Are the postings the user creates helpful? Are his threads frequently read? Does the user participate on the community by posting pictures, attachments, leaving visitor messages, tagging threads? All this can be answered with this mod.

Comments, suggestions, translations, bugs, etc... are very welcome! Support is only given to people who have clicked Mark as Installed.


Compatibility
This mod will work with vBulletin 3.7.x and 3.8.x. For vBulletin 3.6 you will need vBExperience 3.7



Demo:
http://www.insideearth.net/xperience.php?langid=5

Demo 3.8.6:
http://www.insidetwoworlds.com/xperience.php

Other Demo Site:
http://www.insidesupcom.de/xperience.php?langid=1


There are mainly four things visible for the users: The users score, his level, his next level up in %/points and his activity in %.


Calculation of the score
Taken into calculation are these things:
Threads
- Created threads
- Thread views of own threads
- Thread replies of own threads
- Thread votes of own threads
- Thread tags
- Replies to own threads
- Sticky threads
- Socialgroup Discussions (Discussions, Posts)

Posts
- Created posts
- Views on attachments

User
- Days since registration
- Average posts per Day (for users who are on forum for at least seven days)
- Referrals
- Received infractions
- Reputation / Use of reputation system
- Visitor messages on profiles
- Members of own social groups
- Albumpictures
- Friends
- Completing Profile

Misc
- Calendar entries


Additionally there is support for 3rd party addons (some are already installed):
- vB Tournaments and Ladders (via CDP Addon)
- Post Ranking System (via CDP Addon)
- Helpful Answers (via CDP Addon)
- AWCoding-Donation System LITE and PRO (via CDP Addon)
- Cyb Paypal Donate (included)
- DownloadsII (included)
- ibProArcade Highscorer Points (via CDP Addon)
- LDM Links and Downloads Manager (included)
- PhotoPlog 2.1 (via CDP Addon)
- PhotoPost vBGallery (via CDP Addon)
- PhotoPost Pro (via CDP Addon)
- Post Thank You / Use of Post Thank You (via CDP Addon)
- QuoteIt! 3.16 (via CDP Addon)
- SAPR: Advanced Post Rating system (via CDP Addon)
- thanks via vS-Hide Hack Resurrection (Expanded Edition) (included)
- v3arcade Highscorer Points (via CDP Addon)
- v3arcade Submissions Points (via CDP Addon)
- vBulletin Blog (included)
- Who Downloaded This Attachment? (included)
- Other Addons can be easily added via CDP - Custom Data Provider plugins.

Additionally you can install these modifications:
- Thread Necromancer: Gives (minus-) points when a user is posting in old threads.
- Scrupulous Poster: Gives points for editing posts. Award users that are editing own posts instead of doing double post.
- Deletion Addicted: Gives points when an user/nod soft-deletes post, thread, visitormessage, groupmessage or picturecomment.
- Arm of Law: Give points for moderators who are using the infraction system
- Discussion Ender: Give points for people who are the last on a discussion
- RadioActivity: Reduce points for every day the user is not online

Also, there are already addons available that are working as Custom Data Provider (CDP). A CDP can extend vBExperience by collecting data and adding it to the vBExperience datastore. All point providers can be used for Awards and Shop.

You have to install these hacks for your own, vBExperience doesn't install nor touches these.


vBAdvanced
There are three vBAdvanced 3.0 XML modules: Most Active Users, Most Experienced Users and Last 20 Activities. Import them via vBAdvanced AdminCP.


Awards
There are six default awards: Most Popular, Activity Award, Posting Award, Community Award, Frequent Poster, Blog Award, Calendar Award. The awards are shown in Rankings and Profile. You can set them also to display in postbit near the username. There is a scheduled job running once a day (02:30h) to calculate them.
Via AdminCP they are completely customizeable and can also be assigned manually.
Awards can be created for every data provider.


Rankings
Showing User, Level, Awards, Activity Points (experience, thread, post, user, misc) - sortable.
Since 3.8.3, there is a also a ranking for Social Groups

Shop
A virtual Shop will motivate your users to earn more points. You can define categories and put virtual items with pictures in it. A currency can be defined seperatly for every item, e.g. 20 points from threads or 100 points from gallery. Users can purchase the items, they appear in their profile. The costs of the item are substracted from their xperience points. Additionally you can set quantity of the items.
The Shop will motivate your users to collect specific points to buy an item. Optionally you can show the last purchased items on postbit.
You can put virtual items in it, like WoW addons: Sell WoW Items in exchange of f.e. thread points. Great for RPG forums.
Non-Virtual Items like bold Usernames or Downloads for Points are already on my todo list.

Earn Points
There is an overview for the user on how points can be collected, with a list of users own points. All data is beeing pulled from the database (settings, phrases)

Statistics
The statistics is showing a Top-X list of the leading users. Usefull for optimizing points of the point provider. Only enabled point providers with results will be displayed.


Promotion system
To motivate users to do more on your forum I created the promotion system. By reaching defined xperience points the user will be moved to another usergroup - where you can set graphics, shadows, highlighting, etc... What is interesting in combination with this: you can give the user more possibilities f.e. larger avatars or bigger PM box. A log of the promotions is available.


Calculation of the activity
The system calculates the activity by taking the average post count/visitormessages/group discussion/Blog entries of the ten most active user and comparing it to own post count. This can be set to count only the last X days, f.e. 21 days.


Settings
You can control how many points are given to every calculation. For example you can give many points for creating new threads but only a few for views of that thread. Setting a value to 0 will disable a setting.
Additionally, you can set ignore users (f.e. for bot users), forums (f.e. offtopic forums) and usergroup id's.


Performance, Big Boards
vBExperience has been tested on smaller and also on some bigger sites. I know from boards with around 120k users running this mod smoothly. More about this topic can be read in the file readme_optimization.txt


Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I change the name Experience to something new?
A: You can change the name via phrases. Just search and replace all phrases that contains vBExperience.

Q: When installing vBExperience, does everyone start from scratch, or will it automatically configure everyone's points based on actions before the install?
A: If you recount, vBExperience will calculate ALL existing data since the beginning of the board.

Known Issues:
- Awards: On "Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread" awards are only shown for the user who is viewing this.
- Awards: If activated in with rich username, they are attached to the username. If the username is linked, the awards are also linked. If a link is underlined, the awards are also underlined. This behaviour is hardcoded in vBulletin and cannot be fixed.
- Settings are showing only a blank page, read here: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/proje...6979#note74140
- If you completely remove vBExperience, you need also to uninstall the product XML manually from the pluginssystem

Credits for icons
- FAMFAMFAM, http://www.famfamfam.com/lab/icons/silk/
- IconExperience


History
3.8.4.3 / 3.8.5 Beta 5, 10th July 2011
- Prio 1 security patch, please update just xperience.php!


3.8.5 Beta 4, 25th September 2009
- Promotions: Listing now also the last Usergroup. Please notice the new settings for nethermost/uppermost usergroups.
- Several minor cosmetic changes
- Clear Activities (except Shop)
- Fixed error with GetActivityAll() on profile
- Several Beta 3 fixes

3.8.5 Beta 3, 18th September 2009
- Fixed Promotions
- Fixed Notifications
- Added Activities to Promotions
- All Activities are not obeying limit
- AdminCP/Experience has a recount for Promotions and Achievements
- Fixed listing of Achievements with Firefox
- Several Beta 2 fixes

3.8.5 Beta 2, 02nd September 2009
- Just a short note: Condition in Achievements and Promotions are calculated in POINTS, not in counts of items.
If you choose 10 Day, you must enter the points needed for this.
For example: You have an achievement for 10 days. You have set 2 points for every day since registering. Calculation: 10*2 = 20
You will have to set 20 as the condition.
- New tabbed interface. If you want to change the style, edit the template xperience_navbar_css
- Promotions now showing usergroups and conditions for a promotion to the next group
- You can import old vBExperience Legacy promotions (that were created within level.xml)
- Achievements in Profile
- Achievements below Avatar
- Several Beta 1 fixes

3.8.5 Beta 1, 28th August 2009
- Achievements!
- Promotions!
- Notification on Awards, Promotions and Achievements
- GAP: Empty pointfields will not be displayed anymore
- Activity: Showing percent values with a decimal
- Activities now also for users
- Awards below Avatar
- Default Awards are now also creating new category
- Shop: Fixed issue in not returning cash on sells
- Reworked Edit Shop Items



For more see history.txt

[BlackJacket]

Installed!

I have been playing around with it and so far, its great!

One Suggestion -

When making a new award, we should have the option of giving that award to a specific group also.

Like group 6 (admins) will get a special award for being an admin.

Thanks for the great add on!

[petacat]

May I request that exclusion of usergroups from awards needs to be set per award. Otherwise you cant give awards to board staff for helpfulness, if they are excluded from awards ... It would give a lot more flexibility too ... like allowing new members to be given encouragement awards until they progress to the next promotion.

LOL. Looks like I missed the last post before mine We agree!

[BlackJacket]

BUG:

I made an award for all admins (had to manually add them to the award) but for some reason it will not show the award for me. User account 1.

If i go back to the award edit screen, and i click save, it will show the award for a few minutes then it will go away.

I tested this on FF to make sure it wasnt a browser problem.

Any Suggestions?

[buileminh]

May somebody tell me if this mod have any effect on performance or not? I am on a shared server with about 10000-30000 members, 300-1000 members online at the same time. I dont want to overload the shared server by increase unnecessary mods.

[soniceffect]

I installed this last night and Im a little lost as to the activity calculation even on reading the original post.. Please could you let me know if this is a big or whether I have calculated it incorrectly..

My top ten posters in the last 30 days are:

User Posts
Sarah 814
laura_3173 530
siberian_wolf 474
r1ch4rd 347
Dunc 312
stokie 206
lesley 164
Marc 144
bingnblaze 136
Alex T 135

This gives me an average of 326 ..... So surely Sarah (at the top of the list with 814) should have 100% however she doesn't, she has 99% .... Am I missing something?

[BlackJacket]

Originally Posted by buileminh

May somebody tell me if this mod have any effect on performance or not? I am on a shared server with about 10000-30000 members, 300-1000 members online at the same time. I dont want to overload the shared server by increase unnecessary mods.

I noticed very little change. Im on shared hosting also so i have to be careful also. You should be safe with this mod. It doesnt run constantly so your server load is minimal.

Originally Posted by soniceffect

I installed this last night and Im a little lost as to the activity calculation even on reading the original post.. Please could you let me know if this is a big or whether I have calculated it incorrectly..

My top ten posters in the last 30 days are:

User Posts
Sarah 814
laura_3173 530
siberian_wolf 474
r1ch4rd 347
Dunc 312
stokie 206
lesley 164
Marc 144
bingnblaze 136
Alex T 135

This gives me an average of 326 ..... So surely Sarah (at the top of the list with 814) should have 100% however she doesn't, she has 99% .... Am I missing something?

Mine said 0% the first day. Now, it is working. It must have something to do with it populating the info but dont ask me how. All i know is its working now.

[rogue-tomato]

I have to say,

...the stupidist un-install method ever.

[soniceffect]

Originally Posted by rogue-tomato

I have to say,

...the stupidist un-install method ever.

These guys program for months to produce modifications for our forums free of charge working for nothing. I'm sure it doesnt take you months to uninstall. Its not stupid, its just different that your personal preference

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by NittoMOD

When making a new award, we should have the option of giving that award to a specific group also.
Like group 6 (admins) will get a special award for being an admin.

For admins you can set manually a specific award.

Originally Posted by petacat

May I request that exclusion of usergroups from awards needs to be set per award. Otherwise you cant give awards to board staff for helpfulness, if they are excluded from awards ... It would give a lot more flexibility too ... like allowing new members to be given encouragement awards until they progress to the next promotion.
LOL. Looks like I missed the last post before mine We agree!

Yes, awards bound to promotions would be a great addition. I will think about it for the next bigger version.

Originally Posted by NittoMOD

I made an award for all admins (had to manually add them to the award) but for some reason it will not show the award for me. User account 1.

Did you generated awards after saving them?

Originally Posted by NittoMOD

If i go back to the award edit screen, and i click save, it will show the award for a few minutes then it will go away.
I tested this on FF to make sure it wasnt a browser problem.

Cannot confirm this. Where exactly does this happen?

Originally Posted by buileminh

May somebody tell me if this mod have any effect on performance or not? I am on a shared server with about 10000-30000 members, 300-1000 members online at the same time. I dont want to overload the shared server by increase unnecessary mods.

Depends on your hardware. There are board with for example 320000 users running this mod without side effects. Read the file "readme_optimization.txt"

Originally Posted by soniceffect

I installed this last night and Im a little lost as to the activity calculation even on reading the original post.. Please could you let me know if this is a big or whether I have calculated it incorrectly..

My top ten posters in the last 30 days are:

User Posts
Sarah 814
laura_3173 530
siberian_wolf 474
r1ch4rd 347
Dunc 312
stokie 206
lesley 164
Marc 144
bingnblaze 136
Alex T 135

This gives me an average of 326 ..... So surely Sarah (at the top of the list with 814) should have 100% however she doesn't, she has 99% .... Am I missing something?

Who has the 100%?

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by rogue-tomato

I have to say,

...the stupidist un-install method ever.

You mean with the kill file? You know what is stupid? Losing all awards, statistics, shop items and categories only because of a reinstall. I could move all uninstalls into the product xml, but the user would lost everything doing an upgrade. THAT would be stupid.

vBExperience is not a little addition, it is a major addition that needs some time to set and to tweak.

Originally Posted by soniceffect

These guys program for months to produce modifications for our forums free of charge working for nothing. I'm sure it doesnt take you months to uninstall. Its not stupid, its just different that your personal preference

Thanks for your support.