What do you do with upper mid card and main event talents you have no plans for?

[DarK_RaideR]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="bookerman" data-cite="bookerman" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>There is a really good video by either Real Neat Puro or Showbuckle that talks about how NJPW books belts. It will provide some ideas on how to book factions/groups so that everyone looks strong and has a clear direction.</div></blockquote><p> Funny, New Japan was exactly what I had in mind reading your post, so I couldn't help but smile when I read this last paragraph. Stables are a good excuse to put "inactive" top talent in tag or multi man matches with younger talent. Veterans put in the star power (popularity) and experience (skills) to carry the match while helping rookies have decent matches, train their skills an gain popularity.</p>

[Icecold]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BrokenCycle" data-cite="BrokenCycle" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Letting people go is simply good for the game world, making the game a lot more fun in the long run. It's so easy to stockpile wrestlers in this game. Having 20 main eventers on your roster and having stuff for them to do doesn't really make you a "good booker." The game just doesn't simulate reality as well as it could. Even at the WWF's height of creativity, the year 2000, people still bitched about their position on the card, for example. <p> </p><p> LET 'EM GO!</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I actually do this a lot when it comes to gajin in my Toryumon promotion... Unfortunately they all seem to stay in Japan afterwards though... </p><p> </p><p> Still it's cool to see Danielson as Zero 1 Champion regardless.</p>

[shawn michaels]

Letting people go is simply good for the game world, making the game a lot more fun in the long run. It's so easy to stockpile wrestlers in this game. Having 20 main eventers on your roster and having stuff for them to do doesn't really make you a "good booker." The game just doesn't simulate reality as well as it could. Even at the WWF's height of creativity, the year 2000, people still bitched about their position on the card, for example.

 

LET 'EM GO!

 

But we all wanna be selfish and keep all the wrestlers we like and not use them properly if we decide to do so. And hog all the good workers just cause we can! It's still real to me, damn it!

 

LET THEM STAY!

 

Besides, there is no such thing as too many main eventers, as I said before. There is a ton of ways to use them.

[Alan James]

General Zod locks them in the Phantom Zone.

[thadian]

I just job them to my storyline stars in triple threat matches or use them as tag team partners to be the fall guy, or I put them into matches with people one tier lower and have them win, maybe as a tag team member of the victorious team. This seems to keep their fortunes up for when I do use them.

[Abgas]

I don't really get this thread. Is everyone in here playing with WWE? Cause in CZW I just use my Main Eventers to have good matches and to have a variety in that in order to don't have the same match-up every show.

[thadian]

I don't really get this thread. Is everyone in here playing with WWE? Cause in CZW I just use my Main Eventers to have good matches and to have a variety in that in order to don't have the same match-up every show.

 

Lots of people do. I play my own roster of stars, company, etc. that I made myself in the editor. It makes me feel more at home within the game, maximizes my familiarity and ability to buy-in and care, because the wrestlers and company I am working with is my own. This puts me at an inch distance from everything else - I ended my tenure playing in real world mods because they're kinda all imbalanced as heck, badly flawed, and I dislike cartoon portraits next to real world cuts, it just kinda looks cheap. On the other hand, the C-Verse, while I am distant from it and kinda dislike a lot of the people in it, I find to be mostly balanced, and unfortunately, more realistic in most areas.

[Guest Asaemon]

<p>I try to avoid stockpiling on big name talent, because when i do my interest in the save usually disappear. Also i want the competition to stay strong, since it's really boring without any major rivals. I want a long Monday Night war with WWF and not a short war ending in the mid 90's.</p><p> </p><p>

I do the same with blue chippers as i have a lot of them on tryouts in the WCW Powerplant, but they will not graduate since they're unpushable and/or vanilla midgets according to Hogan and Bischoff; and when they are released i hope that they sign with WWF, ECW, SMW or USWA to make the game world interesting. And if they are ever signed by WWF, Eric Bischoff will show clips of squash matches, when they are jobbing to WCW stars.</p>

[Koholos]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BrokenCycle" data-cite="BrokenCycle" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Letting people go is simply good for the game world, making the game a lot more fun in the long run. It's so easy to stockpile wrestlers in this game. Having 20 main eventers on your roster and having stuff for them to do doesn't really make you a "good booker." The game just doesn't simulate reality as well as it could. Even at the WWF's height of creativity, the year 2000, people still bitched about their position on the card, for example. <p> </p><p> LET 'EM GO!</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I tend to split the difference on this. I usually play as one of the Big 3 Cverse companies (mostly TCW this time), so poaching SWF and USPW stars can be a serious boon - free pop for me and a knock for them. It’s how I won the National Battles. Likewise, letting big stars go is a problem, since it does the reverse, unless they’re already on Time Decline.</p><p> </p><p> So I basically play it like NXT. I create new dev feds every 3 - 6 months, and give them to my guys on time decline (RDJ, Buffalo, The Machines, etc). Then, if I don’t have anything for an ME to do, I send them out to the dev feds, either to train or to work, basically as a celebrity coach.</p><p> </p><p> Then I hire in a bunch of regional/cult level guys on 3 year Written or Dev contracts. If they show enough potential, I bring them up and they go on to midcard/UM roles. If not, I cut them loose, but they’re now good enough that they can all be ME’s in 4C or RIPW or wherever.</p>

[BrokenCycle]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Koholos" data-cite="Koholos" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I tend to split the difference on this. I usually play as one of the Big 3 Cverse companies (mostly TCW this time), so poaching SWF and USPW stars can be a serious boon - free pop for me and a knock for them. It’s how I won the National Battles. Likewise, letting big stars go is a problem, since it does the reverse, unless they’re already on Time Decline.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Yeah, definitely. But from my experience the game usually balances itself out in your favor. </p><p> </p><p> The last game I was playing as TCW and Aaron Andrews' contract came up. He was like A popularity, I had just turned him face a few months ago when he won the title, he was doing great, but then my interest in him kinda faded and I started focusing on other guys. When his contract came up I thought "Well he's giving me great main events and angles... but what now?" and I went back and forth with it. He got a number of offers, and chose to re-sign with me. After a few seconds of thinking, I just cancelled the offer and let him go.</p><p> </p><p> I was #1 in National Battles, and his departure put me to #2. But nothing really happens. If you've been #1, you're not #2 for very long. Other people will get over, someone else will fill his role in NBs, or you'll get someone else.</p><p> </p><p> His departure let me focus on other people and probably have a lot more fun than if he had stayed.</p>

[Winter8905]

<p>The AI doesn't book it's lower card NBT properly, they have the talent but they let guys like spencer spade, Hernandez and Mikey James/Lou go often without being pushed for years and often without having any gold. </p><p> </p><p>

Surly the AI would see most /not all of these guys and push them accordingly. Of course it would depend on the owner , as for ever WWF pushing HHH and the Rock you had WCW holding down Y2J, Eddie etc </p><p> </p><p>

But you'd think some of the time the AI could recognise... ahh I'm SWF SQ is very important.. i'll push the lower card talented SQ guys ..</p>

[Mkelm44]

<p>I treat them with one of four approaches.</p><p> </p><p>

1. Give them a vacation. If I know a worker I want them to work with will be wrapping up a feud, I send them off on a month vacation until the worker I want them to dance with is available.</p><p> </p><p>

2. Job them out. Especially if it's an older worker I know I'm not going to resign then I start moving them down the card. </p><p> </p><p>

3. Put them on dark show duty with my younger talent/loan them out to bring in talent I want. The talent doesn't mind if they're doing a match before every show and it lets me improve some younger workers.</p><p> </p><p>

4. Give them a talk show- think Pipers Pit or the "Flair for the gold" that Ric Flair was doing when he returned to WCW. Let them handle the interviews for me and do double duty for a while.</p>

[BigINMoldova]

My problem in my main save is when they go in to age decline because then they're not good enough to wrestle in a main event rating wise yet it also kinds of feels like you're forcing new talent to carry the old guys when you put them up against the hot new upstarts.

 

I think the easiest way to deal with it is the NJPW/Japanese Wrestling route where you just put them in six-man tags and loan them out to other companies in exchange for younger, better wrestlers.

[Vault]

<p>I've been struggling with this recently in my WWE game where I just surpassed 2 years . . . I've got a ton of guys I've built up to the brink of main-event status but I don't plan on pulling the trigger on and making one of the top guys, so they end up stuck in midcard feuds or wrestling matches each week without much storyline. </p><p> </p><p>

I really should go back through and re-evaluate the roster, I've been putting it off for a while.</p>

[AfRoMaN36]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Vault" data-cite="Vault" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I've been struggling with this recently in my WWE game where I just surpassed 2 years . . . I've got a ton of guys I've built up to the brink of main-event status but I don't plan on pulling the trigger on and making one of the top guys, so they end up stuck in midcard feuds or wrestling matches each week without much storyline. <p> </p><p> I really should go back through and re-evaluate the roster, I've been putting it off for a while.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I would put some of your guys in stables/tag teams and keep them busy with long term feuds. Or build them up to job to the champ. OR build them up as the champs muscle/entorage. </p><p> </p><p> Can't go wrong.</p>

[Spirophore]

<p>Stables are great for that I think, Hugh Ancrie was my top champion for a year before I signed some better talent and now he's down in the midcard and I can't find much of a use for him. So after I signed Ed Cornell I stuck him in the new Cornell Coalition and now he's got something to do.</p><p> </p><p>

Otherwise I just have them do exhibition matches while they aren't in feuds, I've had trouble finding a fit for Christian Price since I signed him so he usually just jobs out random dudes lower on the card since he's popular and then every once and a while book him to lose a big match against another main eventer that needs a boost.</p>

[Mkelm44]

<p>Vacations are always an option... it makes them happy, which isn't a bad thing- especially if they're a locker room leader.</p><p> </p><p>

Another option I do is put them in a bunch of go nowhere dark matches before my show with the younger talent. A nice 10-15 minute match that would never happen on the card is a greate chance for my talented veterans to do some teaching.</p><p> </p><p>

Also, we don't see them too often now, but mentoring angles is always a great option (last time I can really think of a big one in WWE was Randy Orton circa 2003). Veteran A/Rookie B get together, have some matches together, maybe a few tag team title shots, or big matches with main event tag teams. At some point in time, one of the two turns heel on the other, which leads to a few matches. By this point, Veteran A is probably ready to go do something else, while Rookie B can go off and be a solid midcarder for a while.</p>

[bookerman]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Vault" data-cite="Vault" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I've been struggling with this recently in my WWE game where I just surpassed 2 years . . . I've got a ton of guys I've built up to the brink of main-event status but I don't plan on pulling the trigger on and making one of the top guys, so they end up stuck in midcard feuds or wrestling matches each week without much storyline. <p> </p><p> I really should go back through and re-evaluate the roster, I've been putting it off for a while.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I think it was Memphis where they kind of used a back and forth talent building depending on the champ. I'll try to explain.</p><p> </p><p> Face #1 (champ) vs Heel #1 (top contender/current feud)</p><p> Face #2 vs Heel #2 (H2 is next feud assuming F1 stays champ - he needs to win this feud)</p><p> Face #3 vs Heel #3 (if F1 going to be long term champ, H3 needs to win here)</p><p> Face #4 vs Heel #4 (can probably let F4 win this one)</p><p> </p><p> Next month(s) you have</p><p> </p><p> F1 vs H2 (now H1)</p><p> F2 vs either former H1 or H3 (if H1, then F2 can win, if H3 then you're prepping H3 to face F1 later so H3 eventually needs to come out ahead)</p><p> F3 vs H1/H3 - H1 can get heat back or F3 can stay strong</p><p> F4 vs H4/H5</p><p> </p><p> The thinking is you're building one side up as contenders to face the champ. That doesn't mean you job the other side entirely, but you have to be smart about keeping people strong. If you switch the champ, then you switch who is moving up and down. This may seem like 50/50 booking but it's more like short term pushing and then using the popularity they gained as they come back down the card to help others. This is especially good if you want to bring someone in for a short run without needing to have long term plans for them. Over 4 months they build up to face the champ, face the champ in month 5, lose a feud in month 6...something like that.</p>

[dude-1981]

OK, so I've gone a bit crazy and ended up with Lover, Champion, Golden, Taylor and McFly as face main event signings and Money, Andrews, Chord and Hawkins as heel main event signings plus several of the original main eventers you get at the start as SWF. Accepting that this is OTT, how does one avoid Supreme Challenge being a load of 1 v 1 matches among my 15 main eventers?

 

Last year I did a Rock n Sock vs Evolution WM20 type deal with two guys teaming up to face 3 of my heel main event stable so don't want to repeat that.

 

I can do 1 triple threat of 4-way I guess but main eventers in tag matches is a staple of my TV show so if poss I don't want to do it for the biggest event of the year.

[AfRoMaN36]

OK, so I've gone a bit crazy and ended up with Lover, Champion, Golden, Taylor and McFly as face main event signings and Money, Andrews, Chord and Hawkins as heel main event signings plus several of the original main eventers you get at the start as SWF. Accepting that this is OTT, how does one avoid Supreme Challenge being a load of 1 v 1 matches among my 15 main eventers?

 

Last year I did a Rock n Sock vs Evolution WM20 type deal with two guys teaming up to face 3 of my heel main event stable so don't want to repeat that.

 

I can do 1 triple threat of 4-way I guess but main eventers in tag matches is a staple of my TV show so if poss I don't want to do it for the biggest event of the year.

 

 

Why not do a money in the bank type match where the winner gets a title match at any point in the future? This is my go to match for my upper/main eventers whom I don't have any plans for come Mania. Or a Andrea the Giant Battle Royal for a future title match or for a cash reward? It would serve as a nice breather at the very least if you already have a stacked card.

[dude-1981]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="AfRoMaN36" data-cite="AfRoMaN36" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43517" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Why not do a money in the bank type match where the winner gets a title match at any point in the future? This is my go to match for my upper/main eventers whom I don't have any plans for come Mania. Or a Andrea the Giant Battle Royal for a future title match or for a cash reward? It would serve as a nice breather at the very least if you already have a stacked card.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Money in the Bank. Yes, love it. Hadn't occurred to me.</p>

[dexi21]

I think the best exemple of what to do with a Upper Midcard and Main Eventers are in WWE right know. Seth Rollins, i think Seth is definetly a Main guy for them but at this point i think they don't have a big plan. What they done ? Put him with Jason Jordan a Midcard to say the best. Now that plan was simple put them togheder and have a run as a team yeah they win Tag Team Titles but that was for the story and now i think they will split them and have a match at some point in a future. They keept Seth Rollins almost 6 mounths out of the big title picture and he put Jason on the map.