Jump to content

Development, and Free Agent Hirings


Recommended Posts

I believe I may have asked this in the small questions thread before, but to add on to it, how often do you hire free agents, and when? For example every 2-3 months, or every month or something of the sort.. Of course, I suppose it's relative to the size of your promotion..

 

As I am currently in my WWE game, and have superstars from development come up every 3 months, and hire free agents to the full-roster between 3-6 months, depending how dire the roster is.. (running WWE, not very.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to sign all the prospects and grab anybody I could in the hope it'd hurt other promotion, but now I've calmed down a bit. I find it best to work with the roster I've got, and will only sign someone if there is a whole in my roster.

 

Playing as SWF I've realised that I used to just sign people, sometimes even when they debut. So in 2013 I've made sure that I'm only picking up people if they are getting those hot prospect notes or are putting on solid matches consistently on the indies, or if they have something specific about them.

 

In the past with big companies I've signed everyone who I know comes good - Keith, Gauge, Parker etc. but that is boring to me know, so I start each game with no pre-conceived notions and if I want to sign somebody I'll filter and find people who fit and then look at there match history, it make the game more fun for me because while I could get everyone, bung them in development, or even just have them stuck straight on TV and mega pushed, it more rewarding to sign people, like in real life, if they specifically stand out.

 

I also am struggling with SWF to get everybody on TV so in the past I would've kept signing people, but now people will only debut on the main roster if there is a space, be it if workers leave or if I get a B show (not sure I want one :D). I've also decided that I'm going to give little trial runs in developmental, where I sign people to initial short term-ish deals and see if they have potential (thanks to the new develment report) which makes it more life like in away. So I sign free agents when needed, if here is a spot - or if 'I have been impressed with their work'/'see something in them'. It adds a good challenge I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sign my favorites, as soon as they become available. Once I get to Cult and roll out a development promotion, I go on a massive signing spree which, depending on the size of the dataset, might require me to open a second development promotion.

 

It should be noted that, no matter what the dataset, my choice of worker is a lot more limited than it is for most. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I basically just sign pretty much who I want, when I want. I'm terrible for that. My rosters never ever stay the 'correct' size. Really I just prefer to be freeform though. If there's no one I want? Well I'm not going to sign someone or bring someone new in just for the sake of it, I'll make do with what I have. Occasionally I outright stop myself from doing so because I know that there won't be room for the new signing - kind've a case of them being shiny and me liking them, but also knowing that they'll just start to rust if I actually signed them.

 

It's probably the reason I tend to have lots of stables... easier to give people screen time if they're in a group.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sign my favorites, as soon as they become available. Once I get to Cult and roll out a development promotion, I go on a massive signing spree which, depending on the size of the dataset, might require me to open a second development promotion.

 

It should be noted that, no matter what the dataset, my choice of worker is a lot more limited than it is for most. :)

 

Remi about where do u find the second developmental territory necessary? I've got about 20 guys in developmental which I thought was a bunch, but they've hired some new guys on their own so I guess they can use more?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Usually either when I need someone to fill a gap, like I want to make someone a new tag partner or have a new title contender without using someone I already have. Or if I'm bolstering a title division. Unless we're going on development signings, because I've had games where I signed like half the young force of the game just to fill out development.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remi about where do u find the second developmental territory necessary? I've got about 20 guys in developmental which I thought was a bunch, but they've hired some new guys on their own so I guess they can use more?

 

If they're signing in-ring workers on their own, it means they need more (either due to the owner's roster size preference or a genuine need). I keep an eye on the promotion's shows and if they're not using their main eventers and upper midcarders on every show, it means they have too many people. That's when I open up (or otherwise acquire) another promotion. For example, I've been trying to get some of the other women's promotions to become dev promotions. Why? Because my primary dev promotion is, well, just look:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/Kension/Misc/PWCtour.jpg

 

59 in-ring workers. 59! At SMALL. Running one show a week. I need to cut that at least in half but I need somewhere to send those workers. And since I hate how random it is for owner choice when I open a promotion of my own, I'd prefer to take over an existing promotion. Sure, I lucked out with PWC (Bret Hart is owner, Bill Behrens is head booker) but I don't think I'd be that lucky again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I essentially do what everyone else has already said. First though I fire everyone I'm not going to use or I send them to development if they're young and talented enough. This years version makes it tough though due to the added emphasis on morale. I still have guys like Mark Henry that I keep around because firing him would piss off half the roster. I'm just keeping him around to job to guys I want to push then I'm letting him go when his contract expires.

 

I also used to raid rival promotions for talent out of spite, but I've come to realize how nearsighted that is. Now I try to build from within, I hire young guys, guys that I like (Chuck Taylor to name one), guys that are not too old and still have name value (John Morrison).

 

I'm trying to weed out old workers and either cut them or turn them into road agents/ trainers while going on a bit of a youth movement. I'd like to have a roster that I could keep exactly the same for five years and be fine.

 

I also have a brand devoted to divas, but that's a completely different hiring method. Still very meticulous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to have a roster that I could keep exactly the same for five years and be fine.

 

I'd like world peace and an end to world hunger, both of which are more likely to happen than that (for me, at least). I love turnover too much. Eventually I get tired of certain workers and either send them to development or toss them into the 'preshow superstar pile' (yes, that's what I call it). In past years, I might cut them but that's impossible for me now since I sign everyone to 10 year deals. Costs too much. :) Besides, Richard's Rule of Ownership being what it is (if you throw it away, you'll need it the next day), I can't afford it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like world peace and an end to world hunger, both of which are more likely to happen than that (for me, at least). I love turnover too much. Eventually I get tired of certain workers and either send them to development or toss them into the 'preshow superstar pile' (yes, that's what I call it). In past years, I might cut them but that's impossible for me now since I sign everyone to 10 year deals. Costs too much. :) Besides, Richard's Rule of Ownership being what it is (if you throw it away, you'll need it the next day), I can't afford it.

 

Oh yeah, I love hiring people too much too. The idea is theoretical in that I'd like a young enough roster that will last me five years, but I don't intend on actually going through with it. It's just an unattainable end to my youth movement.

 

I also don't sign anyone past three years. Ten will most certainly bite you on the ass. Just ask the Yankeees. I offered Gail Kim five once because I was trying to lure her away from TNA back into WWE but she rejected... not that I blame her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I signed almost 30 guys into development in my WCW lives 2001 mod, playing as WCW. Only Daniel Bryan and Punk got 10 year deals, the others, including John Cena, got 3 year deals. From those almost 30 guys I have so far promoted Punk, Bryan and Chris Daniels (Billed as CM Venom, doing "The Chick Magnets" Tag Team with Punk). Low-Ki and Sonjay Dutt are already asking to be promoted, but they will wait. I tend to like bloated rosters, the same goes with my dev territories, but I like money much more, so I tend to slow down on my signing sprees just in time to maintain myself profitable.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the time I abandon a game it's due to a bloated roster, which usually comes from me signing too many people at game start.

 

I absolutely hate signing people to development only to find out they are hardly going to improve there so I generally give a ton of guys 3 month contracts and by the end of the 3 months the best prospects get long term deals. It also helps out the game world by giving a lot of young guys a place to wrestle and get over for a few months so they are worth more when they come back out regardless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my problems properly getting into RW games in the past, is that it's too easy to sign all the "future" stars to WWFE/WCW and it kinda ruins it for me. Current RW/CornellVerse is much better/simpler in that sense as there's no precedent - I can do whatever I want :p
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I absolutely hate signing people to development only to find out they are hardly going to improve there so I generally give a ton of guys 3 month contracts and by the end of the 3 months the best prospects get long term deals. It also helps out the game world by giving a lot of young guys a place to wrestle and get over for a few months so they are worth more when they come back out regardless.

 

This is a good technique to use to build up the wrestling world with better workers. Even if you don't use everyone sign them for a year let them grow and send those improved workers out in the indies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my problems properly getting into RW games in the past, is that it's too easy to sign all the "future" stars to WWFE/WCW and it kinda ruins it for me. Current RW/CornellVerse is much better/simpler in that sense as there's no precedent - I can do whatever I want :p

 

But those future "stars" still need to be made. The Prototype didn't just become John Cena. Brock Lesnar was simply an NCAA wrestling champion. Kurt Angle was an Olympic Gold medalist. Who remembers Leviathan? Why not? They needed to be MADE into wrestling stars. Do I need to point out Rocky Maivia? Or Stunning Steve Austin (who was fired via fax)? What happens if Russo actually cared enough to write a promo for Austin, rather than letting him go out and freestyle it? Austin 3:16 would've never happened. The challenge or fun (for some) is taking those workers and making them differently from how they were before. By having Dwayne Johnson start as The Rock instead of weathering the Rocky Maivia phase. By pushing Jericho, Guerrero, Benoit, etc instead of having them languish at the bottom (or middle) of the card. Hindsight being 20/20, there's a lot that could be done differently to get to the same eventual point.

 

Remember Brent Albright, who was supposed to be WWE's future superstar during his time at OVW? Or Seth Skyfire? Why didn't that happen?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...