Let's Talk Match Aims

[Crossface]

Hey everyone,

 

I know it's been discussed in various places around these forums before, but I wanted to start a designated thread on Match Aims. (Apologies if one already exists).

 

If you have been reading my diary, you may have seen some comments regarding "Story-Telling."

 

I'd be curious as to how people use this aim? What are the benefits? What are the penalties? What worker attributes are more actively taken into account when calculating the match grade? When is it better than Regular? When does it hurt you?

 

How does Story Telling differ from Epic or Spectacle? For that matter, how does Epic and Spectacle differ from one another?

 

Long story short, I would classify myself as a veteran TEW player, having played TEW 13 practically since the demo. Historically, after a healthy learning curve, I have pretty consistently scored well and put on decent shows. That said, I feel like this is an issue I still can't quite get my head around and there seems to be a lot of differing opinions about this.

 

Thanks in advance to all replies.

[dubb93]

I use storytelling in SE Feds in place of calm the crowd. I used to always book a crap match in old versions or use the calm note in this version. Nowadays anything that isn't a major match (top 2 of the card and/or major undercard matchups) are all storytelling and sandwiched between my major matchups(which depending on workers are either regular with slow build, steal the show, or wild brawl.) Keeps the crowd very hot the entire show and never burns them out. I'm churning out 95+ rated Supreme TVs and 97+ rated PPV events with the default data in the opening months with this strategy.

[aXminster]

I've disabled this since I started playing 2016. In 2013 I used a lot of "work the crowd", though. I'm thinking about starting using it so I'll wait for more answers in this thread.

[dubb93]

If you want to test how they are helping or hurting you just hit the back button at the post show screen that shows you the rating. It will take you back to before you ran the show with all your book still intact. Experiment with the aims on your main event. Experiment without them. You can keep most of the other variables the same that way, but there are still a few things you can't control like consistency and such.

[Dave E Mac]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="dubb93" data-cite="dubb93" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I use storytelling in SE Feds in place of calm the crowd. I used to always book a crap match in old versions or use the calm note in this version. Nowadays anything that isn't a major match (top 2 of the card and/or major undercard matchups) are all storytelling and sandwiched between my major matchups(which depending on workers are either regular with slow build, steal the show, or wild brawl.) Keeps the crowd very hot the entire show and never burns them out. I'm churning out 95+ rated Supreme TVs and 97+ rated PPV events with the default data in the opening months with this strategy.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm going to give this a bash a bit later on my game.</p>

[smartman]

<p>From the other threads on this topic, what I gathered was Storytelling was the most vanilla match they can put on (on par with Calm the Crowd and Lift the Crowd which notes specifically that they don't try as hard) because it is basically a bathroom break match/announcers hype a storyline that either just took place or is in the main event of that card. Thus, I and most other people on that thread agreed that the best place to use that note was in a squash match or the least important match on the card.</p><p> </p><p>

There is a thread on the whole Epic & Spectacle notes. I have no idea the difference between them, but since I've never been able to use them successfully, it doesn't interest me that much. I do know that it states it requires really high psych workers to tell the story you've built for that match.</p>

[Crossface]

<p>This has been interesting and definitely has me thinking that I need to play around with more test runs and try to isolate different match aims. That said, I don't feel like it should take this much guess work and trial and error on my part should be employed to figure this out.</p><p> </p><p>

My understanding of "storytelling" was that it enhanced a story that was larger than the match itself. Examples: a winning or losing streak, a number one contender's match, a tournament match, a beat the clock challenge, some kind of odd stip--such as the loser is the winner's slave for 30 days or loser leaves town, etc. </p><p> </p><p>

I wouldn't call any of those popcorn matches. I have gotten A* rated matches with the story-telling note before. In fact, more often than not it was my most successful match aim. </p><p> </p><p>

That brings me to a whole new question: how much does your product play into this? I know some products demand certain match types...Do those products also reward the aim as well? That could explain why sometimes it's more successful than other times.</p><p> </p><p>

This whole thing is giving me a Popsicle headache...lol.</p>

[Motor]

<p>I usually play companies which are heavily sports-entertainment-based, so I always have to include a story telling match. For me, this can be a squash match where a menacing monster heel beats up a jobber as well as a high midcard match where two men fight over some MacGuffin, as long as it is something that differs from a regular match.</p><p> </p><p>

To be honest, I never noticed any difference from using the "regular match" note.</p>

[Dave E Mac]

I'm playing a WWE game currently have all Kevin Owens matches as storytelling as essentially he's besting his opponent but then refuses to pin them and eithe walks out or gets himself disqualified as he doesn't want the history books to ever show him having defended the US title. So I've been using story telling there as thought it's about there being an additional layer to the match than regular one on one element.

[Adam Ryland]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Crossface" data-cite="Crossface" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That said, I don't feel like it should take this much guess work and trial and error on my part should be employed to figure this out.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> You don't really need to employ <em>any</em> guess work or trial and error, the match aim is fully explained when you select it. As it says, it's <strong>use</strong> is for when you want to highlight that the match is being used to advance an issue or tell a story, and its <strong>effect</strong> is that the workers will work a little more simply (i.e. a tiny penalty to work rate, usually a negligible amount unless in extreme circumstances) and with a little extra safety (i.e. a slight decrease in injury risk). What's written on screen is literally what it does, no more, no less.</p>

[Crossface]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Adam Ryland" data-cite="Adam Ryland" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>You don't really need to employ <em>any</em> guess work or trial and error, the match aim is fully explained when you select it. As it says, it's <strong>use</strong> is for when you want to highlight that the match is being used to advance an issue or tell a story, and its <strong>effect</strong> is that the workers will work a little more simply (i.e. a tiny penalty to work rate, usually a negligible amount unless in extreme circumstances) and with a little extra safety (i.e. a slight decrease in injury risk). What's written on screen is literally what it does, no more, no less.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Thank you so much for this Adam. I have a read a fountain of misinformation on this very topic all over these boards and this was the best, most informative, and clear-cut response. </p><p> </p><p> Would you be willing to offer a similar insight on the difference between Epic and Spectacle? Specifically, what attributes are enhanced/penalized each match type?</p>

[Adam Ryland]

Epic and Spectacle, as the descriptions imply, have virtually identical uses, it's just a matter of degrees of effect. Again, as it says on-screen, they reward workers who have high levels of psychology and ring-craft and add everything related to the Slow Build note.

 

In short, as the names of the notes make fairly explicit, the use is to take what the player thinks would be a great match and turn to it up to 11 to make them even better, and the effect is to make psychology bonuses (and penalties) temporarily even stronger, make high quality in-ring skill temporarily more effective, and to apply the Slow Build note to stamina, etc. The risk-reward gamble is that a match that underperforms would be more severely punished.

 

Again, users shouldn't be micro-analysing what the pros and cons are. If you have a match that is going to be special and you want to emphasise it, Epic or Spectacle do what their names suggest. If you're not sure if a match is worthy of that tag, then it's a pretty good bet that it isn't.

[Crossface]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Adam Ryland" data-cite="Adam Ryland" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Epic and Spectacle, as the descriptions imply, have virtually identical uses, it's just a matter of degrees of effect. Again, as it says on-screen, they reward workers who have high levels of psychology and ring-craft and add everything related to the Slow Build note. <p> </p><p> In short, as the names of the notes make fairly explicit, the <strong>use</strong> is to take what the player thinks would be a great match and turn to it up to 11 to make them even better, and the <strong>effect</strong> is to make psychology bonuses (and penalties) temporarily even stronger, make high quality in-ring skill temporarily more effective, and to apply the Slow Build note to stamina, etc. The risk-reward gamble is that a match that underperforms would be more severely punished.</p><p> </p><p> Again, users shouldn't be micro-analysing what the pros and cons are. If you have a match that is going to be special and you want to emphasise it, Epic or Spectacle do what their names suggest. If you're not sure if a match is worthy of that tag, then it's a pretty good bet that it isn't.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Thank you so much for clearing this up for me. I def. feel like I have a better understanding of these aims now.</p>

[Herrbear]

Thank you also for the explanation.

[mlewi101]

Actually the technical masterclass aim is th eone that always stumps me. . Not sure if it is harder to use/place due to em playing women';s feds so mcuh but i generally get a bad placement note no matter where i place it on the card.

[Dave E Mac]

I have always wondered with something like the technical masterclass does it take into account your fed/product. For example a technical master class in a sports entertainment fed compared to say a hyper realistic fed. Not that it makes any difference to me, its more just wondering.

[K-Nection]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Dave E Mac" data-cite="Dave E Mac" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I have always wondered with something like the technical masterclass does it take into account your fed/product. For example a technical master class in a sports entertainment fed compared to say a hyper realistic fed. Not that it makes any difference to me, its more just wondering.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I use this in spots I would normally book "steal the show" if the guys are technically sound. When I think of technical master classes I think back on how Smackdown was booked in 2004-2006 when you had guys like Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle having matches against each other and they were having counter submission after counter submission against each other.</p>

[Tew101]

So you guys are suggesting that to not use "storytelling" in main events on big shows or in general? Lets say at Wrestlemania I want to do Rock vs HHH both exceptional in the game. Should I do epic or spectacle?

[MinimiMax]

I often only use storytelling because I'm playing as WWE and one storytelling match is required per show. But I do also use it when I don't find any other goal that would fit a specific match or if the only purpose of said match is to further a storyline.

[K-Nection]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Tew101" data-cite="Tew101" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43785" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>So you guys are suggesting that to not use "storytelling" in main events on big shows or in general? Lets say at Wrestlemania I want to do Rock vs HHH both exceptional in the game. Should I do epic or spectacle?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I personally find storytelling the most useful when I have a vet in the match that is pretty far into time decline. The match is not as taxing on him and you will get the most out of him using that match aim. </p><p> </p><p> As far as Rock vs. Hogan I would go with Once in a Lifetime or Epic</p>

[smartman]

<p>Sometimes real life matches things perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>

See, my thoughts on that Story Telling match note were perfectly exemplified by that god-awful Drago vs Aerostar match on Lucha Underground last night. It was marred solely because they wanted to tell the story of Drago's turn, how those two used to be best friends, and how evil Kobra Moon is for turning Drago against his best friend. That combined to make the match utterly horrible (and they'd wrestled 6 times before so we all knew they could put on a really good match).</p><p> </p><p>

There's really no other way in TEW to get that result either outside of intentionally misbooking it as something that doesn't match their abilities (like wild brawl or technical masterpiece).</p>

[Gungner]

I've disabled match aims, and I only use "All-out" or "Slow build" for my main-event, and "Work the crowd" for my pre-show match.

[Dave E Mac]

I tend to only use match aims during my ppvs to try and bump up the good rated matches.

[Tag01]

I use all out for my opener if I've got the workers for it, and slow build most main events. I have never successfully used epic or once in a lifetime despite using top guys. I think the confusion comes from there not being any clear indicator of how high in ring skill and psychology has to be to get the bonus instead of a penalty.

[ampulator]

I use all out for my opener if I've got the workers for it, and slow build most main events. I have never successfully used epic or once in a lifetime despite using top guys. I think the confusion comes from there not being any clear indicator of how high in ring skill and psychology has to be to get the bonus instead of a penalty.

Epic isn't that hard. It's similar to Spectacle (except harder). What I would do is, the match before Epic or Spectacle, make sure its match aim is "Calm the Crowd". This makes your life easier.