TEW2008: Adam's Developer's Journal

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#50: Incidents[/B] New to TEW08 are Incidents. These appear in your (Pending) Decisions box from time to time, and are a test of your man management skills. There are several different types of incident, but they can be broadly split into two categories. The first category are incidents that happen "in public"; these are things like the wrestler being caught in possession of drugs or having trouble with the law. The second category is "backstage"; these are things like a two wrestlers getting into a fist-fight, a worker showing up late, or somebody playing a prank on another than ends in an argument. The key point is that unlike TEW07, where for example if someone was caught with drugs you'd simply get an e-mail about it, in the new game you actually have to deal with it. When you open the Incident you are given a description of what has happened and a selection of actions that you can take; these range from doing absolutely nothing or giving a slap on the wrist, all the way to giving them "one last chance" or firing them. You always need to make a choice, as the Incident will not disappear (and therefore you cannot advance days) until it has been addressed. This of course is one of the major ways in which you can influence a person's behaviour, and likewise, each person will react differently depending on their personality. Telling a worker who has been caught using steroids that he has to get clean or he is fired may work brilliantly on one person, he may get clean and also become slightly more humble and loyal, but it may be an absolute disaster on your resident egomaniac who may resent your interference, he may become even more difficult to work with and might even use even more steroids just to annoy you. Part of your job is to develop the man management skills necessary to handle different people in different ways. Incidents tie in to the earlier Backstage Environment feature, as the worse your locker room atmosphere, the more Incidents that will be generated each show.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#51: Starting Touring Contracts[/B] Just a small entry today. Unlike TEW07, the new game allows you to assign Touring contracts to workers from the main editor, meaning that you have more control over the starting rosters of touring promotions. The contracts start when the promotion is next touring (and are actively immediately if the promotion is already on one) and end when the next end-of-tour occurs.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#52: Moves \ Move Sets[/B] In previous TEW games each wrestler has been able to have two finishers, defined as either Impact or Submission. TEW08 goes several steps further and allows to a proper arsenal of finishing moves. [I]Move Sets[/I] can be created containing up to 25 different finishers. Each worker, alter ego and contract can be linked to one move set, allowing the same character to have variations (i.e. from a real world perspective you could have CM Punk have his GTS-related move set when in the WWE, but his Pepsi Plunge-related move set if he returns to ROH). [I]Moves[/I] themselves are more detailed than in previous games. They can either be Pinfall, Impact or Submission, and can fall into one of three categories: regular finisher, secondary finisher (the type that only end the match if used on lower level guys, like Triple H's "Main Event Sleeper" in real life), or uber-finisher (moves that are broken out very rarely and only in big matches, like the Burning Hammer). They can also have a variety of extras, such as being able to set whether they can be done through a table, whether they can cause blood, etc, etc. These are then referenced in the match output. For example, rather than just saying that a worker put his opponent through a table to win the match, the game will check his move set and try and come up with a move that would allow him to do that, like a powerbomb. Similarly, if you do not specify a finish but a wrestler's arsenal consists of several submission moves, he will almost certainly finish with a submission rather than a pinfall. Wrestlers do not need move sets; if one is not found, or no appropriate move is available, it will default to simply not naming the move used. This feature therefore allows more accurate finishes to match. NB: Although it was stated specifically I'm sure somebody would ask, so let me emphasise that move sets only contain finishing moves, they are not there to contain a wrestlers entire arsenal of moves as it is in WreSpi2.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#53: Improved Consistency[/B] In an effort to improve realism, the use of the Consistency statistic has been changed in TEW08. The issue was that in 07, workers with poor or mediocre consistency weren't that much of a problem; it may have effected the occasional match, but it didn't have a major effect on the game. In 08, this has changed to present more of a problem for the booker. Inconsistent workers will be more challenging to deal with, as their amount of off days will be more in line with the statistic; the result of this is that the user will need to think more carefully about who he hires (i.e. is a talented-but-inconsistent wrestler worth taking a chance over a less-talented but more consistent wrestler?) and who he pushes (i.e. is an inconsistent worker the sort of person you want in the main event, where an "off night" might sour an entire show).

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#54: New Finishes[/B] Three match finishes return in TEW08. The first is [I]Botched Interference[/I], which is where a wrestler runs in but ends up accidentally messing it up. The second is [I]Distraction[/I], which is the same as regular Interference but doesn't involve the workers actually making any sort of contact. The third and final one is [I]Screwy Referee Finish[/I], which is where the official purposely costs a wrestler the match by means of a fast count, unfair DQ, etc.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#55: Race[/B] New to the series is the fact that workers are now able to be classified by race. There are eight choices; White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander and Other. The primary use of these is with gimmicks, as you can now define them to be used with a certain race. This allows better accuracy, obviously. It also has a minor effect on crowd reactions to certain workers, such as Hispanic workers in an American promotion getting a small boost if shows are then held in Mexico.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#56: Non-Wrestler Popularity[/B] In TEW07, it was often too hard to build the popularity of non-wrestlers unless the person in question had high enough entertainment skills to work regular angles. In TEW08, this has been modified; announcers, managers and the like all now rise at a more realistic level, meaning that it's easier to create popular characters rather than having to bring them in from outside the company.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#57: Stables[/B] Stables have been improved in two ways for 08. The first is that each member is now defined as being a Major or Minor member, which is a reflection of their importance to the group; i.e. Hogan was a major member of the nWo in real life, Scott Norton was a minor. This is used as part of the second change, which is [I]stable momentum[/I]. Every stable has a momentum rating, and this is altered whenever a member wrestles or plays a significant part in an angle. Essentially the momentum or the stable and the momentum of the worker converge; so if a wrestler with A* momentum who is part of a stable with F- momentum wrestles, the stables momentum will likely go upward, the wrestler's momentum will go down slightly. The amount that it changes takes into consideration whether the person is a major or minor member, with the (obvious) difference being that the momentum shifts are smaller with a minor. The way the feature works, therefore, is to essentially create a group dynamic momentum. A white hot wrestler can help lift the momentum of his fellow stable-mates, and similarly, filling a stable with jobbers will likely pull down the momentum of anyone associated with the stable (in the same way that the nWo's eventual undoing was that it went from an elite group to one where pretty much everyone was in it). There is a "buffer zone" to the momentum, to stop everybody in the stable eventually ending up at exactly the same momentum level. An example of this is that if the stable is at B momentum and a worker is at B+ (or maybe even at the lower end of the A grade), there will be minimal or no change to the momentum as they are so close (in the "buffer zone"). This way, although the stable will draw its members close to each other in terms of momentum, it won't stop its star members remaining in a better position than the rest of the group.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#58: TV Expansion[/B] A feature taken from WMMA, TEW08 will now include [I]TV Expansion[/I]. A small but useful concept, basically it means that you can contact other networks to try and get them to begin broadcasting a show that is already on the air somewhere else. This is an improvement to the old system where you'd have to essentially create a new show each time. So, for example, if you are playing as SWF and have Supreme TV on an East Coast network, you can also contact a West Coast network and try to get them to take it too. If they do, you end up with the Supreme TV being shown on both. This of course makes it easier to expand your broadcast area and potential fans.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#59: "Arn Anderson" Syndrome[/B] A weakness in previous games is that your standard career-midcarder - the guy who is a solid, reliable, selfless performer but who lacks the charisma or look to ever get to be a main eventer - isn't as valuable as he should be. In real life, these guys, particularly in major promotions, are highly respected and valued by promoters because they are the backbone of the promotion, providing good matches and helping other wrestlers learn. In real life this would be guys like Arn Anderson and Lance Storm. To address this, TEW08 makes Psychology a much more valuable commodity in creating solid, watchable matches, as it is in real life. This of course has the knock-on effect of meaning that young wrestlers really do need to be handled properly to make sure they learn how to put together a match before you push them, but ultimately it also makes guys in the Anderson \ Storm mold a lot better to have around; they can help other people learn psychology, stop matches falling apart by being "ring generals", and help you overall show ratings by making sure the ratings of your midcard matches don't sag.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#60: Run Ins And Storylines[/B] New to 08 is that run ins \ interference in matches can be tied into storylines. Unchained storylines will automatically take into account run ins as being part of the storyline. Regular storylines can be defined as having them. When selecting between Match or Angle for the plot point, the Match option now allows the type of road agent note (interference, botched interference, distraction, turn) and who should be involved to be set. As with all other plot points, that selection would then have to be satisfied in order for the storyline to advance. This allows for more fluid, accurate and realistic storylines.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#61: Force Push[/B] Added by popular request to TEW08 is the new [I]Force Push[/I] feature. Very simple but (hopefully) very useful, when using the existing Auto Push feature on your roster you can now select as many (or none) of your roster and force their current push level to remain untouched - in other words, they will be excluded from being part of the usually roster-wide Auto Push. This is useful if you have particular favourites who you want to give a bigger-than-warranted push to, or it someone has annoyed you to the point that you are purposely giving them a lower push than they could reasonably expect.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#62: Size[/B] Replacing the old Popularity screen, the new Size screen is a much more useful tool. As with its predecessor, the screen's main function is to show your popularity throughout the game world; this is split into two however, as you can now see your raw popularity (which shows where you can get big attendances for example) and your importance (the region's importance multiplied by your popularity there - these are the values that are used in calculating the promotion's size). The other change is likely to be quite popular. At the top of the screen are two lines of text; Current Size and Next Size. In specific terms, these spell out how you reached your present size and what you have to do to rise to the next level. For example, Next Size might read; "The next size is Global. To achieve this you must retain your current International status, and also attain B+ grades in at least six foreign regions." (NB: Those requirements are made up purely for this example). This allows the player to know exactly what he needs to do at the touch of a button, without having to check help files or read the forums.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#63: Special Matches[/B] A small but useful new feature is that of [I]special matches[/I]. If a match is of particular significance you can tick a box to mark it as being special; the effect is that it will be specifically named in the results of any show in which it is used. This is nice to have in histories, as rather than just seeing that "Steve Frehley beat Remo" you see that "Steve Frehley beat Remo in a Texas Death match".

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#64: I Hope You're Listening[/B] New to the series is the ability in angles for workers to reference people who aren't actually at the show. This is done via a drop-down menu that can be toggled between showing your available roster and your entire roster. For example, imagine that you are playing as CZCW and have a Fox Mask vs Insane Machine feud going. You find out that Machine will be touring Japan when your next show happens. In previous games, you'd simply have to leave the feud out that week. Under the new system, you can have Fox Mask come to the ring in an angle and cut an interview ripping into Machine - of course, the rating will be entirely based upon Fox Mask's skills, but it does mean that the feud can be continued even though the other wrestler is miles away. Of course, you can only use this feature on angle roles that are set as "off screen", as the person clearly isn't physically in the building to take part in an "on screen" role. The missing worker does not get paid for his "appearance", for obvious reasons.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#65: Announcer Chemistry[/B] New to the series is the fact that announcers can now have chemistry, in the same way that wrestlers can. It works in the same way, with levels of good chemistry improving their performance, levels of bad chemistry degrading it. As with all chemistry, once found by the player it is automatically stored in the announcer's profile.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#66: 'B' Shows[/B] New to the TV section of the game is the ability to have 'B' shows; these are shows that are acknowledged to basically be for midcard and opening level talent, like the old Heat and Velocity WWE shows. They work in the same manner as regular TV shows, except in two ways; their ratings are considerably lower, and they do not effect the popularity of the promotion. As a result, putting on a great show doesn't particularly matter - nobody expects it anyway - so they can be used to develop lower-level talent who may not get a chance to shine on regular shows, without hurting the promotion's standing. Therefore the advantages is that it can be used to develop talent in a safer environment, the disadvantage is that you still have to pay all the relevant wages and costs, so it can be fairly expensive. The AI will book in an appropriate manner if given a 'B' show, but won't put much effort into keeping them given that it's mainly human players who would want to use them.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#67: Gimmick Changes[/B] The way that gimmicks are rated has been completely overhauled for 08 in order to provide a more realistic and challenging feature. Amongst the changes are the fact that gimmicks can now last a lot longer before they need a change, to fit in with the fact that many real world wrestlers keep the same gimmick of several years at a time, and that the initial rating that a gimmick gets when it is debuted has also been redone; it is now a much tighter system. Generally speaking a decent gimmick which fits the wrestler without any obvious flaws will get a decent grade, usually in the B range, so that he isn't actively being damaged by it. It's only badly thought out or difficult gimmicks that are likely to end up with low ratings. A further change is that the Destiny stat has also been incorporated, as only a select band of wrestlers are able to attain an A* gimmick. This is to simulate the fact that people with truly insanely over and perfectly suited gimmicks don't come along very often in wrestling (i.e. the Undertaker character, the Stone Cold character, etc), and so should be a rare occurrence.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#68: Starting Contract Length[/B] By request of some mod makers, a small change to the editor means that contracts can now be set to have a certain amount of time left on them. This will be useful for real world databases that want to be accurate when it comes to wrestlers whose contracts are known to either be coming to an end shortly or who have just signed a big extension.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#69: Quick Worker Generation[/B] As the WMMA version seemed popular, the overhauled TEW08 Quick Worker Add part of the editor has been based upon it. As before, the idea is that you click Quick Add in the editor when you want to create a worker in a short space of time which you can then do minor edits to. The system works via the concept of Templates. The player uses the menu system to select an appropriate template from the list - ranging from Bar-Room Brawler to Technical Cruiser to Entertainer Brawler - and then assigns quality levels to selections like Ability Level and Entertainment. The user then clicks the Save button and the game automatically generates all the workers stats based upon the selections given. Of course, the end product is fairly generic - by its very nature it has to be. The idea is that the user can then do a quick edit to perfect the character, which overall takes far less time than writing the entire character from scratch in the first place.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#70: Storyline Changes[/B] Storylines in 08 have had a few changes made to them to improve the way they work. The first is that a Skip Step button has been added which, as the name suggests, allows the user to jump a step. This is primarily for newcomers to the series who may find themselves stuck because a specific angle hasn't been included. The second is that unchained storylines can now be evolved, in the same way that regular storylines can. This allows them to be more dynamic. Thirdly, and by popular request, workers can now appear in multiple storylines simultaneously, provided that they only play a Major role in one at a time.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#71: Assigning Managers[/B] In a small but useful feature, managers can now be assigned to workers via the main editor, meaning that they will be in place when new games start. This allows greater realism for real world mods, and saves the player some work at the start of each game.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#72: Repeat Booking[/B] A new system has been added to TEW08 to make it harder for the user to rely on booking the exact same match-ups over and over again. It is important to note that it makes it harder, it does not prevent it completely. The system is triggered if the exact same match is done three (or more) times within a six month period. By "exact same match" it means that the match type and competitors are the same; so wrestler X vs wrestler Y could fight two regular singles matches, one cage bout, a triangle bout with wrestler Z, and a hardcore singles match, and that would be four matches - the triangle bout would be the only one that didn't count, as it wasn't 1vs1. Once triggered, there are three penalty traps which if fallen into will result in a lower rating. The first penalty trap is triggered if the match is the worst of the series. The second trap is triggered if the match isn't the worst of the series, but is worse than the average rating that has been achieved so far. The third trap is actually a set of traps, which get harder as the series gets longer. A target is created based upon the average rating achieved so far in the series. This is then increased slightly. So if this is only the third match of the series then the target may only be to be 1% , whereas if you've had ten matches you may be looking at a target that has increased by 20% or more. A penalty is then incurred if the target is missed. The effect of these three traps is to create a steepening level of difficulty, so the more that you feed the audience the same match, the harder it becomes to maintain the ratings. Therefore your skill as a booker is rewarded; if you can construct a feud where the ratings continue to climb with each match, you can successfully have a lengthy series. If you struggle to keep it fresh and find ratings wavering, you may have to pull the plug on the feud quicker to avoid it spiraling downward.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#73: Product Definition[/B] When viewing or altering your promotion's Product settings you will see a new feature, the Product Analysis. This is a list which explains what the current settings will produce. For example, you may see: "This definition will mean that fans will expect all wrestlers to be packaged with proper gimmicks." "This definition will attract fans who will be put off by risky angles." "This definition will mean that wrestlers are rated slightly more on popularity than performance." The concept is that this gives the user a better idea as to what they should be trying to achieve, without giving away all the subtleties of the system. This should be particularly useful for newcomers to the series, and should make coming up with product definitions easier.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]#74: Revenue \ Costs Split[/B] When dealing with pay-per-view and television negotiations, a new item that is discussed is how the revenue and costs involved are split up. A TV Network may be willing to pay 20% of the production costs for the show but may want 90% of the advertising revenue as well, for example. The levels that each network \ carrier will want depends on many things, such as their size, the promotion's size, and the time slot, and overall it adds a little extra strategy as sometimes it can be more effective to go with a slightly smaller network in order to get a better deal.