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CHANGE AGENT

What's up with the simultaneous RP threads?

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by
jediPREZ
, 04-20-10 at 05:45 PM (2090 Views)
So, as we draw closer to the RP deadlines for NFW's first shows back...I thought I'd talk about my goal with the new RP setup in NFW since my roster so graciously answered on the Fan Boards.

During the Crash 50 post-production year off (ha!), JN started sending me YouTube links of old NWA Worldwides and Saturday Nights, where Flair, Cornette, etc. would cut promos during the 'commercial' time to pump up the upcoming house shows that week. Sometimes, you'd see all sorts of wrestlers interacting through those circumstances (Flair interrupting someone, Cornette waving him in...) or you'd see Magnum TA talking deeply about his upcoming war with Tully Blanchard.

It made me realize that I feel that in our little circle and maybe the hobby as a whole is the realism/purpose of promos has become a lost art.

Don't get me wrong, if anyone's guilty or the cardinal sinner of this...all you have to do is read one of my Mike Randalls RP's from the last 10 years. But the art of the promo is completely lost from what I consider it's apex (Late 1970's - Mid 1980's). It's quite interesting because when alot of us first started on Prodigy...this was the format we knew. 10-20 years later, just like the WWE...the art of the promo has been lost in the shuffle. Instead of hyping up a house show with a 3 minute spot, so many of us are pounding out 3-5 page roleplays about how this next match will define our everyone's lives and nobody will ever, EVVVVVVVVVER forget it. Or it's 3-5 pages recapping their opponent's RP and what's wrong with what they said. The latter can sometimes be hard to read when it becomes a 10+ RP thread.

I've realized and FINALLY accepted that my fed is only going to survive through constant RP interaction (what my handlers want) and shortened lineups/matches (so we can get shows out on time). With that, I'm trying to create an environment where promos will hopefully gear themselves towards the old NWA in terms of building hype/feuds. That's not to say that epic/lengthy RP's won't have their place in my fed, but as long as we're rolling with abbreviated/short-form matches...I'm trying to keep the RP side equal.

Right now, I'm wondering if I'm going to start seeing 5 page RP's drop for everyone's first in their scheduled thread since the deadline is close...while they may be crafted beautifully, I'll feel pretty damn guilty when their match gets a 3-sentence write-up on the show. The length of someone's RP isn't going to affect my judging by any means, but my goal is to keep NFW as efficient/pragmatic as possible until I'm confident we as a fed can approach a big TV show and get it done. I'd say I'm 1% there right now, which shouldn't be shocking considering what's happened with any Crash/SUPERCrash/PPV.

It's a different mindset for the fed for sure, but I'm hoping everyone digs it...and works well with it. If not? Well, I tried...and I can always reopen MCW.
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  1. LQJT86C's Avatar
    I'm definitely a fan of the "Worldwide" format. As you might know, I grew up on 90's WWF and ECW, but YouTube has kind of turned me onto some of the NWA stuff I missed. WWF and ECW were also similar in their focus on "the promo" and getting characters over before feuds.

    As far as FW goes, I would love if everybody stuck to short, TV style promos, but the thing is...nobody wants to be "out epic'd." My guess is people would love to post shorter, character-driven RPs, but are afraid their opponent will drop a 10 page nuke on them. Does anybody read the 10 page nuke? A few do, but mostly I think people see it and go "Wow, it's long...it must be good." But g*ddamn it, it's not the size that counts, but how you use it! AM I RIGHT?

    In the case of my NFW character, he's the type who works better in a more abstract, fleshed out environment, but if you're a good writer you should be able to adapt. Good characters can work in a multitude of different environments, I feel, but the writer needs to be up to the task.
  2. jediPREZ's Avatar
    I actually haven't seen an 'EPIC' RP over the 3 shows thus far.

    However, I'm seeing the majority of matches get 1-2 RPs, so I'm not sure if that's just the timing or a trend I may want to think about.

    I think if I started seeing 100% 3-5 page RP's for these types of shows, I'd start instituting a 1,000 word cap. I may try it for poops & giggles one show in the future to see how it works.
  3. LQJT86C's Avatar
    Yeah, the RPs thus far have been short/sweet. I actually attempted to write an epic, but ran out of juice. :-) Another change that helps: putting all the RPs for one show in the same thread. I think that's what we used to do on Prodigy, and when no one or two people are under the microscope, perhaps there is less pressure to post a 10 page epic. It's also good in the way that people will read the work of others more frequently, just by way of everything being in the same thread. Who knows, someone might just be scrolling to find their opponent's RP when they say, "Oh crap! Did somebody just say grundlebuster? Lemme scroll back up and check that out."