Shop Guide and FAQ

[G]

Guys, I'm so freaking excited! A brand new feature is finally ready to unveil - and omigosh, is it a fun one! But, since it's taken me so damn long to figure out all the ins and outs of it, I thought I'd better put together a bit of a guide on how to use it!

So, without further ado - here's your one stop... shop... to THE SHOP! The shop, what shop? I hear you say - well, read on and find out!





What is the shop? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3012837&viewfull=1#post3012837)
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How do I earn points? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3012838&viewfull=1#post3012838)
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How do I buy items? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3012840&viewfull=1#post3012840)
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I bought the wrong thing?! How do I get my points back? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3012843&viewfull=1#post3012843)
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Can I buy things for other members? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3012843&viewfull=1#post3012843)
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What kind of items can I get? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3014712&viewfull=1#post3014712)
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How do I use items? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3014860&viewfull=1#post3014860)
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How do I get rid of an item once I've applied it? (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539&p=3014862&viewfull=1#post3014862)

[G]

What is the shop?


The shop is a brand new feature to RPA, where you can 'purchase' items to pretty up your thread
and sidebar and help your threads and posts stand out from the crowd!

Items are purchased with activity points, not real money! So anyone has the ability to earn points, and trade them for items at the shop. Some items are temporary, and some are single use - more explanation of the different items available and how to earn points can be found below.

To access the shop, simply click the 'quick links' menu, and choose 'vbshop' from the drop down menu (or click here! (https://role-player.net/forum/vbshop.php))

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So how do I earn points?



As I said above, the shop does NOT use real money. Instead, items can be bought with activity points - these are earned by creating threads, posting on the forums, rating threads, referring new members and so on. Posting in some sections earns you more points than others - IC posts are worth the most points, then OOC posts, and other RP related sections, and forum games / other discussions the least (though posting there is still a great way to earn points!)

To view your activity points, just click the 'RPActivity' tab OR click the quick links menu and choose 'vbactivity' from the drop down menu OR click here! (https://role-player.net/forum/vbactivity.php) This will take you to the main activity page, where you can choose to view overall totals, leaderboards and trophies (who has the most points for a certain criteria) on the left hand side. You can also view your own points, what you've earned them for and any trophies you currently or have previously held by visiting your profile page and clicking the activity tab.

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How do I buy items?


The shop page is fairly straightforward to navigate. On the left, your current point total is displayed under 'your wallet.' Below this, you will see two options - 'shop,' which displays all items currently for sale and 'inventory,' which will list all the items you currently own.

On the shop page, you will find the items split into categories. Simply click the tab of the category you'd like to browse and the items will be displayed below.

To buy items, click 'purchase' beneath the item you'd like and it will be added to your shopping cart, which can be found on the right side of the page. To purchase multiple of the same item, simply click 'purchase' again until you have the desired number in your cart.

When you are ready to check out, click 'view cart / checkout' below your cart. This will take you to a new page where you can review and confirm your purchase.

Some items require configuration before they are activated - details on how to configure items can be found below.

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I accidentally bought the wrong thing! Can I get my points back?


If you accidentally purchase something you don't want, don't fret! Items are able to be sold back to the shop for full purchase price for ONE HOUR after they are sold. After that, the sale is final! The exception to this is the testing items - these are not able to be sold back to the shop.



Can I buy items for other members?


Aww, that's so sweet of you! Yes, you certainly may! To gift an item, simply purchase it as usual, visit your inventory (by clicking 'inventory' on the left hand side of the shop page) and click 'gift' next to the item you'd like to give away. Type the username of the person you'd like to send it to in the box provided. There's also a space to write a note if you'd like. The recipient will be sent a PM to let them know you've given them a gift. PLEASE NOTE: there is a check box on this page that says 'send item without configuration - you MUST check this box or the person you've sent it to will not be able to use their item!!!

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So what kind of items can I get?



The items are split into three categories: thread stickies, thread decor, and postbit decor.

Thread stickies are temporary stickies that you can use to stick your thread to the top of its forum! Please note the time limit for stickies starts from when you BUY the item, NOT when it is applied to your thread, so wait until you're ready to use it before you buy it! There is a limit on the number of stickies that will be sold each week. If they're sold out, don't fret! They will be restocked each week. :)

Thread Decor is items you can use to decorate your threads! Change the colour and appearance of the title, or the colour of the thread itself in the forum listing. Below are some examples:



https://i.imgur.com/9HbvkqG.png
https://i.imgur.com/Bt8rqrB.png

https://i.imgur.com/d4shj2u.png
https://i.imgur.com/JMoWnPb.png


Postbit Decor includes items that can change the colour of your postbit and the style of your user title, as well as a one off title change, for those who haven't made it to 10,000 posts yet! Below are some examples:


https://i.imgur.com/IupGBs8.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/jZsABjE.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/LM3PID6.png

https://i.imgur.com/ks8CPvH.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/MbxZZ4R.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/PmGhQ8d.png


All decor items are permanent (until you choose to remove them) but may only be configured ONCE. This means once you choose the colour and style you'd like, you will NOT be able to change it! (Unless you buy another decor item of course!) If you're not sure how you'd like to style something, there are also 'testing' items available, which will allow you to temporarily redecorate your threads and postbit as many different ways as you like. These wear off after 24 hours.

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Okay, I've bought the item I want! Now how do I use it?


Once you've bought your item, you need to configure it for it to work. To do so, just navigate to your inventory page ('Quick Links ' menu, then 'VBshop' to get to the shop page, then click 'inventory' on the left hand side.) and all the items you own will be listed. Click 'configure' next to the item you'd like to set up!

There will be a few different options available here, depending on what the item is. For thread decor or sticky threads, you'll need to input the thread id. To find this, just go to the thread you'd like to apply the item to and look at the url - the thread id is the group of numbers at the end. For example, this threads' url is https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92539, so the thread id is 92539.

Some decor items require you to choose colours - all shop items use hex colour codes to work! This website (https://htmlcolorcodes.com/) has a huge collection of colours, and the hex codes that go with them, or you can use google to find your own.

Some decor items will also give you the option to add glow, shadow or italic effects. Just click the checkbox next to the effects you'd like, as well as the colour you'd like them to be.

Once you've finished, just click 'save' and the item will be activated. Please remember that once you have configured an item, you cannot reconfigure it so make sure you've used the settings you want before you save! If you're unsure how you'd like to set something up, that's what the tester items are for! They will allow you to reconfigure them as many times as you like, and wear off after 24 hours.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE items can ONLY by applied to threads you created! If you'd like to use an item on someone else's thread you need to send it as a gift to that person!

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How do I get rid of an item once I've applied it?


If you decide you no longer want an item, simply navigate to your inventory and click 'discard' next to the item you'd like to remove.



I have a question that hasn't been answered above!


No problem! Just post it below and I'll be happy to help you out! :)

[John]

Is that t just me or are a large portion of the items way too expensive? 10000 for a post bit colour? Why so much?

[Griff]

This doesn’t use real money so I’m 100% cool with it :) nice feature

[G]

Is that t just me or are a large portion of the items way too expensive? 10000 for a post bit colour? Why so much?

To be 100% transparent, the shop feature is a tool to encpurage activity, as well as being a fun feature for everyone! If items are too cheap it fails to promote activity - there are already quite a few members above, or close to 10 000 points!

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

thank you for this guide, it's super helpful!

[bluemoon]

Is it possible to purchase the edgy black postbit highlight like that which was gifted in the Advent Calendar thread?

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

bluemoon; Yes! However, that is one of the items that costs about 10,000 activity points! So save up! (I know I am!)

[bluemoon]

I have the points, just wondering how to go about it. I saw there was a 'postbit highlight' section to purchase, just not sure what to enter to get the right look.

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

I think once you purchase it, you can set the specifications in the "customize" menu

[bluemoon]

Thank you! I will give it a go. :D


Edit--interesting...I put in edgy black and got edgy red...

Edit #2--I sold it back...perhaps I need to wait for the bugs to work themselves out first. :D

[G]

What do you mean you got red, bluemoon;?? You should be able to specify which colour you'd like using hex codes as outlined above. For the advent gift I used basic black which is #000000 :)

[DannyPhantom]

So, sorry if this has been mentioned or asked already, but do our blog posts earn us points as well to the items in the shop? Or it is just what we post in threads and when we start threads? I am a little confused on that.

Thanks for the new feature, by the way.:]

[bluemoon]

G: Ahh...well that explains it! I did not use hex codes. I simply typed in 'edgyblack' and was given edgy red. Lol. I'm like the impatient child that 'forgets' to read through all the instructions.

Thanks for the clarification G!

[G]

So, sorry if this has been mentioned or asked already, but do our blog posts earn us points as well to the items in the shop? Or it is just what we post in threads and when we start threads? I am a little confused on that.

Thanks for the new feature, by the way.:]

Threads, posts, activity in blogs and social groups, rating threads, tagging and referring members - all kinds of activity earn you points! (Check out this page (https://role-player.net/forum/vbactivity.php?do=leaderboards) for a breakdown of who has the most points in differenr categories, you can see the different things you get points for there.) Of course, IC posts earn you more points because of the effort put in to them, and because roleplaying is the sites main focus, but they are far from the only way to earn points. :)

- - - Updated - - -


G: Ahh...well that explains it! I did not use hex codes. I simply typed in 'edgyblack' and was given edgy red. Lol. I'm like the impatient child that 'forgets' to read through all the instructions.

Thanks for the clarification G!

XD Glad you got it figured out! I'm surprised 'edgyblack' worked as a colour XD XD XD

[DannyPhantom]

Okay. Thanks for clearing up my confusion, G. I thought so, but I wasn't sure. That's why I asked.