Post by fantasyauthor66 on Apr 13, 2021 3:37:58 GMT 1
Total Control Wrestling is on the final round of playtesting. Most of the bugs have been Taz-plexed out. The game is essentially ready to go, minus a couple of small things like the intro chapter, table of contents, and glossary. The rulebook and other game books are complete, aside from actual artwork. The artwork is currently made up of placeholder images.
All that said… we are looking for the last batch of folks to test the game and see if they can “break” it like Mick Foley falling off the Cell. And if not break the game, provide some important feedback on the game, its feel, the rulebook layout, and all that other “fun” stuff.
What is Total Control Wrestling? Here is the rough draft of the back cover to give you the first idea:
Total Control Wrestling! The game where you decide how the storylines unfold on TV!
Total Control Wrestling provides players with an entire game system focused on a wrestling promotion with a weekly TV show. Every week, the show builds on the characters, storylines, feuds, and angles of the previous shows. It’s like watching your favorite weekly wrestling show on TV. You never know what will happen, who will show up, or what matches you may see. But one thing is for sure… it will lead to a knock-down, drag out, feud settling match down the road!
Create your own wrestlers or use those included in the game to get right into the action! The random creation process allows you to generate a wrestler’s physical stats, never knowing what you may get. Will it be a giant? Or a luchador? Then you decide the wrestler’s style and attributes to fit the prototype. Alternately, players can disregard the random process and assign any stats and attributes as they see fit, making the wrestler of their dreams! Perhaps you want to make replicas of the stars you watch on TV? You can do that, too! Total Control Wrestling lets you take Total Control!
The game system allows players to customize and use whatever elements they want and disregard the rest. Players can track everything built into the game system or use the most basic aspects for matches. Only want to use the Match Charts to determine winners in one-off matches? You can. Want to leave out the XP and Character Progression? You can do that without affecting the rest of the game.
If detailing all the Feuds is too much work, leave that out and let the charts tell the stories from one show to the next. For the ultimate experience, get out some paper and pencils and run an entire promotion, keeping track of every stat, win, loss, storyline, angle, and feud from beginning to end. Total Control Wrestling does just that… gives you Total Control of the game!
The Chart Manual guides the general action of the TV show. However, players add the details, develop the personalities, and use their own creativity to enhance the show as it tells the stories from week-to-week. Angles, interviews, and scenarios will build Feuds between rivals until they can settle it once-and-for-all in the ring. New feuds will emerge, old feuds will re-start, wrestlers will turn on each other, and more! The game system provides the methods and means, but it is up to you to decide how and why it happened. You have Total Control!
Are you ready for the excitement and
action? Are you ready for…
Total Control Wrestling
(Note: The above would be the TCW logo for effect.)
Now for a list. Not one like that of Jericho, either. Sorry!
Let me give a brief overview of what the game IS or DOES and what the game IS NOT or DOES NOT include. I don’t want anyone to expect one thing, but get another.
The game IS NOT a computer or video game.
The game IS a dice- and chart-based, tabletop simulation of pro wrestling.
The game IS based on the wrestlers, storyline, angles, managers, and other aspects of a wrestling television show.
The game DOES allow you to create your own wrestlers, managers, and promotion.
The game IS NOT about running a company or promotion in order to make a profit, earn money, and upgrade assets.
The game IS based on the TV format of a weekly wrestling show.
The game IS focused on the wrestlers, but from a fan’s perspective. Imagine watching your favorite TV wrestling show, not knowing what is coming next. This game provides that sort of “feel” and excitement.
The game IS NOT a move-by-move match simulator. (Note: I have created an “engine” that does this and rather well. However, in the Basic Game Version I
want to test first, it will not be used. However, if anyone wants a demo of this aspect of the game, I will gladly oblige and accept feedback.)
The game IS NOT about being a promoter and “beating” other promoters.
The game IS playable solo or with others.
The game IS NOT an RPG in the traditional sense. However, character skill advancement via an XP system IS part of the game.
The game IS NOT a traditional “Booker” sim. It could be used as such, but in a way, that would diminish a lot of what the game brings to the table.
I think that covers a lot of the basics.
If you have a slight, working knowledge of pro wrestling, you may be interested. If you enjoy “sports sim” style gaming, this may interest you.
However, if you are one of the people like I am, who LOVE pro wrestling, no matter how good, bad, or ugly it gets sometimes (I’m looking at you, years circa 2006-2015 or so…), I think you’ll enjoy what this game is and does.
All of the rules, character sheets, charts, etc., are finalized. It will be a matter of getting them in the “right” order that makes sense for the layout.
This is where some outside player feedback would be TREMENDOUS, especially from fellow gamers. My playtest group of friends, while wrestling fans, are not the biggest on gaming. They just want to get together, play, and let me run the game using all the info I have developed over the years… errr… decades. They do not have much interest in reading the rules they “already know from playing with the guy who made them and knows them.”
While I am a published novelist, I have discovered that writing rules is a completely different animal.
"How are you going to playtest?”
Excellent question, glad you asked.
I am simply going to hand over the rules and materials and let folks give it a fill-fledged "blind" playtest with no guidance from me. I have already started this process. All I ask is that you provide feedback as you read the rules, create characters, run shows, etc. I can take criticism and critique. You won't hurt my feelings. Believe me. However, I would require a lot of written feedback, maybe some copies of characters, shows, feuds, etc., as well.
If you think you might be interested in this project, niche as I know it is, I would love to hear from you. Please send me a DM. If you have any questions, by all means, ask away.
Thanks again for reading!