Post by - Sniper Hunter - on Sept 25, 2007 20:22:23 GMT -5
Below, You will be able to learn alot about Wrestling Sims/Diaries. This topic was created to help anybody who is interested in creating wrestling diaries.
Table of Contents
1.Getting Started
2.Rules/Guidelines
3.Tips on becoming a sucessful diary writer
1.Getting Started
What is a wrestling Sim?
A Wrestling Sim is a program/simulator that allows you to recreate your own wrestling promotion, other known as federation and control everything. From winners of matches, titles, feuds, trades, Finances, everything and anything you can think of. They are usually very much detailed and very in-depth.
If you don't wish to download one of the programs but feel the urge to make a federation if you have a video game that allows you to do so you can do it that way as well.
Where can I get a wrestling Sim?
Wrestling Sims can be found everywhere! There are many that you can download off the net or you can even use a video game to create a wrestling Sim.
One of the most common wrestling Sims is EWR(Extreme Warfare Revenge) It's a free simulating software that I find that is the most in-depth simulator you are ever going to come across. To download EWR click here
About EWR
Another popular wrestling Sim is TEW. It is also a great Sim but the only downside is that you need to buy it. Which some people think that it is better because of that. I have not personally played it but it does look impressive. But to buy? I only advice buying if you are a hardcore Wrestling Sim lover.
About TEW:
Total Extreme Wrestling 2007 allows players to take on the role of a wrestling promoter, where it is up to you to try and steer your chosen company to the top of the industry, along the way dealing with prima donna superstars, wars and alliances with other wrestling companies, and the demands of TV corporations! Along with several brand new features and improvements, TEW2007 will also include several additions suggested by fans of the series over the past year.
About Wrestling Spirit:
Wrestling Spirit is also another Simulator made by the creators of TEW. But rather then running a federation you play as a single wrestler and control his every move Wrestling Spirit allows you to take control of the career of a professional wrestler, guiding his career through the world title wins, the tough matches, and the rivalries. You will control each match, negotiate contracts, personal finances, deal with injuries, and manage all the backstage politics. The accurate simulation engine and realistic AI offers up an extremely unique and immerse wrestling experience.
Table of Contents
1.Getting Started
2.Rules/Guidelines
3.Tips on becoming a sucessful diary writer
1.Getting Started
What is a wrestling Sim?
A Wrestling Sim is a program/simulator that allows you to recreate your own wrestling promotion, other known as federation and control everything. From winners of matches, titles, feuds, trades, Finances, everything and anything you can think of. They are usually very much detailed and very in-depth.
If you don't wish to download one of the programs but feel the urge to make a federation if you have a video game that allows you to do so you can do it that way as well.
Where can I get a wrestling Sim?
Wrestling Sims can be found everywhere! There are many that you can download off the net or you can even use a video game to create a wrestling Sim.
One of the most common wrestling Sims is EWR(Extreme Warfare Revenge) It's a free simulating software that I find that is the most in-depth simulator you are ever going to come across. To download EWR click here
About EWR
Another popular wrestling Sim is TEW. It is also a great Sim but the only downside is that you need to buy it. Which some people think that it is better because of that. I have not personally played it but it does look impressive. But to buy? I only advice buying if you are a hardcore Wrestling Sim lover.
About TEW:
Total Extreme Wrestling 2007 allows players to take on the role of a wrestling promoter, where it is up to you to try and steer your chosen company to the top of the industry, along the way dealing with prima donna superstars, wars and alliances with other wrestling companies, and the demands of TV corporations! Along with several brand new features and improvements, TEW2007 will also include several additions suggested by fans of the series over the past year.
About Wrestling Spirit:
Wrestling Spirit is also another Simulator made by the creators of TEW. But rather then running a federation you play as a single wrestler and control his every move Wrestling Spirit allows you to take control of the career of a professional wrestler, guiding his career through the world title wins, the tough matches, and the rivalries. You will control each match, negotiate contracts, personal finances, deal with injuries, and manage all the backstage politics. The accurate simulation engine and realistic AI offers up an extremely unique and immerse wrestling experience.
2.Rules & Guidelines
RULES & GUIDELINES
[li]When you leave feedback, make it feedback that is worthwhile. Don't post saying "This is looking good. I'll keep an eye on it." That does not help the writer in any way. If you want to leave feedback on a diary in general, a show, a PPV, a storyline, anything, then make it a thought out post. Don't just say you like or dislike something. Explain why you do. If I see any posts that are along the lines of "Good job", "looking good", "can't wait for the next show", or anything similar, I WILL delete the post.
[/li][li]If I find out that you take a diary from another board and copy it and pass it off as your own work, I will close/delete the diary. If I was able to I would add a warning in, but I can't so you have to stick with the "severe" punishment of having the topic deleted.
[/li][li]Do NOT make a topic in the Discussion forum that is relates to asking feedback for your diary. In other words, no topics like "My Diary Feedback Thread" in the Discussion forum is allowed. There is NO reason to have two topics for feedback for your diary. The diary is where people post their feedback. Nowhere else.
[/li][li]Do NOT post in a topic that has not been updated in 6 months unless you are the writer of the diary and you plan on continuing the diary. Any other reason will not be allowed. Any bumps a reader makes in a diary that has not been updated in 6 months will be deleted on the spot. If someone plans on continuing a diary, wait for them to actually continue it as things can change.
[/li][li]When you leave feedback, try to be polite with it. You can say a diary is the s**ttiest one ever in a nice tone and still get the point across. If I see feedback that goes over the line, I will edit it to make it nicer. You don't have to be all polite with it either. You can still say "This diary is really bad. It is one of the worst Ive seen.", but I strongly disaprove of "This diary is s**t, man. You should die for this. Never write another diary again you f**king ****." Those kinds of posts WILL be edited or deleted.
[/li][li]When you post a diary, keep in mind that while you SHOULD be doing the diary for yourself, the minute you post it it is open territory and it will be judged. You are giving people the right to judge it by posting it. You should take both positive AND negative feedback the same way and not throw a hissy fit when people complain about your diary or post something negative about it, unless the feedback is extremely harsher than it should be (in which I will take care of it). You should try to be realistic with diaries if you are doing a real life diary and do very good at describing things if it is a fake diary, diary set in the future, or diary set in another universe. If you are doing a real life diary but you want to throw in your own twists, like Bret Hart wrestling in the WWE in 2001, then give good explanations for it. Don't halfass those kinds of things; Don't be discouraged when people leave feedback. Instead, take it is a way for you to improve. Remember, no one was perfect at writing diaries when they first started and it takes time to get into a groove.
[/li][li]Try to make as little off topic comments as possible. If you would like to reply to someones comment, then try to do so in a post that contains information that is actually relevant to the diary, i.e. at the end of a show write up or news update. This isn't a must, but more of a suggestion. It makes the diary look bigger than it really is and it is better to have as little off topic posts as possible.
[/li][li]Don't ask for feedback or beg for it all the time. Don't end a diary just because the lack of feedback either. You sound desperate when you ask for feedback and many people get turned off by it. It also is seen as a cheap way to boost post count/bump the diary up. If someone constantly asks/begs for feedback, I will delete the posts and if it continues, close the diary.
[/li][li]Please do not bump your diary back to the top of the forum for no reason. These include posting to tell someone 'thanks for the feedback' or 'show up in a few hours' or anything similar. Those are meaningless posts that do not add to the diary at all. If you want to thank someone for feedback, do it after a news report. Don't make a post to tell people when the show will be up. Just wait a few hours and post the show itself instead. I WILL delete posts that are like that, no questions asked.
[/li][li]When you post in a diary, whether it be reader or writer, don't make a post that is off topic or an MSN convo type post. Don't make a post in a diary just to say 'I know, it was stupid for me to post that picture in the music forum' or something. Those types of posts WILL be deleted, no questions asked.
[/li][li]Do not 'shill' your diary. Don't go into topics and go 'this is alright, but if you want help read my diary (LINK IN SIG LIEK OMGZ!!!1'. This is NOT allowed at all. Also, do NOT make topics in the diary discussion forums that focus soley around your diary. If you have a question you want to ask the readers, ask it in YOUR diary. If you want to have a Tough Enough competition type thing, tell people about it in YOUR diary. I WILL delete any topics that focus around one sole diary in the diary discussions forum.
[/li][li]Do not copy and paste results. This means dont take the match write-ups from the EWR/TEW game and then use them as the match write-ups for the show you are writing. Diaries seen doing this will be given a verbal warning then closed if it continues.
[/li][li]If you need something done in your diary, whether it be having posts deleted or having it closed or anything along those lines, please contact me. I will do my best to fix the problem/help you out.
Those are a few guidelines/rules for people to follow. I will not be super strict, but there will be times where I will do what I see is fit in a situation. If you have a problem with something I have done, then PM me and talk with me about it. Don't go to Ignition about the problem, complaining that I deleted posts in your diary. Obviously people will have a differing opinion about something, but I will be doing what I think needs to be done, whether it be deleting useless posts, editing posts, or closing diaries. Unlike before, I will NOT be asking permission from the diary writers to do anything with their diary.
[/li][/ul]
3.Tips on becoming a sucessful diary writer
Now here are some tips and whatnot for those that want to start a diary...
- If you are going to start a "What If..." diary, then make sure you point out that the diary you are doing is not meant to be realistic and that if anyone reads the diary then to not post how unrealistic it is. If people still post saying it is unrealistic and stuff even after you say something like "This diary is not meant to be realistic. It is just what I am doing in the game so dont judge this based on realism but more on how you think I am doing things the way I am doing them," then they are just looking to s**t on your diary.
- If you are doing a present day any promotion diary, then be somewhat realistic. I know that diaries are meant to be for your fun, but the minute you post a diary it then becomes everyones right to criticize. You can still have fun doing an ROH diary without bringing in Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho and whatnot. The only way that I personally will allow out-there type things in diaries is if the diary is set in an alternate universe or something, not when it is a diary focusing around today's WWE or TNA. If you do decide to do something unrealistic, like having WWE release Paul Heyman only to have Heyman appear in TNA and bring them to number one in a matter of weeks, then come up with a REALLY DAMN GOOD explanation as to how that would happen in real life.
- People bitch about realism because most people dont like seeing Sting headlining WWE or Vince McMahon going bankrupt without any good explanation or TNA becoming the number one promotion a few months into 2006. You may want to do those things and you can, but don't get too defensive if someone criticizes it because the minute you post is the minute it is open territory. If you dont want people saying how bad an idea something is then don't do a diary.
- Accept both negative and positive feedback. Not everyone will like what you are doing so just take the negative feedback and see if you can use it to make the diary better. If you can't accept negative feedback along with positive then don't do a diary. Most of the time I only post negative feedback because that is something that is lacking in Corp. X diaries.
- Don't bump your diary up with meaningless posts and don't constantly ask for feedback. It makes you look desperate for replies. People will leave feedback when they have found something to leave feedback on. If you are going to bump your diary up, then make it a post that actually matters. Don't post saying "show up in a few minutes" or something. Make some news type post or something.
- If you are going to do a future diary, such as one set in 2007 or 2045, then give some pretty damn good explanations if a lot has changed between the actual current time and the time your diary is set in. If you are starting a 2054 diary, then have some good write ups of what has changed. Don't simply say "TNA became number one after WWE fell and now onto my promotions info and the shows."
- Backstories aren't the most important aspect to a diary, but it can easily turn a reader off nonetheless. A simple "WrestleMania 2006 Results" backstory can be just as effective as a 5 page backstory that covers every detail from the RR 2006 all the way to WM, but a bad backstory like "I won a million dollars so I am starting my own promotion/buying WWE out" or "I met Vince McMahon and he gave me a head booker position" can turn a reader off.
- Never copy and paste results from the game. Always write your own. Nothing says lazy like just taking what the game says and pasting it into the diary. It isn't that hard to write "The two went at it with some punches and kicks at first and then things sped up as the match progressed. Wrestler A went for a few Submission 1 attempts but Wrestler B kept reversing or getting out of it. Wrestler B finally got the upperhand and went for Finisher 1, but Wrestler A slipped out and applied the Submission 2. After a few seconds Wrestler B tapped out as he couldn't take it anymore and Wrestler A stood with his hand raised in the air."
- Don't ask people what diary you should do, in a sense. Don't make a topic asking "okay what diary do you guys want to see?" because they may suggest ones you wont have any fun doing. Instead, come up with a few ideas that you know you will have fun doing and make a poll to see what people think of them. Although it is just as bad as asking what diary to do, it is a little better.
- Diaries are meant to be fun. Do any diary you want to do. You can do a diary where ECW steals The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Kane, and Austin from WWF in 1998 then go ahead. Be prepared for negative feedback, but if it is something that is fun to you then continue it. A few people cant ruin your fun, only you can. If a few people do ruin your fun, then you are doing a diary for them and not yourself which is the wrong reason to do a diary. You should always do a diary for YOURSELF, not to get feedback on it. A diary is meant to make your game more fun, not to have everyone praise what you are doing or to shoot down those that dissaprove of what you are doing.
- Don't do a diary about something you don't know anything about. If you never watched ECW when it was still with the NWA, then don't do that type of diary. Nothing is worse than seeing a WWE for life mark writing an ROH diary when he has never even seen a 5 second clip of anything ROH related. Unless you do tons of research on the idea, don't do it.
- If you are going to leave feedback, then actually leave feedback. Don't say "Oh that sucked" or "That rocked!". Why did it suck? Why did it rock? Why is this the greatest diary ever? What do you not like about the wrestlers push? Why do you think this wrestler will defeat that wrestler when posting predictions? What do you think will happen because of the match when making predictions? I am someone who dislikes the short "KUTGW" and "your other diaries were good so ill see how you do with this" feedback. It adds nothing and doesn't help the writer out that much. I also dislike if people post predictions but nothing else. It is alright to see who people think will win, but I would rather see why people think that wrestler will win or what they think of the matches and stuff.
- Just because one person had one or two really good diaries, doesn't mean they can only produce five star qaulity diaries. Not trying to pick on anyone, but if Writer A writes the greatest diary ever and stops it and starts another one up, don't get all excited just because he is writing it as he can f**k that diary up big time and do horrible. I dont like when people see someone start a new diary and cream their pants just because that person is doing it. People shouldn't be attracted to a diary based on who is doing it. They should be attracted to a diary based on the idea of the diary. It seems like if someone new who has never written a diary before started a "Professional Wrestling: From The Beginning" diary that was truely 5 star material then they wouldn't get any feedback, while someone who had one really good diary and is well known will get a ton of feedback for a "Poop Monster Wrestling" diary.
- Research the wrestler you are writing for. Nothing is worse than reading a promo from a wrestler that sounds nothing like the wrestler the promo is for. Not only that, but try to put some emotion into promos. It is hard since it is only text, but little things like "Wrestler A began speaking, with his eyebrows lowered and his nose scrunched a little, obviously angry at the events that took place less than twenty four hours ago.".
- Grammar, spelling, and lay out are critical in diaries. It is a pain in the eyes to read a show without any color or seperation for segmants. It is even worse to have to figure out what word the writer just made up every three words just because they can't run a spell check. (Given by Thatz)
- Try to make as little out of character posts as possible. If you want to reply to feedback given, then wait until you post a meaningful post like a show or a show preview. 10 pages of actual shows and such is better than 4 pages of shows and then 6 pages of you making useless posts.
- Don't beg for feedback in your diary and dont make a topic asking for it or asking why you dont get any. You just come off as looking desperate and people dont want to read a diary if the writer is just desperate for feedback. Just wait. Views are more important than replies if your diary just started. Once it reaches the 7+ page mark, assuming most of the posts in those pages are actually about the diary and not stupid/meaningless posts, without any replies is when you can worry. People may read your diary but may not have anything to say that is constructive or they just may not want to reply at the moment. Just stop begging for feedback and do the diary. Stop worrying about replies and do what you are suppsoed to do with a diary and have fun and DO IT FOR YOURSELF.
- If you are going to do a diary or have a diary idea thought up and think it will be good, take this tip especially. Write some shows, about 3-4, before you actually start/post the diary. If you can do that, it will prove you are willing to go with the diary and that it will be fun for you. If you can't even finish 2 shows, think of another diary to do. If you cant get 2 show pre-done, then you most likely wont have fun with the diary and you wont be able to make the diary fun for yourself nor for the reader.
- In addition to a previous tip, when writing shows, try to make the different shows stand out more. For a 'B' show like Heat or Velocity, you can do simple "Wrestler 1 def. Wrestler 2 via pin/sub/dq/count out after hitting Finisher A". For 'A' shows like RAW you should try to get more detail in and put mostly the key moments of the match, especially if something happens in the match that can progress/start a fued/storyline. For PPV or Big Event write ups, be much more descriptive, Try to go all out. Not move-for-move write up, unless you want to, but more detail on the action going on. Personally, I dont like reading an 'A' show report then seeing the same length of match write ups for a PPV. To me it makes the writer look like he/she doesn't care and it also doesnt make the PPV's seem all that special anymore. Small things like that matter in diaries.
Those are some little tips and whatnot for diaries. If you have any more then post them and I'll add them to this post.