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

[yotsume]

So Many Users Stuck at zero %?

I have some users with less points who are at 99% and other users with higer points who are at 0%. So please anyone explain to me why the heck gives here???

I have level 1 installed because my board is under 500 members.

So why dont we see members on my site at any other % like 4% 30% or anything!

Are we really all sure this product actually works?

I will provide login info for the developer if you could help check out my settings pleased. I need this sorted out and fixed ASAP please.

Here is a screen shot. Some please explain whats wrong! It seems the activity calculator in this mod is just a huge bug or broke!

I have Level 1 installed. I tried Level 2 and 3. Each time I did recount and cleared my cache to see any changes. Again the Activity % seems just wrong! 0% 99% or 100% and no other % in between!? NO WAY!

[Dutch_Boy]

did you do a recount ? After you you change the level you have to do a recount.

Or just wait a day. The addon will do it by him self.

[yotsume]

Originally Posted by Dutch_Boy

did you do a recount ? After you you change the level you have to do a recount.

Or just wait a day. The addon will do it by him self.

Yes of course I did a recount. I am sorry but a recount is not the cure all answer everyone likes to throw around this forum!

I solved my problem by adjusting the point system which really needs to be customized per forum. Once I changes those settings to mirror how my site is used everything corrected itself and the %s now are calculated correctly. 2PT for posting a thread and 1Pt for a blog really!!! COME ON!!!

Many people who have problems need to spend the time adjusting the points settings. :up:

Now again I need the experience bars in the blogs by avatars and waiting for vb4 and a major update to this mod to be released is too long of a wait.

So is there anyone who can help with the edits to get that to work? Maybe if we had a realistic update ETA that would be helpful for me.

Also, everyone that uses the Shop it would be helpful if you post your item graphics and categories here. I was seriously disappointed with this mod after turning on the Shop to see zero default info preloaded.

[Dutch_Boy]

You can allso us this shop mod. It doenst work with experience.

http://www.vbcredits.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2377

Its gold so its free

[yotsume]

Problem Adding New Awards

I just added a new award for Discussion Ender. After doing all the required recounts, one member shows in Awards having receive this new award.... HOWEVER: On their profile the award is not shown under the experience tab nor the award graphic? Also, the new award is not shown under Ranking next to their username.

What is wrong?

Is the award system broke in this release or what? and if one fool replies and tell me to do a recount I am going to VOMIT all over them!

Let's dig deeper:

1. When you add a new award it has first listed: Unique identificatorGraphics are included with this: award_IDENTIFICATOR.gif - don't use same identificator twice!
Well ok this AINT clear at all as to what goes in this field. Please explin to me why the identifier has anything to do with a gif image in the instructions listed under it!

QUESTION: What goes in the identifier field? Anything we want? Or do the identifiers need to match the type of extra we have installed for instance 'Discussion Ender"?

2. On all the default awards there is no path to any images yet the awards show images! WTF!!!?

3. How about some REAL instruction on how to add awards of our own if this feature actually works at all please!

THANKS!

[yotsume]

New Award Problem Solved!

Originally Posted by kalisekj

ok I figured it out the name of the image must be award_Unique Identificator Name.png for it to show properly in the postbit. WooHoo!

Thanks for finding this! That solved my problem as well. Umm sorry this mod is awesome but the documentation/phrases SUCK!!!

So to be clear: The name of the identifier has to be part of the image file name for it to show in the postbit or in profiles. Example: award_discussion_ender_nail.png The identifier for this must be: discussion_ender_nail. You can leave the "Path to Award-Image" field blank. WEIRD! MISLEADING!

I will be re-phrasing all the fields in the "Manage Awards" settings on this mod so that clear English is used!

WOW what a waste of time! Please for the love of god spend the time and improve the phrases used in the vb4 release! :up:

Oh yea makes sense to me that you don't even need to put in a URl to an image but the identifier does that for you. HOHUM!

[GraphicTibiaent]

not working for me I'm going to rename the image the same as the award itself also and test that so everything is same

EDIT Everything must be lower case and all match it seems at the moments Thanks worked great

IMAGES MUST BE gif format as well

[Phalynx]

As I already announced few times, vBExperience 3.8.4 has already a new mechanic to reference images to awards.

[Phalynx]

vBExperience 3.8.4 has now reached the beta stage! This release brings great new features to your forum like re-worked Awards with direct URL, categories, new layout and new options. Give Away Points to other users with just few clicks. It also ends the mess with the graphics stored in different style folders.

Download it from the first post.

Upgrade Instructions
1. Copy ALL (I mean ALL - That is a common error!) files from upload_via_ftp/ to the server.
2. ReImport product_vbexperience384.xml, allow overwrite
3. If you modified any of the vBExperience templates, revert them
4. Run Maintenance Tools/Recount

Changelog for 3.8.4, BETA 1, 27th July 2009
- There is a new directory called xperience. This is the new place for ALL graphics, including bars, shop items and awards.
- Awards: New Feature for Awards: You can enter a direct URL like "/images/awards/gold1.gif" instead of using the complicated identificator. You can use a small and a big image. Existing Awards are working like before.
- Awards: Change display style for awards on profile: Either included in Experience fieldset or in an extra block below albums
- Awards: Introduced Award Categories for a better grouping if using more awards
- Awards: New Awardlisting. You can choose whether this or the old style legacy blockwise Awardlisting.
- Awards: Logging of all issued awards
- Give Away Points. A new feature to share points with friends. You can choose freely of one of the point category and give away some or even all points.
- CDP: New Plugin for Advanced Forum Points. You can independent set points for several forums
- Ranking: Fixed pagination
- Recount has been moved to an own dedicated page: AdminCP, Experience, Recount
- New About Info with link to Support Thread
- Fixed HTML Validation errors
- Fixed several smaller problems

[gamerfu]

YAHOO! I LOVE THIS MOD! THANKS PHALYNX!

When will there be a configurable shop item that can be bought temporarly, like so many points to download a file?