What exactly is an Efed?

The term “Efed” (primarily accepted to stand for Internet, or “E,” and Federation, or “Fed”) refers to a "Fantasy Wrestling promotion" usually operated via the Internet by email, in newsgroups, in E-groups (such as Yahoogroups), on message boards, or on personal websites owned and operated by the owners of the fantasy promotion. Whether operated by one person or a group, governed with strict rules or operating as a loose collective, it is, at its heart, a gathering of people who love to write and to pretend to be professional wrestlers for fun; basically, it is “wrestling roleplaying.”

How do they work?

Usually the operators of the Efed act as "bookers," or match writers, and draft cards for events where the characters in the promotion face off against each other. The opponents for these matches are then determined based on the rules of the particular Efed. In some promotions, involvement, and wins/losses for that matter, are based on the quality of the “Promos,” or “In Character” posts made by the Efed members, posted before the event; Various Efeds “grade” these promos on character development and storytelling, to name a few, in addition to the writing basics such as grammar, spelling, and so on. In other Efeds, the bookers, or Efed owner, put matches together based on what is popular with the group as a whole, or what they personally want to see. Finally, there are still other Efeds where the atmosphere is to just write, roleplay, and generally have fun, and there is really no rhyme, reason, or concrete guidelines for match decisions. The style of an Efed primarily depends on what the members themselves are looking for; ultimately, they are the driving force behind whether several entertaining posts are available at any given time, or whether posts will only be available when the bookers or owner has the time to write them.

Also, the owner or bookers determine the rules for their promotion, both what is allowed for "In Character" and “Out of Character” posts or emails. Usually, they will offer to help each member become involved in a storyline by drafting one for them, assist in finding a way for the member to become involved in a current storyline, or will work alongside the member to craft a new storyline of their own; however this is not always the case for this last scenario.

What is this about Characters?

As mentioned before, the members of the Efed create their own characters to portray. Occasionally, a member may choose to have a booker fashion a character for him/her, but this is not the norm. In addition, a few Efeds allow members to portray actual wrestlers from real wrestling promotions. However, most of the time an Efed will be looking for a completely original character concept.

The member fashions his/her character by creating their persona, usually with a physical description, a brief background, and what “moves” (as in wrestling moves) they would like their character to use. Other information may be included depending on the requirements of the Efed.

Using this new character, the member then becomes involved in the actual Efed by posting “In Character,” or writing as if they were the actual character (ie: Roleplaying their character), and depending on the requirements and rules, may be allowed to become involved in events where their character will win or lose matches.

Did I hear something about Promos?

Usually, “In Character” posts are referred to as "promos." Most are of the "look at me" or “I’m coming to get you” variety (popular choices in professional wrestling), or they are situations in which the characters find themselves for the sake of fun or the progression of a storyline. In addition, promos promote a member’s character, get them noticed, and allow them to interact with the other members (and their characters) of the Efed. Sometimes these promos are simply replies to the posts of another member’s character, perhaps to further a “feud,” or rivalry. Other times, it is a "post match/event" promo, where the character is directly responding to a win, loss, etc that their character experienced on the last event. Most of the time, promos are about further developing and establishing the character and allowing him/her/it to become more deeply rooted in the Efed. Regardless, promo writing is a crucial element to an Efed and the development of a member’s character; without them, a member will not be able to become involved in the Efed process or have their character develop further. In most cases, a member who never posts any form of promo is not a member very long.

Where can I become involved in an Efed?

Well, there are literally tons of Efeds on the internet, both good and bad, professionally run and not, and it is impossible to list them all, because whether or not you enjoy an Efed really begins with what you are looking for. If you are interested and want to join one, or if you are just looking for further information, I suggest doing a search at www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, or your favorite search engine with the word “Efed.” That will bring up tons of different Efeds, and a little research will allow you to determine which is best for you, if any.

If the NZWA itself has sparked your interest, then you can email me at [email protected] or my partner Zombie at [email protected] for further information. Either of us will be more than willing to answer any questions you may have about our little corner of the Efed universe, or just Efeds in general. However, I must warn you ahead of time, as the NZWA is not your typical Efed. We fall under the category of “a loose collective of people who happen to like roleplaying and writing wrestling for fun.” If you want to play a wrestling character, like to write and respond to posts, and generally have fun chatting with good people, then our Efed could be for you. Just point your browser to http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/nzwa and follow the instructions to join up. On the other hand, if you are looking for something a little more professional or conventional, then you may be happier looking into another Efed.

Regardless, find an Efed full of great people and have fun doing it the way that makes you happy.