# Community Forum Setup Guide (From Scratch)

**Complete replicable guide for deploying forums with credits system across RMP properties.**

> Updated: May 16, 2026
> Template: The Crew Lounge (BroadcastBeat)
> Replicable to: AV Beat, BroadcastEngineering, SportsMediaIntel, etc.

## Quick Summary

- **Database**: 4 new tables for credits system (bb.user_credits, totals, badges, monthly)
- **UI**: CreditsDisplay component + CrewLoungeLogo
- **Schema**: Forum categories, user profiles, threads, credits tracking
- **Generation**: 200 personas, 1,500+ posts via Ollama, continuous generation
- **Timeline**: ~2 hours per property

## Database Schema

```sql
bb.user_credits           -- Track earned credits per user/category
bb.user_credits_totals    -- Cache totals for leaderboards
bb.crew_leader_badges     -- 10+ credits = category expert
bb.credits_monthly_snapshot -- Monthly leaderboard snapshots
```

## Setup Phases

1. **Logo** — Create property-specific SVG
2. **Schema** — New credits tables in Supabase
3. **Components** — CreditsDisplay, CrewLoungeLogo React components
4. **Forum Pages** — Update title text (keep code structure)
5. **Categories** — Insert your 35-50 domain-specific categories
6. **Personas** — Generate 150-200 realistic user profiles
7. **Posts** — Generate 1,000-1,500 seed posts via Ollama
8. **Credits** — Award 1 credit per post, calculate badges
9. **Cron** — Set up continuous generation (every 30 min)
10. **Monitoring** — Add to control panel watchdog

## For Other Properties

Copy this guide and customize:

- **Category list** - Use domain-specific categories
- **Logo colors** - Match property branding
- **Persona archetypes** - Specialize for your community
- **Post generation prompt** - Domain vocabulary
- **Target velocity** - Adjust posts/day based on community size

## Files in This Directory

- `FORUM_SETUP_COMPLETE.md` — Full guide
- `FORUM_SETUP_CHECKLIST.md` — Per-property checklist
- Scripts for category/persona generation available