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| I'm not a big stickler on rules, nor am I a huge fan of them, but I recognize that they're necessary for maintaining order. However, I have confidence that there won't be any major problems with the handlers getting out of hand, so instead of rules, think of them as guidelines. The following is the set of guidelines that this particular e-federation adheres to for dictating gameplay. |
| The first rule of the AWA is to have fun. If you're here, but you're not having fun, then there's a problem. If this ever happens, get in contact with us so we can figure out what's wrong. Just like you, everyone else is here to have fun, also. Treat other handlers with the respect and courtesy that you'd expect in return. And if, for some odd reason, you enjoy it when people are rude and mean to you...well, just try to be nice, anyhow. In the fantasy world that the AWA is set in, everything is exactly as it is in real life, except that the WWE, TNA, WCW, or any of the other real life promotions do not exist. Instead, the United States is divided up into territories, and there are several minor promotions attempting to capitalize on the latest wrestling craze and develop their small promotion into a national powerhouse. The AWA is just one of the many promotions, and is based along the Southeastern coast. When in-character, real life wrestlers or promotions should never be acknowledged, past or present. Let's talk about deadlines. There are only two deadlines that you should worry about, and they're both the same. There is a deadline for your roleplays, and a deadline for your segments for the card. The deadline for both of these is 3:00 p.m. Eastern time the day prior to the event. So, for example, you have something you want to send in for Riptide, which takes place on a Tuesday, you'd have to send it in by Monday at 3:00 p.m Eastern time. Each handler is allowed a maximum of two wrestlers. You can use them as either two singles wrestlers, a tag team, or both. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and if the AWA believes a handler is capable of handling more than two wrestlers, he may be allowed to do so. |
| It's no secret that professional wrestling comes in many different styles. The AWA offers eleven different style classifications to choose from to describe your wrestlers in-ring preference. The following is a list of the different styles with a description of each: All-Rounder: This type of style describes a wrestler that is well-rounded in many different styles of the wrestling arts. He has good skills in submissions, grappling, risk taking, and brawling, but doesn't necessarily excel in any of them. This style is usually selected by characters that are veterans and have been around for many years, which would explain their knowledge of so many different styles. Brawler: A brawler is usually a wrestler with incredible toughness that can not only dish out punishment, but take it as well. Brawlers aren't as proficient with weapons as their extremist counterparts, but they are scrappy fighters. Brawlers don't have as much wrestling knowledge as a mat technician, or the inclination to take risks like a daredevil, but they do know how to beat people with their fists. Daredevil: A daredevil possesses many of the same wrestling traits that a high flyer possesses. The main difference between the two is their mentalities. A daredevil, while also a risk taker, doesn't necessarily take educated risks. In the eyes of a daredevil, a 450 Splash is all the same to them, regardless if it's from the top rope, or the top of the arena. When one watches a daredevil in action, the word "fearless" comes to mind. Extremist: An extremist is a brawler...taken to the next level. An extremist embraces the hardcore lifestyle and loves using weapons against his opponents...and sometimes even himself! An enthusiast of barbed-wire and flaming tables, this is the type of wrestler that would wear the crimson mask with pride. An extremist excells in hardcore matches, but typically have short-lived careers. Grappler: The grappler is your basic wrestler. Not as technically sound as a mat technician or as skilled in submissions as a submission grappler, the grappler favors a more upright strategy in the ring. The grappler enjoys using suplexes, slams, and other high impact maneuvers to his advantage. While a grappler is certainly capable of ground-based attacks, his specialty is throws and slams. High Flyer: High flyers are incredibly fun to watch as the zip around the ring with the speed of a cheetah and the grace of a swan. This type of wrestler is known for taking high risks, but not to the extent of a daredevil. While many high flyers consider the top rope a second home, they usually pick their spots carefully. And though high flyers are capable of pulling off incredibly acrobatic moves, they keep their personal well-being in mind at all times. Luchador: The luchador style originated in Mexico and migrated into the United States several years ago. It is a very high risk style, much like that of the high flyer. The only difference is the speed at which the luchador wrestles. A luchador seemingly has a never-ending supply of energy, and is constantly going at 100% during the duration of the match. This is a very fast-paced, intense style that is favored by Mexican lightweights, or lightweights that were trained in Mexico. Martial Artist: Martial artists are unique in that their attacks consist mainly of strikes, and occasionly a few submission holds. The martial artist includes many forms of trained combat, such as boxing, kick boxing, and karate, just to name a few. This style is generally favored by extremely agile wrestlers, and the majority of martial artists use their feet as their primary weapon. Mat Technician: The mat technician is a naturally gifted athlete that usually has some sort of noteworthy amateur background in the sport. This type of wrestler is proficient in takedowns, counters, and reversals and usually has a ridiculous number of moves and counter-moves at his disposal. A mat technician is incredibly talented, and if one's not careful, one could easily be dismantled. Powerhouse: A powerhouse is what his name inplies. A powerhouse is generally muscle-bound, or in possession of great size and power, which he uses to bully and brutalize his opponent. A powerhouse uses his size and strength to out-muscle his opponent with a variety of high impact moves. This wrestler attempts to overwhelm his opponent with sheer force. Submission Grappler: The submission grappler is well-versed in the technical arts of grappling, but specializes in chokes, armbars, and other submission holds. This type of wrestler revels in the fact that he possesses the ability to make his opponents tap out. The primary strategy of a submission grappler is to keep his opponent grounded, single out a body part, weaken it, then go for the submission. |
| Rather than use the same old face/neutral/heel alignment system that everybody else uses, I thought I'd be creative and original and steal this new alignment system from a pen-and-paper game I used to play many years ago. It eliminates the notion of being completely neutral, as being completely neutral is virtually impossible. Okay, enough rambling. Here's a list of the alignments and their descriptions, going from good to evil: Principled(Good): This is the most virtuous of the seven alignments, and is reserved for the champions of goodness. He does everything by the book, for the good of the people. A principled character would never attack somebody from behind. Betraying a friend is also out of the question. A principled character wouldn't manipulate others, or break a promise. There is no way this character would ever, under any circumstances, torture or harm somebody for fun. He respects authority(providing he doesn't feel it's corrupt) and rules, and will follow them to a tee. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, this individual would run to her aid without a second thought. A principled character is capable of feeling immense guilt for things he could have done, and holds himself accountable for everything he does. Scrupulous(Good): A scrupulous character is still an outstanding citizen, but doesn't uphold virtues to the extent that a principled character does. He will attempt to abide by the law to the best of his abilities, and is well-inentioned. This person wouldn't attack somebody from behind, unless they were of a truly dispicable nature. A scrupulous person wouldn't betray a friend. If given the opportunity, he wouldn't manipulate others, or break a promise. He wouldn't torture or harm another...well, not for fun, anyways. This person respects authority and laws, but isn't above bending them to achieve something he feels is right. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, this individual definitely attempt to aid her. A scrupulous character is capable of feeling immense guilt for things he could have done, and holds himself accountable for everything he does, but not to the extent of a principled character. Unprincipled(Selfish): This is the category that most people fall into by default. This character can act on the behalf of good or evil, but generally looks out for himself. This person would attack somebody from behind, but only if he thought it was the only way he'd be able to defeat him. He'd betray a friend, but only if he felt it necessary and justified. An unprincipled person would manipulate others or break a promise, but only if he believed there were few other options. He might be persuaded to torture or harm another person for his own personal gain, but would never do so for the sheer joy of it. An unprincipled character holds authority with contempt, but won't go out of his way to break laws. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, he'd be inclined to go help her, but that doesn't necessarily mean he would. This character has a conscience and feels guilt, but avoids holding himself accountable if at all possible. Anarchist(Selfish): The most selfish, self-centered alignment out of the group, the anarchist only cares about one thing...himself. This individual is more evil than an unprincipled character, but isn't actually evil in alignment, and prides himself on his individualism. He would easily attack a person from behind if his helped him in his path to self-gratification. This character would betray a friend if it would help serve his goals. An anarchist would manipulate another if it would benefit him in some way, shape, or form. The anarchist is capable of torturing or harming another person, and might enjoy doing it, but his sole purpose for doing so would to further his motives. Authority figures and rules disgust him, and he will disregard them at his own discretion for he feels they hamper his individuality. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, there's a possibility he'd lend a hand, but his motives for this good deed would be insincere. An anarchist only feels guilt for the fact that he was caught, not for the fact that he committed the act, and he attempts to avoid holding himself accountable at all costs. Miscreant(Evil): Compared to the diabolic character, the miscreant is the milder of the two. While he enjoys the pain of others, his primary motivation is his own personal fullfillment. He would never pass up the chance to attack somebody from behind. Although it wouldn't be his cardinal intention, he'd betray a friend if he must. A miscreant character would enjoy unleashing his will and manipulating others to better his position. He would take pleasure in torturing or harming another, with obtaining something from the ordeal not necessarily a priority. He feels that authorities and laws are laughable at best, and doesn't even acknowledge their existence. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, the miscreant character would likely join in for his own personal pleasure. He feels zero guilt and never holds himself accountable for his actions. Diabolic(Evil): The diabolic character is the lowest of the low, and seemingly inflicts pain on others just for the sake of doing it. He's motivated by power, and his personal pleasure usually comes at the expense of others. Not only would he attack a person from behind, he wouldn't have it any other way. He views his friends just like everyone else, and could betray them and go on with his life without missing a beat. A diabolic character would take joy in manipulating others, especially if it caused them pain. He would certainly torture or harm others, if for nothing more than the sheer pleasure of inflicting pain on another living creature. Authorities and laws mean nothing to this person, as he's likely to do whatever his heart desires anyhow. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, the diabolic character would more likely join in the fun rather than stop the aggressors. This man feels no remorse and guilt, and has no inclinations to hold himself accountable for anything. Aberrant(Evil): Known as "honorable evil", the aberrant character has evil intentions with a few redeeming qualities. Even though his life is ruled by vice, he has an admirable respect for others of the same alignment. He wouldn't hesitate to attack another from behind...unless, of course, they're also of the aberrant alignment. An aberrant character is capable of betraying a friend to meet a personal gain...unless, of course, they're also of the aberrant alignment. He loves exerting his will over others and manipulating another would be just another walk in the park. He'd have no apprehensions against torturing or harming another person, as long as it fell into quest of material gain. While he acknowledges authorities and the law, he doesn't ever adhere to them. If a woman was being attacked in a dark alley by thugs, he may help her if she was of the same alignment...otherwise, he'd leave her to fend for herself. As long as he's acting true to his beliefs, guilt is not something he chooses to feel, and he holds himself accountable by blaming himself for his own short-comings. |
| I'm going to assume that most handlers know what a roleplay is, but for those that don't, I'll give a short description. A roleplay is a written promo that usually involves or deals with a handler's character in some way, shape, or form. A roleplay can focus on a segment of the character's everyday life, describe an interview by the character, or an endless list of other things. Roleplaying is a competition, and generally involves two or more handlers competing against one another to determine the outcome of a match. The basic logic is that the best roleplay wins. However, roleplays are also often done to advance storylines between cards. Now, let's cover some of the basic rules of roleplaying. There aren't many, but it's expected that they'll be followed. For starters, all swearing must be censored...period. I understand that some handlers may feel the need to include a few choice words to get their point across, but they word won't lose any of it's impact just because there's an asterisk (*) in the middle of it. So please, if using foul language, censor it in some manner. Using characters other than the one(s) you handle in a roleplay is against the rules. Unless you have permission from the handler who's character you're going to be using, don't do it. Using some of the staff members (interviewers, etc.) is acceptable, but if you intend to use some of the more important staff members in your roleplays, please ask permission first. If you're in doubt as to whether or not you can use a character/staff member, you should ask first. Nudity, scenes of graphic violence, or anything else that may be construed as questionable must be censored in some way, be it by blurring it out, digitally scrambling it, or what have you. Again, if you're in doubt, you should either ask first or censor it. If, for some reason, you won't be able to roleplay, it's best to notify us in advance, that way we won't schedule for a match. If an emergency comes up, we still encourage you to drop us a line and let us know what's going on. We understand that everyone has lives outside of e-fedding, so we'll try to work with you as much as possible. |
| Rather than use a vote system or select a committee for determining winners and losers, we've decided to use a point system. While the outcome of a match is decided by the owner of the AWA, it is a little more structured and provides a more accurate means of grading roleplays. As always, the AWA promotes quality over quantity, so let's go over the system. There is a limit of two roleplays for each card, be it a weekly Riptide or a Supercard. We considered bumping the limit up to three roleplays for the Supercards, but ultimately decided that since there are only three days between the Tuesday Riptides and the Saturday Supercards, two roleplays would suffice. That's not to say that you cannot write more than two roleplays for a given card, it just means that only the two best roleplays will be counted for credit. You can roleplay as many times as you wish, or not at all. There is no penalty for not roleplaying for an assigned match, other than the loss you'll probably receive. If you're booked for a match, we're expecting at least one roleplay from you. If you can only get out one roleplay, that's perfectly fine. If you can do two, that's even better. Let's dive straight into the grading criteria. The AWA grades roleplays under six different categories. Each category is given a set value of points that can be earned, and some categories contain more points than others, depending on their importance. The following is a list of the categories, a brief description of each, and the allotted amount of points that can be earned: Entertainment: Was your roleplay a joy to read, or was it dull and boring? Did it evoke an emotion from the reader? Did it make the reader want to read more? An entertaining roleplay can come in many forms, from a comedic roleplay, to an angry roleplay, or anything in between. Entertaining roleplays are usually clever and well-written, and leave the reader yearning for more. Relevance: This is a pretty easy category to get points in, and most handlers don't have trouble doing this. The idea of this category is simply. Does you roleplay pertain to you match, opponent, or angle in some way? If so, then these points should be easy to get. If not, then you might wanna go back to the drawing board... Comprehension: Writing a roleplay that is comprehensive is something that comes easy to some and hard to others. You may know what you're writing about, and you may understand the point that you're trying to get across in your roleplay, but does the person reading it also have the same understanding? Do you make it clear what's going on at all times, or are some parts skipped over or left out, leaving the reader guessing? This is a very important part of roleplaying, because if the reader isn't sure what's going on, it can negate the whole roleplay. A comprehensive roleplay usually flows from one point to the next easily, and is very descriptive of its main points so that the reader is left without any questions. Presentation: Presentation is important for the convenience of the reader. Is your roleplay accessable and easy to read, or is it a challenge? Do you use dark fonts against a dark background, making it hard to see, or is everything nicely arranged and organized? Do you use paragraphs for your descriptions, or just one big run-on sentence? Did you run your roleplay through a spell-check, or did you type it up in a hurry and post it to the forums full of errors? As a habit, you should go back over your roleplay after you write it and make sure you've eliminated all of the gramatical errors that you can before posting it. We understand that some people aren't very good with puncuation, spelling, etc., which is why this category isn't worth very many points. We're more interested in your ability to write a compelling roleplay as opposed to whether or not you knew where to insert a comma. Rules: Once again, these points are very easy to earn. To get these points, simply follow the rules. Censor your swear words, don't use other characters in your roleplay if you don't have permission, etc. Contribution: This category takes many things into account. For instance, have you been consistent with your roleplays as of late? Have you been sending in segments to cards, or have you been giving creative input on a regular basis? Many things can influence this, all dealing with your contribution and your commitment to the AWA. This category isn't directly related to your roleplays, but is still included in your grade. It's used to reward those handlers that have been going out of their way to make improvements, be it in their own characters, or with the entire promotion as a whole. There are 100 possible points to earn from roleplays alone, but earning 100 points is virtually impossible, and simply used as a measuring stick to grade all roleplays against. In order to get a character's final score for the grading period, his two best roleplays are averaged together, and that number is his final grade. However, there are bonuses that a handler can get that might actually give a character over 100 points for the grading period. The following are some things that you can do to earn bonus points: Two or More Roleplays: Writing at least two roleplays for a card will give you a one-time bonus of 6 points to add to your roleplay total. This bonus is given to add incentive for writing the second roleplay, rather than just sitting on one roleplay per card. Just to make things clear, this bonus is only given out once, regardless if you write two roleplays or ten. Card Participation: To encourage card participation, 4 points can be earned by sending in a segment in for the upcoming card. You're welcome to send in as many segments as you'd like, but you won't receive more than 4 points for doing so. It is a one-time bonus, and the amount of points awarded for the segment(s) varies depending upon the quality of the segment(s). |
| When a character is submitted to the AWA, there are seven alignment options available. They are used to help guide that character's actions, but they aren't a guage of the crowd's reaction to that character. Rather than choosing either "face", "heel", or "neutral" when creating a character, this crowd reaction, or "heat", must now be earned. The heat one receives from the crowd won't be altered through roleplays, but rather from the character's actions on the cards. There are five basic types of heat: No heat, face heat, heel heat, maximum heat, and unique heat. Here is a description for each category:  No Heat: This generally occurs when a wrestler first enters the AWA and isn't yet familiar with the territory. The fans either haven't heard of this wrestler, or his actions haven't garnered enough attention for the fans to form an opinion. His appearance at shows will likely be met with silence as the fans are still unsure about this character.      Face Heat: Face heat is a positive reaction from the crowd. Depending on the level of face heat, a wrestler may receive a few isolated cheers, or a full blown eruption when he enters the arena. To obtain face heat, a character must perform deeds that the crowd approves of. There are varying styles of doing so, such as praising the city your character is currently visiting, which is a cheap pop, to emersing your character into an intense storyline to bring down an evil character with high heel heat. The more face heat a character has, the more the crowd will get behind him. It should go without saying that the more virtuous your character's actions in the eyes of the fans, the more face heat he'll obtain.      Heel Heat: Heel heat is the exact opposite of face heat. Depending on the level of heel heat, a wrestler may receive a few isolated jeers, or a deafening chorus of boos when he enters the arena. Earning heel heat requires your character to do things that the crowd finds disdainful. There are varying styles of doing so, such as verbally attacking the city your character is currently visiting, which is a cheap way to get heel heat, to emersing your character into an intense storyline to torment and destroy a character with high face heat. Obviously, the worse the deed your character performs, the more heel heat he'll receive.   Maximum Heat: Maximum heat is obtained when a character is so "over" with the crowd, either as a face or a heel, that the crowd's reaction towards him has reached its pinnacle. If you've earned maximum face heat, then the crowd absolutely loves you and cheers your every move. You'll probably receive the loudest ovation of the night, and no card is complete without your appearance. On the contrary, a character with maximum heel heat is despised by the crowd, and will be nearly booed out of the building during each appearance. The crowd's thunderous booing or derogatory chants will most likely be the loudest jeering of the night. Maximum heat isn't gained overnight, but rather over the course of many shows. It's just as hard to earn as it is to maintain, but a character that has earned maximum heat is not likely to be forgotten by the fans anytime soon.  Unique Heat: Unique heat represents the most popular standing a wrestler can ever hope to obtain with fans. While it's extremely difficult to earn this type of standing with the fans, it is possible. A character earns unique heat by earning a genuine respect from the fans that transcends the very fabric of the wrestling business. The fans bestow this honor on a wrestler not because of an edge-of-the-seat storyline, or a great match, but because of many great storylines and matches. The crowd recognizes a wrestler that has put his body on the line for several years and has literally poured his life into the sport, and rewards him with its undying admiration. Regardless if this character is playing the role of a face or a heel, the crowd will always put forth an appropriate response to show their appreciation for all that this person has done for them throughout the years. I know a few people are wondering why I've gone through the trouble of incorporating a complicated system for tracking a character's overness with the crowd, and they're probably wondering if it actually makes a difference how much heat a character has. In short, yes, it does make a difference. Much like in the real world, the characters in the AWA with the most heat will most likely find themselves in the main event or in the running for a title. Looking from the business side of the industry, wrestlers that draw heat also draw more fans. Drawing more fans draws more money, and more money means more business and more expansion opportunities. So it's only logical that the wrestlers that generate the greatest crowd reaction will be receiving more title shots and matches in the upper echelon of the card. There are many ways to gain heat from the crowd. If you want to be a heel, simply insulting the crowd is a good way to get heel heat, but not a very fast way. On the other hand, praising the crowd is a good way to earn some face heat, but also not a very fast way. The best way to garner heat for your character is through interesting storylines or great matches. The greatness of a match is determined by the greatness of the roleplays that went into determining the match. So, if you want to gain your character some good heat, roleplay hard and get involved in the cards by sending in segments or input. |
