Long term planning / Saves

[redhilleagle]

All, I'm interested in discussing how you guys plan for the long term, that is, if you have saves that go long term.

 

I'm speaking in terms of years, even decades. I'll give you a brief outline of my current situation.

 

I am running a Real World Mod with a created fed in Britain, I started from local and am now at regional, so I played many years with just one show a month. I am now in 2020, so I have a few regens starting to come trough and reaching their mid 20's.

 

I can foresee a slight issue in a few years as there are is a massive shortage of UK based workers between the ages of 24-29, and I currently have many at their peak (31-35).

 

I have certain rules such as only hiring wrestlers that are at least middlewight and they must be British or Irish, and I don't like my Main Eventers or Upper Midcarders being too young (28 is uaully my minimum) but looking that I may have a problem in a few years, I need to do something to "Fill the gap". I'm thinking in a few years I could enter an "International Era", for a few years until the ages of my new gens levels out a bit. I may even run a Foreign Invasion storyline for the same reason.

 

I'm also looking ahead to my figurehead. Currently, the only people who have a chance (stats wise) are my Openers and lower midcarders, I appreciate I can push them but at the moment they are all aged between 20-24, so I don't want them in my main event yet, but looking forward I have a youngster who is going to be an incredible figurehead when he does get into the main event.

 

I'm not asking for advice, I'm interested in opening up a discussion about long term plans for the future of your company, how do you guys play this side of the game?

[CelticCandian]

I only really think about who I want to sign and who I want to push

 

Maybe a storyline or two

[Ram_Diablo]

I approach every game as though I'm going to stick with it for decades. My longest save went thirty years in TEW 13. It is fun to think long term sometimes. Like signing a couple of young workers and putting them in a tag team that you keep together for several years until they are at 100 and then split them with one turning heel on the other. Then you see which one fairs the best and push him to the moon. Then down the line have them reunite. I just did this in my current save where I am in 2031 and it was literally a 15 year process to get back around to this point.

I think planning into the future makes the game world more exciting and gives you some added purpose for when you get stuck to keep coming back

[Zero]

<p>Long term games are the best. What I like to do is plan six months at a time. For example, I am currently playing a game as WWF that I started in March 87 and I just entered December 97. In TEW 13 I played a game from July 93 - April 2015. </p><p> </p><p>

For example my booking plan goes like this (depending on when the game data starts)</p><p> </p><p>

Wrestle Mania - Summer Slam - I will book those six months. Mania is the big PPV so all feuds end there (most of the time) and I will call up workers, debut workers after Mania and build all my storylines until Summer Slam where once again I will have a conclusion (most of the time)</p><p> </p><p>

Then I book from Summer Slam - Wrestle Mania again. I love this period because like in real life, things heat up as we are heading into the big Wrestle Mania season which for me starts at Survivor Series.</p><p> </p><p>

I also like to have big events in between. For example in April and May I have a Light-Weight Tournament to crown the best light-weight in the company. I will bring in foreign talent for these matches.</p><p> </p><p>

Same with September - November I have the "Bruno Sammartino Tournament Winner" with everyone in the company participating in the tournament.</p><p> </p><p>

It helps me break the year apart, and gives me small goals. I also have fun creating Pay Per Views or Big Events as well.</p><p> </p><p>

My April, May, July, September, December, and February Pay Per View names are always changing and once I buy WCW or ECW I plan on doing a brand split so I have more creativity.</p><p> </p><p>

For example my April 89 PPV was called - Luger vs. Flair I</p><p>

My July PPV was called - LUGER vs. Flair II</p><p>

My December PPV was called - Luger vs. Flair III</p><p> </p><p>

Right now, being in 97 (soon to be 98) I try and follow what happened in real life. So basically Austin winning the belt at Mania 98 but instead of feuding with Dude Love right away, he will be facing off against Corporate SID and Corporate DUDE LOVE.</p><p> </p><p>

I also bring up two-three guys from developmental after Wrestle Mania and Summer Slam. If I sign a big name I will give them a vacation. For example, I signed SID in July in my game but waited until November to debut him because he had no place on the card. But, I wanted Sid on my roster. </p><p> </p><p>

Be organized, but not too organized. I LOVE when a big injury to my roster happens because it makes me change everything.</p><p> </p><p>

In 91, I was finally going to let Kerry Von Erich run wild on the WWF. He was a 6x TV Champion and getting ready for the IC competitors and take the title off of Bret Hart, so Hart can move up to the World Title and in the IC number one contender match against Rick Rude, Kerry broke his neck (one year injury) and he retired when he came back.</p><p> </p><p>

I was building him to be the next Hogan. I loved it though. </p><p> </p><p>

Another big key to long term games is releasing talent non-stop. For example, I built Kevin Nash up in two years and let him go in early 96. I just let Bret Hart walk. I let my mid-card talent walk all the time. Makes the game more interesting and makes me miss them</p>

[Winter8905]

<p>@Zero Nice going on getting so far, i've been flicking between mods a lot on 16 compared to on 13.</p><p> </p><p>

On the 87 mod as WWF i've set up my feuds going forward. I do somthing similar to you in breaking up the year, I have mine in 3 parts kinda. Rumble - Mania although the foundations of feuds may start a couple months prior, it ramps up the road to Rumble up until Mania.</p><p> </p><p>

Post Mania to Summerslam will be change up in some feuds and again from post Summerslam to Rumble.</p><p> </p><p>

Event names, outside of the big 5 ( Mania, Summerslam, Survivor series, Rumble, KOTR. I fiddle around with event names and concepts. I introduce A Tag Team tournment (Tag Team Classic) to make it a Big 6. I've currently got a Super Junior Cup roughly penciled in for down the line but not too sure about that, it'll depend on how the division develops and if i get it over. With Muta the face of the division, Ultimo Dragon, Liger, Pillman, Owen Hart being built up the future looks bright.. however not strong enough to carry their own event quite yet.</p><p> </p><p>

I also have a WWF v NJPW: When Worlds Collide PPV which is a nice change and gets get some free wins for some of my roster... I also give them a big win, loan one of their guys for 4 or 5 appearances and have them win the US or Junior title at the PPV, have a short run.</p><p> </p><p>

So that's like 7 PPV's sorted already. The other 5 are just Filler really.. but I like the idea of Flair v Luger I etc etc.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

I have a problem in letting people go unless they are in time decline, I buy up a chunk of guys, and sign up any top from WCW that come available. What ends up happening is by 1990 they end up with an ageing roster and them pushing guys like Barry Darsaw etc</p>

[Zero]

<p>Yeah, I know the feeling. It is really hard not go after their big fish. Another "cheat" I do is I will add a player as WCW or ECW and boost their roster.</p><p> </p><p>

For example, in my current game, twice I have added a player as the WCW booker so I can go and sign top notch talent. It made the game more interesting and I find it useful.</p><p> </p><p>

When I released Sting, Ric Flair, and Hogan neither three would sign with anyone. I added a player as WCW and signed all three. Quit the player. Next week Sting won the World Title, Ric Flair won the Cruiser (lol) and it is going well so far</p>

[tambourin81]

Honestly I wish I could go that far. Longest I've managed was two years in 2010, starting from Regional. Usually I do make some vague ideas for long term development but get burned out too quickly to follow up on them.

[kingjames]

<p>I just started a TEW 2016 save as Angel Athletic Association (shameless plug for my diary <a href="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?t=536811" rel="external nofollow">here</a>). In terms of planning, I have long-term goals but I tend to keep storyline ideas as mid-range. For AAA, my long-term goals are to get them from Regional to Cult size, and to get them on nationwide TV - PPV, free-to-air, commercial, doesn't matter. Those are my "win" conditions.</p><p> </p><p>

But AAA is a mid-sized promotion at best and I am working under PPA contracts. Which leaves me open to getting poached by NOTBPW and USPW. In fact, since I'm playing a little ahead of my diary (so I can retroactively foreshadow future events), one thing I'm dealing with is USPW having one of their women's division stars go out with a spinal herniation, which seems to have led them to sign not one but two of my top faces. I had some storyline ideas that took them into mid-summer, but because of the signings - and I can't compete with USPW financially, so I can't really fight it happening - I've had to call an audible and come up with some new booking ideas.</p><p> </p><p>

Personally, I actually like it, as much as it's going to hurt losing two top draws. It's very true to what smaller promotions have to do when their top talent suddenly get snatched up by the 'E, or back in the day, by WCW. It gave me a very authentically Heyman experience, I can say that much. But some of the best things in wrestling were the results of "bad" things happening and having to change plans on the fly. Triple H deciding to be part of the Curtain Call and getting punished for it led to Stone Cold winning the 1996 King of the Ring and the birth of Austin 3:16. The Undertaker having a bad foot led to the 1997 King of the Ring Hell in a Cell match with Mankind having the off-the-cage bump to cover for Taker's lack of mobility, launching Foley's rise to the main event. Without a poorly received gimmick, WWE might have kept pushing Rocky Maivia, instead of pulling a heel turn and letting Dwayne Johnson become The Rock.</p><p> </p><p>

But that's why I don't tend to plan for overly long storylines, or at least storylines that I can't end in a fairly short period of time. If my talent gets grabbed up, I have to roll with the punches. So I have general outlines of where I'd like to go in the next 3-6 month time period as far as storylines go. Planning more than that, and relying on a longer time frame than that, is me just asking for trouble when I'm operating a lower-tier fed.</p><p> </p><p>

Long-term, I do plan on developing new talent. Building up the tag division is something I'm trying to invest in, so I'm testing out new signees as tag teams to see if there's any chemistry, and if there is or if there's at least no bad chemistry, I'm tagging them early in their careers to build up their tag experience, so in a little while I will have the option of either pushing them solo, pushing them as tag champs, or breaking them up and having them reform at a later time with a decent bit of tag experience to draw from when they come back together. And I'm trying to develop my young talent, because I'm going to get poached by the big feds that have women's divisions, and so I can't rely on just having one or two young wrestlers progressing and letting the rest serve as jobber fodder.</p>

[Winter8905]

<p>On 13 wit the 87 DB, in 1996 or somthing WCW ended with 3 guys under 35 in the Main Event scene/ Upper Midcard scene, Booker T, Shane Douglas and Mable. The rest were old guys, Kevin and Kerry Von Eric, Bill Dundee, Hogan, Barry Dawsar (US champ) etc etc. </p><p> </p><p>

Every couple of years I may just do as you suggested and have them buy a load of guys, starting with young guys with good potential that I don't like the look of and go from there.</p><p> </p><p>

For this game I've already decided that once it gets to 1990/91 I'm going to bring in my own New Generation and get rid of the Don Muraco's, Jim Duggens, Dino Bravo, Hercules, Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton Jr, King Kong Bundy, Piper. Iron Mike Sharp, Kamala, Nikoli Volkof, Dory Funk, Terry Funk, Harley Race, Andre The Giant. Steamboat, Ted Dibiase etc</p><p> </p><p>

Having all of them guys for WCW to pick up would be a good boost to them, even in 1990/91 they could have at least 2 years or more of top performances before they hit decline. New Japan would try and snap half of them up however</p><p> </p><p>

Maybe Ric Flair (haven't signed yet but will when hes available) and Randy Savage will be let go if I can bring myself to do it.. Piper is another one I'd like to use going forward. But I can't have all 3 remain and still have the New Gen. Maybe get rid of them all if they are in time decline. At least 2 out of those 3 will go tho... Any of those I could keep and put other others for the next 4 years then move them onto commentary. Or I could get rid of all 3 in 90/91 and bring them all back at different points in the future for a Mania program to put over someone. Meh. </p><p> </p><p>

But yea long story short 1990/91, a major change and perhaps even a slight change in product to a slightly more performance equals Pop product to bring in the New Gen and a new ring work focussed product to go alongside the characters. </p><p> </p><p>

Leader of the new gen is looking to be Davey Boy Smith, he's got mega over at 24 in 1987 with no push, his charisma and Star quality outshine Brets by a good margin and is improving. I'm having to restrain myself from putting the top strap on him now he's soo over.</p><p> </p><p>

New Gen top end guys by that point should be: Bulldog, Bret, HBK, Taker, Sting, Vader, Regal, Dustin , Muta, Liger, Takada. </p><p> </p><p>

........</p><p> </p><p>

This has given me a firm goal to make sure I do everything I want to do with the older guys before 1991 strikes. ensuring that Piper, Dibiase, Savage get their due and get a run or two with the top strap.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

.....</p><p> </p><p>

I need to plan it so that it doesn't look like the New gen are only getting the top billing and the top straps because the Hogans have gone.. I want it to be a proper transition so it's realistic to believe New Gen have surpassed the oldies</p>

[Jazz49ers]

<p>In my 1985 WWF game that I'm out four years into, I've done one "big" storyline to keep me going.</p><p> </p><p>

The first year, it was bringing in a different heel every month for Hogan to defend the World title against.</p><p> </p><p>

The second year, it was turning Andre the Giant heel, him beating Hogan, and Hogan eventually regaining the title from Andre.</p><p> </p><p>

The third year, it was bringing in Ric Flair, him and Hogan fighting for the first time in the main event at Wrestlemania 3, with Hogan winning the World title that Flair had won at the Royal Rumble.</p><p> </p><p>

This fourth year I'm just about done with has been about a major war between the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith) and The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Alexander Summers, and Chris Benoit).</p><p> </p><p>

Throw in a bunch of minor feuds throughout the year and it keeps me going.</p>

[Zero]

Awesome stuff! I love having a grand plan like you did. I did two trilogies of Wrestle Manias that focused on Hogan vs. Savage (Mania 4-6) and I just did it with Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart (11-13). Super successful and fun to book the whole yearly stuff with them.

[Winter8905]

How do you book long feuds with the same two guys?

[Zero]

<p>I basically come up with a plan on how to evolve the feud. They will be involved with each other some how throughout the year. I might have them tag regularly together or just face off in fatal four ways or something but never score a pin on each other.</p><p> </p><p>

For the first encounter I had Michaels and Bret have great respect for each other. Michaels was in awe because Bret not only beat his idol Ric Flair but also overcame the monster Vader to regain the belt after losing it. Michaels beat Bret Hart at Mania 11. </p><p> </p><p>

Michaels went on to feud with others and kept promising to give Bret a shot until one night the returning Flair demanded a title shot. Bret made Michaels pick, and Michaels super kicked Bret and gave Flair the shot. Michaels later dropped the title to Sting at Summer Slam and Michaels was involved in feuding with Flair who screwed him. Meanwhile Bret defeated Flair to regain the belt.</p><p> </p><p>

Michaels who never got a rematch demanded a rematch, and Bret told the spoiled little brat to win the rumble. Michaels won the rumble. Went into Mania 12 to face Bret in an Iron Man Match and lost.</p><p> </p><p>

After losing to Bret, Michaels built a friendship with Triple H and X-Pac forming D-Generation X. DX started to attack Bret until Bret created The Hart Foundation with Brian Pillman, Bulldog, and Owen Hart. Later Michaels recruited Road Dogg and Billy Gunn who just returned from a broken neck. </p><p> </p><p>

Michaels won the 97 Rumble (third rumble in a row) to earn a shot and beat Bret for the belt to end their trilogy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

Then I just had them have Survivor Series 97. Released Bret (contract was up) and now Bret is with New Japan and Michaels feuding with SID!</p>

[Winter8905]

<p>Ahh I see, so for those 3 years did you set up in game that they feuded with each other in the storyline menue thing? or did you set the feud then after mania end the fued and set them to fud others untill near the next mania when you would set up the feud again?</p><p> </p><p>

The only similar thing I did was Heel HBK beat face Bret for the title at a Mania then, Bret lost his rematch and then lost a 3rd PPV in a row to his cheating brother Owen. Bret had a crisis of confidence and when it looked close to him losing his 4th ppv in a row to Regal, he grabbed the brass knucks and slyly hit Regal with them to grab a cheating win, this led to a heel turn where he would have less and less confidence in his own ability and resulted more and more to cheat to win. Bret faced HBK for the title, only for Owen to come down to the ring, looking like he would cost Bret a win... but ... Owen distracted HBK when he had it won for Bret to grab roll up win doing a double turn, Bret cemented his heel Turn, took the title leaving hbk titleless and beaten down in the ring. </p><p> </p><p>

Bret Joined Owen in a heel Hart Foundation, HBK got kicked out of the Kliq and was out on his own leading to HBK trying to get his title back, having to go through Owen and taking his IC title along the way and going onto Mania to attempt to get the title back.</p>

[Zero]

It would depend. Sometimes I would add people to their feud, take away, or end it if they were not going to be feuding at all for the month of September and restart it

[Jazz49ers]

<p>Depends on who it is and what I want to happen. For Hogan/Andre, I had Andre kayfabe injure Hogan, sending him on vacation for a few months. For Hogan/Flair, I basically copied their feud from 1991, replacing the Undertaker with Big John Studd, and ending with Flair/Hogan at Wrestlemania. Had Flair cost Hogan the title against Studd,Hogan won the rematch after Flair's botched interference, the WWF president than held up the title, putting in on the line in the Royal Rumble, which Flair won. Than had Hogan win a number one's contender match and beat Flair in the main event at Wrestlemania.</p><p> </p><p>

It's pretty easy to have a long term feud if you throw in tag teams, the heel refusing to fight the face, and triple threats.</p><p> </p><p>

When WCW opens up next month in my game, I plan on taking them over, making sure they have a good roster, and autobooking their shows.</p>

[Winter8905]

I try and stay period friendly and not have a triple threat in the 80's but I see what you mean. I can drag a feud out for a year like say Mania to Mania but after that I can't see to think of how to prolong it , I suppose having them go away from each other but always have that rivalry there untill it's time to heat it back up again would be good. Like they end up final two of the Rumble one eliminates the other and that kicks it back off again for several months

[Captain2]

<p>I have vague plans the further into the future that I go but those frequently get crushed.</p><p> </p><p>

Last time I played TEW 2013 Hulk Hogan ruined a year long build up between him and Flair by refusing to sign a new contract and leaving for WCW a month before Wrestlemania. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels ruined my long term plans by having terrible chemistry that forced me to keep them apart.</p><p> </p><p>

In my current WWF 1989 game my problem is Mr. Perfect. I put the world title on him after a year long unbroken winning streak and he held onto it for all of a month before no-showing a pay per view due to being high on drugs. The title is now back on Hogan when Perfect was meant to hold it going into Wrestlemania 5.</p><p> </p><p>

Also we'll see. I'm both impressed and worried about my current Bret Hart both having a 100 star quality score and 100 in a scale of 0-100 in terms of how many steroids he is taking so my long term plans to eventually have him take over from Hogan instead of Warrior may end badly.</p>

[woody316]

<p>I tend to set my companies up in a similar way to Lucia underground/chikara in terms of having seasons. With my company at the moment being regional a season lasts 6 months with 6 shows and a big season ending ppv in that time. I plan each series in advance and look to sow seeds for what will happen in the next season. However All of my roster are only signed for a season at a time and due to being a small company I am constantly losing people meaning I have to refresh my roster. I also give myself additional rules such as in my current game I only sign wrestlers with less than 5 years experience and I have to get rid of them when they get to that point if they are already on the roster.</p><p> </p><p>

For me, long term saves tend to die out unless I focus on small periods of time as otherwise I get burned out or overwhelmed by the booking. Sticking to my seasons that last 3-6 months depending on the size of my company allows me to go much further into a save.</p>

[TakerNGN74]

I had a save last 26 years back in TEW 2010 but that was the only impressive thing about the save as it really wasn't all that great as I never got past regional size.

[The_Monk]

<p>IM currently just firing up a COTT game as WWF playing as Vinnie Russo as the Head Booker.</p><p> </p><p>

So far my evenings have consisted of:</p><p>

* Shortlisting potential talent - now I never go silly here and try and hire all the big WCW names etc but I do often tru and sign a few of thr more unknown stars that went on to be stars in RL to see if I can achieve that with them.</p><p> </p><p>

* Storylines - Other than the Adam Bomb v Kwang Story the others are all pretty workable. I add a tag one to rise the profile of the Tag Division (still wish we could search by tag teams in TEW or have a tag team Power Ranking)</p><p> </p><p>

* As part of the storylines I map out each show, with what will happen, angle, match that kinda thing. The Bret and Owen storyline will take me to WM which means it'll be a potential 10month feud.</p><p> </p><p>

By doing this it allows me to plan the PPVs in between the big four, I generally have the In Your House PPVs but I give them a subtitle as well such as "In Your House: Broken Hart" that kina thing.</p><p> </p><p>

I also plan on when id like to make potential signings from my shortlist, as there's only ever one or two that I try and hire straight away.</p><p> </p><p>

Ive only really been getting into TEW16 and have only previously played short games while I try and learn the basics. One of the basics I learned is that it is more enjoyable (well for me) to plan out a load of stuff in advance, seems to make the game then followbetter for me.</p><p> </p><p>

Ive got one or two more storylines to finish and then im all set to advance to day two....and find some injury or drug issue that screws all my planning lol</p>