[FREE] Need advice from modders on if this is even possible...

[mweishaa]

I am wondering if SMF can be configured the way I want, and it doesn't seem like it can out of the box.  I have yet to find a mod that can do it, so I am wondering if it is even possible.

What I have been trying to find is forum software that is like Network54. 
It's archaic and simple.  I belong to a group that has been using N54 for 8 years.  But we'd like to get off of their servers because of costs and other reasons.  But we've really grown to love the format.

All of the posts topics are expanded by default, so you see the subject line of every post made without having to click on them.
In the example below, Post 1 has nothing in the body of the post just the subject line, denoted by the * at the end.  Neither of the replies to in (2 and 3) do either for the same reason.  It's kind of an agreed-upon syntax. 
Post 2 has ... which means "more inside" so people know to click on it.  Reply B has more inside, C does not.  Dots are implied if left off.  So you can see a lot of info in just what people put in the subject lines.

Post 1 *
  Reply 2 *
  Reply 3 *

Post A...
  Reply B...
     Reply x
        Reply y
          Reply z
  Reply C *

The other key feature is that it is a rolling forum, with the latest posts at the top.  Most of it frequent it daily, and this format encourages people to participate so things don't roll off the front page.  There is an index at the bottom so you can see older posts if you want.

[margarett]

No, SMF can't work like that...

[Dragooon]

This seems a lot like a hybrid between a nested threaded structure and something like a blog? SMF isn't really suited for that, it's entirely linear and making something new would be far easier than modifying it to suite this. Maybe have a look at forums which support nested/threaded structure

[Kindred]

Nested/threaded  message view went out of style about 10 years ago...
None of the current forum softwares do threaded view, AFAIK