Factors that determine interest/results of a match

[Nephrinn]

The four main factors (in no order) that determine the interest of a match are: 1. Excitement 2. Popularity 3. Reputation 4. The location of where the event/tv show is held. [B] Excitement[/B] is the most constant value, but also the rarest. Good or higher rated fighters in excitement should be kept even if they suck at fighting because they can almost always put on at least a decently rated match. [B]Popularity[/B] is harder to build up and is determined by a fighter's charisma value and how often they fight. Well known or higher popularity fighters should generally be kept and be valued just as high as exciting fighters are. [B]Reputation[/B] is also hard to build up and depends partly on how good [U]you[/U] are at booking matches. There is a lot of strategy within this area alone that hardly anyone talks about. Take for example a fighter like Atep of Indonesia. He desperately needs experience so that he can win reliably, but you can't afford to have him lose too much early on. So, you have to find fighters that he can beat. Wrestlers and ground fighters would be bad choices since Atep's a standup fighter. I don't know how many times I've been shocked to see great future fighters like Atep, da Guia, and Kapur lose to subpar fighters thinking it would be a cakewalk. Once and awhile, however, you'll get upsets no matter how you book fights. Sometimes you'll hear fighters in the real world talk about how they've been so successful because they've "waited for the right matches" ---as opposed to just fighting whoever on a whim. This is sort of how it translates to WMMA. Reputation and popularity generally go hand in hand. Winning makes them go up, losing makes them go down. Popularity usually takes longer to go up or down, however. The [B]location[/B] of where an event or tv show is held is the BIGGEST factor in interest/results of a match. I honestly did not figure this out until a few days ago when I noticed all of my best fights like Fezzik vs Carlton were getting 2 stars in California! Before you book that next event or tv show, LOOK at the name value of the fighters you want to book and be prepared to have a subpar or even horrible turnout if you hold it in an area where their name value sucks. One very important note: the interest level of a match may say "massive", [U][B]but it'll only get "massive" results if it's held in an area where both fighters are popular.[/B][/U] Ultimately, all four of the factors that I mentioned above determine how a match eventually turns out. For example, having two fighters that are really exciting can negate or minimize the effects of holding an event in an area where the fighters aren't very popular. This holds true when you fight two dull fighters in an area where they are massively popular (I've gotten 4 and 5 star matches from dull fighters!) Hope that helps those that have been struggling with holding good matches.

[bundtcake]

Just to add to this I'll go ahead and outline a few ways I build interest for fights and fighters. You're outline is great, just thought I'd mention a couple things I like to do. Hold on to middle of the road fighters who have at least good charisma, particularly if they are exciting as well. They gain popularity quickly and lose it slowly, so even if they have a modest record they can be great tools for elevating the status of other fighters, an example of a fighter who has worked well in this capacity for me is Jack Humphreys. His good charisma and exciting fights keep him as one of my more popular fighters despite not being the most successful. He helped me build up guys like Dalgish and Maier. Another thing I like to do is take advantage of smaller organizations. It's advantageous for a fights interest level if both fighters are on winning streaks so using guys like Andrew Rush on Set Standard contracts allows you to have a pretty good fighter who can regain their winning streak while taking time off in between fights for you. It's harder on them because they have to fight many times and you don't want your title holders or top contenders losing outside of your jurisdiction but it's a great way to feel out whether or not a guy is going to be a contender in your organization or just use him as a good opponent for your fighters. I do this with guys like Percy Catcher, Andrew Rush, Jason Dalgish, Henning Olsen, Doug Hansen, etc. I totally agree with what you say about building up young fighters as well, the best example I can come up with is Mike Watson. In one of my games he was a 14-0 destroyer with wins over Asanovic, Rivero, LeToussier and Banks. In another he's 12-6. His losses are still to pretty good guys but he's got no wins like the 14-0 version. It goes to show what a difference waiting until he's experienced can make before sticking him in with those types of guys.

[dbeanerz]

This post alone helps the argument of depth to the game - I appreciate the post, thanks.

[tc66tc]

incredible post guys, keep kicking in the tips

[Nephrinn]

[QUOTE]Another thing I like to do is take advantage of smaller organizations. It's advantageous for a fights interest level if both fighters are on winning streaks so using guys like Andrew Rush on Set Standard contracts allows you to have a pretty good fighter who can regain their winning streak while taking time off in between fights for you. It's harder on them because they have to fight many times and you don't want your title holders or top contenders losing outside of your jurisdiction but it's a great way to feel out whether or not a guy is going to be a contender in your organization or just use him as a good opponent for your fighters. I do this with guys like Percy Catcher, Andrew Rush, Jason Dalgish, Henning Olsen, Doug Hansen, etc.[/QUOTE] I actually never thought about doing this before, but it sounds like a good idea. Obviously, you want to snatch up the "championship" fighters like Davis Spyrou, but like some of the fighters you mention, it's a great way of them getting experience and for you to evaluate their abilities before committing them to an exclusive contract. I'm just worried that if I don't sign them to an exclusive contract right away, one of the bigger AI promotions will and I'll hate myself for not signing them exclusively. Before you mentioned this, I actually created extra, smaller promotions (a womens and a mens) that signed some of the rookie and struggling fighters so I could passively watch to see if any are worth signing. I also tend to release good fighters who are on bad losing streaks so that one of these smaller promotions signs him and hopefully turns his career around.

[BuddyGarner]

A good method I like is only have the first two matchups be competitive. One a Massive Hyped Title fight and the other an Extremely High #1 Contendors match and the other ten fights be squash matches. Lot easier to do this in Japan but the Regional Athletic commissions will let extremely experienced fighters fight your super stat workers. No reason to risk losses in the other ten fights. Also, pair two dull fighters together whenever possible in the undercard, that way no matter what a dull fighter goes down. Try not to pair exciting fighters up in the undercard. Let them fight each other in the main or co-main event.