Booking USPW

[kingdracon]

I know this thread may be dead, but here goes:

All the booking advice here says, "Use Sam Strong in every angle!" As JK Stallings, I was the owner of MAW and, shockingly, was allowed to take over USPW when Strong died.

Is my only angle option something menace-based with Baine and T-Rex?

I don't book this type of company and have no clue what I'm doing. We'll see how this goes.

Advice would be lovely.

[LiquidSwords]

I noticed that USPW started doing well and they were getting regular B show ratings when I dropped the match ratio to 40%. I also changed Sam Strong's role to personality. I ran a few test games and USPW was very close with TCW in show ratings. In some games they had a few B+ shows and knocked TCW to cult.

 

I also created my own angles and only used my most over workers. I slowly built up some of the younger workers by including them in some of the angles.

 

The main thing early on is to use your most over workers and use their strengths.

[kingdracon]

My problem isn't the matches--I'm reliably getting B- and B main events--but the angles. With Strong dead, no one can go on the mic.

[Bigpapa42]

My problem isn't the matches--I'm reliably getting B- and B main events--but the angles. With Strong dead, no one can go on the mic.

 

Enygma, James Justice, and Nicky Champion should all do okay on the stick. They don't have amazing entertainment skills but decent and when combined with good overness... But don't limit your talent to the mic. Guys with great Menace can deliver strong in Menace-based angles...

[kingdracon]

Enygma, James Justice, and Nicky Champion should all do okay on the stick. They don't have amazing entertainment skills but decent and when combined with good overness... But don't limit your talent to the mic. Guys with great Menace can deliver strong in Menace-based angles...

 

Yeah. My only A-rated segment so far was a menace angle...any tips for younger guys who can make USPW better? I hired Greg Black and plan to build him a little as Greg Bling...most of the usual suspects from the indies don't "fit" USPW, and I care a lot about staying true to the spirit of the product.

 

Thanks, by the way! I appreciate you taking the time to give someone like me (who literally only plays TCW and knows no one else well) advice.

[Bigpapa42]

Yeah. My only A-rated segment so far was a menace angle...any tips for younger guys who can make USPW better? I hired Greg Black and plan to build him a little as Greg Bling...most of the usual suspects from the indies don't "fit" USPW, and I care a lot about staying true to the spirit of the product.

 

Thanks, by the way! I appreciate you taking the time to give someone like me (who literally only plays TCW and knows no one else well) advice.

 

No problem. I won't claim any expertise on USPW and I haven't run them at all on 2013. But in many aspects, they are similar to the SWF.

 

One of your biggest problems is that you are running a popularity-based promotion and there just isn't that much popularity to be had on the indy scene. It means they aren't quick fixes. Bringing in Davis Wayne Newton or Remmy Skye or even the Keith twins still means you have some work ahead of you. And giving one of them a monster push means you have to sacrifice someone else's overness. So look for guys that have left the SWF or TCW. Even if they are coming out of the midcard, they have solid value to you. Like Greg Black.

 

Beyond that, one approach would be signing 2-3 workers with good (B+ or better) Menace. Hell's Bouncer, Anders Thunder, etc. You can build them up fairly quickly without jobbing anyone important. Then once they have some build, you can job them to the midcard guys you want to move forward.

 

One other tip... don't ignore the ladies. You really only have to compete against NOTBPW when it comes to the women so you can secure some top level talent and not have to worry about them being stolen by Supreme or Total. Build them.

[kingdracon]

No problem. I won't claim any expertise on USPW and I haven't run them at all on 2013. But in many aspects, they are similar to the SWF.

 

One of your biggest problems is that you are running a popularity-based promotion and there just isn't that much popularity to be had on the indy scene. It means they aren't quick fixes. Bringing in Davis Wayne Newton or Remmy Skye or even the Keith twins still means you have some work ahead of you. And giving one of them a monster push means you have to sacrifice someone else's overness. So look for guys that have left the SWF or TCW. Even if they are coming out of the midcard, they have solid value to you. Like Greg Black.

 

Beyond that, one approach would be signing 2-3 workers with good (B+ or better) Menace. Hell's Bouncer, Anders Thunder, etc. You can build them up fairly quickly without jobbing anyone important. Then once they have some build, you can job them to the midcard guys you want to move forward.

 

One other tip... don't ignore the ladies. You really only have to compete against NOTBPW when it comes to the women so you can secure some top level talent and not have to worry about them being stolen by Supreme or Total. Build them.

 

I enjoy women's wrestling, so I look forward to the last part. I may just integrate the company and push Alicia Strong really hard...

As for the high menace people, what's a good way to build them? I've never run a long-term SWF game--would it be the same approach as building a rookie in TCW?

Thanks!

[Bigpapa42]

I enjoy women's wrestling, so I look forward to the last part. I may just integrate the company and push Alicia Strong really hard...

As for the high menace people, what's a good way to build them? I've never run a long-term SWF game--would it be the same approach as building a rookie in TCW?

Thanks!

 

The fastest way would be to combine strong angles with dominant wins in the ring. The effectiveness of squash match wins has been dialed down but it still works. Just be careful with who you have them go over because it can hurt the overness of whom they defeat.

 

A lot of direction you could go for the story. I would personally bring them as backup to a heel and have them target one particular worker. If Darryl Devine has turned heel and is targeting Nicky C's world title, have Devine bring them in as hired muscle. You probably don't want them just beating down Champion in Menace-based angles every week, so just have them showing up constantly, being Menacing but not always doing much else. How far you want to go with it depends on the endgame. You can probably make at least one of them main event workers... but don't think they really have the talent to be effective at that level.

[Boltinho]

This misses the point of the original post a bit - but if you really want to stick to 'pure' USPW style then you shouldn't be developing talent at all.

 

If they did that Devine wouldn't still be stuck down in the lower card.

 

To get new talent you need to either play favourites (Alicia, Nicky, Valentine, etc) or just sign big name castoffs.

 

Setting yourself a rule of 'cant sign anyone less than X popularity in the USA' might counterbalance the easiness of USPWs product.

[kingdracon]

This misses the point of the original post a bit - but if you really want to stick to 'pure' USPW style then you shouldn't be developing talent at all.

 

If they did that Devine wouldn't still be stuck down in the lower card.

 

To get new talent you need to either play favourites (Alicia, Nicky, Valentine, etc) or just sign big name castoffs.

 

Setting yourself a rule of 'cant sign anyone less than X popularity in the USA' might counterbalance the easiness of USPWs product.

 

That makes a lot of sense. I very well might set a "no one less than 50 pop" rule.

I don't find the product so easy, though...there are only so many variations on menacing someone that T-Rex can do and only so many times Champion can enter elaborately.

Ah well. If worse comes to worse, I drop to cult and rebuild.

Thanks for the advice!

[Boltinho]

That makes a lot of sense. I very well might set a "no one less than 50 pop" rule.

I don't find the product so easy, though...there are only so many variations on menacing someone that T-Rex can do and only so many times Champion can enter elaborately.

Ah well. If worse comes to worse, I drop to cult and rebuild.

Thanks for the advice!

 

You're right. It is the same thing over and over and over again. And USPW fans love that. They dont want interesting stories or cutting edge action - they want simple scenarios where the kids can cheer for the right person and everyone knows exactly whats going on. Yuk.

 

Good luck with the game

[dpoolez]

I think it was already said, but IMO the key to booking USPW is to utilize angles and play to your wrestler's strengths. I dont think it's cheap or cheating at all to have guys like Baine, T-Rex, Novak, etc. use their menace to help get the highest rating possible.

 

From what I've experienced playing so far, using Baine's menace and James Justice's overness, I built up James Justice to popularity in the late 80's and early 90's.

 

I've also built my user avatar's popularity from just 10 pop in the tri-state IIRC to around the 50's across the US. I did the same thing with Gorgon, raising her pop from the mid 30's to the 50's. I put those two in non-rated roles in skit segments with one of my most over workers and two menacing workers.

 

As for shows, we're a few shows away from National and I've been getting B-B+ rated shows. TCW fell to Cult and I took some of their midcarders and i should catch up to the SWF in pop if things go right.

[Makhai]

The thing people struggle with is that they want to book these promotions their way, which is usually with in-ring ability being the most important thing... Here, that is the road to ruin. This is a Saturday morning kids show. They don't know any better. Just want recognizable faces that can keep them entertained for 90mins. If you want to change your product do it very, very slowly. But ultimately, if you want to do something different, my advice is to pick a different company. Or do it on the back of your Women's division.

[kingdracon]

I think it was already said, but IMO the key to booking USPW is to utilize angles and play to your wrestler's strengths. I dont think it's cheap or cheating at all to have guys like Baine, T-Rex, Novak, etc. use their menace to help get the highest rating possible.

 

From what I've experienced playing so far, using Baine's menace and James Justice's overness, I built up James Justice to popularity in the late 80's and early 90's.

 

I've also built my user avatar's popularity from just 10 pop in the tri-state IIRC to around the 50's across the US. I did the same thing with Gorgon, raising her pop from the mid 30's to the 50's. I put those two in non-rated roles in skit segments with one of my most over workers and two menacing workers.

 

As for shows, we're a few shows away from National and I've been getting B-B+ rated shows. TCW fell to Cult and I took some of their midcarders and i should catch up to the SWF in pop if things go right.

 

I have yet to get a show higher than C+ (after 3 TV shows and a PPV). My highest-rated angle was an angle with T-Rex rated on Menace and Justice on overness, while my highest-rated match has been a B- (Nicky Champion countout win over Tyson Baine). I guess dropping to cult isn't the worst thing in the world, but how do I fix the bad shows?

[Dragonmack]

The biggest things towards getting good shows with pretty much all the entertainment based promotions ( CGC,SWF, and USPW) , especially on the TV Show, is to have a larger percentage of angles than matches ( I usually put it at 60\40 angle\match if I can) because while you have guys with overness, and guys with menace, rarely do they have guys that have overness and can go in the ring. So you want to load up on angles that will rate highly, then try and have your two best overness\ring talent guys go in the main event. The other key to all these high angles is to start putting the talent you want to push, that have the skills in the ring, but not the overness, in with all the guys that do have the overness so they can slowly build their overness up to. Its slower to do it in 2013 than it was in earlier versions, but it's still the tried and true method. You can also bring in high overness guys you dont want to keep, via talent trade and short term contracts and job them out to leech some overness.

 

It can take a few months of shows till you get some of the talent you want to use built through these methods, and placing them in storylines to build their heat also, but you will see the improvement in match quality rise and show grades begin to climb up.

 

short version

 

1. go with more angle time, abuse those who can give good to great angles.

2. Stick people who you want to build up in angles with the ones that have high overness

3. Your main event is your most important match and the only one you really want to try and get a good grade out of , especially early on.

[kingdracon]

The biggest things towards getting good shows with pretty much all the entertainment based promotions ( CGC,SWF, and USPW) , especially on the TV Show, is to have a larger percentage of angles than matches ( I usually put it at 60\40 angle\match if I can) because while you have guys with overness, and guys with menace, rarely do they have guys that have overness and can go in the ring. So you want to load up on angles that will rate highly, then try and have your two best overness\ring talent guys go in the main event. The other key to all these high angles is to start putting the talent you want to push, that have the skills in the ring, but not the overness, in with all the guys that do have the overness so they can slowly build their overness up to. Its slower to do it in 2013 than it was in earlier versions, but it's still the tried and true method. You can also bring in high overness guys you dont want to keep, via talent trade and short term contracts and job them out to leech some overness.

 

It can take a few months of shows till you get some of the talent you want to use built through these methods, and placing them in storylines to build their heat also, but you will see the improvement in match quality rise and show grades begin to climb up.

 

short version

 

1. go with more angle time, abuse those who can give good to great angles.

2. Stick people who you want to build up in angles with the ones that have high overness

3. Your main event is your most important match and the only one you really want to try and get a good grade out of , especially early on.

 

I went with a 50/50 split...I'll change to 60/40. I'm so unused to running a promotion like this, and so far every main event has been Enygma, Justice or Champion against Tyson Baine. All have been Bs or B-s. As TCW in 2006, I'm consistently getting As for Total Wrestling, and it's bothering me that I can't do it with USPW.

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it!

[Dragonmack]

I went with a 50/50 split...I'll change to 60/40. I'm so unused to running a promotion like this, and so far every main event has been Enygma, Justice or Champion against Tyson Baine. All have been Bs or B-s. As TCW in 2006, I'm consistently getting As for Total Wrestling, and it's bothering me that I can't do it with USPW.

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it!

 

You really can't compare TCW with USPW for a variety of reasons. TCW is rated on performance and popularity, and they have several outstanding ring performers, whereas USPW really doesn't.

 

USPW is all about overness, overness, and more overness. You will get good match grades out of average workers when they have very high overness ( B+ or better for main event level preferred) and combined with a hot storyline ( generally easiest to build by having the participants engage each other in several high rated angles to build up the heat.) The real godsends will be when you can match a good in ring worker with high overness and high momentum, which Nicky Champion can probably be, but in the end Overness and momentum are your key assets in USPW.

[kingdracon]

You really can't compare TCW with USPW for a variety of reasons. TCW is rated on performance and popularity, and they have several outstanding ring performers, whereas USPW really doesn't.

 

USPW is all about overness, overness, and more overness. You will get good match grades out of average workers when they have very high overness ( B+ or better for main event level preferred) and combined with a hot storyline ( generally easiest to build by having the participants engage each other in several high rated angles to build up the heat.) The real godsends will be when you can match a good in ring worker with high overness and high momentum, which Nicky Champion can probably be, but in the end Overness and momentum are your key assets in USPW.

 

Got it. Thanks! We'll see how it goes.

[Boltinho]

The thing people struggle with is that they want to book these promotions their way, which is usually with in-ring ability being the most important thing... Here, that is the road to ruin. This is a Saturday morning kids show. They don't know any better. Just want recognizable faces that can keep them entertained for 90mins. If you want to change your product do it very, very slowly. But ultimately, if you want to do something different, my advice is to pick a different company. Or do it on the back of your Women's division.

 

YES.

 

USPW are a fun company to play with but they are NOT any kind of edgy/raw/modern company. Ive lost track of the times Ive seen people try to book them as such.

 

If you want to book a company like that use PSW, CZCW or even SWF.

 

Don't even think of USPW as whether its right for kids. Think how a father would feel taking his kids to it. If it's in any way edgy then they just wouldn't go/watch. Fireballs in the face, hardcore matches, risque lady/chap stuff... None of this would fit the company.

 

Having said that - it's your game. Do what you want!

[dpoolez]

I have yet to get a show higher than C+ (after 3 TV shows and a PPV). My highest-rated angle was an angle with T-Rex rated on Menace and Justice on overness, while my highest-rated match has been a B- (Nicky Champion countout win over Tyson Baine). I guess dropping to cult isn't the worst thing in the world, but how do I fix the bad shows?

 

What I did is just assistant book most shows, booking double main events for my PPVs using USPW's typical main event. I got good matches out of them all, usually in the B- to B range. I think the main key to my success have been angles IMO. Having strong angles throughout the card should increase your overall score.

 

Another important factor are storylines. Storylines with a lot of heat add to matches as well.

[DaMegaFish]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Boltinho" data-cite="Boltinho" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="34901" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>YES. <p> </p><p> USPW are a fun company to play with but they are NOT any kind of edgy/raw/modern company. Ive lost track of the times Ive seen people try to book them as such.</p><p> </p><p> If you want to book a company like that use PSW, CZCW or even SWF. </p><p> </p><p> Don't even think of USPW as whether its right for kids. Think how a father would feel taking his kids to it. If it's in any way edgy then they just wouldn't go/watch. Fireballs in the face, hardcore matches, risque lady/chap stuff... None of this would fit the company.</p><p> </p><p> Having said that - it's your game. Do what you want! <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This is all fair unless you are trying to actually change the structure and style of the company.</p>

[Makhai]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Boltinho" data-cite="Boltinho" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="34901" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>YES. <p> </p><p> USPW are a fun company to play with but they are NOT any kind of edgy/raw/modern company. Ive lost track of the times Ive seen people try to book them as such.</p><p> </p><p> If you want to book a company like that use PSW, CZCW or even SWF. </p><p> </p><p> Don't even think of USPW as whether its right for kids. Think how a father would feel taking his kids to it. If it's in any way edgy then they just wouldn't go/watch. Fireballs in the face, hardcore matches, risque lady/chap stuff... None of this would fit the company.</p><p> </p><p> Having said that - it's your game. Do what you want! <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The way I see it 3 styles of wrestling that can get over 1. Sport(TCW) 2. Entertainment (USPW) 3. Sports Entertainment (SWF) All have big national companies you can have fun with. </p><p> </p><p> Stop trying to make USPW compete against other people, just cut out your niche, and let the other two motivate you. Go crazy. Kill somebody and have them comeback to life in as an angel to tilt the scales in your babyfaces direction. Have somebody come in from the rafters every show with a T-shirt gun. Have a character have lazer eyes that he needs to keep behind glasses or he'll blow out all of the lights. Have Gorgon lay eggs every week until one of them hatches into the Gobbly Gooker. Steal Big Smack Scott and have him wrestling the girls only to get pinned by the entire roster of ladies in hilarious fashion! Have a character uses Trading cards to summon awesome one-off characters from beneath the ring. (think of the merc potential) Have a character own a petting zoo and he comes out with a new pettable animal every show. Have all of your female characters contract a "strange communicable disease" and the entire lockerroom runs from them... including any male refs. (see dad COOTIES IS REAL!) Have Enigma go off TV for a couple months until women go missing one-by-one and then they comeback with strange devices on their necks asking where Nicky Champion is over-and-over in robotic voices. As long as at the end of the show Nicky Champion fells the evil badguy everybody is happy. 'Merica, truth justice, yada-yada. </p><p> </p><p> That's USPW, think back to when you were 10-12, what did you think was cool, make your product that. The TCW can have all of the awesome workers. You want to be Skylanders, not Dear Ester.</p>

[lotr13]

YES.

 

USPW are a fun company to play with but they are NOT any kind of edgy/raw/modern company. Ive lost track of the times Ive seen people try to book them as such.

 

If you want to book a company like that use PSW, CZCW or even SWF.

 

Don't even think of USPW as whether its right for kids. Think how a father would feel taking his kids to it. If it's in any way edgy then they just wouldn't go/watch. Fireballs in the face, hardcore matches, risque lady/chap stuff... None of this would fit the company.

 

Having said that - it's your game. Do what you want!

 

Isn't Tyson Baine throwing a fireball at Champion one of the default USPW storylines?

[Hashasheen]

Going to play a dynasty with USPW, wanted some thoughts on the following guys as future main eventers (like by 2014):

Steven Parker

Donnie Jackson

Ernest Youngman

Brandon Smith

 

Along with Nicky Champion and my user Avatar.

 

Also, I was hoping for some opinions on the existing main eventers. The Titans, Engyma, Chris Caulfield, James Justice, etc... How long should I keep them in their slots, based on existing stats? They worth keeping up there or should I be starting a gate-keeper movement?

[Boltinho]

Isn't Tyson Baine throwing a fireball at Champion one of the default USPW storylines?

 

Yeah I think so. Just shows I dont know what Im talking about - just my opinion.

 

Going to play a dynasty with USPW, wanted some thoughts on the following guys as future main eventers (like by 2014):

Steven Parker

Donnie Jackson

Ernest Youngman

Brandon Smith

 

Along with Nicky Champion and my user Avatar.

 

Also, I was hoping for some opinions on the existing main eventers. The Titans, Engyma, Chris Caulfield, James Justice, etc... How long should I keep them in their slots, based on existing stats? They worth keeping up there or should I be starting a gate-keeper movement?

 

Brandon Smith - yes. I love an ass-kicking face in USPW (Ekuma would be great too).

I'm not sold on the others TBH. They seem a bit serious for the company.