Requirements can change really at any time without notifying any players, so before writing and reviewing an application the requirements should be read through to make sure someone isn't misinforming an applicant and the applicant knows what's expected of them. The more recent requirement updates are now more lenient on word count, forums posts, ect., but although this criteria was made less strict it's best to be active on the forums, Discord, in-game, nonetheless and by exceeding the requirements or doing extra will help you dramatically in the long run and should increase your chances of being accepted.
But no, you do not need 20 forums posts in this point of time. Like I said, although it's not a requirement go above and beyond to increase your chances and impress players giving you feedback and the staff team will definitely take note of your well-deserved extra credit!
Anywho, good luck if you decide to apply in the future and hope this clears things up <3
~Chloe