by Al Laiman |
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Greetings, my fellow PCW comrades, As your color commentator, I am greatly anticipating the first PCW show in a long time. We've got quite a stacked card, and while some of the names haven't made their RPing debut yet, we've still got a whole weekend for everybody to be accounted for. Following the results of episode 86 of PCW Trauma, there will be winners, there will be losers, and there will be some that draw. Hardly anyone (besides 2Guys) ever complains about winning, but it's inevitable with any show that somebody's going to be pissed off about losing. This is the practical lesson in participating in this game. You are not going to win every match. There, I said it. Listen to this advice and understand it. At least fifty percent of the booked wrestlers on any given card are going to lose. It's the fact of the game, so stop taking it so seriously. Sometimes someone just put out a better piece than you did. Sometimes it might be leading to something, like a storyline or a feud. Sometimes you just didn't have your best week. Regardless, at least half of the roster is going to lose at PCW Trauma, and it is not the end of the world. In fact, more people are going to lose at this Trauma as opposed to the other ones because of all the four-ways and triple threats. Roleplaying is not a game of "everybody wins", and if you don't understand that by now, you're playing the wrong game. Go back to intramural basketball where everybody gets a trophy, because you're participating in the wrong activity. NOBODY wins all the time. Luis has the toughest job in all of this, because he knows the second those results come out, somebody is not going to be happy with the result, or their grade, or their feud, or how they lost, or they don't use that move, or they would've kicked out of that move, or the color commentator made fun of their haircut, or their match was too short, or that Nickelback doesn't suck as much as Laiman says they do, WHATEVER! This game is supposed to be fun. It's about writing characters and becoming a better writer, not about pulling a 1972 Miami Dolphins every time. Lantlas went 14-0 over in EPW, and that's about the closest I've ever seen to a Goldberg run. That was 14 matches. Anyone here with more than 14 matches on their resume has lost. In fact, they've lost a lot of times. You want proof? Take a look at the all-time roster. The five winningest writers in PCW history are Ace Anderson, Grimm, Non Compos Mentis, LoKi/James Keenan, and Lantlas. They have a combined 337 matches in PCW, which speaks volumes not only about PCW, but about the tenure of this place. Combined, they've lost 102 times and drew 18. That means the five most successful writers in PCW have not won 120 times. That's the top five out of 151 all-time PCW writers. The top five have not won their match 120 times. They're not always happy about it, but they worked through it, tried to improve, or maybe even were building toward something. The ones who complain about the results generally don't stick around too long (Kaden Keene, Anthony Douglas, Zellmo anyone?) It's a fact of the game, and I really don't want to see Luis's efforts recruiting everyone back and working his ass off to give us a good show tainted by someone whining about the results. This is a special place, and I'm sure most of us are thrilled to have it back/enter this new endeavor. I'll step off my soapbox now, but I wanted to address this before someone has the chance to throw a fit about the match that hasn't happened yet, or one in the future. Thank you, Luis. And remember, regardless of whether you thought you won or not, the final grade is the determining factor. And, much like records, no one in the history of PCW has ever scored a 50/50. If your goal is perfection in this game, RP against opponents that don't exist. You might win more, but it's sure not as much fun. |
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So you've decided to join an RP fed. You've been a fan of wrestling for a long time. Maybe you've created a few wrestlers on SvR, and you've always wished you could write the history and promos of those characters. Maybe you're not that into wrestling, but you enjoy competitive writing and have been recommended this game due to your writing interests as opposed to wrestling. Maybe you're reading this because you're already into RPing and might be looking for some ideas to improve a little bit. Regardless of the reason, I'm writing this guide for you, to help get you better acquainted with this game. 1. Create a character Wait, this place doesn't use real wrestlers? Yes, in an e-fed like this, you have to use a little brainpower and make up a wrestler. This takes a little more than a slight modification of a name while otherwise being an exact clone of an existing wrestler. This is a game where you can create your ultimate idea of what a wrestler is, or who you would be if you were a wrestler. I guarantee that if you went to wrestling school and tried to be a clone of Randy Orton, it wouldn't work. You can be any wrestler you want to be, so be something that doesn't already exist. Some wrestlers have a gimmick, others just use "their name." Whatever it is, make it unique and realistic. Good nicknames also help immediately establish who you are and how you see yourself, and can also help you stand out. Be careful though, try not to get too cliche with it. Then, you need to decide if you want to be a face (good guy) or a heel (bad guy). Trust me, it's important for deciding how you're going to RP and how the head of the fed is going to use you. Ever see a heel vs. heel match on TV? Rarely. Why? No one gives a shit. It's either good guy vs. bad guy, or occasionally good guy vs. good guy, but either way there's a reason for everyone else to get into the match. Heel vs. heel is the textbook definition of fan apathy. 2. Establish a style What kind of wrestler do you want to be? It takes all styles, so there's no wrong answer to this. There is, however, a way to not do it. If your character is seven feet tall, he shouldn't be doing shooting star presses. If your character is a high-flyer, he shouldn't be doing tombstones. I know the video games let you be the guy who can chokeslam someone and then go to the top rope and do the 450, but we're trying to establish some semblance of realism here. You also should not have moveset of finishers. I've seen too many top ten move lists where they're all finishing maneuvers. Think of any wrestling match you've ever seen. Any good match doesn't pull out the big guns right at first, it's all a buildup. Finishers should be your finishers, other moves should build up your normal moves list. Try to keep them consistent within your style. 3. Writing Style While there are various hybrids of styles, some more successful than others, there are really only two styles of RPing to choose from. Script and Narrative. Script are RPs written line this: Wrestler A: I'm talking here. Wrestler B: I'm responding. Narrative RPs are written like this: "I'm talking here," Wrestler A spoke. "I'm responding," Wrestler B replied. While script style can be done well with certain characters, you'll find a great deal of freedom in the narrative. Internal monologue and feelings are conveyed a lot better through the eyes of the character rather than limited to mostly dialogue. However, comedic characters are often better portrayed in the script style, so it's really up to what you feel you can do. A sub-category of narrative are two different ways of storytelling. First-person and third-person narrative. First person is through the eyes of the character, i.e. "I was thinking about my next match. Third-person is the general story told through no perspective, as if you were watching as a "third person." i.e. "Wrestler A was preparing for his next match." Whichever you choose, try to stay consistent. 4. RPing You've been booked for your first match, and you've made all the steps to prepare for this moment. You've got a good character, a general moveset for the matchwriter to use, and you're ready to write your character in your selected style. Now comes the hard part; actually going through with it. The most basic form of RPing is trashtalking script. A character is backstage being interviewed, he does an on-screen series of catchphrases and trashtalk, and he leaves. In-ring promos also fall into this, but some feds don't even allow those, for good reason. What ring is there to be cutting a promo? The only time the arena is there with fans in it is the actual show. Even easier, you can wait for your opponent to RP, and then respond to everything they said with your own take on it. When done well, this can be really fun and entertaining, or in the right moment, very intimidating. Try not to limit yourself to these though, as constant trash-talking won't get you very far in this game. It leaves you rather one-dimensional, and to be honest, just about anyone can do it. Anyone can come to the ring or respond to fed lines from an interviewer and trashtalk, try to expand your horizons a little bit. If you're looking to captivate an audience and keep a vested interest in your character, my personal recommendation is to establish a story arc. Something that is happening to your character that flows between RPs. Give us a reason to care about your character beyond "this is what he said about me." However, try to avoid transitional pieces, where nothing really happens and instead just sets up a future story. The way I see it, every RP should tell and conclude its own story while keeping the bigger picture of the story going. Having trouble with what to write about your character? Here are some questions to help you along. -Where did your character come from? -How did they get into wrestling? -Does your character have a significant other? -Does your character have children? -Did something happen as a child that affects who they are today? -What is happening to your character besides their upcoming match? -How did the result of the most recent match affect your character's mindframe? -Does your character have personal demons? How do they deal with them? -If you're a face, why does your character love what they do? -If you're a heel, why does your character hate someone, or everyone? These are just some basic starters to get an idea of where you want to go. Do whatever gets the creative juices flowing, whatever that may be for you. Listen to music, watch a movie that makes you feel something, brainstorm ideas, even just to get an idea of what you want to do so you can translate that to your character. Got something going on in your life that you need to get out? Make it work in your RP without breaking kayfabe (the world of wrestling). It's cathartic to get it out in a pretend world where you can actually do something about it. 5. Observe the Most Successful Every fed is different, and you'll be catering your style to a different judge. The best way to get an idea for what the judge is seeking is to read the work of the best and most successful in the fed. Truthfully you should be reading everyone's work anyway, but I'm being realistic here. What is it they do that makes them so successful? How do they write? What is their style? How is their work not only good, but revered? Plenty of good writers don't find success in RPing because they get narrow-minded and refuse to improve upon the criteria. The first purpose of competitive writing is not to entirely write what you want, but also write what they want to see. You have a rubric, observe it and use it. If it's not working, find a way to improve. Most people will help you along the way. 6. Check Your Ego Think you lost a match when you shouldn't have? Think you're a better writer than the guy who beat you? Take it up with the boss privately, or shut up. I guarantee no one wants to see your complaints aired publicly. It's tired, it's annoying, and NO ONE wants to hear it. You're not always going to be happy with the results, but you're not going to win every time out. Keep in mind, just like in real wrestling, the loss might be the beginning of a new storyline that involves you. 7. Observe the Deadline If the deadline is Monday night at 11, don't wait til 10:30 to post. This is called sandbagging, and it's a real pain in the ass, especially for the person facing you. While your RP shouldn't be entirely based upon what your opponent says, at least give them a chance to see it and the opportunity to respond. On the other hand, don't wait for your opponent to write one before you do. Come up with your own ideas before you worry about responding to theirs. 8. EDIT EDIT EDIT Reread your piece, even have someone else take a look at it. You're being judged on how you write, and misspelled words and basic grammar mistakes take away from a quality RP. Write it in Word if you must, or ask someone to proofread it. Sometimes even the fedhead won't give you trouble over this, but as the RP Reviewer and a general grammar nazi, you better believe I'll call you on it if you have a sentence like "your fired cause of there actions." If you don't know what's wrong with that sentence, step in line to get hit with a pool noodle. 9. Have fun This encapsulates both RPing and the OOC activities. There are plenty of participation activities for all the handlers, such as predictions, feedback, and random games of meaningless posting. There's even this guy who spends a lot of time doing a video column for everyone, you should check that out too. The more you participate, the more you're going to enjoy the fed. You may just want to post RPs, but I guarantee people are going to respond to you more if you're active OOC too. This is a general guide for your assistance to either enter the RP realm, or improve in it. Feedback is welcomed, but as someone who's participated in this game for more than half his life, I'm taking this directly from experience. Thanks everyone, enjoy the fed! -"Universal" Al Laiman |