How Do You Book Shows

[supershot]

Id like to what your guys' format is to booking shows. What I normally to with a promotion I started is start off with a tag match or something involving openers. Towards the middle I tend to have a good match/angle to get my crowd back up. Then finish with the main event and the pre-main event doing all-out matches. I also tend to have about 3 angles per show.

 

Id like to know what I could do better, and what you guys do.

[Remianen]

So my shows might look like this:

 

Opening - low card title match (all out)

2 - lower mids (work)

3 - midcard (work)

4 - midcard title (all out)

5 - tag team (work)

6 - tag team #1 contender (work)

7 - tag team title (all out)

8 - mid/upper mid (work)

9 - upper mid (work)

10 - upper mid #1 contender/setup for such (work)

11 - upper mid title (all out)

12 - main eventer/upper mid (work)

13 - main eventer/main eventer (work)

14 - main event #1 contender/setup for such (work)

15 - main event title (all out)

 

(with angles interspersed between, of course)

 

Recent changes I've made due to using dark time for low card worker development is I open my shows now with a kind of "You, me, right now" type challenge, followed by the match for TV shows. And yes, my shows are long. Being a stickler for worker development, I often "empty the bench" and use my whole (bloated) roster in some capacity much of the time.

[alden]

I tend to book my segments/matches that i know are going to be low in the middle of the show. I try to start with a three strong angles *one six, two five* then three upper level matches then three very strong angles *all six min* then my mid card matches, then one strong *six min angle, and two five min* then three strong main event agnles and one strong angle *7 to 10 min*.

[FINisher]

1. I book the matches, starting from the main event all the way down to the opener (Up in the booking screen obviously). Usually 4-5 matches in 1½h worth of television, in PPV's 6-7 matches. With a product that 60/40 and lets say 1½h (90min) TV show to book, I'll have a nice balance in 50/50 due to the +/-10 percent leeway and so thus I'll do the matches first first, total of 45 minutes. Let's say I book five matches: The opener should be the third best match, with main event being the best and the match before it the second best. Matches #2 and #3 should be the bathroombreak matches.

 

2. Now that I have the other 45min used in matches and the matches in order, I book the angles. All ranging from 6-10minutes, I put one or two angles between the matches. Usually the longer angles in the end of the show. This is my usual setup but to be honest it varies depending on the storylines. Sometimes I do just one angle between matches, sometimes two. Ehh.

 

Angle to open the show(8min maybe)

Match (Third best match)

Angle (6min)

(Angle (6min))

Match (the worst match)

 

...

 

Match (Second best match)

Angle (~8min)

Main event (Best match obviously)

Long angle to end the show (8+ min)

 

 

This is the layout in the last TV show I booked.

 

Long angle, A

Match, C

Angle, B

Match, C

Angle, C

Angle, A

Match, B-

Angle, A

Angle, D+ (Under 5minutes)

Match, B

Long Angle, A*

 

Overall Grade: B-

 

Granted, now that I look at it, a B- or a better instead of that short D+ in the end would have raised the crowd mood and maybe helped that main event to get B+ and thus the overall grade would have been better. That D+ was completely for storyline/diary purposes though.

[supershot]

Do you really use 15 matches per show? I use 6ish and that takes up my whole show (1hr 30min). with about 20 mins being angles.

[Self]

Here's my formula for the tv show for my diary (90 min, 50/50 ratio) which I feel would be a pretty fun and balanced show to go watch. First I decide the matches...

 

1 x Tag Match

1 x Women's Match

1 x Pure Squash Match

2 x Competitive Matches

 

One of these would be Main Event calibre, and sometimes the categories would merge. Like the Tag match would also be the Women's match, freeing up a slot for something wacky. Then I arrange them as such...

 

ANGLE

3rd Best Match

ANGLE

ANGLE

5th Best Match

ANGLE

4th Best Match

ANGLE

2nd Best Match

ANGLE

ANGLE

Best Match

 

That's a rough guide. I'm a slave to story in my diary so things often don't quite fit that way.

[Remianen]

My TV shows are 3hrs long. With a match ratio of 80%, get the number of matches I want in on every show. Keep in mind, I scale the length of the matches by their importance (and by the skills of the workers involved). Low card matches rarely exceed 6 mins, midcard 10 mins, upper mid 15, and main events can go as long as I feel is needed to tell the story (typically 20-25 mins).

[Phantom Stranger]

Layout shifts according to whether it's TV, a PPV, or some other event.

 

But I'll tend to figure things out in terms of:

 

1) Which of the big names get featured on this show?

 

2) What are their matches?

 

3) What are the rest of the matches?

 

4) What angles need to happen before one of these matches/to set up future events/build story?

 

On an hour's TV show there's not much room for anything else. Otherwise:

 

5) I've got free time. Who needs time to develop?

[Vladamire Dracos]

For me, my "generic show formula" is thus:

 

1 or 2 Dark Matches

Angle (Intro)

1: Midcard tag match (all out)(starting out hot)

2: Lower/Midcard single or tag match (work)

3: Lower Midcard/Midcard single or tag match (work)(using my slower guys now so they don't draw down the card where it's important)

4: Midcard/Midcard single (all out)(to offset the effects of those previous two matches, might be a Midcard title match)

Angle (I like to think of this as intermission, since I'm an indy fan)

5: Main Eventer/Main Eventer tag match (all out)(starting out hot again in case the angle doesn't go over as well as I expect)

6: Midcard/Upper Midcard Single or tag match (work)

7: Upper Midcard/Upper Midcard single or tag match (work)

8: Main Eventer/Upper Midcard single (all out)(might be a rubber match; I might replace it with a tag team or secondary title match)

Angle (Build up for next event maybe)

9: Main Eventer/Main Eventer single (all out)(The Main Event)

Then maybe an angle to exit the show

 

I might add in more angles between matches 2-3 and 6-7 depending on the product I'm working with. I might also shorten it to shoehorn it into less time/number of matches if required by a TV show (or bump the lower card matches into Dark Time and, say, run everything that comes after my "intermission" on the show).

[Rathen4]

I stick almost religiously to six/seven parts to each show.

 

I generally book 3/4 matches, and then have two longish angles.

 

Read my diary for how it turns out

 

Hooray cheap plug

[supershot]

 

Read my diary for how it turns out

 

Hooray cheap plug

 

Lol

 

Whats with everyone using the 3rd best match as the opener? Is there a special thing that that does? I notice that quiet a few people do this.

[Jaded]

Lol

 

Whats with everyone using the 3rd best match as the opener? Is there a special thing that that does? I notice that quiet a few people do this.

 

It's generally accepted that the main event, semi-main event, and opener have the most weighting towards your final show grade.

[Self]

When I go to wresting shows, I don't want the first thing I see to be boring or poorly executed. It's like the first 5 minutes of a movie or TV show, it has to grab you. Now the finale, the last 2 matches, are the most important. It's what most people will remember as they walk out of the arena, but if you don't start out strong, it can lead to a serious lack of interest.

 

I rarely book with the game mechanics in mind. I just do what I think would be a good wrestling show to go to or watch on TV.

[Vladamire Dracos]

When I go to wresting shows, I don't want the first thing I see to be boring or poorly executed. It's like the first 5 minutes of a movie or TV show, it has to grab you. Now the finale, the last 2 matches, are the most important. It's what most people will remember as they walk out of the arena, but if you don't start out strong, it can lead to a serious lack of interest.

 

I rarely book with the game mechanics in mind. I just do what I think would be a good wrestling show to go to or watch on TV.

 

Spot on. I borrow from the Don Owens/Buddy Rose method of booking, start out strong, slow things down a bit, then build to the climax in the main event. You want the crowd hot, but not burn out before your main event.

[alden]

Segment *5 min* The Darkness

Segment *5 min* Champagne Lover vs Eric Eisen vs remo

Segment *5 min* The bumfholes vs warriors of the deep vs Sexual Agression

Match Angry Gilmore vs eric tyler

Match marc dubois vs enforcer Roberts

Match Runaway Train vs enigma

Match brandon james vs Frederique Antonio garcia

Segment *6 min* meanace with remo

Segment *6 min* meanace with Vengence

Segment *6 min* entertainment with Christian faith

Segment *6 min* entertainment with jack bruce

Match the bumfholes vs D.A.V.E.

Match rich money vs jack giedroyce

Match hell monkey vs steve flash

Segment *5 min* Rich Money vs Steve Frehley

Segment *6 min* Christian Faith vs brandon james

Segment *6 min* Jack Bruce vs Enforcer Roberts *set up*

Match vengeance vs steve frehley

Match champagne lover vs eric eisen

Match remo vs squeaky mncclean

Match christian faith vs joe sexy

Match jack bruce vs lobster warrior

Segment *6 min* jack bruce entertainment

 

That is an example of my last swf tv show *my A show* all matches are ten min except for the middle matches which are 8 each and usally squash matches

[Zero]

Angle

Angle

Match

Angle

Match

Match

Angle

Angle

Match

Angle

Match

Match

Angle

Angle

Angle

Match

Angle

Match

 

for a two hour show basically

[C0NTR4l34ND]

How would you book a 1 hour show?

 

I'm using the NPR mod.. and say you're booking for something like IGF... hour long shows and people who have a hard time drawing...

 

I don't for the life of me understand why no one has written a gamefaqs strategy guide for booking for this game yet... because I just can't figure it out.

 

I book stuff I think would be good in real life and then the event ends up like a D rating.

[alden]

that is the problem to be honest. The game can't simulate how the real world would book. You have certain things you have to do in the game to get a good raiting. for instance if you are a promtoion that is rated more on popularity and you are a small company you are going to have a hard time. But also remember as long as you are gaining popularity that is all that matters. a d might be a good grade for your promotion.

[Remianen]

How would you book a 1 hour show?

 

I'm using the NPR mod.. and say you're booking for something like IGF... hour long shows and people who have a hard time drawing...

 

I don't for the life of me understand why no one has written a gamefaqs strategy guide for booking for this game yet... because I just can't figure it out.

 

I book stuff I think would be good in real life and then the event ends up like a D rating.

 

I'm sorry, but this entire forum is a 'gamefaqs strategy guide'. Stop trying to judge your promotion on an absolute scale. D isn't bad if you're a mom & pop backyard wrasslin' promotion (in fact, D would be 'match of the year' for a promotion that size). Read the help file (the whole thing, beginning to end), read this forum and see how different people do it. Read the diaries forum and see how other people do it. Do you see people there despairing because their Small promotion got a D graded show?

 

If you want someone to tell you exactly how to produce an A* match at Local with nobodies, well, I dunno what to tell you (besides 'it's not gonna happen'). Without pointing out that 'what you think would be good in real life' is immaterial (you're not grading the cards, your fans are. If you're not booking to your product's strengths, you're going to fail. Miserably. ), think about that for a second. There are people here who would rate any WWE card as the best ever. Does that make it so? Why or why not?

[C0NTR4l34ND]

I'm sorry, but this entire forum is a 'gamefaqs strategy guide'. Stop trying to judge your promotion on an absolute scale. D isn't bad if you're a mom & pop backyard wrasslin' promotion (in fact, D would be 'match of the year' for a promotion that size). Read the help file (the whole thing, beginning to end), read this forum and see how different people do it. Read the diaries forum and see how other people do it. Do you see people there despairing because their Small promotion got a D graded show?

 

If you want someone to tell you exactly how to produce an A* match at Local with nobodies, well, I dunno what to tell you (besides 'it's not gonna happen'). Without pointing out that 'what you think would be good in real life' is immaterial (you're not grading the cards, your fans are. If you're not booking to your product's strengths, you're going to fail. Miserably. ), think about that for a second. There are people here who would rate any WWE card as the best ever. Does that make it so? Why or why not?

 

Why is it that when I leave the promotion and the computer takes over the booking they get all B grade cards? The reason I was looking for a strategy guide was so I could understand the booking notes and whatnot, compiled in one location rather than having to search through posts.

[alden]

well for one how big is your promotion? is it small......cult.....what? What is the product for your promotion........what notes are you getting after the show is over. are you using the correct match/angle ratio? are you putting bad angles longer then six minutes?

[CQI13]

I try to stick to 3 matches per hour for a show. If one is really short, I'll throw in a fourth (Obviously I follow the guidelines as far as match/angle ration). But overall, I book depending on what I'm doing. Especially starting out, I don't have a bunch of people who can get great matches together AND fit in a story. I won't book something just for the ratings. I tend to finish the show with an angle I guess, simply because to me that seems logical.