How Team Combat Wrestling Works

[Mike Powers]

Welcome to Team Combat Wrestling!  Here, you will find the basic tutorial of how the game works, and what you need to do to play.

TCW is a simplified wrestling management game, based off of the popular FBL.  The player will assume the role of Club President of their own stable of wrestlers.  Drafting/trading to complete your stable of wrestlers, managing your stable, hiring a training/coaching staff, and dealing with the press will be the main focus of the game, while the matches themselves will be simmed by me.  The results will take the form of a "box score" which will list all relevant information about the weeks matches (wins/losses/means (pinfall/submission/DQ...)/etc).

How it works:

- We will start with 10 stables.  The financial backers/owners of these stables will be looking to hire a Club President to preside over their affairs.  Each owner has a unique personality, ranging from disinterested to very hands on.  Please put your best foot forward in your interview!  Owners have long memories!

- Once each stable has a President, we will initiate a drafting process.  Each club will be given free scouting reports (number undetermined at this time) in order to scout wrestlers to make informed decisions.  The draft order will be randomly determined, and will be the ever-popular "snake draft". 

- Once drafted, you must negotiate a contract with the wrestler's agent.  Remember, each agent also has his/her own character quirks for you to deal with.  You do NOT want to get on their bad side!

- Your roster will consist of 8 wrestlers.  There are many different types of wrestlers to choose from.  These include:
  ~Super Heavyweight (> 300 lbs)
  ~Heavyweight (220 - 299 lbs)
  ~Lightweight (< 220 lbs)
  ~Tag Team Specialist (any weight - best as member of tag team)
  ~Woman (female)

Each of these wrestlers will have their own various strengths/weaknesses.  Each will also have individual styles (brawler, technical, high flying....).  Also, some will be better suited to early card matches, while others thrive later in the card.  Learning about, and figuring out the best way to utilize your wrestlers is a very important part of the game!

- Season 1 will consist of 13 weeks.  The 10 stables will be broken into 2 divisions of 5 teams each.  You will match up against your division opponents twice, and your non-division opponents once.  After Week 13, the playoffs will begin, with the top 2 teams in each division making the cut.

- The "home" stables will host each weeks card.  You must establish a homebase for your stable, prior to the season beginning.  Larger cities/larger venues will charge you more than smaller cities/smaller venues.

- Each week, you will need to produce a lock in sheet.  You will need to assign your wrestlers into one of the following slots:
  ~Main Eventer (wrestles in last match of card)
  ~Semi-Main Eventer (wrestles in next to last match of card)
  ~Tag Team #1 (wrestles in middle of show alongside Tag Team #2)
  ~Tag Team #2 (wrestles in middle of show alongside Tag Team #1) 
  ~Woman (wrestles early in the card against other women)
  ~Curtain Jerker (wrestles the opening match of the card)
  ~Bench (not actively competing this week, but in the building)
  ~Sparring Squad (not actively competing, and is not in the building)

Remember to talk to your wrestlers about how they will be used.  They can have large, fragile egos.  If you have someone Main Eventing for several weeks, then suddenly put them in a Curtain Jerking role, or leave them on the bench with no explanation, they may not be pleased!  Conversely, if you take a Curtain Jerker and suddenly rocket him to the Main Event, he may expect to be paid at a Main Event level.  Communication is KEY!!!

- Winners and losers of each weeks stable matchup will be determined by the total sum of each individual match result.  There are 5 individual matchups per card:
  ~Curtain Jerking/Opening Match
  ~Woman's Match
  ~Tag Team Match
  ~Semi-Main Event
  ~Main Event

Whomever wins the most matchups per card, wins the week!

- After each weeks cards, The Dirt Sheets will be on fire.  Expect to see a news/rumor story about your stable.  How you respond to each issue/story/rumor is up to you.

- The Stables:
  ~The Shoot Club
  ~The Rebels
  ~The Union Jacks
  ~The Rockets
  ~The Wildcats
-----------------------
  ~The Militia
  ~The Rebellion
  ~The Shark Tank
  ~The PFC (Premiere Fight Club)
  ~The Devils

- Prior to each season, you have the opportunity to send 3 members of your roster to a specialized training.  Remember, mileage will vary, depending on the type of training selected and the roster member selected.  These include:
  ~Strength
  ~Resilience
  ~Brawling
  ~Technical skills
  ~Charisma
  ~Counters
  ~Speed
  ~High Risk

The Set-up

- The ten stable owners have pooled their money together to form a new concept in Professional Wrestling.  Team Combat Wrestling.  Instead of working to achieve individual glory, the goal will be to achieve success inside a team structure - the Team Combat Wrestling Championship!

- With this being TCW's first season, each stable will be built from the ground up.  From the Head Trainer (who manages the stable overall), to the Assistant Trainer (who will work more individually with the wrestlers), to the Doctor (whose proficiency will determine the continued health/recovery of your wrestlers), YOU hire your staff.  You also must establish a home for your stable.  Where you choose to call home is up to you, but remember...everything comes with a price!

- A salary cap has been determined by the Board, and it is as follows:
  ~$60 million in salary (used to pay EVERYONE - wrestlers/trainers/doctor)
  ~$20 million in public relations/scouting (used to promote your wrestlers/club and scout wrestlers)
  ~$10 million in "incentives" (discretionary budget to be used as you see fit)

DO NOT EXCEED ANY OF THE SALARY CAPS!!  CONSEQUENCES WILL BE SEVERE!!

Rules to live by:

- Never.....EVER.....edit a post!!!  This cannot be stressed enough!

- You must be within the designated Salary Caps at ALL times DURING the season.  During the offseason, you may be over budget, until you lock in for the regular season.

- You can NOT sign away another teams Head Trainer if he is under contract.  You CAN sign away another teams Assistant Trainer/Doctor, if they are willing to leave.

- You MUST submit any deal in the appropriate "Confirmed Deals" thread.  Deals are not final until they are submitted, and marked as "approved" by The Commissioner (me).

- You do not need to list which specific wrestlers you are scouting in the Confirmed Deals thread.  You need only state "X Stable scouts Y number of wrestlers, at a total cost of $Z dollars", or something to that effect.

- You may trade draft picks up to 1 year in advance.  For example, prior to the Season 1 draft/during Season 1, you may trade Season 1 and 2 picks, but not Season 3.

- Trades involving wrestlers made during the season will not be in effect until the end of the current season.  Trades made in the offseason take place immediately.  Trades involving other staff (trainers/doctor) will occur immediately, even during the season.

- Stables will have a dedicated window to renegotiate deals with Wrestlers/Trainers/Doctors on expiring contracts.  This window will be at the midway point of the season, between Weeks 6 - 8.  After locking in for Week 8, anyone with an expiring contract is considered a free agent for the next season, and can sign with whomever they please.  Attempting to negotiate for a wrestler prior to this window, without express consent of the President of the club that employees him/her is forbidden.  Doing so will be considered tampering and will result in BAAAD THINGS!!

- Different types of scouting are available.  Please select one, and only one, of the following:
  ~Watching tape (your trainers watch film on the wrestler, and give an impression based on what they see) - $500K
  ~Live scouting (your trainers will observe the wrestler in person, gaining a much better impression of their skill) - $1 million
  ~Private workout (your trainers will have a 1 on 1 workout, gaining the BEST knowledge about their skill/potential) - $2 million

- Prior to locking in for the regular season, you must provide a PR campaign for those on your roster who have it in their contract.  Thinking outside the box is encouraged!  Forgetting to do this will GREATLY upset the roster member AND their Agent.  You will be told how well the promotion went.  It will either be a success, a failure, or have no noticeable effect (neutral).

[Mike Powers]

Draft Tampering (aka, "The Rob Rule")

Any attempts to contact the agent of a wrestler drafted by another club, prior to there being an official announcement of their free agent status, will be constituted as tampering.  1st offense is a $1 million dollar fine, with subsequent offenses carrying far stiffer penalties.

Bribery/Kickbacks

No team shall attempt to give money/property/gifts of any kind to agents.  Any attempt to do so will be constituted as bribery, and severe penalties shall be levied.