| The Tournament Process |
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| How Jamey Writes ToH |
| By Jamey! (Who else?) |
| PRE-TOURNAMENT: What goes on before the writing. OK, first I start off the with Sign-ups in the Axem Forum, usually with a certain number of contestants. I think 8 is an even number (Though I haven't really applied it until the third season). But beforehand, I start advertising when the sign-up sheet date will be. This, in my opinion, makes people think it's more important than they actually perceive it. Next, wait for the sign-ups giving a bunch of rules and regulations regarding their application, watching people fail horribly at doing so. For instance, not everyone, when I ask for TWO NUMBERS FOR THE TOURNAMENT AND BATTLE ROYAL puts two. I've seen people go without numbers, with only one number, or the just plain pathetic, "The range is 1 to 10000, you moron! 12345 isn't in there!" For this, I start dropping applications and just keep laughing :) WRITING: From the first episode to the last. For the first episode, I like to include a lot of gags as an intro, and maybe squeeze in the tournament ladder. For instance, starting with some sort of airplane crash is always fun :) Then I post maybe...the first four or five battles. Battles are actually pretty fun to make. First, I establish a tournament ladder depending on how far people guess from the secret number I chose. Like for instance, I make sure the farthest goes in the first fight to be eliminated, the second farthest in the second fight, etc. This way, they are publicly humiliated! *Evil laughter* Anyway, onto the battles. I've actually come to love writing these. All I have to do is find out a way to win, have the two fighters beat each other up for a while, then voila! Power move! But that's only the default way: If that's how it was, then you wouldn't like ToH. There are a few techniques when it comes to deciding how a fight will end: 1. Make one person completely losing from most the fight, then turn it around! 2. Make one person completely losing from most the fight, seeming like they're going to win in the end (I like to add a bunch of thoughts running through this person's head, like analysis of what to do), but have them lose anyway. Shocking! 3. Have them both KO each other and go to a rather stupid tie-breaker. 4. One of my favorites: Have one person do something stupid that helps the other person, then have the other person blast them away. 5. A ring-out. That simple. If someone seems just too strong (Looks at Midnight Blue) or has too many healing techniques (Which are limited from the fourth season on to two a battle), I make an intricate way of knocking them out. Such elements for doing this might be surprise and um...surprise :) 6. Have them both seem perfectly matched, then near the very end, use one of the techniques listed above. Also, when fighting, I like to mix attacks up. I may have powerful attacks, healing techniques by surprise, weaknesses...whatever. I also make sure NOT ALL THE ATTACKS HIT. I can't believe how many stupid people actually have this happen. PEOPLE CAN DODGE ATTACKS, THEY DON'T STAND IN THE WAY! For instance, I use the following terms when it comes to dodging: Flips out of the way, rolls out of the way, jumps over it, blocks it, slices the attack, deflects the blow, and a few other stupid ones (Sneezes :) ). As for attacks that hit, I use a handy invention next to my desk: A quarter. Declare a side to both people, flip it, and whoever's side faces up gets the next successful strike. But in the end, someone has to win. At the point where I think the quarter is rigged, I just forget about it and write like I should. GAG EPISODE: A day overnight. I just add a brief break between the first and second days of the tournament. Whatever...I just use this episode to either make people think about their next opponents, rest up, and maybe make fun of everyone. But otherwise, this episode is rather pointless... EXTRA FIGHT: What is it with those villains? In the first and second tournaments, I decided, "Hey! Why not have some villains for people to fight for some reason?" I can't believe how well that Axem Great GREAT Water fight turned out, even though I thought it sucked completely :) In the end, I came to the conclusion that you don't need villains in tournament stories: They're just a waste of time from what everyone wants. BATTLE ROYAL: All at once... I've always dreaded the day to write these fights...all the contestants fight at one time in a melee of...whatever. This is naturally hard to make, seeing as I have to keep track of 6-12 people and their HP and where their attacks hit (Though I usually cut a few corners :) ). Like the tournament, I eliminated people on how far they guessed from my second secret number. In the end, I have two people left and have them fight in the final episode. Another way to cut corners! (Though I'm really just stalling for time). END EPISODE: Um...OK. Yeah, I finish up the Battle Royal, give people their prizes, kick the Audience out...whatever...I try and make the final episode as funny as possible, or maybe a serious as possible in some cases. *Shrugs* Who cares what I'm talking about? The tournament is over, no one cares what happens after then, right? *Crickets chrip* Wise guys...*Takes out Moderator Knife* |