What Commercial VB products to buy?

[lfpm]

We have a big Forum (over half a million post) and we are now merging with a bigger website (not a forum), before we launch the merge we want to add several new features,

There are lot commercial products out there, some are similar to each others while there ore other products that can be found in here for free, so any advices about the following products and if any other products out there are worth to be bought will be appreciated:

- From VB.com we will buy: Branding Free Option & vBulletin Blog
- Now that in version 3.7 Album is introduced, is it worth to buy PhotoPost vBGallery or we should stick with the VB Album?
- vbgaming.org have a nice youtube integration system, while there are some in here for free, the price is not the question, but are the ones in here better than what they are selling?
- VBseo with Branding Free Option
- Branding Free Option for the Style
- vBadvanced Dynamics (Is it worth it comparing to vBadvanced CMPS)?
- Geek Article and Review System from thevbgeek.com
- Geek Advertising Banner System from thevbgeek.com, is it worth it? knowing that version 3.7 will have Advertising Banner System and there are several good free products in here.
- vBadvanced Links Directory V/S Geek Article and Review System: Geek Article and Review System says it can also be used as link directory, can we use it for both? (Article and Review System and Link Directory), if yes, no need to vBadvanced Links Directory
- There are couple of "classified" commercial scripts out there, such as photopost.com/class/ & vbclassified.com while there is a free version in here, is it worth to go after one of the commercial scripts? if yes, which one?

And finally, what other commercial products you advice?

P.S. The Forum is about a country

[KW802]

Originally Posted by lfpm

- Now that in version 3.7 Album is introduced, is it worth to buy PhotoPost vBGallery or we should stick with the VB Album?

Depends upon if you want to have a central "gallery" or just "user albums" like 3.7 has. At least so far even the Jelsoft guys are saying that the 3.7 albums are not meant to replace a full blown gallery.

Originally Posted by lfpm

- vBadvanced Dynamics (Is it worth it comparing to vBadvanced CMPS)?

If you're going to just use it as a portal then CMPS would be a better choice since you would end up not using half the functionality of Dynamics (especially since GARS is also on your list). If you end not getting GARS and still need a portal and still need an article system (or similar) than Dynamics would be a contender.

Originally Posted by lfpm

- vBadvanced Links Directory V/S Geek Article and Review System: Geek Article and Review System says it can also be used as link directory, can we use it for both? (Article and Review System and Link Directory), if yes, no need to vBadvanced Links Directory

Depends upon the features you're looking for. GARS can be used as a simple links directory but vBa Links offers features such as automatically grabbing meta fields from the linked site and checking for reciprocal links.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

I think nobody can answer this for you. It will all depend on the specific needs for your board.

And finally, what other commercial products you advice?

This line gives me the impression that you want to install additional software "just because you want more". That would be a totally wrong approach. Start with plain vBulletin, and see what the needs are, and address them once you have determined them.

[lfpm]

Originally Posted by Marco van Herwaarden

I think nobody can answer this for you. It will all depend on the specific needs for your board.

This line gives me the impression that you want to install additional software "just because you want more". That would be a totally wrong approach. Start with plain vBulletin, and see what the needs are, and address them once you have determined them.

We've been using VB for 4-5 years now, our community is getting bigger and bigger, we've been using the free mods from vb.org for few years now, you are right, we do want "more", but for sure we don't want to pay for anything we don't need.

One thing we need and can't find is the "Bingo" game (for fun use), if someone can create a VB Bingo game, he will become a hero.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Hmm interesting, if done good it could boost visits (members can have a bingo card, and each hour 1 number is drawn so they must visit to see if they already have a bingo)

[nevetS]

Talk more about what you're looking for with Bingo. That sounds like it might be an interesting project.

Like - for instance -
Do people get more than one bingo card? Or just one assigned to their profile? I could see something along the lines of a bingo card in the postbit that you could watch get closer and closer to winning.
Do they actively play? i.e. do they have to watch for numbers and mark them off their card? Or does the system automatically mark your card for you?
How do numbers get drawn? Automatically, with timing? Or perhaps based on user activity - like with every 5 posts, call out a number?

The hardest part of these things (from my perspective) is actually laying out the specification. Once that's done, it's a lot easier.

[lfpm]

Originally Posted by nevetS

Talk more about what you're looking for with Bingo. That sounds like it might be an interesting project.

Like - for instance -
Do people get more than one bingo card? Or just one assigned to their profile? I could see something along the lines of a bingo card in the postbit that you could watch get closer and closer to winning.
Do they actively play? i.e. do they have to watch for numbers and mark them off their card? Or does the system automatically mark your card for you?
How do numbers get drawn? Automatically, with timing? Or perhaps based on user activity - like with every 5 posts, call out a number?

The hardest part of these things (from my perspective) is actually laying out the specification. Once that's done, it's a lot easier.

It is an interesting project, and i am wiling to help if someone wants to work on it,

I did lot of research on online Bingos, its very popular (just Google the term Bingo and see how many websites will pop up), i also realized that most of those who play bingo, play for the fun of it and not to win money. I also tried some of the websites that offer bonus money when you sign up, it's an addictive game.

What i have in mind is similar to what the online bingo sites have, again Google Bingo and check them, they are all the same, in our case we don't need sign ups, the game will be for our VB members and we don't need the money deposit options, it will be free based on points or something similar.

Anyway, go to cyberbingo.co.uk and register, they will give you a free trial account, launch the game and you will see what i mean, it's flash, has a chat room, action script involved heavily.

I don't think anyone can create this for free, it's a major hack and will need lot of time and work

[Dismounted]

Interesting idea, may be worth tackling when I get some free time.