Post by UGWC Staff on Jan 20, 2021 20:12:20 GMT -5
Roleplaying Tips
We encourage creativity, and you'll find a variety of styles when it comes to telling stories here. Whether you prefer to have your character cut promos, or you excel at telling long stories; if you like to submit bizarre concept pieces, or you find your point is made most effectively by using manipulated pics or posting a link to a youtube video you've created-- we accept roleplays of all sorts. That being said, this is a competitive hobby often judged by your peers, so keeping a few suggestions in mind will help you along.
1. Know your Audience
Of course, you're not going to know what's going to appeal to everyone. That being said, knowing what sort of things don't appeal to a large portion of the members will help you avoid alienating your readers. Amongst other things: torture-porn style, detailed graphic violence; trauma involving children; 'triggering' subject matter (racism, grape, homophobia, etc.); formatting/misspelling that's poor enough to be hard to read; and referencing IRL wrestlers are just a few examples that come to mind that don't go over well. We certainly don't intend to stifle anyone's story, but keep in mind that one goal of the game is to entertain your readers. If you're the only one entertained, that's totally up to you, but understand the risk of being scored low.
2. Shared World
Your character doesn't exist in a vacuum. There are many active roster members, in character staff, and supporting characters which have been fleshed out through a lot of hard work. Your story isn't the only one being told. Writing your character as existing in the over-arching, shared universe is not only appreciated, but helps your character to fit in and have opportunities worked out for them.
3. You're a Wrestler
Everyone's story is different, and we want to know how your character lives outside the ring just as much we want to know how your character fits in with the rest of the company. If you choose to just write character development without referencing your weekly opponents/matches/etc. much (or at all), don't expect to get very far.
4. Collaboration
You'll be hard pressed to find someone on the roster who is unwilling to, at the very least, collaborate on a short segment. Cooperative teams, year-spanning feuds, dominant stables, and dynasties of characters have been developed over the years because of the collaborative atmosphere. Reaching out to your fellow members and immersing yourself in the shared universe will only benefit you.
5. Nuance
This one can be harder to nail down than the others. To put it as simple as possible, the nature of a wrestling game makes it easy to fall into comfortable tropes. If you show us something we haven't seen before, that's great. If you show us something we haven't seen from your character before that makes sense, that's even better. Both of these things go over well when executed properly.
6. Body of Work
Building a story that is told over time is not only satisfying for you, but for your readers as well. Often, if a piece is being voted on, it can garner support if it includes a development you've been working toward over time. The flip side of the coin is, of course, that it can be tough to come into a match cold (particularly if you're new or have been away for a while) and wow your readers. It's not impossible, though!