Achievements 2.0; lights, camera and actions

Posted on Categories BuddyPress, Plugins

In Achievements 2.0, there will be two types of Achievement; badges and events. A badge is awarded by a site admin, whereas an event is awarded automatically when its criteria are met.

When you create an event Achievement, there is a drop-down list of actions to choose from. Currently there are twenty eight core WordPress and core BuddyPress actions integrated. The full list is after the fold, and I’ve love to know if you can think of any that I’ve missed.

Site

  • The user writes a comment on a post or page.
  • The user publishes a post or page.
  • The user trashes a post or page.
  • The user creates a new site.

Groups

  • The user invites someone to join a group.
  • The user joins a group.
  • The user promotes a group member to a moderator or administrator.

Profile

  • The user updates their profile.
  • A new user activates their account.
  • The user changes their profile’s avatar.
  • The user writes a message in their activity stream.

Members

  • The user sends a friendship request to someone.
  • The user accepts a friendship request from someone.
  • The user rejects a friendship request from someone.
  • The user cancels a friendship.
  • The user replies to any item in any activity stream.

Messaging

  • The user deletes a private message.
  • The user sends or replies to a private message.

Groups

  • The user creates a group.
  • The user leaves a group.
  • The user deletes a group.
  • The user creates a new group forum topic.
  • The user replies to a group forum topic.
  • The user deletes a group forum post.
  • The user deletes a group forum topic.
  • The user modifies a group forum post.
  • The user modifies a group forum topic.
  • The user writes a message in a group’s activity stream.
Tagged

Published by Paul Wong-Gibbs

Engineering Director at Indigo Tree, with the responsibility to define and delivery the technical roadmap, product vision, and strategy for scalability. With 12+ years experience as a Senior WordPress Engineer and - more recently - Engineering Director, I've specialised leading WordPress development projects and REST APIs for enterprise clients, such as international banks, newspapers, magazine publishers, charities, and all kinds of SMEs. I have a keen interest in understanding projects holistically, improving processes by how things are built, and helping colleagues achieve success. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-gibbs-wordpress/

78 thoughts on “Achievements 2.0; lights, camera and actions”

  1. Hello, I think one of the more important things to implement are the repetition events.

    I mean, when a user replies 100 private messages, he gets the achievement “Secret Agent”; when an user changes his avatar 10 times, he gets “Chameleon, or, Cunning”; When the user changes his status in his profile, 50 times, he gets “Orator”.

    And Other thing i want to ask is, the badges you have posted, are unique aren’t them? I mean, you don’t get the achievement EVERY time you change your avatar, only once.

    Still offering Spanish and French translations. ^^

    Congrats for the plugin.

    Like

    1. Thanks Hachi
      Don’t worry, what you’ve described is already possible. You can configure an event to need to happen ‘x’ many times before the Achievement is unlocked.

      I’ll send you an email soon, I want to test that the translations are working properly 🙂

      Like

  2. Hey Paul, this sounds really, really good. Would still love to test the hell out of it (have not found your email, but now you have mine).

    Like

  3. Hi Paul,

    I commented on your last update before noticing this one! When is 1.2.6 coming then? Are we waiting for that before the public beta is released?

    Thanks
    Mark

    Like

    1. Hi Mark
      I believe BuddyPress 1.2.6 is targeted to be released by the end of this week; it’s not holding up Achievements’ progress in any way.

      Like

      1. Tremendous. But did you not say that achievements will need 1.2.6 to run? So the plugin still has a bit of time before release? Looking forward to it. Cheers Paul.

        Like

      2. Achievements does need 1.2.6 to run, yes. But as I expect BP 1.2.6 to be out before Achievements, that’s not a problem.

        Like

  4. Hello DJ Paul,

    I’m launching a new community site with my company very soon — later this week — and we’d love to use Achievements 2.0 with it. There’s going to be a strong “Game” aspect to the site so we really feel the badges would add a lot for the users.

    Any chance we can help you out with the beta testing?
    Please contact me via my email address here.
    Best,
    Alex

    Like

  6. Hey Paul,

    I’ve been jonesing to see v2.0 for a while too. However now I have a new beta buddypress site running mulitsite and would love to try it out and help out with testing… that is if you still need testers.

    James

    Like

    1. I sure do! I’ll be in touch either this weekend or next week, want to get some more done before adding more testers. Thanks

      Like

      1. By the way, if you are ever in need of more testers. Contact me, I would be more than happy to fully test the plugin’s abilities.

        Like

        1. Hi James
          I’ll send you an email, hopefully at the end of the weekend or next week once i’ve got a bit more done. Thanks.

          Like

  7. Thanks Paul, installed it and the only two things that don’t work are images and unlocking.

    When you go to the image page it shows the images but there is nothing to click or save it and I set up an event and after doing the sequence it did not result in an achievement.

    I know your still working on it.

    Like

    1. Can we keep bug reports to email for now please? You have probably not uploaded all of the files, or you’ve put the plugin in a directory called “Achievements”; it needs to be “achievements” (no capital).

      Like

  8. Pingback: Community links: Useful graphics edition | WPCandy

  9. Hi Paul,

    Launching a new TV network site on WordPress/BuddyPress and would love to test the new version of the plug-in, if you’re still looking for beta testers.

    Thanks!
    J

    Like

  10. Paul,

    Looks like its coming along, launching a internal system that tracks updates and awards points to employees. Eventually it will be developed into something like this: http://www.bunchball.com/ . So if your looking for an extra beta tester, I would be more than glad to help out.

    Thanks
    Kevin

    Like

  12. Hi Paul. We’re looking to enhance our community points system on our Buddypress install, and can’t wait to try out Achievements 2.0.

    If you are open to beta testing, we’d love to give it a go.

    Like

    1. Hello BJ
      I am very sorry for the slow reply; your comment was filtered as spam accidentally — sorry! I’ll be in contact soon about adding more testers.

      Like

  14. Hi Paul,

    Have you thought about adding awards for:

    – When a user connects their profile to Twitter
    – When a user connects their profile to Facebook
    – When a user shares content to Twitter
    – When a user shares content to Facebook

    Not sure if this would be possible?

    Also, we’ve hired a designer to customise our Achievements badges – hopefully will be fully up and running in a few weeks 😀

    Cheers,
    Ben

    Like

    1. Hi Ben

      If there’s a WordPress/BuddyPress plugin that provides those features then Achievements can support it. Prior to release I intend to add support in the core for the most popular BuddyPress plugins.
      It’s also built so it’s really easy for developers to add their own Achievement types in, too.

      Really cool to hear that you’re using it

      Like

      1. Hi Paul,

        Take a look at Facestream and Tweetstream, two mainstream plugins that allow you to connect your activity stream to Twitter and Facebook.

        Cheers,
        Ben

        Like

  15. I’m launching a site with buddypress and this is the feature I was looking for… Can we test this out? Thanks.

    Like

  16. Hi!
    At first glance, the only thing I think it’s missing it’s favorites.

    Ricardo

    Like

    1. Hi; how do you mean? Email me if you have specific feedback about the alpha. Thanks.

      Like

  17. Hello,

    you did a great plugin. Do you can say when you publish the new version? You can send me the current beta version. I would test it 🙂

    Like

    1. Hi
      it’ll be released by or at the end of September. I may add more testers in a week or so, I’ll be in contact.

      Like

      1. Send me an email whenever, I’ll be available to test out this great plugin and give you detailed feedback on possible problems.

        Like

  18. Hi there.

    I’m on the way to switch from elgg to buddypress. The reason: your uncoming plugin Achievements 2.0!

    I think this will be the most important plugin for buddypress, okay… one of them 🙂

    atm I create some badges, an alpha/beta-version of archiements 2.0 may help me testing …

    — Alex

    Like

    1. Hello Alex, thank you very much for writing.
      I will contact you towards the end of the week with details, I am adding more testers then 🙂

      Like

    1. Hi Gavin
      Not out-of-the-box in version 1. Internally, it’s possible, so you could code it in yourself. The big thing is there mightn’t be a very easy way of editing the UI on the add/edit screens to add an option. I’m currently working on adding a similar option (to specify which Group an Achievement works on) so I’m going to make sure this is possible for a third-party to add onto the first version, and I’ll add it myself to the second release (unless I find myself with lots of spare time!)

      Like

  20. WOW! This will be PERFECT for my BuddyPress travel photoblog at FavTrip.com

    Cannot WAIT for this to be available.

    Like

    1. Glad to hear it, Thomas! Thanks for your comments. End of September is getting closer!

      Like

  21. Could i get a beta test version. I had stopped by your site a month or so back. Today it just popped my to do list, i am looking to put this into a arcade game system with cubepoints. Will appreciate it.

    Like

    1. I’m planning to add more testers 1 or 2 weeks, so I’ll be in contact then. Thank you for getting in contact.

      Like

  22. Wonderful plugin. Is it possible to give action for a category of post? Can u add action to upload photo and video?

    Like

    1. Not per-category post at the moment, but I’ve a big list of actions to add so I’ll try. Do you mean upload video through the WP Media Library or another plugin?

      Thanks for leaving a message Mark 🙂

      Like

      1. if it is possible with plugin (for example Bp Gallery)

        thanks for your quick answer 🙂

        Like

    2. Mark
      Just to update: Post per category achievements won’t be in the first release, though it is possible to add manual support for this with a short piece of code in a theme’s functions.php. I’ll be documenting this and any other snippets upon release.

      Like

  23. Mark and Paul.. there are action available for BP-Gallery from Brajesh his plugin:

    // BP Gallery Upload
    add_action(‘gallery_media_upload_complete’;

    // BP Gallery Upload
    add_action(‘gallery_media_after_delete’;

    Brajesh provided these for another plugin, but could be use for achievements as well

    Like

  24. Hi Paul,
    The plugin is looking great! Is it possible to be in the beta test?

    Appreciate the work you put in to this.
    /Peter

    Like

    1. Hi Peter, thanks.

      I’m aiming to get out a release out at the end of the month. If I add any more testers before then, I’ll email you. Thanks.

      Like

  25. I’m hoping to use your achievements system in an ARG I’m running in November for an Arts and Disability group. It’s the whole reason I’m building the online part of the game with buddypress! Can’t wait to see the new release and all the wonderful things it does.
    -Happily waiting for the end of the month.

    Like

  26. Will there be hooks for this plugin, because I was also hoping users get trophies for voting on X number of polls. WP-Polls plugin.

    Like

    1. Yep, definitely. There will be developer documentation – in most cases it’s about twenty lines of code (and that includes blank lines for spacing!)

      Like

      1. Couldn’t it also work the other way around?

        If Achievements could create rules for specific post types, that would allow this to tie into all kinds of other plugins.

        For instance, I could create an Achievement for someone who creates a Wiki page since it is just a post with a different post type.

        Like

  27. looks great – can’t wait for it to be out.

    my suggestion/question – would it be possible to create custom-made badges that could only be earned by being awarded by an admin, or moderator?

    for example – my website is a gaming community (physical, not online). we host tournaments and i would love to award the winner of a tournament with an achievement that says they won “X” tournament. this would be a condition that is not met online, so it would have to be manually entered, which is fine by me. the question is, does the plugin support this kind of manual add-on?

    i’d love to test if you’re still looking for testers, otherwise i’ll just wait patiently!

    Like

    2. Also, sorry for the late reply — I had a bunch of comments get caught by Akismet accidentally.

      Like

  28. d’oh, I apparently didn’t read everything. you have already answered my question in basically the first line of this post. i do, however, have a follow-up question:

    with the Badges, can admins assign categories? in my above example, badges could be awarded for winning tournament. so i’d like to make a “tournament winner” category, and then create an Event where a member might get achievements for earning 5, or 10 “tournament winner” badges. i’d also like to make a “tournament participant” category, which would go out to all attendees, and then create events based on the number of tournaments they’ve attended.

    would being awarded a badge count as a condition for an event? also would these badge categories be possible?

    Like

    1. You can unlock Achievements for unlocking Achievements, yes. There is not any support for “categories” of Achievements, because that is a presentational concern for your site.

      Rather than having lots of pots of Achievements, so to speak, as in the old version 1 of the plugin, just imagine you’ve got one big pot for all of them. You can still do what you want.

      The only thing not possible (at the moment?) is a sort of meta-Achievement, which would unlock when certain other Achievements have been unlocked.

      Like

  29. Any specific date on release? I can almost smell it. The end of the month is almost here 🙂

    Like

    1. As you might know, Achievements requires BuddyPress 1.2.6. I believe if I release a .zip version of Achievements before BuddyPress 1.2.6 is out, I will get lots of people saying that “it doesn’t work”, because in my experience, users don’t often read the documentation. I am still thinking about if I want to give out the SVN details or do a “release candidate, you’ve been warned” version if BuddyPress 1.2.6 is not released by then.

      I need to talk to the BuddyPress team and find out when 1.2.6 is coming (it looks like it must be pretty soon).

      Other than that, things are on-course. 🙂

      Like

  31. Very Cool!

    Will it be possible to have different levels of an achievement? For example, when a user submits their first post they will earn “post newbie”, at 50 posts they will earn “post master” and at 200 earn “post guru”. Obviously these achievements would be automatically awarded right?

    Thanks, and can’t wait for this to be rolled out!

    Like

    1. Hi Jamie. To do this, you’d need to create, for example, two different Achievements. There isn’t a way to have multiple levels of a single Achievement.

      Like

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