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commentaries
EFEDDING OBSERVATIONS
(For Fedheads)
-A maximum limit for roleplays is a great idea. Let's face facts, not everyone is capable of posting a roleplay each and every day. Perhaps some are able to do this, but I know I'm not. If you think about it, most people who are in efedding are between the ages of, say 14-30 or so. Most of these people are probably still in school, plus you have to have factor jobs, family, girlfriends/boyfriends/spouses, any outside sports or extracurricular activities or volunteer work, a social life with friends and other obligations. So it is easy to see why roleplaying is not always possible. Placing a limit on the maximum amount of roleplays is beneficial because it prevents people from having what I would determine is an unfair advantage.
How is it unfair? I learned in an educational psychology class that you have to treat everyone equally. That does not mean treating everyone the same, it means helping those who need require more assistance so that everyone can reach the same common goal. If you can roleplay six or seven times a week, good for you, bot not everyone can. Obviously, if you can roleplay six or seven times, you can roleplay two or three times, which is more feasible for everyone else involved. Thus, everyone has a fair shot and is treated in an equal and fair manner.
Alternatively, having a minimum roleplaying requirement is a bad idea; it just turns people off. I know there were a couple of feds I was interested in joining until I saw that they had a minimum requirement for three roleplays a week. Now there may be some weeks where I am capable of doign that kind of producation, but not always. And the idea that I will be somehow punished (some will even fire you if you habitually don't meet the requirements) because I can't churn out two or three roleplays EVERY week is stupid. I know you want to think you are some sort of "elite" fed, but get off your high horse already. If there is one thing I have learned is that efeds come and go, even the "elite" ones. So don't alienate a potential applicant while things are going well, because you might need a large influx of talent one day. I know in RWW every time it seemed like things were going really well, we had like five or six guys up and quit within a week and then we were struggling. It happens, so be prepared.
To go along with this, don't turn down people just because they are new to efedding. Instead, swallow your pride and let anyone and everyone join your fed. If they aren't as experienced or talented as everyone else, that will show and they will likely lose a lot. But if they are okay with losing and just (gasp!) want to have fun and they can deal with it, let them. Maybe you can create a rookie division just for the inexperienced roleplayers? At the very least, you should never tell someone "no" just because they don't have a lot of experience, you could tell them they are on a waiting list of sorts perhaps. At least that way you don't come across as a prick. The bottom line is, make things as fair as possible for everyone and embrace anyone who wants to join your fed; take an application as a compliment.
-Fedheads should understand that a proper balance between angles and roleplays need to be maintained. Roleplays should count and those who do a great job of roleplaying must be rewarded. If you bust your ass off roleplaying but never get any recognition, what's the point? I understand sometimes I need to lose because of the purposes of an angle and that doesn't bother me. It bothers me when EVERY match is predetermined by an angle. Likewise, it bothers me when angles are ignored altogether. You need to have angles and feuds because otherwise the experience loses its allure. So if someone come to you with a great idea for an angle, don't shoot it down right away because "that wouldn't be fair to whoever worked hardest at roleplaying." Instead, talk it over with them. Roleplayers can still be rewarded but an angle can still continue too. Maybe the angle is that BILL costs DAVE a title match, thus starting a feud between the two. Well let's say DAVE easily outroleplayed his opponent STEVE, so he should, theoretically, win. Well maybe BILL can hit the ring and beat up DAVE, thus getting DAVE disqualified, but DAVE still technically wins the match, but does not get to win the title on the technicality. That way, everyone is happy. Work out an angle and discuss it with all parties invovled and come to an agreement that is amicable for everyone. I think you'll find that most people would rather be involved in an angle than just meaningless matches because that is what makes the experience fun (or at least that is my opinion anyway).
That is why I quite TWC shortly after I left, because no one would feud with me or work with me in a program, so I was not given anything more than pointless matches that meant nothing. It was boring, difficult to come up with anything creative in my roleplays, and I left because of it. Also, be mindful of what is going on in your fed; does everyone have a feud/angle going? Is there anyone without an angle? Approach those persons that are without a feud with some ideas. It seems to me that the most fun you can have in efedding is when the entire fed seems to be involved in something, because it makes every matchup seem interesting and it will be exciting to read the results as a whole.
-Avoid overused storylines and angles. IIf there is one angle I have seen far, far too much in efedding it is the storyline of a NWO-like group trying to take over. It happened like two or three times while I was in RWW. I'm pretty sure it happened in WPW too. And just about any fed's website I have ever visited has run that same angle too. It is SO overdone. Plus, I find the angle runs out of steam really, really quickly. I'm not sure if it is because heels, faces, alignments just aren't as concrete or as established in efeds as they are in real life or what the case may be. I think the big problem with the angle is that (A) you need a big roster to make it work, something most feds don't seem to have, and (B) it FORCES everyone to participate in one way or another.
If a group is trying to take over the fed, then every single person in the fed as a whole has to be somewhat involved in the angle. When I was in RWW and Big Daddy Bruce brought in his version of the NWO, I was not amused. Why? I had other ideas I wanted to run with and I knew that storyline would get in the way because I would have to be stuck in that angle. If someone approaches you with such an angle, I suggest you just try to talk them out of it. Or, at least, maybe post a poll to see if everyone else likes the idea and is willing to work with the angle. I know it might ruin the "surprise" of seeing it happen in the results, but it is necessary to keep everyone happy in the longrun.
Another angle that needs to be killed off is the idea of the "evil owner." Remember the good old days when WWE (nee F) was just a company where guys wrestled? And when things got out of hand and someone needed to step in and make a ruling on a subject, good old Jack Tunney came in and dealt out some justice. And that was fine. Whatever happened to those days? I'm pretty sure Austin/McMahon killed them for good. Which is a shame, because I personally get tired of seeing random owner figure going against random face; it gets old really quickly. Resist the temptation to run such an angle. If you do, you'll be my hero. I know most people I have run into while efedding don't even enjoy the current wrestling product (they hate WWE and sometimes even dislike TNA), so it makes sense to try to give them something a bit more creative and different from what is currently being offered.
-Taken from my rant about NSW closing dowwn...I know as well as anyone that sometimes life interferes with efedding, but if you are going to be a fedhead, you had better be sure that can devote the necessary time into the venture. There is nothing worse than joining a fed, only to have it close down right away. And, most importantly, you need devotion not just for the immediate future, but also for a decent length of time into the forseeable future. Remember that feds rely on people to join and compete, but it is a two-way street becuase fedheads need to commit themselves too. Without you, there is no us and without us, there is no you. If you are going to run into a wall, either swallow your pride and stop doing the handwritten results and try short, summary-style results instead. If the fed is good enough and the competition is there, people will cope with it.
If there is one thing I have learned it is that wrestling fans (and, again, if you are in an efed you MUST at least be somewhat of a wrestling fan) are perhaps the most forgiving and adaptable fans of any form of entertainment. And don't be afraid to ask for help either. A fed can REALLY benefit from having a writing staff. Try forming an actual writing committee that you knew you could depend on week in and week out. If you find you are running otu of time for a given week, don't just give up and pack it in, simply post the winners of the matches and post the card for the next week and let everyone move on. The longer your roster goes without roleplaying, the more likely they will become indifferent to your fed.
-If you are trying to recruit new memberss, approach people in a respectful manner. If they tell you they have an efed, back off. Don't keep insisting that they should check out your fed too because that will just likely annoy them. Perhaps some people will want to join more than one fed, but not everyone will, so just keep that in mind.
When you email someone you are trying to recruit, it is best to NOT mass email several potential members at a time. Yes, it takes slightly longer and is more of a hassle for you, but when I see that the email a recruiter is sending me has also been sent out to ten other people at the same time, I feel as though the fedhead doesn't actually care for me and I will be turned off before even checking out your link. That, to me, is the key to recruiting: make the person you are contacting feel special. Make a pitch to ME why I am someone you would want in your fed (I refer to me here, but this applies to anyone you are trying to recruit). And don't just let me know that you want me to join because you need more members to fill out your roster, but why SPECIFICALLY do you want me? If you can give me a reason why you feel I would be a bonus for your roster, then let me know. Do you think I'm a dependable roleplayer or do you like my character? Tell me why you want to see me in your fed because that will help influence my decision.
Also, if I have posted an ad stating I am looking for an efed (on a service like Roughkut), note any special information I listed. In the ad I posted in September of 2005, I noted that I wanted a new fed, which had a roleplay limit per card. Most people who emailed me did not technically meet my specified criteria, nor did they seem to care. If you do, make sure to point that out to me in your email. And, also, try to be as thorough as possible when describing your fed to me in an email, so I can best judge whether I want to join or not. For more detail on this, as well as me reviewing some sample emails I received in recruitment efforts, click here
And PLEASE if you are trying to contact someone, DO NOT just add them to your MSN list right away. Email them and if they want to join your fed THEN you can add them. Because if they don't, why bother having them on your list? It just clutters up my contact list and it clutters up yours as well.
One final note to recruiters and fedheads: 1) I shouldn't have to say this, but I really think I do and that is to remind you to SPELL CHECK YOUR WEBSITE! I get really turned off by seeing a fed with errors all over the site's mainpage. I'm not saying you have to be perfect, but you should at least be able to spell "wrestling" or "roster" correctly. Now I know everyone hates rookies (or "noobs," if you will) joining their fed because, among other things, they often write with poor grammar and spelling. Well a website is no different and I feel that a site that is filled with typos comes across as amateurish. This is always especially entertaining when the rules page notes how important proper spelling and grammar are for roleplays. And 2) Proofread your recruitment email before you click send for the same problem. If you cannot take the time to go over a four-line email (which is, unfortunately, often what they are) and proofread it, then I don't have great expectations at all for how you run the fed. You have already put a big negative mark against your fed without me even clicking on the link. Awful. Keep these things in mind.
(For Members)
-Don't send in an application unless you are serious about actually joining and participating in that fed. There is nothing more annoying than seeing someone apply, get accepted and added to the roster, only to have them never roleplay. It is a hassle for fedheads to have to add you to the roster page, only to have to delete you right away because you weren't committed enough. It is also annoying when you are booked into a match with someone and then your opponent doesn't roleplay. Obviously, it is more fun, more interesting, and easier from a creative point of view when your opponent roleplays and gives you something to work off. Naturally, it is different if you apply and are serious about joining the fed, but then have something come up outside of the fed that makes it difficult for you to roleplay; that is understandable and perfectly reasonable. If you were just lazy though, that is inexcusable. Simply put, don't apply unless you are committed to it.
-Also, when you apply, please don't be ignorant. Don't demand a title shot in your very first roleplay because that is extremely annoying. And please do some quick research before you post a roleplay. For an example of what I mean: I like to call myself The Canadian Legend. It would be pretty stupid of me to walk into a new fed and go on and on in my first roleplay about how I am the only Canadian superstar on the roster, unless I was absolutely sure of that fact. If I hadn't bothered to look that up and declared myself the only Canadian in the fed when in reality there was actually five or six guys from Canada, I'd look like an idiot. It's just a little thing, but it can be quite annoying. I also think it makes you look disrespectful.
-Don't be afraid to change things up, in terms of heel/face alignment. In fact, I recommend that you at least attempt to switch it up a little bit. I know I have been a heel for about 90% of my career, but I have had a couple of brief face runs. The last one would have been longer too, but I ran into a lot of school work that required all my attention. Back in RWW I know I never saw Pantera as anything but a face. That's fine and all, but don't you find the character gets a little stale? And it definitely makes it harder for the fedhead to keep coming up with interesting and fresh matchups for you if you are always a face or always a heel. That, in turn, makes it more difficult for you to roleplay (or at least that has been my experience anyway). Perhaps you are more comfortable working as a heel and not a face or vice versa, but challenge yourself to make the opposite formula work for your character. Not only will it make things more interesting and exciting for everyone involved, but you'll probably really enjoy the challenge of something new.
-For what it's worth, I believe it can bee really difficult being a face. Or at least an effective face. The reason is that mostly what makes a face a face (in my eyes anyway) is the way they overcome insurmountable odds and never give up. This is difficult to express in efeds because the medium is not visual. Another big part is the way faces pander to the crowd, which again is difficult in this form. But, fedheads should consider this fact and come up with a way to make a face a true face. Make someone into a monster heel to come after your face; someone so devious and so powerful it will be truly stunning to see the face come out on top. I'm not suggesting that you predetermine everything with angles, I'm just saying that you set the matchup between a face and maybe a big, scary heel who maybe has a lot of backup and is thus really unfair for the face. If the face wins, it will make him a huge commodity for your fed. Even if he loses, he'll look like a great face by not running away and not giving up.
In other words, it is not just up to the roster to come up with great heels and faces, you the fedhead have to do some booking and help to ensure that your heels get over as heels and your faces get over as faces. Everyone has to work together in this effort. You should also be mindful of the ratio of heels to faces; I notice that you find a lot of people are either heel or "neutral" in efeds, with very few faces. Approach people about maybe turning face in order to balance things out a bit more. Personally I believe you need slightly more heels than faces though, since if the faces outnumber the heels, what is the threat? Why should we fear the heels? Why are they threatening or opposing? These are things that must be kept in mind in order for the fed to be as effective as possible.
Scott "I Demand a Title Shot" Hellings
August 31, 2005; Updated September 28, 22005
 
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