New player interested in TEW and WMMA

[Tezzle]

I've found Total Extreme Wrestling on Steam and I was interested in buying it, but then I saw there's new versions unavailable on Steam. I have some questions about these games.

 

I love various manager games, but I know nothing about wrestling other than the basic rules, would I enjoy this?Is it worth the steep price?How's the depth/complexity?How much playtime could you get?

 

And finally, I'm a little paranoid and I find it suspicious that these games aren't available on any popular stores...Are these games safe to buy and play? How's the payment done?Is it secure?What are the payment methods?Is there no malware within the games? Apologies for my stupid questions.

 

EDIT:I've actually played the demo version after creating this thread, and I think I'll buy the game as soon as I can afford it next month. From the gameplay, the dynamic elements of the world simulation, to accessibility(I'm a physically disabled gamer, can't play fast-paced sports games)..This series just seems perfect for me.

[ErnDizzleCEO]

<p>Long Time Fan</p><p> </p><p>

I am a long time fan of GDS. I love the TEW series the most, the depth is incredible and the modding community here is exceptional. They are worth the cost and I have not ever had any problem with security of information purchasing the games. I recommend downloading the demos and playing around and seeing if you like the world Adam has created.</p>

[Tezzle]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="ErnDizzleCEO" data-cite="ErnDizzleCEO" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I am a long time fan of GDS. I love the TEW series the most, the depth is incredible and the modding community here is exceptional. They are worth the cost and I have not ever had any problem with security of information purchasing the games. I recommend downloading the demos and playing around and seeing if you like the world Adam has created.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Oh! I didn't know there's demos. Which would you recommend I try?</p>

[kesselll]

WMMA5 has received some good reviews, so i'd go for a download here.

Should you be scared that it may be too complex for you, go for WMMA4.

But then, price for both is the same, so should you like to buy it, you'd go for newer product, hence my vote goes for WMMA5. Tryi it, love it, or just try

 

When it comes to TEW 2016 and TEW 2020. If you did not play the 16, I'd recommend to go for the newest.

TEW2016 was part of a long process, years. New one is built from scratches, so in many areas will feel different from older one.

 

Besides, you can install all demos and check

[FRAGz]

I have about 600 games on my 15 years old Steam account and I haven't played any as much as I have played TEW. I wish TEW would record playtime, I would have at least 10k.

 

My personal fav would be TEW16 while tomorrow's release, TEW2020, is a sure day one buy for me.

 

Now for a non-wrestling fan, I'm not sure how much fun you'll get because the TEW games are good because of the details that only wrestling fans would appreciate.

[Tezzle]

WMMA5 has received some good reviews, so i'd go for a download here.

Should you be scared that it may be too complex for you, go for WMMA4.

But then, price for both is the same, so should you like to buy it, you'd go for newer product, hence my vote goes for WMMA5. Tryi it, love it, or just try

 

When it comes to TEW 2016 and TEW 2020. If you did not play the 16, I'd recommend to go for the newest.

TEW2016 was part of a long process, years. New one is built from scratches, so in many areas will feel different from older one.

 

Besides, you can install all demos and check

Guess I'll try WMMA5 demo, and the demos for TEW2016 and 20?

 

 

I have about 600 games on my 15 years old Steam account and I haven't played any as much as I have played TEW. I wish TEW would record playtime, I would have at least 10k.

 

My personal fav would be TEW16 while tomorrow's release, TEW2020, is a sure day one buy for me.

 

Now for a non-wrestling fan, I'm not sure how much fun you'll get because the TEW games are good because of the details that only wrestling fans would appreciate.

 

That's quite amazing! I'll try the demos for TEW16 and 20 and see if I can understand them.

And based on your replies I guess I shouldn't worry about safety etc.

[Donners]

I wish TEW would record playtime, I would have at least 10k.

 

You can add the games to GOG Galaxy, which will record your playtime. Obviously won't include the previous time you've spent, but might be good if you're starting with TEW 2020.

[BrokenCycle]

TEW and WMMA have some overlap with each other but they're mostly different experiences. In TEW you have a lot of moving parts and there's an underlying amount of creativity and storytelling going show to show. WMMA is basically mindlessly wasting time and has no creative outlet whatsoever. but the biggest draw of WMMA is that it's wildly different every time you start a new game and it's really fun seeing how everything plays out.

[Tezzle]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BrokenCycle" data-cite="BrokenCycle" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>TEW and WMMA have some overlap with each other but they're mostly different experiences. In TEW you have a lot of moving parts and there's an underlying amount of creativity and storytelling going show to show. WMMA is basically mindlessly wasting time and has no creative outlet whatsoever. but the biggest draw of WMMA is that it's wildly different every time you start a new game and it's really fun seeing how everything plays out.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> So WMMA5 isn't worth it?</p><p> </p><p> And if I'm not very creative are these games still good?</p>

[Front Office Widget]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Tezzle" data-cite="Tezzle" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>So WMMA5 isn't worth it?<p> </p><p> And if I'm not very creative are these games still good?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> What are you looking for?</p><p> </p><p> TEW appeals to people who watch wrestling and think, "I have an idea for a storyline. I could book and hire better than Vince McMahon/whoever." The default TEW universe is full of made up companies and characters, which is pretty fun.</p><p> </p><p> But most of the "fun" happens in your mind, in running the show, imagining what is happening, imagining the storylines unfold. There is also the aspect of managing the locker room morale, but it is not as crucial to the central experience of the game (if you have a positive locker room, this part of the game is practically nonexistent).</p><p> </p><p> The entire game is booking wrestling shows- "wrestler 1 vs. wrestler 2", "tag team 1 vs. tag team 2", putting them into storylines, running angles "wrestler 1 attacks wrestler 2" or "wrestler 1 talks about wrestler 2". You hope for the best ratings to your matches and angles, and push guys who give you the best ratings.</p><p> </p><p> It's more fun the more "creative" you are with it, and can also serve as "creativity practice". I would recommend trying the TEW2020 demo and starting as a small promotion and running some shows and see if you enjoy it. Warning- it will seem really complicated at first. Many of us have been playing versions of these games for 15+ years and will say, it's not as complicated as it all seems at first, and many of the features are not that important to the base game (as in, you can just book shows without worrying too much about what's going on under the hood).</p>

[Tezzle]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Front Office Widget" data-cite="Front Office Widget" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>What are you looking for?<p> </p><p> TEW appeals to people who watch wrestling and think, "I have an idea for a storyline. I could book and hire better than Vince McMahon/whoever." The default TEW universe is full of made up companies and characters, which is pretty fun.</p><p> </p><p> But most of the "fun" happens in your mind, in running the show, imagining what is happening, imagining the storylines unfold. There is also the aspect of managing the locker room morale, but it is not as crucial to the central experience of the game (if you have a positive locker room, this part of the game is practically nonexistent).</p><p> </p><p> The entire game is booking wrestling shows- "wrestler 1 vs. wrestler 2", "tag team 1 vs. tag team 2", putting them into storylines, running angles "wrestler 1 attacks wrestler 2" or "wrestler 1 talks about wrestler 2". You hope for the best ratings to your matches and angles, and push guys who give you the best ratings.</p><p> </p><p> It's more fun the more "creative" you are with it, and can also serve as "creativity practice". I would recommend trying the TEW2020 demo and starting as a small promotion and running some shows and see if you enjoy it. Warning- it will seem really complicated at first. Many of us have been playing versions of these games for 15+ years and will say, it's not as complicated as it all seems at first, and many of the features are not that important to the base game (as in, you can just book shows without worrying too much about what's going on under the hood).</p></div></blockquote><p> I have played the demos for both TEW2020 and WMMA5, and while I definitely enjoyed both, it's hard to judge how much longevity it'll have for me longterm.</p><p> </p><p> I'm primarily looking for a deep management game with high replayability, and an interesting, dynamic world where I could get amused by events etc.</p>

[Front Office Widget]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Tezzle" data-cite="Tezzle" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I have played the demos for both TEW2020 and WMMA5, and while I definitely enjoyed both, it's hard to judge how much longevity it'll have for me longterm.<p> </p><p> I'm primarily looking for a deep management game with high replayability, and an interesting, dynamic world where I could get amused by events etc.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> "Replayability" is a tricky one. Like I said, many of us have been playing Extreme Warfare games for 15+ years, booking thousands of shows in the process. Especially considering you're doing essentially the same thing again and again and again (managing roster, booking shows), I think that's a testament to its replayability.</p><p> </p><p> Each game will be different, as you play with a different roster and make different choices. There are interesting world events happening constantly (you can turn up the frequency with which interesting things happen in the user preferences spot). I have those settings turned as high as they can go and each day something mildly interesting happens in the Cornellverse world. It does feel like its own wrestling world that you are a part of.</p><p> </p><p> Or, you can play historical mods made by the community. I've had a blast booking WWF 84, NWA 1991, ECW 1993. Rebooking the past, sending your favorites down a different path, while having interactions with them and seeing their popularity increase as you book them, is truly a good time. Watching a different history unfold.</p><p> </p><p> TEW meets the criteria you're going for, of replayable with amusing events. It's a matter of whether you can get into it.</p>

[Tezzle]

"Replayability" is a tricky one. Like I said, many of us have been playing Extreme Warfare games for 15+ years, booking thousands of shows in the process. Especially considering you're doing essentially the same thing again and again and again (managing roster, booking shows), I think that's a testament to its replayability.

 

Each game will be different, as you play with a different roster and make different choices. There are interesting world events happening constantly (you can turn up the frequency with which interesting things happen in the user preferences spot). I have those settings turned as high as they can go and each day something mildly interesting happens in the Cornellverse world. It does feel like its own wrestling world that you are a part of.

 

Or, you can play historical mods made by the community. I've had a blast booking WWF 84, NWA 1991, ECW 1993. Rebooking the past, sending your favorites down a different path, while having interactions with them and seeing their popularity increase as you book them, is truly a good time. Watching a different history unfold.

 

TEW meets the criteria you're going for, of replayable with amusing events. It's a matter of whether you can get into it.

 

Based on everything I've seen and read, including your replies, and especially now after you mentioned how alive the world feels and how each game will be different, I probably should love it. Admittedly I'm not big into wrestling, but I always wanted to get into it. The demo definitely got me more interested in the game too. I think I should just take the risk and buy it.

[MrTroy03]

The programmer Adam Ryland has been making wrestling sim games for decades. I can understand the hesitation to buy a game from some random guy on some random forum though, but when he transitioned from free games to paid, it significantly increased in quality and complexity. It has a long history. I know my user title says "Rookie" because I don't post much, but look at my registration date (Oct 2005).

 

Depending on if if "hooks" you, you can spend hundreds of hours. I know and love wrestling but I am more of a "watcher" these days, meaning I load scenario databases and sim a year at a time and spend an hour or two digging into everything, looking at the stars, who got fired or signed with major promotions, major events etc.

 

They use eLicense, a 3rd party to process the payment and give you the license. I have bought every version of TEW. I am an IT professional and I can attest that the games themselves are safe and 100% trustworthy. I have been following this guy and his wrestling games since probably 2001. Hes just a small independent programmer, but its completely legit. He joined Grey Dog several years back, I think it was a handful of small, solo programmers that make similar games that banded together for this very reason.

 

You can read the Wikipedia page about the games here if you still don't trust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Warfare

 

I know I am some random guy on the internet, but you can 100% trust buying TEW directly. I think the attempt to get it on Steam was the effort to get the word out more, but honestly this is a niche community and the forum has ALWAYS been the heart and soul of these games, even back on the free versions where people make "real world" mod databases, picture packs, and even mods that start in different years (80s, 90s etc).

 

Now... I do recommend the demo, there is a demo of the new 2020 version for beta testing out now, as well as the old 2016 version. If you are going to BUY, I would recommend that you get the new 2020 version. You can play I think 3 months of in game time for TEW for free, and then start over for another free trial of 3 months of in game time. Its up to you how to play, you can run the big promotion in the game, or do a small fed, or just sim and watch.

 

I always wait for real world mods. They are left out for legal reasons, Adam can't sell a product that has trademarks from WWE in it, for example, but this community always comes through with amazing mods and databases.

[Tezzle]

The programmer Adam Ryland has been making wrestling sim games for decades. I can understand the hesitation to buy a game from some random guy on some random forum though, but when he transitioned from free games to paid, it significantly increased in quality and complexity. It has a long history. I know my user title says "Rookie" because I don't post much, but look at my registration date (Oct 2005).

 

Depending on if if "hooks" you, you can spend hundreds of hours. I know and love wrestling but I am more of a "watcher" these days, meaning I load scenario databases and sim a year at a time and spend an hour or two digging into everything, looking at the stars, who got fired or signed with major promotions, major events etc.

 

They use eLicense, a 3rd party to process the payment and give you the license. I have bought every version of TEW. I am an IT professional and I can attest that the games themselves are safe and 100% trustworthy. I have been following this guy and his wrestling games since probably 2001. Hes just a small independent programmer, but its completely legit. He joined Grey Dog several years back, I think it was a handful of small, solo programmers that make similar games that banded together for this very reason.

 

You can read the Wikipedia page about the games here if you still don't trust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Warfare

 

I know I am some random guy on the internet, but you can 100% trust buying TEW directly. I think the attempt to get it on Steam was the effort to get the word out more, but honestly this is a niche community and the forum has ALWAYS been the heart and soul of these games, even back on the free versions where people make "real world" mod databases, picture packs, and even mods that start in different years (80s, 90s etc).

 

Now... I do recommend the demo, there is a demo of the new 2020 version for beta testing out now, as well as the old 2016 version. If you are going to BUY, I would recommend that you get the new 2020 version. You can play I think 3 months of in game time for TEW for free, and then start over for another free trial of 3 months of in game time. Its up to you how to play, you can run the big promotion in the game, or do a small fed, or just sim and watch.

 

I always wait for real world mods. They are left out for legal reasons, Adam can't sell a product that has trademarks from WWE in it, for example, but this community always comes through with amazing mods and databases.

Thank you for addressing my safety concerns. I've actually played the demo version after creating this thread, and I think I'll buy the game as soon as I can afford it next month. From the gameplay, the dynamic elements of the world simulation, to accessibility(I'm a physically disabled gamer, can't play fast-paced sports games)..This series just seems perfect for me.

[shawn michaels]

I have played the demos for both TEW2020 and WMMA5, and while I definitely enjoyed both, it's hard to judge how much longevity it'll have for me longterm.

 

I'm primarily looking for a deep management game with high replayability, and an interesting, dynamic world where I could get amused by events etc.

 

Both games fit the criteria, just in different forms of business. One is WMMA5, where you run a MMA promotion, so based on running a real sport. The other is wrestling and all the entertainment factor upon which it is based. I have played both series since day 1 and I can tell you that WMMA5, the latest release, is the best game of mixed martial arts i've ever played. If you wan't to go straight into action and see time pass by and your decisions affecting the game world quickly, and having to deal with the consequences, you will love it. A great game.

 

TEW 2020 on the other hand, is also a ever changing world, but a more complex one, as instead of promoting real fights you are promoting wrestling matches, which include stuff like dealing with gimmicks, storylines, feuds, backstage politics, etc etc. Both games are top notch, both are worth the buy every day of the week, imo, but obviously which one will suit you more will depend on your own tastes.

 

From what you've said, i think both can have huge replay value for you, i know WMMA5 and TEW 16 have had endless amounts of it for me, and i know the same will happen with TEW 2020. If you're looking for something more complex out of the gate, TEW 2020 is my recommendation. If you can later afford WMMA5 down the road, i also recommend that. The amount of hours I spent in there is a number i've lost count, but all worth it. The same goes for TEW.

 

So, TL,DR: I recommend both, but whichever you buy first depends on your tastes. TEW is more complex, due to the nature of wrestling, in a good way. WMMA5 is more simple, also in a good way, in the sense that you will see yourself passing in-game months and years faster...and you will want to pass even more.

[Tezzle]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="shawn michaels" data-cite="shawn michaels" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49422" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Both games fit the criteria, just in different forms of business. One is WMMA5, where you run a MMA promotion, so based on running a real sport. The other is wrestling and all the entertainment factor upon which it is based. I have played both series since day 1 and I can tell you that WMMA5, the latest release, is the best game of mixed martial arts i've ever played. If you wan't to go straight into action and see time pass by and your decisions affecting the game world quickly, and having to deal with the consequences, you will love it. A great game.<p> </p><p> TEW 2020 on the other hand, is also a ever changing world, but a more complex one, as instead of promoting real fights you are promoting wrestling matches, which include stuff like dealing with gimmicks, storylines, feuds, backstage politics, etc etc. Both games are top notch, both are worth the buy every day of the week, imo, but obviously which one will suit you more will depend on your own tastes.</p><p> </p><p> From what you've said, i think both can have huge replay value for you, i know WMMA5 and TEW 16 have had endless amounts of it for me, and i know the same will happen with TEW 2020. If you're looking for something more complex out of the gate, TEW 2020 is my recommendation. If you can later afford WMMA5 down the road, i also recommend that. The amount of hours I spent in there is a number i've lost count, but all worth it. The same goes for TEW.</p><p> </p><p> So, TL,DR: I recommend both, but whichever you buy first depends on your tastes. TEW is more complex, due to the nature of wrestling, in a good way. WMMA5 is more simple, also in a good way, in the sense that you will see yourself passing in-game months and years faster...and you will want to pass even more.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> You just confirmed me that I definitely want to buy both, and that they both should fit tastes perfectly.. Payday can't come soon enough heh.</p><p> </p><p> Seems like TEW I'd probably enjoy more in the longterm, but I think I'll start with WMMA5 as I am more familiar with MMA than wrestling, and it should be easier to master since you've mentioned it's simpler.</p><p> </p><p> Either way, thank you very much for your help.</p>