Add-On Releases - vBExperience

vBExperience 3.8 (aka xPerience)

Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

Winner of the "Mod of the Month"-Award (March 2008) on vBulletin.org.


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 Profile:
http://www.insideearth.net/member.php?u=1&langid=5

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

Demo Awards:
http://www.insidesupcom.de/xperience...wards&langid=1

Demo Promotions:
http://www.insidesupcom.de/xperience...=shop&langid=1

Demo Shop:
http://www.insideearth.net/xperience...=shop&langid=5

Demo Stats:
http://www.insideearth.net/xperience...stats&langid=5

Demo Earn Points:
http://www.insideearth.net/xperience...=earn&langid=5

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
3.8.5 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


Todo for Beta 3:
- Download files with vBExperience as a credit system ("LDM Links and Downloads Manager", "DownloadsII")
- Activity eraser
- AdminCP Permissions
- Advanced User Permissions


For more see history.txt

[NAZIA]

Thanks for the Update...

[NAZIA]

Here is a little Bug that I have found...

Bug is that....
On shop page It is showing
You purchased 16 item(s). Click here for a listing. */ which is Right /*
But when we moved to other pages to buy any product from the shop...
It shows You don't purchased any items yet. */ Wrong display /*

The same message is also displaying on http://------site---/xperience.php?go=shop&do=own

wat do you think about this?

Another addition , I think which is important...
that when any user purchase the item a short message should be sent to that user, no to the admin. because if there are many members on the community, It can create a big problem to the admin for deleting/reading the same messages again and again...

But I think it is better if the user has an invoice of his purchased product in his Inbox at the purchased time...

Hope you (Phalynx (Coder)) will see about the matter..
Thanks...
Have a nice life...

[Abe1]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

If it is really only this change I can do it for Beta 2.

That would be better. Change using post_thanks_thanked_times to post_thanks_user_amount. For amount a thanks a user gave.

post_thanks_thanked_posts can stay but just tells how many posts of his got thanked but not by how many people. post_thanks_thanked_times really tells how many thanks a user got which I think is better since you rather 10 people give to one post then 1 person giving to 10. It just means there is someone who loves to give thanks. Both would be really ideal. Who it be good if I just looked at your code and sent you a PM on what should be changed?

If I do create it as an add-on, can it be added to the 'post' count rather then the 'misc'? Will awards be able to be given for them?

[NAZIA]

In our items list when we just click on the Items to Give Away...
It ask about the user name... It is Right. But If we have not put the user name.. It delete that item from our list.. while these items are available in the postbit...

And if we put the any member name to give away that item.. It don't push that item to the member....

[Replicators]

What about points for social groups, like when joining one or creating one? Also gaining points for creating a photo album, and adding photos.

[gamerfu]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

I'm afraid this would eat too many time.


Will check that.


You mean beside the vBExperience listing of items?


That has been asked many times, maybe I will do something for the next major version.


Sounds great

Yes. :up:

A "Gift" tab in the public profiles.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by Y4I)15

but there is a XSS vulnerability.

Fixed in Beta 2.

Originally Posted by NAZIA

On shop page It is showing
You purchased 16 item(s). Click here for a listing. */ which is Right /*
But when we moved to other pages to buy any product from the shop...
It shows You don't purchased any items yet. */ Wrong display /*

The same message is also displaying on http://------site---/xperience.php?go=shop&do=own

Fixed in Beta 2.

Originally Posted by NAZIA

that when any user purchase the item a short message should be sent to that user, no to the admin. because if there are many members on the community, It can create a big problem to the admin for deleting/reading the same messages again and again...
But I think it is better if the user has an invoice of his purchased product in his Inbox at the purchased time...

The PM to the Admin as a request of the sponsors of the inital shop, The Brotherhood of International Gamers. Beta 2 will have an option to sent a PM to the buyer.

Originally Posted by Abe1

That would be better. Change using post_thanks_thanked_times to post_thanks_user_amount. For amount a thanks a user gave.

I think you are right and changed it to post_thanks_user_amount.

Originally Posted by Abe1

If I do create it as an add-on, can it be added to the 'post' count rather then the 'misc'? Will awards be able to be given for them?

Yes, if you use the newest revision of the CDP which is included in the 3.7.18 Beta. But it would only make sense if you would make an advanced version with full support of you hack. Awards can be set on every data field in the table.

Originally Posted by NAZIA

In our items list when we just click on the Items to Give Away...
It ask about the user name... It is Right. But If we have not put the user name.. It delete that item from our list.. while these items are available in the postbit...

And if we put the any member name to give away that item.. It don't push that item to the member....

Will look at it and fix it for Beta 2.

Originally Posted by Replicators

What about points for social groups, like when joining one or creating one? Also gaining points for creating a photo album, and adding photos.

Please read the complete description, there you have the answer that these things are already included.

[SuperDave71]

Hey Guys,

I have a quick question. Since I am a noob please forgive my ignorance on this.

I was curious, how can I change the award itself. I added serveral of the "extras" graphics but I don;t know how to make them display. For example, the gold, silver and bronze. I can only get the gold to display.

I tried changing the 0 to a 1 etc etc but no go.....can anyone help me out on this one?

EXCELLENT mod by the way!

Thanks again in advance!

-Dave

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by SuperDave71

I was curious, how can I change the award itself. I added serveral of the "extras" graphics but I don;t know how to make them display. For example, the gold, silver and bronze. I can only get the gold to display.
I tried changing the 0 to a 1 etc etc but no go.....can anyone help me out on this one?

You need to recount awards after doing changes to make them active.

[Phalynx]

vBExperience 3.7.18 Beta 2 has been released. It improves the features introduces in Beta 1 and fixes also the reported bugs. Demosites have been also updated.

Upgrade Instructions
1. Copy ALL (I mean ALL - That is a common error!) files from /upload/ to the server. Espacially take care of the images, copy them to your style misc folder if you use a customized style.
2. ReImport product_vbexperience3718.xml, allow overwrite
3. If you modified any of the vBExperience templates, revert them

Changelog
3.7.18 Beta 2, 07th October 2008
- Rankings: Fixed XSS Vulnerability (thanks to snunhuck and Y4I)15)
- Experience: Changed "post_thanks_thanked_times" to "post_thanks_user_amount" (post thank you hack)
- Shop: Fixed AdminCP, Manage Shop, "Transactionlog (Page %1$s/%2$s) | There are %3$s Entries."
- Shop: Fixed missing BBUrl Prefix
- Shop: Give Away is sending PM to receiver (setable)
- Shop: Selling item is sending PM to defined list (setable)
- Shop: Writing a PM upon a purchase can now be deactivated
- Shop: Improved "give away" and display in postbit/profile
- Shop: Set if points from purchased products should be substracted
- Awards: Award for activity is beeing set only to one user (more experience points wins), all other users are getting 99%.
- Awards: You can exclude usergroups from getting Awards. Administrators (Group ID 6) are excluded by default.
- Fixed unchached templates
- Known issue: Receiving a gift is disabling sell and give away of existing and new items of the same item as the gift. Beta 3 will address this.