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

[gamerfu]

besides the 'X' points to buy temporary download items in shop suggestion. *tries to be funny*

could you add 'X' points to play 'X' cedit(s) in the ibproArcade?

i understand ibpArcade is not your mod, but would you consider?

[SEW810]

LDMadd on doesn't work (vbexperience 3.8.3 nor vb exp 3.8.4 XX)

User always got 0 points if they download something. Only uploads counts.

[gamerfu]

Originally Posted by SEW810

LDMadd on doesn't work (vbexperience 3.8.3 nor vb exp 3.8.4 XX)

User always got 0 points if they download something. Only uploads counts.

Are you using another modification that works with vBExperience... like Downloads II or something else?

Could you give more details on how this occurs?

[TimberFloorAu]

Is there a way to fix the alignment issue we are experiencing in the shop area ?

[SEW810]

Originally Posted by gamerfu

Are you using another modification that works with vBExperience... like Downloads II or something else?

Could you give more details on how this occurs?

Nope, I'm just using LDM.
I have installed Vbseo,is vbseo causing troubles?

Thanx for your help pal

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by cooltechie

I did a recount and the new member that joined today with the post count of 3 won "average post per day" award. I feel this is unfair to regular long time members but the award is good calculation.

This is a known problem of that award. I don't have a solution right now.

Originally Posted by cooltechie

When I create a new award for helpful answers and only select that addon from the list, it does not pick the correct person compared to the helpful answers report. I'm assuming vbexperience add other points into the calculation?

How many awards a user can have in your system? Can it be that the person who should get it, has already an award and the awards are limited to 1 award / person?

Originally Posted by cooltechie

Is there inactivity calculation so that points/experience get subtracted each day/week or to move them to lower group/demotion?

There is a mod called RadioActivity, which is doing what you need.

Originally Posted by cooltechie

Is there a way to enable/disable viewing of each listing (Ranking, Group Ranking, Awards, Activities, Earn Points, Statistics) by group? For example, only showing ranking and statistics to members and the rest only for administrator/mods.

Will be implemented in 3.8.5

Originally Posted by gigaenvy

How do award medals work now since you have bronze, silver, and silver 1, 2, 3? Are these level ups or just icons to use how we want?

I'm referring to a basic example of the Activity award, but other awards are similar.

1. award_star_activity_16 (gold?)
2. award_star_activity1_16 (this one is gold, but looks the same as above)
3. award_medal_activity_bronze_16
4. award_medal_activity_silver_16

Are these automatically assigned when "leveling" to the next echelon? There is no mention on how to use these other than as images alone with no integration for automatic leveling. I think I missed something in the docs if it's posted already.

Thank you

You will need to create three awards and name them xx gold, xx silver and xx bronze. Select the query position for gold the 0, silver 1 and bronze the 2. Generate awards and the awards are assigned in the right position.
There is no automatic assignment regarding leveling.

Originally Posted by Secret Warez

I left the template of the original way.
http://img39.imageshack.us/i/15607487.jpg/

Could you tell me how you create an inventory like this image?
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7090/21843173.jpg

You need to wrap another template around it. Will implement such a thing for the next version.

Originally Posted by Alfa1

On large boards where reputation is used a lot, there are always a few members with a very high post count, but strictly negative reputation ratings.

Is there a way to give the user with the highest post count that does not have any positive reputation ratings an award for this?

Would be nice to have. This would alert other members to start rating the member his/her post.

Currently you cannot use awards for negative or low points.

Originally Posted by ben_commsc

Awesome addon, it's been great on our forum. Kudos.

We're having an issue where the entire shop transaction log shows for users that shouldn't see it, including logged out members. This happens both in the shop and on their Activity tab, and is labeled with phrases like "You purchased/received {1} item(s). Click <a href="{2}">here</a> for a listing." It happens randomly - definitely for anonymous users, and then some logged in users. From looking at the product xml it looks like $ownitems[cnt_items] is being counted incorrectly.

I've also been able to confirm this on 3.8.3 and earlier versions. Googling common English phrases from vBExperience will find other boards' shops, and from there you can see the bug in action.

Here are two screenshots of it. The profile one is from a user named Alex, who has never purchased anything. The shop one is from a logged out user (shown with altered phrase).

Profile: http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6365/activities.png
Shop: http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6602/shopm.png

I can confirm this bug. Will be fixed in next version.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by gamerfu

besides the 'X' points to buy temporary download items in shop suggestion. *tries to be funny*

could you add 'X' points to play 'X' cedit(s) in the ibproArcade?

i understand ibpArcade is not your mod, but would you consider?

I don't think this will happen, as I'm not using this mod. It must be be created by the author of any Arcade modification to implement reducing points of vBExperience, f.e. via Custom Points.

Originally Posted by SEW810

LDMadd on doesn't work (vbexperience 3.8.3 nor vb exp 3.8.4 XX)

User always got 0 points if they download something. Only uploads counts.

Downloads are NOT part of the modification, it really just counts uploads and views of it.

Originally Posted by TimberFloorAu

Is there a way to fix the alignment issue we are experiencing in the shop area ?

Are you using modified templates? Please revert vBExperience templates.

Originally Posted by SEW810

I have installed Vbseo,is vbseo causing troubles?

Thanx for your help pal

No, there are no problems with vBSEO.

[TimberFloorAu]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

I don't think this will happen, as I'm not using this mod. It must be be created by the author of any Arcade modification to implement reducing points of vBExperience, f.e. via Custom Points.


Downloads are NOT part of the modification, it really just counts uploads and views of it.


Are you using modified templates? Please revert vBExperience templates.


No, there are no problems with vBSEO.

Ok thanks. will report back

From what I can see we have no modified vbexp templates.. any suggestions?

Should i be searching for something a little more specific, appreciate your time Marius

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by TimberFloorAu

Ok thanks. will report back

From what I can see we have no modified vbexp templates.. any suggestions?

Should i be searching for something a little more specific, appreciate your time Marius

Please check for the template "xperience_shop", espacially this part of it:

<if condition="$categories">
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
	<td class="thead" width="100%" colspan="2">$vbphrase[xperience_shop_categories]</td>
</tr>
$categories
</table>
</if>

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by cooltechie

I did a recount and the new member that joined today with the post count of 3 won "average post per day" award. I feel this is unfair to regular long time members but the award is good calculation.

I've found a solution: The AVG PPD is beeing calculated only for people that are at least 7 days registered. Fixed in final version.