Achievement unlocked

[CDNSushi]

I've decided to post this into a separate thread because I do see this as being somewhat different than the threads discussing forum titles (or the absence thereof).

One poster has made the comment that titles based on post count are meaningless and would much rather see a point system to achieve the same purpose. At first I thought the idea was ridiculous, but giving it further thought, I realize that it's actually rather brilliant. However, rather than assigning each achievement a point value (as suggested by CameronCat) I would say just having the achievements stand on their own, as giving them certain point values might be a bit arbitrary...

Anyway, based on his post in the other thread, I would like to expound on that a little further, and propose (if not a replacement for titles) at least a fun, game-like diversion forum-dwellers might enjoy having.

Perhaps it's just the gamer in me talking, but many modern video games have a system of "achievements" that you can get in the course of playing the game. World of Warcraft has a really nifty system. Achievements can be anything from killing 15 turkeys in 3 minutes to falling a certain distance without dying... Some achievements come with TITLES. For example, if you explore every zone in the game, you get the title: "<name> the Explorer." Likewise, if you successfully team up with 100 random people over time for pick-up-groups, you earn the title: "<name> the Patient." Mind you, you can only display one title at any given time, so there's a pull-down menu with which you can choose to display the current title you wish to have...

What if XMTS did something like that, where you had a system of "unlockable achievements"? Have LOTS and LOTS of different possible achievements so that no one feels like they are getting short-changed.... And reward SOME achievements (or combination of achievements) with certain titles. Some achievements could also be given clever names.

Then, whether or not achievements are unlocked based on an honour system or whether they require some proof (pix or it didn't happen kinda thing) well, that's up to the admin...

But here are some examples of what might make some interesting achievements:

KILT OWNERSHIP
- Own a tartan kilt
- Own a modern kilt
- Own a tank
- Own 5 kilts (tartan or modern)
- Own 10 kilts
- Own 50+ kilts (earns the title: the Hamish)
- Own kilts in at least 3 different clan tartans (earns the title: the Clansman)
- Own kilts in at least 3 different universal tartans (earns the tilte: the Universal)
- Own a military tartan kilt
- Own a genuine government issue regimental kilt
- Sew your own kilt (earns the title: the Tailor)
- Sew at least 1 modern and 1 tartan kilt (earns the title: Master Tailor)
- Sew at least 10 kilts of any kind (earns the title: Grand Master Tailor)
(etc...) The sky is the limit as to how many achievements you can have...

ACCESSORIES:
- Own at least 5 different styles of kilt pin
- Own at least 3 different sgians dubh
- Own a claymore and know how to use it (earns the title: the Swordsman)
- Own a full mask sporran
- Own at least 5 different kinds of sporran
- Own at least 25 pairs of kilt hose
- etc...

DIY
(cross-ref. some of the "sew a kilt" achievements)
- knit your own kilt hose
- make your own sporran
- make your own sgian dubh
- convert a regular jacket to a kilt jacket
- complete at least 3 different DIY projects (earns the title: the Craftsman)
- etc...

KILT-WEARING
- wear a kilt for a day
- wear a kilt every day for a week
- wear a kilt every day for a month (earns the title: the Unbifurcated)
- wear a kilt every day for 6 months
- wear your kilt to a formal function (like a wedding or funeral)
- wear your kilt on a first date (earns the title: the Ladykiller)
- wear your kilt on a second date (earns the title: the Romantic)
- get married in a kilt
- wear a rubber chicken sporran out in public and post photos to prove it (Earns the title: the Grant)
- etc...

FORUM-BASED
(this would almost be like the post-based title system from before) So rather than repeating the post-count titles achieved, here are some other ideas:
- Welcome at least 50 new people in the Newbie forum (earns the title: the Friendly)
- Post at least 50 different photos (must be posted in different threads, and on different days). (Earns the title: the Shutterbug).
- Start at least 5 threads in the "kilt advice" forum that don't ASK for advice, but rather OFFER it. (Earns the title: the Helpful).
- log into XMTS every day for a month (Earns the title: the Addicted)
- post at least once in every forum (posts must be relevant, non-SPAM, non-garbage, and contribute to the discussions at-hand). (Earns the title: the Dedicated).
- post at least 10 new, original jokes in Craig's Corner. (Must include at least 1 bad pun). (Earns the title: the Red)
- give away a kilt to anyone who may not already have one. (Earns the title: the Generous).
- etc...

FOOD & DRINK
- try haggis at least ones
- make a haggis
- eat neeps & tatties every day for a week
- attend a Burns supper
- organize or put on a Burns supper
- deliver the toast to the haggis at a Burns supper
- etc...

Of course, you could have achievements covering the whole range, including music, Highland Games, travel to Scotland, Scottish history, dancing, learning Gaelic, etc, etc, etc....

The key is to have achievements that are both easy and hard... Have some that are incremental (so that kilt kollectors have something to strive for, perhaps) and some that are extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve... Make it so that anyone can take part, but both kilted newbies AND those who have been involved for years can find lots of new challenges.

BTW, for what it's worth, another forum where I hang out started doing this... It's a video forum (like Youtube) so you get achievements based on watching, posting, reviewing, commenting on videos... It's quite fun.

What does the rabble think?

[Hothir Ethelnor]

Sounds fun. However it seems like an awful lot of workload for the moderators reviewing title requests and researching them...

[Bugbear]

Is this like those experiments they did with the electrical shocks?

* Sorry, that was a stupid joke. Never mind.

[CDNSushi]

Is this like those experiments they did with the electrical shocks?

HUH?

Sounds fun. However it seems like an awful lot of workload for the moderators reviewing title requests and researching them...

Yeah. Very true. And that's where either you have to go with an honour-system method, or designate one person (a mod or demi-mod) who would perform only such a function... Perhaps having a combination system, like where non-title achievements are granted on an honour system but titled achievements must be somehow substantiated. I dunno... It's just an idea for now and I'm wondering what people would think of it.

A good reference article is here: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/ip...r-life-booyah/

You can get a "life achievement" app for your iPhone... I imagine that such a system could only be based on a honour system, as opposed to say, WoW where everything is machine-tracked in-game.

[BroosterB1]

Is this like those experiments they did with the electrical shocks?

* Sorry, that was a stupid joke. Never mind.

No it wasn't Ted, It was rather humorous

[CDNSushi]

No it wasn't Ted, It was rather humorous

Sorry... I guess I didn't get it. But an achievement for longest jones? I like it, horse boy! Keep it up!

[ghostlight]

Perhaps it's a little hypocritical of me to say this after having dived into the reopened subject of post count based titles and my thoughts on them, but...

Exactly how much of Steve's time and money are we as forum members willing to volunteer for the small amount of use we might actually get out of something like this?

I'm not saying that it wouldn't be fun. I'm suggesting that it might not perhaps be the best use of the board owner's resources.

[Bugbear]

Sorry... I guess I didn't get it. ...

Sorry, CDNSushi. For some reason the first thing, in thinking of the Mods doing this, was the Milgram experiment. I have no idea why, either.

I'll leave you alone.

[thescot]

Is this like those experiments they did with the electrical shocks?

* Sorry, that was a stupid joke. Never mind.

Ted, you are very bad. I can't believe you said that.

Can I use it sometime somewhere else?

[BroosterB1]

Fishface, you have entirely too much time on your hands.... If this is how you are going to spend your time outside of graduate studies....... well we will just have to get you back in.... How about a achievement for the longest Jones?