Status updates have become a fairly common thing on the web, and I have seen them work on forums..regarding keeping a small community a little more day-to day active they do an excellent job. Don't know if such a thing will work with whatever software this forum uses, or what conflicts may arouse with some forum themes but I remember seeing it put to good use on IPB forums. Basically like many other sites there's just an option to post a current status, something maybe you could post in some thread but it's minor. "Currently hunting Celesteela!" might be one "feeling ______-about the new ___:" just in little updates as opposed to only posts in threads and blogs. A short character limit and them appearing on the right side in a little seperate bar, perhaps the last five or so.

It's a good thing if you can get it to work..I'm not exactly an expert on the ins and outs of that...I've just witnessed be a good thing in the past.