Regardless of the amount of time you spend on the forum and how many posts you make, as long as you are not a quality poster you will not get a higher rank. I know that you have the ability to make good and quality posts, that's why you got 177 merit so far.

rby, you are getting closer to Hero rank, you just need to try harder and be consistent with the quality of your posts. Sometimes we need more time to achieve something we want than other users, but allow yourself to be more patient and do better. +2 from me for keeping you motivated.