one main forum + individual forums using the same database

Would it be possible to have one main forum with lots of different topics covered in different forums and other separate forums only showing an individual topic/forum off that main forum. The separate forums acting independently of the main forum yet updating the content obviously. I have lots of different forums on my site all using the same user base but would like one big main forum covering all the interests. The smaller forums can concentrate on the one subject with the main forum being updated from them. Users could also post on the main forum too. Is this possible?

I think it's possible if I understood your task correctly. All forums must use the same database, so all topics, forum titles and messages are stored in it. On separate forums, depending on something, there will be different array for $clForums. I.e. you will have closed forums and do not show them up on the sites it's not necessary. This is something I've recently implemented for Slashgear forums and Phonemag forums.

Excellent. Yes that does sound like the very thing I want to implement. Will make my new main forum a much more central and important forum.

Cheers
Bluesplayer

I must add this approach may work ideally only for small-to-medium forums, where amount of visitors is not that big. Closed forums obviously slow down all SQL requests; so if some day you have 100 visitors per minute, you will need very powerful servers to handle this stuff.

Really like the way you have constructed your websites - slashgear especially. Is Wordpress behind it or are you controlling and designing the whole website? I should really adopt a similar look to my own domains I think.

These sites are run by other people, and I only provided our custom support regarding synchronization with WordPress and this "multi-domains" version. WordPress handles registrations of users and the core site; forums are using its users table to authorize. A regular miniBB feature. But I must say it took some time to tweak newest WordPress :-) It's a nightmare. I am still not sure to publish newest miniBB-2-Wordpress hack.

This system works brilliantly. Only just implemented it and it works a treat. Only problem I have now is that I was showing scrolling rss feeds on various parts of the site. These feeds are all updating off the main forum now instead of the individual forums as before which is to be expected. Just wondering if there is a way to control them. I could always use the news feeds instead though if I can't use the rss anymore.

I think it all is possible... in RSS add-on you may specify certain forums to display as well.

That did it - cheers.