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Hey, how about applying a point or experience system in the forum. Like things you have to do to get points and climb positions in the community. Just an idea that i came up with when looking other Pokemon forums :)
this attempts to apply an objective measure to something that is in actuality very subjective. advancements should not be based upon how many X you've done.
Badges reward people who do good things, and those are earned by doing various things for the site/forum. Get a badge and you'll also have access to Inside Scoop, where some discussions regarding the internal aspects of the site are posted. Contribute well enough and do the right things at the right times and you'll be rewarded appropriately. You can read more about our badge system here.