Matt_Black

<p>I started a new TCW game last night, modifying the product slightly to be pop = performance, and for the first time ever, I won the national battle in the first month. Admittedly, yes I did hire Khoklov and Peter Michaels.</p><p> </p><p> The only thing I did that was majorly different was, when adding a Saturday Night Showcase as the second A show, I decided to not go to a huge network. "The Pop Network is small, so let's baby steps here and go to one with medium coverage."</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="DatIsraeliGuy" data-cite="DatIsraeliGuy" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41191" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><img alt="WXNzWhb.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/WXNzWhb.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> His first WWE match (CPU Controlled) and he beats the figurehead on live TV.</p><p> </p><p> Damn</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Kevin Federline went over John Cena on live TV, so this isn't a huge surprise.</p>

They can also do house shows, they have a commercial deal and a PPV deal, and they're large enough and popular enough to add a second show.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Poet Justice" data-cite="Poet Justice" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41303" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>SWF's biggest competition isn't USPW or TCW, it's SOTBPW. It's a really one-sided ordeal too, with their ability to poach almost all of your top stars while theirs are basically untouchable unless you're international or you are the owner and overpay their guys.<p> </p><p> TCW is honestly more of a service for SWF than anything. They build up good in-ring workers for you to poach. USPW's usually self-destructs with its bad booking. But SOTBPW books highly rated matches, re-signs almost all of its talent without resistance and poaches half of the biggest stars in the US and basically anyone notable in OLLIE, EMLL and CILL. </p><p> </p><p> I found the only way to deal with them are through national battles. If you add on guys like Marat and Rocky and retain Bruce and Remo, you should have enough to beat them handily, and push them to cult. Also, building young stars that can't work in Mexico is really handy in not having to worry about SOTBPW.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Another idea- start a working agreement with OLLIE and feed them money and over superstars, maybe get them so they're a credible threat to SOTBPW.</p>

For someone who is relatively new to the Cornellverse, what's the difference between the All Action title and the Cruiserweight title?

<p>I also have gotten back into SWF. My biggest problem is roster bloat, with all the RIPW talent that wants to come up. As such, I don't aggressively negotiate with some of the roster. Squeaky McClean, Frederique, and the Pain Alliance all signed with other companies, because I will NOT get into a big bidding war for a guy named Squeaky McClean. Also, let Skull DeBones walk when his contract was up. Time Decline and a guy who can only wrestle events? Pass.</p><p> </p><p> Anyway, we're in August 2016, I've got my own network with Big coverage across the U.S. for Uprising (B show) and RIPW and the New Babes of Sin City. Speaking of, I'm about to start the SWF Women's division. Poached Brooke Tyler and Lora Washington from their companies and signed J-Ro, Brazzle, Wade, Blake, Ammis, and one other babyface (maybe Jaime Quine? Can't remember.)</p>

For your first big show for a small company, that's not a bad score at all. I usually try to set things up as Car Crash/ Steal The Show/ High Spots (one of those, not all 3 in succession), followed by Comedy, then the Main Event (which, if you've already got a match with Storytelling, go with Spectacle if it's going to be 16+ minutes and it features guys with Good Psychology). Don't even try for Comedy matches with CWA or Vertigo. Of the guys you have on the roster, these are the ones you should be using for Comedy matches- Pink Spider, Shaolin, Dastardly, Man O' War, Stoppard, Halloween Knight, Cyanide, Devilfish, and possibly Pumpkin Jack (he might not have as good a Comedy score at the beginning, can't remember off-hand). Snark is going to get to that point eventually too.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="HiPlus" data-cite="HiPlus" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That is a great comparison of the two guys. Crazy Train is never going to be your Main Event guy, hell not even your Upper Tier guys. In a comedy style promotion he can help fill the need to comedy matches. It is good to see in this case it has resulted in a championship run</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Regarding "Upper Tier", he was actually Upper Midcard. (I'm going to have to abandon that; signed that PPV deal and began hemorrhaging money).</p><p> </p><p> See, Crazy Train is kind of perfect for ZEN.</p><p> </p><p> 1) Since he was on RAW, he's got exposure that a lot of other guys you might look to hire don't have. So, provided you're at Small or even Regional, he'll debut at Midcard status.</p><p> 2) His pop is good enough to ensure that his good-but-not-great angle skills don't cause him to get overshadowed by other people he's in angles with. Speaking of those guys he'll probably be in angles with...</p><p> 3) Let's take a look at some other guys on the roster who are good in Comedy matches- Damian Dastardly. Halloween Knight. Devilfish. Cyanide. Pumpkin Jack. Shaolin. Pink Spider. These are all guys who are at the top of the card or close to it, and they're all solid hands in the ring to boot. So, when you're continuously in matches with guys who are both very popular and skilled enough to cover up your flaws while you're in a match that highlights your strengths, you're going to do pretty well.</p>

Not much decision to it, really. Man O' War had the title, but had ascended to Main Event. He is in the feud with Pink Spider, Kalliope, and Trevor, current tag champs. So, Comedy match fatal four-way with War, Pink, Train, and Dazzler. Train's in it because with his stamina, he can't go very long, but with Comedy matches they don't need to go very long. The idea was that War and Pink are so caught up in their feud they're not available to break up the pin. Since Dazzler had already been Conceptual champ, I decided to give it to Crazy Train.

<p>Annnd CWA turned back into a negative influence thanks to a botched move from Woodchuck. BUT his contract just came up again (had the foresight to only renew for 3 months) so he's taking a walk, and I will most likely float an offer to Artemis Eyre-Rochester, who was cut from RAW some months prior and has not been picked up by anybody yet.</p><p> </p><p> NOTBPW dropped to Cult, so floated them an offer of a Working Agreement, which they accepted. Wanted to get some talented ladies available to work in Australia, with Sally Anne Christianson being the first, as her NOTBPW contract expires first, and there's a good chance they'll let her walk. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to their schedule, and their TV show is on the same night as my TV show, and their monthly events are on the same as my "main" monthly events. So, I added a temporary new weekly event- ZEN: Way Of Avoiding Scheduling Conflicts! Also had to shill out a good chunk of change, as they didn't seem to want ANY of my workers, even if I threw in some cash to sweeten the deal. And I was offering our "ring generals", too. It's not like I was trying to foist Crazy Train on them.</p><p> </p><p> And it seems there's a definite cap on raising pop via internet, as we've stayed at 5 for a bit worldwide; I thought we had gotten 6 before growing to Regional, but I may be mistaken. I'll give it another week or two to be sure before switching back to DVD.</p>

<p>Hit Regional, so made a deal with Australia Options for events and our new 90 minute weekly show, Way Of The TV Star!; On Demand, unfortunately, but I set it for 3 months, so we might be able to renegotiate a better time slot in June.</p><p> </p><p> Despite Vertigo going from "Very Negative" to "Negative" I let him walk with Bruce Strange when his contract came up. Might rehire the former when my stats in dealing with incidents improve. CWA got to neutral status, so he gets a stay of execution. Man O' War somehow became a negative influence, which is unfortunate, because he's a solid hand and has good chemistry with Kalliope Woodchuck, who needed a partner for her feud with Spider and Feather. Well, he's got 6 months on his contract to straighten up, as there are plenty of unemployed babyfaces on the Australian scene.</p><p> </p><p> Pumpkin Jack is ZEN Master, Crazy Train is ZEN Conceptual Champion (yeah, I know, right?), and Pinkie And The Vane holding the ZEN Harmony straps.</p><p> </p><p> Additions to the roster this time around include the aforementioned Train, the APP, the Horror Show, Dazzler, Black Flash, and White Wasp, with Owen Oldacre brought on as a second road agent, as we needed a locker room leader.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="HiPlus" data-cite="HiPlus" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> So I am curious what your plans are for Pumpkin? Also has Damian jumped straight to the top of the card.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Currently, Damian is at Upper Midcard still with the new playthrough, but we just entered February. It's not a question of IF, but when. As for PJ, I'll let the feud with Knight play out a bit more.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Also that is interesting re the Internet bump. Definitely something useful even with small returns.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Admittedly, that's after 3 or 4 months with 2 shows a week and a 2nd monthly event.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="HiPlus" data-cite="HiPlus" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yeah Matt Stoppard is decent enough, but definitely out done by his partner. I really like CWA, I just wish he was better. </div></blockquote><p> </p><p> His entertainment is good, and he's the only one on the roster aside from Mr. Hyde who doesn't have a crap Menace score, but for a guy with a clown gimmick you'd think he'd be better in Comedy matches, and there's the fact that he's a big pain in the hiney.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>How so?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Well, I've clicked it on other promotions, and it's really tough to see what it actually does. BUT with low spillover in the rest of Australia and no spillover in the rest of the world, it's clearer to see the benefit. I went from zero pop worldwide to 5 in a few short months, which isn't GREAT, mind you, but it's also not nothing. It also provided a bit of a boost so that I won the Regional Battle in Eastern Australia.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="James The Animator" data-cite="James The Animator" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41368" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I've checked the game, and it appears Necromancer is on a written deal with WLW. <img alt=":(" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/frown.png.e6b571745a30fe6a6f2e918994141a47.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Then again, when I made this suggestion, I was thinking more along the lines of wrestlers like Bile, Eraser, Jester or The Anarchist. I feel a bit weird about using Massacre while the lore says he left recently to go to Japan. I was aiming for this storyline to bring back people who we haven't seen in a fairly long time.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Well, as noted, Eraser and Jester are both alum, and being legbreakers for hire was their shtick. There's also the Horror Show- Slasher, Stalker, and the Anarchist. Any (or all) would work, I'd think.</p>

That's a good list, thanks, and I've actually looked at a few of them. I'm going to do a start over and, if needed, edit things to get CWA, Vertigo, and Strange out sooner. Maybe Hyde, too; he's not a negative influence, and yes, he's terrible, especially stamina, I want to like him. Trevor Feather is also one I've noticed you have to keep an eye on behavior-wise. I did pick up Matt Stoppard though, and he's pretty good as a jobber in comedy matches, as his performance is good enough that he doesn't get dinged. ZEN is one of the few companies where I've noticed a discernible benefit to using the Internet over DVD merchandise. Why not both? If I remember correctly, both Cyanide and Halloween Knight have former tag partners who aren't with the company BUT available to hire. Bring them in, leading to a 4-on-2 assault. Maybe some hot up and coming babyfaces can throw in to help turn the tide...?

<p>Trying again with Steven Yale as the booker. Running 2 weekly shows and an extra monthly show to get pop up. Getting a little better at comedy matches, as I've found that Pink Spider, Devilfish, and Shaolin also work well in those.</p><p> </p><p> We're in March 2016, and I've added Marcus Kerr and Aussie Devil to the roster. Bruce Strange's contract just came up. Is there any reason to keep him? His Safety score is pretty good, but looking over the rest of his stats, it doesn't seem worth putting up with his attitude.</p>

I <em>think</em> it occurs when the psychology is lower than the overall match rating. Even workers with very good psychology will get that if the match is rated highly due to either their combined pop, storyline heat, or other performance skills.

I've decided to dip my toe in a ZEN playthrough, and it's fun, though I admit I am struggling a bit with the Comedy match requirement. You'd think "Oh, easy enough, just pick the guys with Charisma in the 70s range or higher", but aside from Man O' War and Damian Dastardly, it seems to be a challenge for the roster.

Judy Bagwell On a Pole Match 2: The Ultimate Deletion!!!

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="dengers100" data-cite="dengers100" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41194" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I'm trying to resist that temptation for now <img alt=";)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/wink.png.686f06e511ee1fbf6bdc7d82f6831e53.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Basically, you just have to let time pass then. You MIGHT be able to improve things by stuff like bonuses, paid time off, post show speeches, and ribbing before the show, but it is very, very difficult. I've never been able to pull it off.</p>

Do you want the proper answer, or the easy answer? Because I find the Edit Relationship tab to be a godsend.

<p>For a straight balance of performance-pop, you'll want to keep Traditional and Mainstream at about the same levels as Modern and Realism, if memory serves. Admittedly, this will vary a bit on the exact nature of your company and the sort of product you want.</p><p> </p><p> Once you've made your selections, you can hit "analysis" and the first line should tell you if your product is performance > pop, performance < pop, or performance = pop. Additionally, this might also influence the requirements when booking shows, like needing a Story Telling or a High Spots match (please not for the former, that doesn't necessarily mean you need to run storylines; it refers to telling a story in the ring).</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="GiantYankee1" data-cite="GiantYankee1" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41194" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I'm a WMMA 3-5 player. Can I play TEW 2016 by just booking matches or do I have to create story lines? I guess I'm wondering if I can play this game in a similar way to WMMA. Thank you.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Depending on your company's settings, absolutely. Just make sure things like Mainstream and Traditional aren't set too high.</p>

As far as C-Verse companies go, QAW immediately comes to mind. Of course, that's also a company where you start with a lot of green talent.

Yes, in my experience, floating titles are counted as main event titles. Maximum prestige for main event belts is 100, 71 for midcard.