SWF: Generation Supreme

[Bigpapa42]

Um, wow. I didn't intend for this to turn into a Generation Supreme love session. I was going to quote each comment, but I realized it would just be a long list of thank you's. So thanks everyone. If this came down to feeling a lack of recognition and support, I would certainly be over that now! But I have not lacked for feedback, support, or even validation with this project in a long time. As I've said a few times, I've somehow managed to grab some of the most vocal readers of any diary on here, and I love you guys for that. I can honestly say that this project would not be what it has become without the support of you readers - your comments, support, and appreciation. So you have my endless thanks for that. I want to make clear that at this point, Generation Supreme is [B][U]not[/U][/B] over. [B][U]Yet[/U][/B]. I am obviously leaning that direction, but I will wait to make a decision. I will try to get the annual awards results posted in the next few days, then put this thing on a temporary hiatus. That may work to recharge things and keep things moving forward. I have my doubts, but I will approach it with an open mind. As I've said before, if I do come to the final decision to end things, I will do so with a big "where things were going post". I feel I owe it to those who have taken the time to read my little tale to see where I was headed. Because there are still plenty of stories to tell with this one. I have given consideration to using a reduced approach to at least make it to the next PPV, which would feel like a more natural place to end it, if that is the case, but if I'm not going to be able to give things the time and effort they deserve, I think I'd rather leave off.

[Zeel1]

You know, even if it isn't exactly burnout, it may still be something similar. Hiatus may very well be the solution to this problem, because as far as I know, you really haven't taken any extended breaks here, you've been working consistantly, for about a year straight now. Everybody needs a vacation at some point throughout a long term diary, and I don't think you've actually had one, atleast a very long one. Take a couple months off, who knows, you may feel differantly.

[kingtutt]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;707453]. As for moving to the real world, well, my heart is still in the Cornell Verse. It probably always will be. My problem right now is commitment. There are two possible CV projects that truly interest me right now - Total Championship Wrestling and Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods in the default data. [/QUOTE] I just want to say that your diary has really gotten me into C-Verse. Since TEW 2004 I always downloaded RW mods because I just couldn't get into the C-Verse, but reading your diary has made me really take a good look at it and now I don't even look at real world mods! No offence to any of the other diary writers, but it seems that your writing (and James Casey's) is the only one that I can really get in to and get a real sense of the personalities of the C-Verse characters. That said, I hope you one day do a Burning Hammer diary, as I'm still having trouble getting into the Japanese scene in the game. I would love to see that!

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Zeel1;707794]You know, even if it isn't exactly burnout, it may still be something similar. Hiatus may very well be the solution to this problem, because as far as I know, you really haven't taken any extended breaks here, you've been working consistantly, for about a year straight now. Everybody needs a vacation at some point throughout a long term diary, and I don't think you've actually had one, atleast a very long one. Take a couple months off, who knows, you may feel differantly.[/QUOTE] It has been pretty steady over the past year, but in a good way. I did take a bit of a break when I went to WM, and the subsequent month I was without my laptop. But I kept my focus for good reason - I have a tendency to lose focus on such projects if I allow it to wane. If I took a couple weeks off and started playing another game on TEW, I always feared I would get hooked on the new game and not come back. Or if I left the diary alone and started doing something else. Which is what I fear will happen with this break. But its really the only thing to try right now. [QUOTE=kingtutt;707797]I just want to say that your diary has really gotten me into C-Verse. Since TEW 2004 I always downloaded RW mods because I just couldn't get into the C-Verse, but reading your diary has made me really take a good look at it and now I don't even look at real world mods! No offence to any of the other diary writers, but it seems that your writing (and James Casey's) is the only one that I can really get in to and get a real sense of the personalities of the C-Verse characters. That said, I hope you one day do a Burning Hammer diary, as I'm still having trouble getting into the Japanese scene in the game. I would love to see that![/QUOTE] Wow, thanks Tutt. Burning Hammer is a diary I would love to do. Just something about the promotion that appeals to me. Of course, living up to TigerKinney's epic one from 2007, and now FINisher's very good '75 version, is tough. But I doubt I would take on that kind of project until the new edition of TEW comes out. I just couldn't dedicate myself to it the way I would want to.

[Bigpapa42]

[FONT=Arial][CENTER][SIZE=6]SWF.com: Supreme Wrestling Federation Annual Awards 2008[/SIZE] [IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Media/SWFBestOf.jpg[/IMG] [quote]With another year in the books, SWF.com takes the time to recognize those who helped make the Supreme Wrestling Federation the best entertainment you can find anywhere around the globe. The SWF Annual Awards is a big deal, simply for the fact that its the fans who are making the decision. After several weeks and thousands upon thousands (actually, 20) votes, these are the best that 2008 had to offer in 2008.[/quote] [quote][B][CENTER]The Lords of War Award - Best Tag Team of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] Tag team wrestling has long been a big part of the Supreme Wrestling Federation. The year 2008 was a good one for that aspect of the SWF, as the many very good teams already in the SWF were supplemented by many more, including Valiant & Giedroyc, Badd Kompany, and Sin Inc. These three all spent time as SWF World Tag Team champions. It seems as though the pairing of Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson captured the hearts of fans more than any other team last year. The young duo came in with a great deal of hype, then became laughingstocks as they failed to live up to the hype. They underwent a goofy search for a manager, and found it in Darryl Devine's ex-girlfriend Hannah Potter. The addition of the lovely young woman saw BK pull everything together, and end up capturing the SWF World Tag Team titles from Sin Inc. The future is bright for this pair. [B][CENTER]Winner: Badd Kompany[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]The Micky Starr Award - Best Promo of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] What does it take for a truly great promo? Well, it would seem like the cost of renting a high class golf course for a private round and one lawsuit from a physically-assaulted caddy. A small price, in other words. No other duo in the SWF had as many classic moments through 2008 as Rich Money and Remo. And perhaps none were more classic than the great promo they cut on a golf course about SWF Legends, setting up a rivalry between the brands which culminated in a champion-versus-champion match at Christmas Clash 2008... which Bruce the Giant interrupted, to the endless ire of many fans. [B][CENTER]Winner: Rich Money & Remo Golf Course[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]Best Feud of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] There were some great and memorable feuds throughout 2008 in the land of Supreme. But apparently none stood out more than the rivalry between Rich Money and Jack Bruce, which not only saw "Hard Cash" come out ahead, but also saw the SWF World Champion convince Bruce to turn on his friend Sean McFly. Is there anything Money can't do? [B][CENTER]Winner: Rich Money & Jack Bruce[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]Best Stable of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] The stable so good that it didn't even get a name! Of all the many stables that existed through 2008 in the SWF, none were more influential. And that includes the much-hated "Big Money Inc" unit. This one consisted of two of the biggest names in the SWF, who are individually obviously very talented and team together to form a formidable team. Joining them is one of the brightest young stars, who obviously learned a great deal from his double mentors. At the end of the year, they were joined by the biggest - literally - star in wrestling, Bruce the Giant. [B][CENTER]Winner: Money-Remo-Ace[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote] [B][CENTER]Best Match of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] There were some classic matches through 2008 in the SWF. Some all-timers. Whether it was Troy Tornado showing off his skills against Christian Faith or a shockingly great tag team match between Remember Tomorrow and The Flying Tigers on the final Supreme TV of the year, there was plenty of greatness inside the SWF ring. Few matches could claim to be better, more important, or more exciting than the war between Rich Money and Sean McFly. It was a win that truly established the victorious Money as a truly great champion in the minds of many fans. [B][CENTER]Winner: Rich Money vs Sean McFly[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote] [B][CENTER]Best Show of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] The Supreme Challenge has many names. Including "The Biggest Show of Them All". It certainly lived up to the billing in 2008, as the 28th edition captured the essence of everything Supreme. It bears watching again and again, so pick up your copy on DVD today! [B][CENTER]Winner: The Supreme Challenge 28[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]The Major WG Reginald III Award - Best Non-Wrestler of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] Non-wrestlers have always played a big role in the Supreme Wrestling Federation. Whether its the announcing crew, authority figures, or managers, they have long been key players. Few personalities had as big an impact as Phil Vibert. From content to stick with a role in the announcers booth, the former owner of Danger and Violence Extreme pushed for the formation of a second brand, launching the biggest wrestling promotion in the world into entirely new territory. [B][CENTER]Winner: Phil Vibert[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote] [B][CENTER]Best Newcomer of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] In a year of expansion for the Supreme Wrestling Federation, there were plenty of additions. From Generation Supreme youngsters to stars of the past like Sean McFly, many of them made an impact. No one could have guessed that a 21-year old Canadian would have the greatest impact of all. Davis Wayne Newton prefers to be called Ace, and he proved to be just that as he went from a complete unknown to one of the biggest stars on the Supreme brand. The fact that he beat out the return of beloved superstar Sean McFly says a lot! [B][CENTER]Winner: Ace Newton[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]The Sean McFly Award - The Best Young Wrestler of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] Even with all the young talent in the SWF, there wasn't much question on this one. [B][CENTER]Winner: Ace Newton[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote] [B][CENTER]The Christian Faith Award - Best Babyface of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] When the man they named the award after has a helluva year, you know its pretty much a given. Perhaps the most beloved star in SWF history underwent a renaissance at age 42, as he spent half the year as the SWF Supreme champion and the centerpiece of the Legends brand. The presence of Faith helped the brand live up to its lofty name. [B][CENTER]Winner: Christian Faith[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote][B][CENTER]The Rip Chord Award - Best Heel of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] The long unanimous winner was the SWF World Heavyweight champion Rich Money. And it is hardly a surprise. Money had a fantastic year and there is no other way to state it. His "Beautiful Reign" has cemented himself as a true SWF legend and it is not over yet. Could 2009 be "The Year of Money" as promised even more than 2008 was? [B][CENTER]Winner: Rich Money[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote] [quote][B][CENTER]The "I Just Marked Out" Award - Biggest Moment of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] There are big returns. And then there is the way that "The American Tiger" marked his return to the SWF. After a brutal Supreme Cell match that headlined Under Control 2008, Rich Money was celebrating his victory over Jack Bruce. Until "Eye of the Tiger" interrupted the moment. Has a hokey inspirational song from the 80s ever had a bigger impact? [B][CENTER]Winner: Sean McFly Returns[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote][quote] [B][CENTER]The Sam Strong Award - Best Overall Wrestler of the Year[/CENTER] [/B] Another unsurprising win for the SWF World Heavyweight champion, as he further cements his status as one of the main stars in the Supreme Wrestling Federation. The only real question is how much bigger can Money get? [B][CENTER]Winner: Rich Money[/CENTER] [/B] [/quote] [IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Media/SWFWebMid.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [/FONT]

[benjacko]

Has Rich Money got enough shelfs for all his awards? :)

[Self]

[quote=benjacko;708090]Has Rich Money got enough shelfs for all his awards? :)[/quote] He doesn't need shelves, Rich Money doesn't care about these poxy "fan-voted" awards. I'm sure he just tosses them into a box with the thousands of other 'meaningless' trophies he's already won during his career. That Rich Money... makes my blood boil... the jerk. Top shelf stuff again, BigPapa. There's no shame in sitting back and taking a break, to see where the wind takes you. Although if you're looking for the way to end things properly, may I suggest Zombie Invasion? That was how I planned to end my diary... until I came up with a new "I can't be bothered any more" ClusterFCK ending.

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=benjacko;708090]Has Rich Money got enough shelfs for all his awards? :)[/QUOTE] I'm sure Rich Money could afford a new, bigger shelf if necessary. He is, after all, money. [QUOTE=Self;708102]He doesn't need shelves, Rich Money doesn't care about these poxy "fan-voted" awards. I'm sure he just tosses them into a box with the thousands of other 'meaningless' trophies he's already won during his career. That Rich Money... makes my blood boil... the jerk. Top shelf stuff again, BigPapa. There's no shame in sitting back and taking a break, to see where the wind takes you. Although if you're looking for the way to end things properly, may I suggest Zombie Invasion? That was how I planned to end my diary... until I came up with a new "I can't be bothered any more" ClusterFCK ending.[/QUOTE] You get Money! Actually, I think he would be very glib and casual about getting the awards, yet he would have a massive room in his massive house dedicated to them. The hypocracy of that just seems... Money. I actually intended for the awards ceremony write-up to be far more detailed. Full acceptance speeches and some shenanigans. It was going to be a tool to forward some characters, basically. Such as Ace Newton acting like a big-shot jerk-bag when accepting his awards. Plus Phil Vibert ranting, Sean McFly getting attacked when going on-stage with Money to accept the Match of the Year award, and Hannah Potter wearing the tiniest little dress to steal the show. I realized it would take me a ridiculously long time to write that up with my lack of motivation right now, so I decided to simply aim lower. Sorry folks.

[Zeel1]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;708354]and Hannah Potter wearing the tiniest little dress to steal the show.[/QUOTE] You wrote that just to tease TK, didn't you..? :p

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Zeel1;708356]You wrote that just to tease TK, didn't you..? :p[/QUOTE] Yup. JC, too. But it was also with storyline intent for something down the road. Possibly.

[Bigpapa42]

I realized I never "officially" announced it, but it should be pretty obvious (especially given how much I talked about it) - Gen S is currently on hiatus. The truth is that it will be quite unlikely that I come back to it after this. I just can't see it. I just have no motiviation to go back to it. Its not other projects, or even the desire to move to other projects. Its basically done to two things... One, the feeling that I've told "enough". There is plenty more story I could tell, as I have plenty of ideas left to play out. But after a full year, it just feels like... well, [I]enough[/I]. Two, time. I never begruded the time and effort this project took as I enjoyed it. But as I take a break from it, I realize a bit just how much I did put in. And because of how I approachded this project, I kept off from things that would distract me. So no other writing projects, games, and even minimal other games on TEW. I finally started playing Football Manager 2009 in the past few weeks - and I've had it for a year. Plus FM10 is coming out in a month. I know the obvious answer to the time concern is to dedicate less time to Gen-S but still continue with it. The problem is that I would feel like I was doing things halfway, and I don't want to do that. So it all adds up to the fact that I just don't see this coming from hiatus. Which brings me to the reason I'm actually posting. I've said numerous times now that I will do a wrap-up post when this is finally done, explaining what my plans were for some of the major storylines and workers. I was planning to give this hiatus at least a month before making that decision and that final post. But I have a feeling I may let it play out longer than that, just to "be sure". However, I don't want to wait 3-4 months, as that big end post my become relatively meaningless if everyone has forgotten what was going on leading into that. So I'm looking at late October as a target date, one way or the other. That's the update, folks.

[Bigpapa42]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Media/TV%20Shows/Alt/SWFGenerationSupremeTV.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] So its come time to make a decision. A tough decision. Whether or not to end a project that ran for a full year, won me far more accolades than I ever expected, and was quite honestly more fun than I could have imagined. After leaving off for about a month, the honest truth is that I can't imagine coming back to Generation Supreme. There is plenty more story I could tell - ideas have never been lacking for me on this project - but I simply lack the motivation to do it. As I've said several times, I just don't want to dedicate myself to it the way that I did and I don't want to continue in a "halfway" manner either. As for the newer WWE project, that had very little bearing on this decision as that's a very different project in the way I approach it. After careful consideration, I'm calling a halt to things here. Sorry fans, but its over. The truth is that I am tempted to allow things to sit in the current hiatus state for awhile longer, until I become absolutely certain that it's the right call. But I am certain enough that its time to move on. Plus, I want to do the "where everything was going" posts before everyone forgets completely what was going on in the diary as a whole. I am going to break up the "where things were going" posts into several, as they will probably get lengthy. I will try to get them posted over the next couple of days. I do need to take the opportunity to thank everyone for putting in the time to read, predict, comment, or even vote for me in one of the DOTM. You all made this project as much as I did. Extra special thanks goes out to those who contributed in an extra way - those few who helped me out with some booking advice, "A.N." Marshall, and those who contributed graphics in some manner - particularly FINisher, Reaper, Hakk99, and the awesome alt artists. I also want to thank the community as a whole for making a place where doing this kind of project is worthwhile, and to the many great writers who inspired me with their own works.

[Bigpapa42]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Media/TV%20Shows/Alt/SWFGenerationSupremeTV.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"]The Avatar Story[/SIZE][/CENTER] The story of Avatar - who was never given an actual name in the diary - was one of exclusion through creation. He was the creative force behind the whole Generation Supreme idea and movement. Yet by creating it, he could not be truly part of it. Avatar's "Random Thoughts" segments became one of the most popular aspects of the dairy. They were never intended as a major part, however. The idea was to have a little side story that would get a segment every so often. Because readers enjoyed them and I found them very easy to write, they became quite regular. They became less focused as a result, with backstage issues and Avatar's personal life coming into it a bit more than originally intended. I didn't focus on the creationist aspect of the story as much, but that was the idea behind it. As for where it was going, that was still quite open. I did not have a set conclusion, and the direction was still fairly fluid. The intent was for further focus on Avatar's frustrations at having nothing but the backstage creative role available to him. His revered status in the company, especially amongst the younger workers, continues to grow yet he can't look past the fact that he isn't doing what he wants to do. Part of the reason that the Tug Slowman color commentator (FINisher's character) was introduced was to block a potential path that Avatar was hoping to take himself. It would be revealed, after Slowman becomes a success as the heel commentator (imagine a cross between Bobby Heenan and Jesse Ventura, but with the biting sarcasm of a 21-year old), that Avatar was hoping to take up such a role. Slowman's success means he cannot, creating further frustration. The casual relationship that Avatar had going with Richard Eisen's daughter opened up some major possibilities. I had a few ideas, but no set plans in this regard. One of the options was to have Avatar end the relationship, basically choosing his job over love. Having Avatar pull a Triple H, using the relationship to leverage himself into a more powerful position, perhaps getting in-ring and getting a monster push even (unlikely to use that approach, but it was a fun thought). An option was to have to have the relationship end in an ugly manner, where Eisen becomes aware, but he can't do anything because he can't risk losing Avatar - so Avatar realizes his true value to the SWF and uses that to his advantage. Many options. Another aspect was if I had picked a specific end point, I had a few ideas of how I could wrap up the Avatar side of the story. One would be choosing to leave the SWF for some reason. I was intending to tease an offer from Tommy Cornell for awhile. So it could be that (I liked this, especially as I have plans to do a TCW diary at some point). It could Avatar leaving to start up a promotion with someone (Sam Keith and the Keith boys being the most likely). Again, a number of different options. Anyway, the Avatar aspect was one of the least important in some ways, yet one of the most liked based on reader feedback. Figured I'd least give an idea of where things were going.

[Bigpapa42]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Media/TV%20Shows/SWF.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE="5"]Supreme Brand - Where Things were Going[/SIZE][/CENTER] There were two main major stories on-going as part of the Supreme brand. One was the reign of Rich Money. The second was the rise of Generation Supreme - their "war". The two are obviously interconnected. [B][CENTER]Generation War[/CENTER][/B] There were going to be two main aspects to this. One is the tension between them - two many big personalities to co-exist based on shared goals for the long-term. The other is chase for "big" wins over the established vet stars like Money, Remo, McFly, Gilmore, Bruce, Big Bruce, Tornado, etc. In that way, Newton and his Kings are very much part of that same chase. In that way, I knew using the term "war" would not the best, as that tends to invoke thoughts of large-scale battles, sneak attacks and so on, where as this "war" would feature little of that. The DaVE civil war on the Legends brand would be much more like that. In regards to the tensions, as soon as I decided that the Gen-S group would be face and heel, I realized this would be part of it. I always looked at the group more as a clique than a stable, as I knew it wouldn't be feasible to keep them from facing each other. The idea was then when two Gen-S guys face each other, they follow a code of honor - handshake before and after the match, and no cheating. They have to win clean. Of course, the cheating ways of DuBois come to the fore eventually, which splinters the group. This it runs leads them to feud with each other - and facilitates a couple of turns - but the idea is that it wouldn't happen until the summer or even fall of 2009, once much of the talent has been firmly and clearly established atop the SWF hierarchy. Regarding that, the "chase" for the big wins has truly been on-going for awhile now. Randy Bumfhole and Marc DuBois have been main eventers for awhile now, yet still on the fringe. Quite intentionally, I kept them from truly getting established at that spot, even though they never really dropped below it (maybe a drop to B+ popularity, but never below). More recently, the likes of Ace Newton, Antonio Marquez, Sean Deeley, Zimmy Bumfhole, Joss Thompson, and even Darryl Devine have climbed to that level. Also quite intentionally, none of them have yet scored the big clean singles win over an established star to give them the true main event, superstar status in the eyes of the fans (readers). Much of what the "war" would be is simply them chasing that. As a clique, there would be competition and tension over it, as they even compete for chance to face those established veteran stars. There would be external tensions - taunts from both Rich Money, Remo, Jack Bruce, and even Ace Newton. The war between Newton and his Kings and the Gen-S clique was intended to be particularly sharp. Newton claiming that the Gen-S clique can't mean anything without him and the Kings, etc. Making things a bit more interesting is that Eric Eisen would gradually come to obviously support the Gen-S push. Basically, he's tired of Money, Remo, and Jack Bruce. So he figures a change over at the top would be a good thing for the SWF. In his mind, he's still protecting the promotion. This was something I wanted to be careful with, as the idea would still be to keep Eisen as a heel authority figure and I wouldn't want a heel vs heel feud to become too overt. I would try to keep the machinations of Eisen from being too obvious - he basically makes sure the Gen-S guys are featured and keep getting shots at taking down the established veteran stars, rather going being overt about it and having him arrange everything in the youngsters favor. [B][CENTER]The Beautiful Reign[/CENTER][/B] In a basic sense, the reign of Rich Money could go on and on. He was so easy and fun to write. Ideas came quite easily. I doubt I would ever stop being able to come up with fun feuds and storylines and angles. There are a couple of problems with that. Major problems. It had to end at some point. Rich Money the champion is a magnificent bastard. No, really. That's actually the name of the character template I used for him. He was intended as an epic heel character - talented, arrogant, deceitful, manipulative, dishonest, and good enough that you still just have to appreciate it. He likes to talk himself up, but unlike Rocky Golden, he backs it up. He's like a politician, spinning truth and lies together to suit his purposes. An old school booking adage says that every promotion needs at least one great heel. And though there are plenty of others that could fit that description in my SWF, Money was my main guy (quite obviously). However, such a build into a (hopefully) epic heel requires a payoff. The bad guy has to lose, right? I didn't want Rich Money to become my nWo, where things go on too long, none of the good guys can win, and fans lose interest. So the whole Beautiful Reign was basically a build toward the point where Money would finally lose his belt in a manner that would satisfy the hatred towards him. Finally have someone top him in a manner which he can't deflect or deny. The plan was to have Sean McFly beat Angry Gilmore (possibly with some interference from Bruce the Giant, Newton, or Remo) in the lead-up to the When Hell Freezes Over. So the main event at the PPV is Money-vs-McFly again. Not just because I wanted an another A* match (okay, maybe a bit), but because Money doing everything he can to frustrate Angry Gilmore is something I was already running with for awhile. That was the idea behind having Money hire the Silverbacks to harass Team Gilmore. Making Gilmore chase was intended as a way to make the eventual payoff seem bigger. After losing to McFly, Gilmore is given the choice of facing Remo, Newton, or Bruce the Giant at the PPV. He chooses Newton, but he doesn't want the NA title so it's a non-title match. Remo ends up facing Randy Bumfhole while Jack Bruce takes on Zimmy. Gilmore and Bruce win, while Randy B wins with a DQ or something similar - a win over Remo, but not a clean one yet. McFly losing to Money a second time could lead to a storyline where he questions whether he can do it on this brand anymore, considering moving to Legends brand at some point. The February PPV, Nothing to Lose, is Supreme brand specific. The main event would be Rich Money against Randy Bumfhole. Both Randy and Gilmore would have good claim to being the number one contender. With Eisen wanting to back the Gen-S guys and Money wanting to basically drive Gilmore insane, they both decide it should be Bumfhole. Which drives Gilmore insane. He can rail against the injustice of it and scream about switching to the Legends brand... but none of it changes it. Money retains again. And disrespects the living hell out of the Gen-S kids in the build-up. With the World is Watching PPV in April belonging to the Legends brand, there is two months two build up to the next Supreme brand PPV. To make good use of that time, I planned on holding a Path of Champions tournament to determine the number one contender. Of course Gilmore has the best claim to it, but Money somehow convinces Eisen that the two months should be used to really build a contender worthy of facing him. The Path is a series of five matches - four of them are smaller battle royals of about 10-15 guys. One is held each week for a month. Then the four winners have a four-way elimination match to determine the number one contender. The four finalists would probably be Gilmore, DuBois, Remo, and McFly. The fact that Remo participates and makes the final causes some tension between him and Money. There would a slow, gradual tease that Remo wants to get a shot at the belt. In the meantime, Newton still has both the NA title and the Sure Shot open contact and he's showing up on Legends every so often with the Four Kings, essentially stalking Christian Faith. Gilmore wins the Path of Champions, finally setting up Money-Gilmore one-on-one. The build would be fun, I think. At the Awesome Impact pay per view, Remo and Money are still having problems. Remo finally flat out asks if Money would give him a shot at the belt if he asked. Money finally says yes, he would. Then Money goes out and beats Gilmore, but unlike most of his big wins, Money has to blatantly cheat to do so. As Money celebrates with his friends, everyone is led to believe that Remo will challenge Money right there. But instead, its Ace Newton who takes advantage of a tired and worn-out champion to cash in his Sure Shot open contract. Remo or BTG could intervene... but as they both like and respect the youngster, they don't. Newton pins Money clean in the middle of the ring. Ace Newton becomes the SWF World Heavyweight champion. The Beautiful Reign ends. Rich Money gets what he deserves. Generation Supreme reigns. So why Newton? There are plenty of options for who could take the belt off Money. But much like Jack Bruce losing it, I want Money losing it to serve multiple purposes. Sure, it could just be one of the many babyface challengers like McFly or Gilmore. Nothing wrong with that. To really tear Rich Money down after building him up so much, it has to be something more than just losing. He has to be taken down by his own doing. Forcing the betrayal of a friend would certainly do that. But so does building up a protégé who uses what you've taught him to time it right to defeat you. Remo is the obvious choice. Too obvious. Which is why I tease it. There are a few issues I have with it, however. The first being that I liked the idea of Money and Remo as legit friends. In a world where friendships are a thing of convenience and almost a sure sign of a future feud, that one wouldn't be. Two of the most disliked stars in the SWF would be the ones who stayed loyal to each other (I love irony). Another issue is that I think one of them would end up turning in that situation. Either Remo gets sympathy for managing to get out of his friends shadow, or Money gets sympathy for having his friend turn on him. I think one or the other would happen. And I didn't want either to turn. Not yet. Whereas I felt like the twist of Newton cashing in his contact and turning on his mentor could be done with both staying heel. Plus, I felt like that had a bigger impact than Remo turning on Money. The title win by Newton makes him the youngest world champion in SWF history, breaking Sean McFly's record by a couple of months. It establishes him as the pre-eminent talent of Generation Supreme, gets him out from under Money and Remo, and launches the Four Kings as a group that can stand on their own. The next Supreme TV after the PPV would be fun, with everyone expecting Rich Money to be looking for vengeance on Newton. Angles of him stalking the new champion through the arena and so on, finally confronting Newton in the ring at the end of the show, with everyone expecting an explosion... and instead a handshake. Money realizing that he had given the kid the tools and the recognition of the situation to take advantage and become a champion. The reign of Newton would be short. He would lose the title to Gilmore - with a growing long-term feud between them - at The Supreme Challenge 28. Gilmore would get a run with the belt through the end of 2009, losing it to either Remo or Rich Money. I like the idea of Rich Money getting a second reign with it to start 2010, with Remo likely landing the Supreme championship around the same time. I liked the idea of gradually turning Remo face, having him come close to the title several times. I was thinking he would maybe win a shot at any title at Let the Games Begin, which he ends up using at Christmas Clash to challenge for the Supreme title. He wins, turning face. Around the same time - possibly the same PPV - Money wins the World Heavyweight belt back. The two friends are champions on separate brands and maintain their friendship, yet one is heel and one is babyface. Fun thought. [B][CENTER]North American title[/CENTER][/B] Ace Newton would carry the NA title up to the point where he wins the World Heavyweight title. Since I established a wrestler can only have one singles title at a time, he vacates the NA title. Which sets up another NA Grand Prix, almost a year from the first one. I honestly had not yet decided who would carry the title next, but I did intend to keep it essentially as for the Gen-S group. [B][CENTER]World Tag Team Titles[/CENTER][/B] The plan was to keep the belts on Badd Kompany for awhile, building them up into a truly epic tag team to rival The New Wave, who would be their natural rivals. At When Hell Freezes Over, Valiant & Giedroyc would turn heel and move to the Legends brand to join Nemesis, after an obvious tease that it was going to Guide and Scout. At the following PPV, Sin Inc would lose a "Loser Leaves Town" match to TNW, forcing Sexy and McClean over to the Legends brand as well. The reason behind moving two established and solid teams is essentially to allow the Keith boys and Double Deuce (both teams are future champions) into the main scene. Plus it keeps the match-ups fresh. Though it wouldn't happen until a few months into 2009, The New Wave would eventually get their run with the belts. I think a lot of people expected them to become champions as soon as they came to the SWF, simply because they are the best team in the world. People seemed to constantly expect them to win. I kept the belts off them much for that reason. Basically, to make their title chase a long-term build, so it would be almost a relief when they finally won it. Much like Gilmore's world title reign, and how Remo's was intended to be developed as well. [B][CENTER]Other Supreme Brand Thoughts[/CENTER][/B] Video promos are one thing I used rarely and I can't explain why. Some of the best-received angels I wrote were video promos. I intended to a series of regular video promos for the "Year of Money" through the early part of 2009. They would feature the nameless quartet of Money, Remo, Bruce the Giant, and Ace Newton in a variety of situations where Money points out how money they all are. I had a variety of different situations are already picked out - a high-class restaurant, an expensive spa, baseball spring training, a big sporting event (perhaps the "Mega" Bowl), and so on. They would be a chance for Money to be arrogant and money. Remo and Newton would be a bit competitive, with Remo showing a tendency to be randomly violent (as he has in the past). For Bruce, it would show how much he scares normal folks, but also add some humor at the difficultly he has in dealing with normal-sized items. The other three Four Kings would be involved in some of them, putting over the Newton really does care about his friends and the fact that Vessey and Valentine really do work well together. Plus having Ash Campbell take further stick would be fun all around. Another use for these vignettes would be to further play up how much Money has taught Newton, in the build-up to Newton eventually taking Money's world title. I had a number of ideas for Sean McFly and Jack Bruce, but nothing set in stone. One or both would end up moving to the Legends brand at some point. More likely McFly, as I like the idea of Bruce and his Show-Tourage feuding with some of the Gen-S babyfaces. Even if it meant using Bruce more as a personality and less as an in-ring talent. The other Bruce, the giant one, was intended from the beginning to be seen in the ring very rarely. An occasional tag partner for Remo and Money. Other than that, he's there for the intimidation factor. There was the possibility of building him into a bit of a sympathetic character and then having him turn face to feud with Money, but that would be a long way off. The Bumfholes would be constantly around the world title scene, yet neither would get a run with it until at least 2010. Same with Marc DuBois. I liked the idea of the Generation Supreme clique imploding sometime in the summer, with DuBois' little stable feuding with the Bumfholes and Team Neptune (Devine, Swoop, Jameson). The possibility of a brother-vs-brother feud down the road was likely as well, though far into the future. From the moment I first thought of putting them together as a team, Badd Kompany were intended to be build into one of the greatest tag teams in SWF history. So they would probably get 2nd run with the tag belts in 09, after losing them to The New Wave. Both would be eventual singles stars, with Deeley a definite future world champion in my mind. But that could be down the road. They were at C or C+ experience by the start of 09 and I figure I could have them at A* by late spring. Given that they are individually more talented than Guide and Scout, they could make a legit claim to being the best team in the world. A face turn was likely for them before too long. I could see a temporary split as Deeley somehow gets moved to the Legends brand - mainly because I think some of the matches he could have there would be epic. The combo of Marquez and Montero left me with a bit of a conundrum. They make a nice team, but they also have great value as singles workers. I had El Feurza in development for a long time and he was gradually becoming a solid worker, with the intent to debut him as the third member. The problem being that he has no US overness. And while I didn't really want to break the group up, the temptation to have Montero move to the Legends brand and become a centerpiece of the Sky Club Division was awfully strong. Maybe move both and have them take over the Sky Club Division as a whole? Revolutionary. I did have plans to put together a women's division on the Supreme brand eventually, but the idea kept getting pushed back. I was toying with the idea of building up a couple of feuds on the Supreme brand and eventually making it into a separate brand with its own show, converting the Generation Supreme B show into the women's show. That would have been way down the line, however. That's all I can think of at the moment for the Supreme brand. I will post the write-up for the Legends brand sometime in the next few days. I do not mind answering questions, so if anyone is curious on a specific issue, ask away.

[Phantom Stranger]

"Rommel, you magnificent bastard! I read your book!"

[Lo-Drew]

That whole ace becoming champ would have be epic. Although i've been on this board for maybe two weeks, I've read all of this thread and it is the best SWF thread i've even read. Good luck on future plans and let this diary live on!

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Phantom Stranger;722127]"Rommel, you magnificent bastard! I read your book!"[/QUOTE] I'm guessing you use Tropes as well? The character templates are a nice tool for developing a character for given workers. I tried to do so from scratch off the start and found the results inconsistent. I also tried to avoid using real world bases too much. As I've said a few times, I did not want to make Rich Money to be Ted DiBiase, which makes for such a natural characterization for him. [QUOTE=Lo-Drew;722144]That whole ace becoming champ would have be epic. Although i've been on this board for maybe two weeks, I've read all of this thread and it is the best SWF thread i've even read. Good luck on future plans and let this diary live on![/QUOTE] Thanks. I was hoping that Ace ending The Beautiful would manage to swerve readers a bit, but work very well at the same time. I intended from the very beginning for Ace to be the most pushed young star, as the talent is there from the start and he only got better. Though they didn't do much through that first year, the intent was to have the Four Kings be my Four Horsemen - four talented guys who stick together long-term. Don't know if I could have managed to get Ash Campbell to the point where he wasn't the obviously weak one of the group, but I figured it would be fun. Even with the huge post about just the Supreme brand, I still managed to forget some stuff... Thanks for the taking the time to read. Its great to know this is still enjoyed. Hoping to have the Legends Brand portion done in a day or two. Got far less done this weekend than intended. Hopefully are enjoying knowing where things were headed. As I said, feel free to ask questions as well.

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;723167]I'm guessing you use Tropes as well?[/QUOTE] I read there, but I wouldn't say I use it much. On the other hand, the quote I know from Patton itself.

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Phantom Stranger;723168]I read there, but I wouldn't say I use it much. On the other hand, the quote I know from Patton itself.[/QUOTE] All the more impressive, good sir.

[ampulator]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;723167]I'm guessing you use Tropes as well? The character templates are a nice tool for developing a character for given workers. I tried to do so from scratch off the start and found the results inconsistent. I also tried to avoid using real world bases too much. As I've said a few times, I did not want to make Rich Money to be Ted DiBiase, which makes for such a natural characterization for him. Thanks. I was hoping that Ace ending The Beautiful would manage to swerve readers a bit, but work very well at the same time. I intended from the very beginning for Ace to be the most pushed young star, as the talent is there from the start and he only got better. Though they didn't do much through that first year, the intent was to have the Four Kings be my Four Horsemen - four talented guys who stick together long-term. Don't know if I could have managed to get Ash Campbell to the point where he wasn't the obviously weak one of the group, but I figured it would be fun. Even with the huge post about just the Supreme brand, I still managed to forget some stuff... Thanks for the taking the time to read. Its great to know this is still enjoyed. Hoping to have the Legends Brand portion done in a day or two. Got far less done this weekend than intended. Hopefully are enjoying knowing where things were headed. As I said, feel free to ask questions as well.[/QUOTE] You know, I think Ted Dibiase is another natural characterization for him as well, but I think "tough heel" doesn't really fit Rich Money all that well. Since you avoided making him like Dibiase, I think I can do that now. ;)

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=ampulator;723209]You know, I think Ted Dibiase is another natural characterization for him as well, but I think "tough heel" doesn't really fit Rich Money all that well. Since you avoided making him like Dibiase, I think I can do that now. ;)[/QUOTE] I looked through wrestling history to look at different characters for some of my main workers, especially the heels. From Buddy Rogers on down. I tried taking certain elements from certain "real" workers and applying them. DiBiase is a very direct and easy model to use for Money. From the focus on wealth and status to the use of an "insurance policy", its a fairly natural fit. I did end up having some elements in common, but I intentionally kept things away from being too overt.

[ampulator]

The main reason why I'm doing it is because it's not exactly wrong to do so; after all, his name says RICH MONEY. ;)

[Tigerkinney]

[quote=Bigpapa42;723167] I was hoping that Ace ending The Beautiful would manage to swerve readers a bit, but work very well at the same time. I intended from the very beginning for Ace to be the most pushed young star, as the talent is there from the start and he only got better. Though they didn't do much through that first year, the intent was to have the Four Kings be my Four Horsemen - four talented guys who stick together long-term. Don't know if I could have managed to get Ash Campbell to the point where he wasn't the obviously weak one of the group, but I figured it would be fun. Even with the huge post about just the Supreme brand, I still managed to forget some stuff... [/quote] I'll be honest here, ever since Ace earned that title shot, I had an inkling he might end up cashing it on Rich Money, just felt that was where the story would end up heading. Interesting that you intended the Four Kings to end up like a Horsemen like stable. I guess Newton would be the Flair, Vessey/Valentine would be the Andersons, but yeah Ash Campbell...why ? There were plenty of better options from the indy circuit you could have picked up. I personally would have gone for Kirk Jameson to complete the stable instead of Campbell.

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Tigerkinney;723450]I'll be honest here, ever since Ace earned that title shot, I had an inkling he might end up cashing it on Rich Money, just felt that was where the story would end up heading. Interesting that you intended the Four Kings to end up like a Horsemen like stable. I guess Newton would be the Flair, Vessey/Valentine would be the Andersons, but yeah Ash Campbell...why ? There were plenty of better options from the indy circuit you could have picked up. I personally would have gone for Kirk Jameson to complete the stable instead of Campbell.[/QUOTE] Yeah, the Sure Shot kinda made it foreseeable. I tried to come up with a different way than the "Money in the Bank" type deal being cashed in, but anything else I came up with either lost the immediacy of the surprise or felt weak. Which is part of the reason I was going to have Newton stalking Faith on the Legends show and the tensions between Money and Remo - to throw off the scent a bit, hopefully. The Kings were intended to be like the Horsemen in terms of the nature of the group more than the make up. Newton was based a bit on Flair, more in terms of talent and so on than the "Nature Boy" characterization. The Vessey/Valentine combo could be seen as the Anderson's. But Ash Campbell was never intended to try to be Tully Blanchard. The group was intended to be a constant group of elite (or at least near-elite) talent who are good enough to do well on their own, but who work together to become far more dangerous. The group itself was meant to be relatively constant - no membership changes and no in-fighting. What I wanted to capture was the constant nature of the early Horsemen and the overt "we're better than you" elitism. It was going to be a bit before they really reached that point, but that's where they were headed. Why Campbell? Just felt right, I guess. I liked the idea of it being someone a bit less talented and serious - to fit the "joker" idea. Having the fourth be a slightly lesser talent. While this goes a bit against the "elite" idea of the group, but I think it also gives it a bit different dynamic than the Horsemen, Evolution, etc. I also liked it being someone second generation, like Vessey and Valentine. Perhaps most important was being of a similar age to the rest of the Kings. You are correct in that there were plenty of other options. Someone like Jameson or Steven Parker would have worked well. For 2nd generation talent, Jay Chord or Gino Montero could have been used once they became available. The issue I had with someone like those is that they all had the potential to be on a similar level to Newton, whereas Campbell never will. Having that fourth be someone who will eventually be a true star in their own right gave it an element of Evolution that I didn't really want. Another possibility I considered was a bigger enforcer type, with Primus Allen and Des Davids being possibilities there. If I was to do the stable over again, would I still use Campbell? Probably. I just like him for the spot. I also like that he's disliked by readers - adds a bit of an extra element, in my mind. I think i would debut the group a bit later and leave Campbell in development longer. He's actually developed decently since, as he jobbed a lot in dark matches and such, but he was still a full step behind Valentine and Vessey.

[Self]

Very interesting reads.