I'm 10 years phpbb user since version 2 in 2002 until now 2012 I have installed and modified a lot in phpbb using my own experience and a lots of feedback from my forum users, long story short I want to look for a new phpbb that is not a place where we see features in other spots then add it to one place, what it as to be is an original creation into the world of forums, something is not "similar" to another forums or that you can get in another forums, as a front user I would say phpbb4 has to be less bold user, more social, more interactive, easier to modified spicily with MODs
on the other hand going into more social friendly forums from the current academic one is a require not for me as a user but for it to challenge other builds, as you know social networks as facebook and twitter are invading users all over the planet, I'm not saying phpbb should be like FB or TW but to have a unique social fun and solid experience.
What I have in mind is like this:
1- More into personal belonging like personal posing space not linked with the forums, lets say show your own topics with your own forums that you have posted, its different in presentation from link shown in your own panel.
2- More into social interaction with other users who are posting, some suggests "thank you" system or points system something similar to "like" and "+1", I have seen recently a new forum system not free one who implies a lot of facebook features, i can say its nice but why do i have to use it if I have facebook? what I want to say we need to have something others doesn't have, a reward system not with numbers It can be with colors, shapes,still not sure how to describe it yet,
3- I have seen plans for easier use with AJAX and JQuery, I would like to add that the way forums is presented should be different for example magazine view of the forums with 2 columns next to each other, even user customize how to sorting out the forums of what they prefer with simple drag and drop, more into menus than small links, less reading more small popup visual if you got a message or new reply you have a notification insistently not to wait until page is refreshed which means less page reload and more info in one spot that makes you interactive with the forums as your using a live system, not a system that make you feel that it needs CPR
4-MODs which should be like plugins system than MODs, I know plugins can be less secure and less featured still its better than going through 10 MODs then when you want to update you have to edit 20-40 files all over every now and then which makes you lose interest in updating your site (maybe this will be less required if phpbb4 have more features included most used MODs).
5- features that gives admins/moderators less hard work control on the forums from splitting/merging to "mark & hide" a post for preview without deleting it, link 2 forums with each other, prefix subjects for topics and posts, link users inside the forums, live preview of other posts links such as news and so on...etc
the list goes long but I was just thinking of these while I was trying to see how can phpbb more interesting to use.
thank you for hard work
best regards.
