The challenge thread is a great idea and should be implemented at any time you guys feel like it.

For leveling up your characters, my main problem with that is you're stuck with one version of your character so even if you come up with fresh new ideas you're really excited about you can't do anything about it until you get a predetermined level of experience points (this happened before to me and lost interest). I might have a character I want to fight with high tier sometimes and low tier others by adjusting their capabilities, but this way I'd have to start low and end high. I'm fine if this leveling up is for one specific thread, which I may or may not participate as much in as other threads.