Point System

Fuzz · 06-04-2005, 12:26 PM

I needed to install some sort of point system to run parallel with the new point-system on the main site. I sucessfully managed to do so.

Keep in mind: Although it might seem similar to hacks in the past, this is not a Store System.

Anyways, You can read up more about the point system on the main page after I release an announcement, or you can click on 'more info' on the main page next to how many points you have... You can earn points by viewing threads, making posts, submitting content, referring friends, giving fan art, and much more. There will be monthly contests once we get the ball rolling.

I'm hoping that this will promote more site activity and help build a solid fan-base for everyone. It will be a lot of fun \=() Here is a brief list of the possible point breakdown (might be altered)...

* Walkthroughs - 200 Points
* Reviews (atleast 500 words) - 150 Points
* Fan Artwork - 200 Points
* Media Files (MIDI, etc) - 200 Points
* Game Coverage - 150 Points
* Fan Fiction - 200 Points
* Post a Reply in Forums - 10 Points per Post
* Post a Thread in Forums - 25 Points per Thread
* Viewing Posts - .10 Points Per View
* Refer A Friend To TFF - 500 Points

I have yet to announce any prizes, or contest dates yet, but I promise they will be cool. This is all still in the development state, but atleast I got the point system, to work both on the forums and the main site pages. I will be sure to post more information.

*If for some reason you have nothign showing up next to your 'points' in your postbit or on the main index on TFF, be sure to PM me and I will set your profile to have Points allowed... Most of you should be ready to go though.

LocoColt04 · 06-04-2005, 01:18 PM

Yep, I caught wind of this and was like "whoa, it's coming together already."

I just hope the postbit doesn't get too cluttered, because it's bound to do so if we're not careful. It's really easy to add a million fun little things that can make a three line post still be a screen long. I'm curious to see what kind of stuff Merlin puts in the store. As long as the "change username" option is incredibly expensive (or better yet, not even there), I'm fine with whatever. I just think it's a bitch trying to keep up with the people who change their names every week. I mean... what's the point? So that no one ever knows who the hell you are? I can't find the appeal in it.

edit:
Heh, I have 12 referrals. It's a shame the points system doesn't go back to all your previous actions, eh? That's an easy 6000 points there. I actually have 14 referrals, but two of the users were deleted.

Also, honestly, I think ten points per post may be a bit high. Perhaps five instead?

SOLDIER #819 · 06-04-2005, 04:46 PM

Honestly, judging by the scale he's using, it isn't totally out of the question to have 10 points for a singular post. He'd just have to increase all the other items slightly, including the "View Thread - .10 points" one, since that's just horribly miniscule. Now, if you were to make everything a bit smaller...

--

* Walkthroughs - 50 Points
* Reviews (atleast 500 words) - 25 Points
* Fan Artwork - 25 Points
* Media Files (MIDI, etc) - 10 Points
* Game Coverage - 25 Points
* Fan Fiction - 50 Points
* Post a Reply in Forums - 1 Point per Post
* Post a Thread in Forums - 3 Points per Thread
* Viewing Posts - .05 Points per View
* Refer A Friend To TFF - 75 Points

--

Something like that. I'd actually prefer it if the values were smaller, so that way we don't have inflated item values (upwards into the tens and hundreds of thousands). I suppose it's all the same if you like big numbers, though.

Merlin · 06-04-2005, 07:18 PM

Viewing thread is stupid. That encourages people to lurk and never post, which discourages activity. That should be canned immediately, IMHO.

Fuzz · 06-04-2005, 08:28 PM

The points have NOTHING to do with the store... I just installed the store because it came with the points hack I needed to install. GIL is what we will use for the store, if we decide to bring it back.

The points will be earned to win prizes and contests, as I mentioned. If you read the 'more info' on the main page, I say that you can win advertising on tff, cash, free hosting, FF games, and more. I'm willing to pay out of my pocket, really \=()

The whole point of POINTS is to encourage activity through-out the entire site. If users would rather earn points by posting or hanging in the forums, they can, or they can refer people or submit content.

Loco - as you mentioned about the postbit, I just replaced gil with the points, I too dont like cluttered postbits. The points may confuse people b/c they are so used to GIL being there that they may think it has something to do with JUST the forums, which is not the case.

S - I tried my best to keep the values at a equal level, but I may shrink 'em down a little bit, like you have listed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merlin

I recommend finding some other use for points, because in the end.. the stores suck. That's why I went to all the effort to go through the database table-by-table to remove that crap. But hey, its not like anyone takes my advice or appreciates the reasoning behind what I do. It feels like I'm wasting my time.

It seems like you guys thought these new points are for a store, which they completely ARE NOT. NO store is in the picture whats-so-ever. If Merlin decides to add one, users will spend GIL not points to purchase items. haha, I guess I wasn't clear enough on my first post. This is really going to be a nice addition, trust me. The use of the points are for ACTUAL physical prizes through the MAIN site.

Anyways, I hope I made my self a little more clear that this is NOT A STORE AFFILIATED POINT SYSTEM!! haha. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns, but I really think this is going to help TFF in the long-run.

LocoColt04 · 06-04-2005, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzz

It seems like you guys thought these new points are for a store, which they completely ARE NOT. NO store is in the picture whats-so-ever. If Merlin decides to add one, users will spend GIL not points to purchase items. haha, I guess I wasn't clear enough on my first post. This is really going to be a nice addition, trust me. The use of the points are for ACTUAL physical prizes through the MAIN site.

In other words, this is just another way to promote interactivity between the forums and the website, yes?

I assume you'll eventually come up with more things to spend points on than the small list you've got there, though advertising on TFF should appeal to quite a few people -- I know we've got a good number with websites of their own hanging around here.

06-05-2005, 12:02 PM

I personaly like the hack. I think its a good way to progress activity on the forums. Also I'm liking the prize thing too. Expesually the prize system

Even I though I don't have any athority in this I want to say something. If everyone would communicated in the first place this whole arguing wouldn't happen. But thats just my thought.

WTG Fuzz on the point system though. *holds two thumbs up*

ToroMor · 06-05-2005, 12:44 PM

My pointless opinion of the point system: YAY for prices, BOO for gaining points with views, this would soon lead to bots. What I like is the idea of gaining points for replies of others on self created threads. And spam threats like in word gaming should be generally excluded.

Rinoa.Heartilly · 06-05-2005, 05:23 PM

I like it. As long as we don't like have major RPG hack or something that slows that shit out of everything. Look what happened to the forums that had them...DOWN! Anyway you don't gain any significant amount of points viewing the thread so I don't see the problem. You have to view 20 pages in order to get 1 point. And just the fact when the points were there, we had more activity. I mean remember the last points hack you had? It brought in lots of members. When you took it off the membership went down. And its summer now people are now going to browse the forums even more because they are bored and its going to stay elevated because of the coming of FFXII in the Fall(if Square doesn't move it...AGAIN!!!). So basically its a yay for the points system.

LocoColt04 · 06-05-2005, 05:51 PM

Actually, I noticed something with the "thread views" portion of it. It's not every time you look at a thread; rather, it's every time someone looks at a thread you posted. I noticed that in the Highbridge when I refreshed a page a couple of times. Alisyn has absolutely zero internet access at the moment, and in those two refreshes, she got .2 points. Yeah, so that's how that one works.

Merlin · 06-05-2005, 05:55 PM

Haha. You should change your usertitle to "TFF QA Expert" or something... because you're always so helpful with finding out what hacks "really" do compared to what they advertise. ^_^

EDIT: On a side-note.. I just got another 100 emails today. This "glorious" hack is causing DB errors constantly. You might not see them, but they are going on. Ugh...

Neo Necron · 06-06-2005, 02:09 AM

Be aware that some people may make up accounts and effectively refer themselves to TFF, earning themselves 500 points each time... or however many points you finally agree on.

This will be easy to detect if users have same or similar IP addresses, but harder to detect if people go and use college or work computers etc to make their fake accounts.

You may have even thought of this possibility... I just thought i'd bring it up

Infact, I'm so lazy I probably missed it if it's already been mentioned... oh well.