What's the need? I don't know which skin you're using, but on the one I'm using there's a BIG REPLY BUTTON at the top of each post if you want to zip straight to advanced mode, and a QUICK REPLY button below the post for a fast reply.
It ain't rocket science.
I'm referring to the default skin. Considering everyone starts with it, I think it should be a bit more straightforward/ similar to a standard forum skin.
I'm referring to the red version of the default skin. Exactly the same, just a different colour.
Your standard forum skin doesn't show whose post you replied to. Take something like the IPB forums or whatever, the thread is just one big mass. You can't really tell who replied to who.
How about some kind of publicity stunt? Not publicly of course, but online.
Around the time the DIII demo or whatever it was was leaked, I bet the forums got a lot more activity. Zelaron was certaintly in a lot of articles, and it had the DIII whatever it was.