Diary Preview And Questions Thread

[arwink]

It's been a while since I've written up a game—and much longer since I did anything outside of a '97 dynasty—but I've been toying with this as a means of spending some time with the 2016 database ahead of the 2020 version coming out...

 

 

21CW: RULE BRITANNIA

 

OCTOBER 2015

 

 

There are two things that are surprisingly easy to forget about Jeff Nova, when you’re used to seeing him on screen. The first is his Scottish heritage, and the second is just how big the man is compared to the general public. The first is because he tones down the accent on-screen, a practice borne of years as a media personality long before he ever bought a wrestling company.

 

His size goes unnoticed by virtue of spending so much time around strong men and professional wrestlers, where his height and sculpted physique aren’t exactly out of the ordinary. Compared to some of the folks on his roster, Nova is practically diminutive…but out in the real world, among the folks in suits and the commuters heading for the tube, you start to notice the size of his massive hands and the muscles that bulk like cantaloupes beneath the skin of his arms and shoulder.

 

He arrived ten minutes late for our meeting, easing through the small Monmouth café with the practiced ease of a man who knows nobody really wants to get in his way. We shook hands and he sat, ordered a black coffee in a cup barely large enough to be a thimble. I was already on my second latte of the morning—good coffee is hard to find in London, when you’re used to Australian baristas.

 

Finally, when his drink arrived, we got down to brass tacks. “Tommy recommended we have a chat. He seems to think you can help us out…”

 

#

 

One thing leads to another in wrestling. Hell, it’s the foundation of our business: a heel takes a short-cut in a match to get the pinfall, a babyface fires up and goes looking for payback. A champion defeats his greatest rival, and a new challenger emerges like clockwork to become a greater threat.

 

When dastardly heels gang together to beat down a beloved babyface, a tag-team who needs the rub comes charging out to make the save. Eventually, that tag-team rises up the card and one of them takes the beloved babyface role. Things change, and people move on. That’s the way it’s meant to work.

 

The one thing you want to avoid, above all else, is putting your legacy stars up there to rub against the other legacy stars. If you’re not building for the future, you risk getting stale…and the fans will eventually voice their frustration in no uncertain terms.

 

#

 

One thing leads to another. A head booker runs out of steam, and a new one steps up to the role to refresh the produce and build anew.

 

“We’re adding another hour of TV every week,” Nova said. “Pit Bull was already feeling the strain, so he’s asked to tape out of the role. I know we only brought you aboard as an agent and mentor at the school, but Tommy swears you’ve got a knack for TV—”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said.

 

Nova grinned and took a sip of coffee. “How far would you go?”

 

“I spent a few months working for Vibert when he first took over DAVE. Worked production for Hollyweird, long before they became TCW. I didn’t have the book, but I was part of the team they set up to bolster Strong.” It was my turn to hide behind my coffee, give myself something to do while I pondered how I really want to play it. “All of that was a long time ago, Jeff. I’m not saying I can’t do the job, but it’s possible Tommy’s overstating what I bring to the table, you know?”

 

“You’ve got more experience than Pit Bull did, when he first took the book, and the old boy would still be around if you need some back-up or advice.”

 

I murmured into my coffee so Nova wouldn’t see my real reaction to that idea—I’ve got some pretty firm opinions about the way wrestling should be booked, and one of those involves the cardinal rule that your booker shouldn’t be on-air talent. Even if you’ve got the best intentions, it’s hard to avoid the temptation to protect your own spot at all costs.

 

Pit Bull did okay with it, but there were a handful of awkward choices—how many times did the Defence Force needs to make the save when Faust or the Cornell’s started a beat down? How many of our younger guys could benefit from rubbing up against the top tier like that?

 

“You’re thinking about it,” Nova said. “I can see the gears turning, back there.”

 

“I’m assuming it comes with a pay rise,” I said.

 

“And an office, if you want it.” Nova broke out a broad, cheerful grin. “Do you want it, Jack?”

 

One thing leads to another. Always has, always does.

 

“Sure.” I reached across the table to shake Nova’s hand. “I can handle things until I can’t, or until you find somebody better.”

 

One thing leads to another. It’s how we always end up in trouble.

 

There are two things that are surprisingly easy to forget about Jeff Nova, when you’re used to seeing him on screen. The first is his Scottish heritage, and the second is just how big the man is compared to the general public. The first is because he tones down the accent on-screen, a practice borne of years as a media personality long before he ever bought a wrestling company.

 

His size goes unnoticed by virtue of spending so much time around strong men and professional wrestlers, where his height and sculpted physique aren’t exactly out of the ordinary. Compared to some of the folks on his roster, Nova is practically diminutive…but out in the real world, among the folks in suits and the commuters heading for the tube, you start to notice the size of his massive hands and the muscles that bulk like cantaloupes beneath the skin of his arms and shoulder.

 

He arrived ten minutes late for our meeting, easing through the small Monmouth café with the practiced ease of a man who knows nobody really wants to get in his way. We shook hands and he sat, ordered a black coffee in a cup barely large enough to be a thimble. I was already on my second latte of the morning—good coffee is hard to find in London, when you’re used to Australian baristas.

 

Finally, when his drink arrived, we got down to brass tacks. “Tommy recommended we have a chat. He seems to think you can help us out…”

 

#

 

One thing leads to another in wrestling. Hell, it’s the foundation of our business: a heel takes a short-cut in a match to get the pinfall, a babyface fires up and goes looking for payback. A champion defeats his greatest rival, and a new challenger emerges like clockwork to become a greater threat.

 

When dastardly heels gang together to beat down a beloved babyface, a tag-team who needs the rub comes charging out to make the save. Eventually, that tag-team rises up the card and one of them takes the beloved babyface role. Things change, and people move on. That’s the way it’s meant to work.

 

The one thing you want to avoid, above all else, is putting your legacy stars up there to rub against the other legacy stars. If you’re not building for the future, you risk getting stale…and the fans will eventually voice their frustration in no uncertain terms.

 

#

 

One thing leads to another. A head booker runs out of steam, and a new one steps up to the role to refresh the produce and build anew.

 

“We’re adding another hour of TV every week,” Nova said. “Pit Bull was already feeling the strain, so he’s asked to tape out of the role. I know we only brought you aboard as an agent and mentor at the school, but Tommy swears you’ve got a knack for TV—”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said.

 

Nova grinned and took a sip of coffee. “How far would you go?”

 

“I spent a few months working for Vibert when he first took over DAVE. Worked production for Hollyweird, long before they became TCW. I didn’t have the book, but I was part of the team they set up to bolster Strong.” It was my turn to hide behind my coffee, give myself something to do while I pondered how I really want to play it. “All of that was a long time ago, Jeff. I’m not saying I can’t do the job, but it’s possible Tommy’s overstating what I bring to the table, you know?”

 

“You’ve got more experience than Pit Bull did, when he first took the book, and the old boy would still be around if you need some back-up or advice.”

 

I murmured into my coffee so Nova wouldn’t see my real reaction to that idea—I’ve got some pretty firm opinions about the way wrestling should be booked, and one of those involves the cardinal rule that your booker shouldn’t be on-air talent. Even if you’ve got the best intentions, it’s hard to avoid the temptation to protect your own spot at all costs.

 

Pit Bull did okay with it, but there were a handful of awkward choices—how many times did the Defence Force needs to make the save when Faust or the Cornell’s started a beat down? How many of our younger guys could benefit from rubbing up against the top tier like that?

 

“You’re thinking about it,” Nova said. “I can see the gears turning, back there.”

 

“I’m assuming it comes with a pay rise,” I said.

 

“And an office, if you want it.” Nova broke out a broad, cheerful grin. “Do you want it, Jack?”

 

One thing leads to another. Always has, always does.

 

“Sure.” I reached across the table to shake Nova’s hand. “I can handle things until I can’t, or until you find somebody better.”

 

One thing leads to another. It’s how we always end up in trouble.

[stratusfaction]

I'm an uber women's wrestling fan and I was thinking of creating a promotion similar to GLOW & WOW, where the women play larger than life made up characters.

 

It would be broken up into seasons consisting of like 8 or 10 episodes and I could hire like 20 women or 30 women and each season they can play completely new characters... new names, new gimmicks, new storylines, etc. Basically an anthology series similar to American Horror Story.

 

Is there any interest in an anthology type diary?

[christmas_ape]

I'm an uber women's wrestling fan and I was thinking of creating a promotion similar to GLOW & WOW, where the women play larger than life made up characters.

 

It would be broken up into seasons consisting of like 8 or 10 episodes and I could hire like 20 women or 30 women and each season they can play completely new characters... new names, new gimmicks, new storylines, etc. Basically an anthology series similar to American Horror Story.

 

Is there any interest in an anthology type diary?

 

I definitely think it sounds good.

 

Especially because you can be confident of finishing a season. Obviously a lot of diaries end abruptly but this gives natural milestones to get to. Means you can do season 1, treat it like a pilot, and if you enjoy it and want to do more then you're already set.

[christmas_ape]

Does anybody know to embed a gif into the forum? I would assume it's just the same way as a picture but the embed code from imgur doesn't seem to work for me.

 

Edit: Ignore this.

 

For anyone else wondering, it does work. It just doesn't show for me when I press 'preview post' it's only when it's actually posted does the gif show

[FINisher]

Does anybody know to embed a gif into the forum? I would assume it's just the same way as a picture but the embed code from imgur doesn't seem to work for me.

 

Edit: Ignore this.

 

For anyone else wondering, it does work. It just doesn't show for me when I press 'preview post' it's only when it's actually posted does the gif show

 

Yup, same thing happens with embedded videos

[Eisen-verse]

I've been thinking lately about what I may want to do once TEW 2020 comes out and I think I've finally landed on said idea. This is less of a "preview a new project" and more of me thinking out loud to you all. I hope that's okay. If you're not interested, then stop reading. If you are, let's go down this rabbit hole.

 

It's been a long while since I've done a user-character-focused dynasty. Mind you, it will not take on the same vein as some of the old ones I did. There, I would get TOO focused on the user-character scenarios in life and, in turn, would end up burning out on the actual writing of shows. That said, this time around, I would focus from the perspective of one up-and-coming booker; only really focusing on the wrestling aspect of things (insights, politics, etc.). It would be, somewhat, in the vein of "Evolution of Greed" without the ongoing, crazy backstories.

 

I would choose a smaller U.S. based indy company. I'm hoping there are some more options for these kind of companies when the new game comes out, as I don't want to 'create' a company per se (as, sometimes, they don't hit as well with readers since is is not a known company from the start). From there, I would tell the story of this company as it grows -- hopefully, eventually, making it to a TV level (and how that transition would work).

 

My hope would be to stay with one company for as long as possible. Since my schedule is so chaotic during the school year, this could be beneficial as I won't be pumping out shows non-stop. I could let the whole thing breathe out, over time, and live the process of being a smaller company booker (potentially becoming a bigger deal as time goes on).

 

I've been listening a lot to 83 weeks (Bischoff's podcast) as of late and it really has me focused from a one-person perspective.

 

I wish the game was coming out sooner but, with a potential December drop date, I know that's not the case. Either way, It'll be fun to eventually get there!

[BHK1978]

How do people feel about match write-ups? I have noticed increasingly that more and more writers are not doing full-on match write-ups and they are just copying the results directly from the game (C-Verse writers, I do not really follow RW writers that much.).

 

When I first started doing diaries on here that was considered a huge no-no. I recall writers writing these War and Peace type of match write-ups (Which I always felt was insane and I never bothered reading any of those. Skim yes, flat out read...no way.). They would go into great detail about the matches and yes the parts I did not skim made for an interesting read, but for the most part it just became blah, blah, blah to me (I am well aware that this post is probably becoming that to anyone who reads it.).

 

I personally never had a problem with people taking the results directly from the game and posting them in their diaries. However, I remember one writer, who no longer writes on here, used to do it and people would bitch about him copying the results right out of the game.

 

The reason why I ask is because I personally hate writing match write-ups. I mean it gets so repetitive writing them as generally wrestlers tend to have nearly the same match over and over again (Sure the spots might change around but it is the same basic crap every match). Plus I personally have never been good at match write-ups.

 

Part of the reason why I have scrapped previous diaries is because of how much I loathe writing match write-ups (Yes I know that sounds stupid because the matches are the driving force for the diaries). I would think about writing and then I would say to myself, "What the hell am I going to say in this write-up that will make it different?"

 

I guess my question is, do people still prefer diaries with match write-ups (maybe not as detailed as some of the old one's were)? Or has that time gone and now people are okay with copying the match results directly from the game.

[Self]

I remember a story about when Joey Styles was first commentating for WWE, he was told to stop calling the moves and start telling the story. That's my approach when it came to writing matches. Moves are the fluff. Nice for imagery. However if you focus on them too much the write-up gets longer and longer and longer and no one has time for that. So I like brevity. I'm trying to explain tactics and story and 'why' as opposed to 'what'.

 

I also embrace the repetition. John Cena's comeback is the same every time, so why wouldn't Jack Decolt's. He goes berserk with right hands and shoulder tackles before mounting (insert villain's name) in the corner and Punching! Him! In! The! Face! It can gives thing a rhythm and allow readers to skim while getting the jist of what's happening. After a few episodes they don't have to parse out the moves, they just recognize it as "Jack's winning now, whatever he did to turn the tide was probably important".

 

I also rigidly follow the typical match structure. Shine. Heat. Comeback. Finish. It helps that I usually wrote sports entertainment promotions where the matches would be that formulaic and simple.

[christmas_ape]

I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this but mine align very closely with what Self put and I'd use his CGC diary as the perfect example. As soon as I see massive walls of texts for matches I got into skim mode (again I'm sure plenty of people love the detailed matches). Self's matches I loved because it was all storyline/character development, sure sometimes this means a match is just 1 sentence or two. If there's a lower card match where really all that matters is that one guy stood out and and you want to get his finish over then why fluff it out with other details.

 

I think all that matters to me is the diary does have a story/something worth reading. So for example Historians match ups are very short and rarely have any detail, but I'm reading The Climb to follow the company direction as a whole and he's able to add depth through promos both in shows and behind the scenes. I care about the direction of the booking and how the characters careers plot out, not the individual matches. I think as long as there is something interesting SOMEWHERE, it doesn't matter if it's in the matches at all.

 

Product definitely affects it in my eyes, it's why even though I play perf>pop promotions in game I usually don't opt for those in diaries as I feel like the actual in ring stuff needs details. Whereas pop>perf it feels more natural to let angles do the talking. Although again even this you can get around, perhaps the detail comes from how workers are developing, or trying to get better match ratings, reasoning for booking decisions etc.

 

Basically I 100% think you can have short/essentially non existent even match write ups and still have an engaging diary, as long as there's other aspects to draw you in.

[Historian]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41210" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>How do people feel about match write-ups? I have noticed increasingly that more and more writers are not doing full-on match write-ups and they are just copying the results directly from the game (C-Verse writers, I do not really follow RW writers that much.).</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Christmas_Ape" data-cite="Christmas_Ape" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41210" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I think all that matters to me is the diary does have a story/something worth reading. So for example Historians match ups are very short and rarely have any detail, but I'm reading The Climb to follow the company direction as a whole and he's able to add depth through promos both in shows and behind the scenes. I care about the direction of the booking and how the characters careers plot out, not the individual matches. I think as long as there is something interesting SOMEWHERE, it doesn't matter if it's in the matches at all. </div></blockquote><p> </p><p> First, thanks Ape. I'm glad you care! Second, to answer your question, BHK -- as Ape pointed out, my resutls are pretty much just the copy and pasted results from the game. Every now and then I try to change it up, but truthfully, the results I prefer to read are shorter. However, I also think it depends on your product. In The Climb, I'm attempting to present an old school style product with a diary that is primarily built around the narratives of hoping I've made you care about the roster and the success of different guys. When I was doing my short lived CGC diary, which is a sports entertainment focus, I tried to write out the shows with a small summary for each. I think it entirely depends on what you're comfortable with/the style you want to present.</p>

[Eisen-verse]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41210" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>How do people feel about match write-ups? I have noticed increasingly that more and more writers are not doing full-on match write-ups and they are just copying the results directly from the game (C-Verse writers, I do not really follow RW writers that much.).<p> </p><p> When I first started doing diaries on here that was considered a huge no-no. I recall writers writing these War and Peace type of match write-ups (Which I always felt was insane and I never bothered reading any of those. Skim yes, flat out read...no way.). They would go into great detail about the matches and yes the parts I did not skim made for an interesting read, but for the most part it just became blah, blah, blah to me (I am well aware that this post is probably becoming that to anyone who reads it.<img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />). </p><p> </p><p> I personally never had a problem with people taking the results directly from the game and posting them in their diaries. However, I remember one writer, who no longer writes on here, used to do it and people would bitch about him copying the results right out of the game. </p><p> </p><p> The reason why I ask is because I personally hate writing match write-ups. I mean it gets so repetitive writing them as generally wrestlers tend to have nearly the same match over and over again (Sure the spots might change around but it is the same basic crap every match). Plus I personally have never been good at match write-ups.</p><p> </p><p> Part of the reason why I have scrapped previous diaries is because of how much I loathe writing match write-ups (Yes I know that sounds stupid because the matches are the driving force for the diaries). I would think about writing and then I would say to myself, "What the hell am I going to say in this write-up that will make it different?"</p><p> </p><p> I guess my question is, do people still prefer diaries with match write-ups (maybe not as detailed as some of the old one's were)? Or has that time gone and now people are okay with copying the match results directly from the game.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I agree that it once was seen as a downgrade; however, I think times have changed here. As others have stated, it's more about storytelling than move-by-move scenarios. Now, if you're booking a work-rate heavy company, then I could see more of a focus on move-by-move. Anything else, you have liberty to get to the main points.</p><p> </p><p> In general, now that we have so many formats for entertainment, I fear that the old approach to dynasty writing (full-fledged, all-on written results) are something of the past. Unless you're generally a reader, which a lot of the public is not, you have to find easier ways to entertain in a quicker format. Knowing this, anything you can do to streamline results yet give a story is probably best.</p>

[Atticus]

How do people feel about match write-ups? I have noticed increasingly that more and more writers are not doing full-on match write-ups and they are just copying the results directly from the game (C-Verse writers, I do not really follow RW writers that much.).

 

Even though I haven't written anything TEW related in a minute, if I ever did get the spark to do something, it'd be very short match results. I care a lot more about presentation/formatting than I probably ought to, but even without graphics, as long as it's clean looking, I'll get into it probably. If it's for a PPV, I don't mind reading a big block match for the main event and maybe for like Mania equivalent shows. I'm very content with match results being Wrestler A defeats Wrestler B in 10:00 by using Blank.

 

The puro diaries knock this out of the park for me and that's why I'm drawn to them more. Body By THawk's AJPW diary, joemurphy's NJPW diary, Southside's BCG, and CGN91's WCG are the current examples in my head. Anything that'd be missed in the match is covered in the post-match angle or covered elsewhere. I also like Eisen-verse's bullet point-ish recap style too and I'd use it as inspiration for my ROH diary except instead of doing line breaks for spots, I'd just do a paragraph where I hit the needed spots to tell the story of the match and highlight whatever I wanted to without doing blow-by-blow.

 

Another style I like and I've seen a few times, but can't think of any examples is the Dramatic DDT style where you'll get hit with the match results right away then below them will be a bullet point that can be as short as a sentence or as long as maybe a paragraph telling you the important stuff. Short and to the point.

 

I get the appeal of long matches because they do make for an entertaining read if you're on a plane/bus/train/car/etc. trip or have a better visual imagination than me. To me, as a writer/reader who gets increasingly busy these days, shorter matches = shorter shows which rule. And if I ever got to that point, I always wanted a project that could be 50+ pages long, but wasn't daunting for new readers to get into because you could breeze through the shows in a day or two without having to skim a ton of huge match write-ups.

 

I think of it like how I treat the NFL nowadays. I'll sit down and watch a full game for my favorite team, but 98% of the time, I'm perfectly fine with the NFL RedZone where I see the big plays, the scoring plays, and the final score. I don't need to see every second of every possession.

[Self]

I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this but mine align very closely with what Self put and I'd use his CGC diary as the perfect example. As soon as I see massive walls of texts for matches I got into skim mode (again I'm sure plenty of people love the detailed matches). Self's matches I loved because it was all storyline/character development, sure sometimes this means a match is just 1 sentence or two. If there's a lower card match where really all that matters is that one guy stood out and and you want to get his finish over then why fluff it out with other details.

 

This is the part I forgot above. Not everyone gets promo time. Not everyone has a storyline. Everyone has a character/gimmick/personality. How else are you going to display it to get them over to readers unless you stuff their matches with their defining traits?

[ElliotM]

<p>As someone who is from a slightly different background in terms of writing, being somewhat of a GreyDog newbie, I’ve always enjoyed match write-ups. Obviously my latest project has implemented the 2K series as visual aid for my shows, but I still enjoy writing the matches out myself to get the necessary details I feel need to be included to either further the character development, or continue an ongoing angle/storyline. Obviously, the fact that I enjoy it is a plus as well, as I’m sure most of you can attest to. Occasionally I will skimp out and do a short write-up, but mostly only if it’s a squash match or as somebody mentioned before, if it’s primarily to put over a single talent as a stand-alone angle.</p><p> </p><p>

In other news - WWE No Mercy is still very much in production for anybody wondering. Just been really busy as of late, but hoping to have it done by the end of the week.</p>

[Voeltzwagon]

Warning. Incoming Game. Warning. Incoming Game.

 

Unless RL and depression claim me again. Incoming.

[Historian]

Warning. Incoming Game. Warning. Incoming Game.

 

Unless RL and depression claim me again. Incoming.

 

Don't let depression win! We've got your back!

[DarK_RaideR]

[Hype intensifies]

[Dave E Mac]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Self" data-cite="Self" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41210" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I remember a story about when Joey Styles was first commentating for WWE, he was told to stop calling the moves and start telling the story. That's my approach when it came to writing matches. Moves are the fluff. Nice for imagery. However if you focus on them too much the write-up gets longer and longer and longer and no one has time for that. So I like brevity. I'm trying to explain tactics and story and 'why' as opposed to 'what'.<p> </p><p> I also embrace the repetition. John Cena's comeback is the same every time, so why wouldn't Jack Decolt's. He goes berserk with right hands and shoulder tackles before mounting (insert villain's name) in the corner and Punching! Him! In! The! Face! It can gives thing a rhythm and allow readers to skim while getting the jist of what's happening. After a few episodes they don't have to parse out the moves, they just recognize it as "Jack's winning now, whatever he did to turn the tide was probably important".</p><p> </p><p> I also rigidly follow the typical match structure. Shine. Heat. Comeback. Finish. It helps that I usually wrote sports entertainment promotions where the matches would be that formulaic and simple.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm currently writing a 91 diary which seems to be unpopular as no one is commenting <img alt=":o" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/redface.png.900245280682ef18c5d82399a93c5827.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> on it, but I'm enjoying it and does make me more motivated to play. I'm still getting the structure for match writing down. But my plan is TV tapings the match write ups are short and I'm trying to now focus more on the promos as thats building my stories. Then when it comes to PPV's I'm giving more detail to the matches as think thats like the blow off to what has built towards. Still I'm not planning on describing move by move as quite frankly that would take an age. And no one really wants a ten page essay on the Nasty Boys doing a Pit Stop to someone.</p>

[TLCJR4LIFE]

<p>Thinking about doing a CVerse 77 save as “ULTRA” a Japanese Puro/Sports Entertainment hybrid run by the reformed Akira Gold.</p><p> </p><p>

Cult size, aim is as always, take down Japanese wrestling then the world.</p><p>

Would be a real diary and nothing like my QAW pseudo diary. 4 TV shows and a PPV a month, maybe a few special events here and there.</p><p> </p><p>

New workers set to Very Low. Take a real journey through the history of C-Verse and Japanese wrestling and go through the eras, could be a lot of fun. </p><p> </p><p>

I suck at graphics but am a decent writer when motivated.</p>

[DarK_RaideR]

 

A lot of times fans, younger ones especially, look at Warrior Engine XXV and think we’re this company in Japan trying to emulate the “hardcore” promotions of the West. I think it’s ironic, because all those companies actually copied what we were doing, what we invented, way before they did. Only back then, Warrior Engine XXV didn’t exist yet. We were a much smaller company, barely known in Japan, let alone outside the country. A company named Big Battle Wrestling. Or, as fans used to call it, Blood and Barb Wire.

 

 

It was the 90s or, as it is known in Japan, the “lost decade”. The growth that followed World War II and the subsequent American occupation (which, by the way, introduced Japanese audiences to pro wrestling) led to the bubble of the 70s and 80s. Back then, Japan felt like a global economic and technological superpower. The capitalist paradise on earth. Then reality came crashing down, literally, as the real estate and stock markets imploded in late ‘91 and early ‘92. No one was in any sort of a cheerful mood and as far as pro wrestling is concerned, fewer and fewer people bought the grandeur of Burning Hammer or Golden Canvas’ clinging to a glorious past. Wrestling fans wanted blood and gore, something that could connect with their depressed and desensitized souls. They wanted a shock big enough to make them forget the shock of the reality they were living in. And we gave it to them.

 

Of course, we weren’t the only ones to sense the changing winds, but we were certainly the first ones to do so. BBW was created in January of 1996, six months before Sadaharu Jimbo created Pride Glory Honor Wrestling to bring mainstream fans a more realistic, physical, hard hitting version of puroresu. In America, they had to wait till early 1997 when Phil Vibert took over a regional New York promotion to rebrand it into Danger and Violence Extreme, now lovingly remembered as the hardcore promotion that captured that 90s angst for audiences in the West.

 

Contrary to what many fans believe though, Vibert wasn’t the one who introduced extreme pro wrestling in America. That would have to be “Big Dunc” Duncan Kendall and Randal the Vandal, the owner and booker of Xtreme Wrestling Federation respectively. They began in late ‘95 as another New York promotion with an urge to push the envelope any way they could. That meant a sexualized product, tons of profanity and of course, graphic violence. Duncan simply wanted cheap workers willing to do crazy things for the fans, but Randal was obsessed; Randal was an avid tape trader and he dealt in three things: slasher movies, death metal and ultraviolent wrestling. That’s how he found out about 4C in Canada, back when they were still trying to establish themselves as the counterculture alternative to the painfully wholesome stuff the Stones and the DeColts have been doing forever. Duncan was on the phone with both us and 4C regarding talent trades, when Big Trouble brought up Men of Steel Combat in Scotland. Long story short, the four of us ended discussing talent trades on a pretty regular basis. Randal called it the Hardcore Alliance but I wouldn’t quite call it that. It was as much of an alliance then as the Modern Japan Movement is today. That’s probably where I based the Movement off of, come to think of it.

 

Back then in early ‘97, MoSC had it easy; they were the only ones around in the UK. European World Class Wrestling was on its way to the gutter due to trying to do too much at the same time and it would be a few years more before UCR would repeat the same mistake. 4C had some competition in Canada, at least in theory, but in reality they barely registered on CGC or NOTBPW’s radars yet. XFW was about to enter the famous East Coast Wars against DAVE and the other promotions in that area. As for us, we were in the land of the giants, caught between an electrified rock and a spiky hard place.

 

But with my career and my company, just like with my matches, back then when I was a young man and all the way to the day I die, I would do…

 

Anything to survive!

 

 

 

I know, I know, I have a ton of diaries going on but this semi-alternate timeline documentary thing is a project I really want to do and unlike most of my other diaries, this one comes with a clear expiration date: from the start of the Cverse97 mod to November of 2005, when (according to CVerse canon) Kajahara set up WEXXV, so 8 in-game years. Should be kinda short, the presentation will be as condensed as I can manage and 8 in-game years with a touring promotion (read: off months) that's struggling to even survive should guarantee this will be over quick, right? Right?

[20LEgend]

<p>Excellence Begins At Home!</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">January 1st 2016:</span></strong></span><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><strong> Happy New Year!</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

2016! Things can only get better after how last year ended…</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

In fact, the past twelve months have been the most trying of my time in charge of the company, with Dan’s retirement in July proving the catalyst for a series of events which change how I viewed the business. Attendances dropped and financial difficulties followed. There was money in the bank, but I wasn’t willing to risk this family’s future. With my brother joining me and Victoria in retirement, Duane was the last member of the family still competing in the ring. This meant we had to face something we’d known for some time, we needed new stars and we needed them soon. The intent had always been there, and the wheels had been in motion, but bad luck and unfortunate timing made things difficult as 2015 came to an end.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

But December 2015 was where things went from concerning, to disastrous. First it was Damien “The Natural” Carvill, putting up his Christmas tree on his day off and somehow breaking his ankle in the process. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Then Steve called.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

DeColt had been off-screen for the past two months, since his contract expired in October. Victoria had been talking with him, but things were progressing slowly. The spanner in the works was USPW, they’d offered Steve DeColt the kind of money that blew us out of the order, and our only hope was his desire to stay closer to home. One week before Christmas he spoke to Victoria, and told her he wouldn’t be extending his deal. As of January 2016, Steve DeColt would be a member of the USPW roster.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

This wasn’t the end of the bad news however, with the final sting in the tail coming the night before Christmas Eve. NOTBPW’s “Christmas Classic” episode of Championship Wrestling, a festive celebration of the year’s action, ended in the worst way imaginable. During the Main Event, a match between Sean McFly and one of our top up-and-coming stars Sean Deeley, disaster struck. Sean went down holding his neck, and as he tried to continue the match, collapsed to the ground. The family spent Christmas in the hospital with Sean, and the worries about the company faded into insignificance. We were told that Sean had broken his neck, but was expected to make a full recovery. He was told however, that his days in the ring would be over.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Having initially feared the worst, the “good news” didn’t lift Sean’s spirits at all. He was insistent he would step back in the ring one day, but plans going forward would have to be made without him. Victoria also told me that she would be staying home with Sean throughout his recovery, an understandable decision, that nonetheless increased the pressure on my shoulders. Thankfully, a year end “compilation show” was scheduled for the last week of the year, giving me extra time to prepare for the New Year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Of course, there would be no New Year’s celebration at our father’s house this year, but Duane, Dan and I still went to visit. Since retiring from the business, Dan Sr. had rarely spoke about the company in its present state, respectfully leaving me to run things how I saw fit. While I appreciated his position, now more than ever I needed advice. My father and my brothers spoke with me for hours, much of the time reflecting on what made the “golden eras” so great. Reflection was the key theme of the entire night, and as we continued to speak the home phone rang. It was Victoria, wishing us a Happy New Year. We may have missed the turn of the New Year, but the situation it was during this time that the situation really hit me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Like myself, Dan and now Sean, Duane wouldn’t be able to compete forever. Neither would Johnny Bloodstone or John Maverick. Of all the men who have held the Canadian Championship, not one of them is under 40. Even the lower card is dominated by men who have been working - at this highly intense level - for over two decades. We have never been about the biggest names, the suggestion of bringing in “stars” from south of the border was never an option, even if we could afford it. The key to our success, as we all tried to dissect what gave NOTBPW its unique identity, became clearer the more we spoke. It wasn’t about taking a star like Steve DeColt, somebody who would jump ship for a better offer at the drop of a hat, it was about instilling a culture and an identity, building a family of performers who help themselves by helping those around them. The loyalty in the locker room spreads to the fans, and while personnel may change, the recognition of a commitment to our own ethos, would ensure their love for the company remained strong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Through the ups and the downs, the peaks and troughs, one thing has remained constant with NOTBPW, a core of “House of Stone” talent, maintaining standards and produce excellence. With Dan now committing himself full-time to the training school, the levels were ready to reach new heights. Once their training was complete, it would be my responsibility to mould them into the next generation of stars. For a decade plus, the same faces had dominated the same position at the top of the card. While there was no doubt that they were there based solely on merit, it’s clear that those times are coming to an end. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Of all of our family, Duane had always been the most knowledgeable and studious of the wider wrestling business - a curiosity which led him to work in Japan for 5 years. In recent years, the company has favoured sending House of Stone graduates out into the wider world (with some exceptions) giving them the chance to find their identity as performers elsewhere. Of course, the effects of this are twofold. The idea is for them to eventually return “home” to NOTBPW, as more rounded performers. However, as we have seen, many of them fall by the wayside - with the lax “standards” and unprofessional atmosphere of many independent promotions instilling bad habits in talent from early ages. These habits can be hard to train out of a worker, who feels they have already “paid their dues” on the independent scene. One promotion which has proved beneficial to many of the Stone-graduates has been ACPW, with whom we enjoy a healthy relationship and who by all accounts are an excellently ran company.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Given Duane has been involved with scouting and discovering many of the young talents coming into NOTBPW in recent years (going as far as attending some ACPW and 4C events within the last year), I asked him to source some “tapes” of the graduates, to be studied by Sean (McFly), in order to keep him busy during his recovery. It is clearer than ever since his injury, that nothing will keep Sean away from the business. Given his contribution to NOTBPW over the last 15 years, there will of course always be a place for him in this company. Even if his wrestling days were over, a mind as sharp has Sean’s could be vital in bringing the next generation to the required level, offering his expert advice and eye for the small details. This wouldn’t just be limited to our homegrown talent, but any independent workers who Duane deems to have the potential to work with us. With Duane’s focus switching to spearheading the company on-screen, his role as talent scout would conveniently be transitioned to Sean McFly over the next year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Unlike myself and Dan, many of the business’ young stars work a style more in the image of Duane and Sean McFly, rejecting the more methodical approach in favour of an “exciting, all action” style. This approach inevitably leads to increased injuries but, caught early enough, that potential can be channelled and refined, creating a new generation of performers in the NOTBPW image. This is one of the major plus points of Dan’s new role at the “House of Stone”. There, we can mould performers from day one, as they learn from one of the greatest minds in the history of Canadian wrestling. While foreign talent can undoubtedly provide interesting seasoning to the roster, it is my belief is that only homegrown talent can truly understand the traditions and identity of a promotion. From a young age, Canadian wrestlers were inspired and encouraged by those who they saw on our Television show, and it is that respect and reverence for the promotion which can not be replicated by those from the US, Mexico or Japan (with some exceptions). This is why the House of Stone - and the rest of Canada generally - is the world leader at producing elite level “Pro Wrestlers”. With Japan a close second, the American “entertainers” of recent years struggle to even come close to rivaling our in-ring quality. TCW may have tried, but from a pure wrestling standpoint, they are still some distance behind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

With those foundations in place, NOTBPW’s prerogative has not been to engage in revolution, but rather evolution. Looking to the products of our own training school, and the plethora of talent at our disposal in this country, it would be financially irresponsible and short sighted to look to “superstars” from the US to boost our company’s profile. Instead, while a temporary downtime may be a necessary evil, investing in our own talent will give us the best chance of creating that next “golden generation”, which I believe will benefit the business as a whole.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

This makes the beginning of 2016 a key moment in the history of NOTBPW. While the current crop - undoubtedly the most talented in the history of our sport - may not quite be ready to “ride off into the sunset”, it is essential that we look forward to tomorrow. To do this, we must take the men and women who grew up watching these iconic figures, and allow them first hand experience at the learning tree of their heroes and idols. It is this “passing of the torch” which will provide both the knowledge and the motivation to build a new golden generation of Canadian Wrestling. With the current crop still very much at the top of their game, we are provided with this unique landscape, and it would be both reckless and foolish to fail to utilise this opportunity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

From the time I entered the business, there was not a show that went by without a peer of my father’s recounting a classic story, or a contemporary of mine sharing their memories of watching my father’s generation as they toured the country. For us it was normal, but to hear of how our father inspired others - in the same way he inspired his own children - filled all of us with immense pride. More recently, the trend changed. Instead of talking about working with, or watching our father as children, increasingly we are told about watching myself, Dan Jr. and the rest of the family. To realise that these youngsters view us, with the same respect that we saw the previous generation, is humbling, but also speaks to the great responsibility we have. Now more than ever, we must harbour that hunger and passion, those same feeling we felt at the beginning of our journeys, to provide a bridge to the next generation. Different in numerous ways, given how the world has changed around us, there is one thing that binds one generation to the next. That is the traditions and the culture of North of the Border Pro Wrestling. I do not deny that great talent can be found all over the world, nor that great wrestling can come in many forms. But for The Stone Family, and the future of our company - Excellence Begins at Home!</span></p>

[20LEgend]

<p>Excellence Begins At Home!</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">January 1st 2016:</span></strong></span><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><strong> Happy New Year!</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Two weeks ago I made the toughest decision of my life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Working for The Stone Family had always been a dream of mine, and 4 years ago I got the call. Tommy London was speaking about retirement, and NOTBPW were looking to bring in his replacement with enough time to teach them the NOTBPW “way”. As an announcer, and a lifelong fan of the company, I couldn’t have asked for more. The first few years, largely as an on-screen interviewer, I soaked up as much knowledge as I could, occasionally calling “pre-show” matches before the pay-per-views. When Tommy London’s contract expired, and he opted to step away from the business, it felt like a natural transition for me to step into the booth with Tom Townsend. But the call didn’t come. I remained on interview duty, while Samuel Curran was brought in as the lead announcer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

To be frank, it was a kick in the balls. But I carried on, reminding myself that this was my dream job, and even if it was only holding a microphone while wrestlers cut promos, I was still working for The Stone Family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Over the last 12 months, that changed. I wasn’t happy “just being there” anymore. It had been an honour and a privilege, and perhaps more importantly financially secure, but I needed something to change. Two weeks ago, I requested a meeting with Jeremy and Victoria.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

I was told by my colleagues that it wasn’t a good time, but considering what has happened since that night (Sean Fly’s injury and Steve DeColt leaving), I couldn’t have timed it better. Jeremy and Victoria both seemed fine with my decision, and I didn’t know what to make of that. Telling me to make the most of the Holiday season with my family, they even told me not to worry about working my notice. Before I left however, Jeremy called Duane, sending me to see him on my way out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Going in, I hadn’t known what to expect, but that certainly wasn’t it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Despite having a match that night, Duane gave me a lot of time, not only wishing me luck, but giving a great insight on what to expect outside of the company. There was a bit of an announcer merry-go-round happening in Canadian wrestling at the time (which I was well aware of), but Duane had the inside track. He’d heard that Davis Ditteritch was departing CGC to join the English broadcast team of SOTBPW, and in turn ACPW’s Tony Marsh was heading to work for The DeColts. Duane said that he’d make a call to Daedalus Buchinsky, and see what he could do.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

Two days later, I got a call from Buchinsky, who told me he’d heard “great things” from Duane Stone. I was flattered, and delighted to be offered a job with a position at their announce table. As well as finally being the lead voice for the company, we also spoke about Face Nelson, who had been booking the company for the past 5 years, and would be my broadcast partner going forward. Buchinsky told me that over the last year, Tony Marsh had been helping Nelson with putting the shows together, and on Duane’s recommendation, he was happy for me to take up that position. Again I was flattered, and didn’t hesitate in accepting the extra workload.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">

January 1st 2016. I start my new job at All Canadian Pro Wrestling. From a small spoke on the wheel, the dynamic has completely changed. No longer a student, my job is to pass </span><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><em>my</em></span><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> knowledge to this generation of talent. One day I will return to North of The Border Pro Wrestling, but for now, my job is to help make ACPW, the fastest rising company in the entire world!</span></p>

[Jaded]

Coming soon, courtesy of the phenomenal From The Depths mod by MJstark and jhd1...

 

MLWA - Canadian Wrestling At Its Best

 

[Jaded]

<p>Okay, I went hard in on graphics for once, on the basis a lot of people maybe aren't familiar with the FTD characters.</p><p> </p><p>

Coming in the next few days...</p><p> </p><p>

</p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="y8rztsu.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/y8rztsu.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p>

[TLCJR4LIFE]

Does anyone have any tips on speeding up diary writing/shows?

 

 

I remember when I tried for a bit it took me like an hour to get one show done.

 

 

I’m definitely wanting to try at least one dairy for 2020, I’ve tried 2016 but the stagnant feel of the game world and national battle system always kill my long term motivation.

 

Overall 2020 I can probably maybe find a way to play TEW the way I want to, which is a dynamic, ever evolving long term gameworld that plays out differently every time you boot it up(2016 is literally the antithesis of this, more than any other single entry in the series due to the way National Battles ruined a huge part of the game)

 

All that being said, if I’m going to do a 3 or so year diary I’m going to need a way to efficiently write up all the shows.