I think anything to encourage posting is ideal for Mene to consider. The shops idea I'm sort of iffy about, unless there was an easy way (and it was announced in advance) to just make one whole shop discounted. Like, a 20% off sale in the shoe shop one (preferably entire 5- or 7-day) week, then 2-4 weeks later, a sale for everything in the belt shop, etc.

That may be more manageable and make the most sense for the user base, instead of arbitrary color sales. Those sound a little weird. This may also be infinitely more practical within the existing shop structure.

It'd be nice to have this laid out in advance, and scheduled around event schedules, obviously, so that way there isn't overlap with event commons and/or unfairly a commons sale during one event and not the other, etc.

But, otherwise, is there something else we can do that's more innovative around posting specifically? Would double gold make the most sense? There does seem to be a correlation between very frequent posters and low post quality (as in, the more active a user, the less their post seems to move a conversation forward or compel people to stay and chat...). So, quantity vs. quality is always an issue to consider in engaging users on a digital platform (I've worked in this field for years, actually, and know for a fact that this is true when compelling people to engage; lurkers are the default in every community, but the relevance of content and its actual quality is always going to attract more people).

So... I dunno. But I'm all for these ideas! It'd certainly incentivize more momentum, I'd hope, between events, and have less sharp declines in posting and slow lulls in activity.

Even once the Marketplace and trades are back in tip-top shape, activity week-to-week on Mene is an issue worthy of being tackled.