[molson]

Total Extreme Wrestling - it's a clickfest, to be sure, but behind all that, it's a very deep, strong game with solid AI and attention to detail.

The Death of the Territories Mod, of course, takes things to a whole new level. The wrestling universe from April, 1983. 30 Promotions across the world, over 1200 workers - with their stats and characteristics refined over a period of months and months.

I'm taking over WCCW, home of the Von Erichs. WCCW was a regional promotion out of Texas in April 1983, but has all the tools in place to make a run at going national. Young talent all over the roster, a stranglehold on the wrestling business in Texas, and an owner willing to spend money to expand.

The Dynasty

This is my first time through the game outside of test runs, so I'll be learning as I go. So there's no house rules. I'll post the results of my cards, how they were rated, and once every game month take a look at the roster at a whole and how I'm doing business wise.

Along the way, I'll point out interesting happenings in the universe as a whole. Will Hogan still jump to the WWF, will some other promotion reach national dominance?

Unlike a FOF sim, I'll spend a little time explaining the mechanics and rules of the game here and there, just to help put the various goals in context with the game mechanics.

The Universe

World Dominance in the wrestling industry was very much there for the taking for a number of different promotions in April 1983.

There's a clear "big four" who have reached the level of "Cult" Status in the US. (Size of Promotions in TEW include Backyard, Small, Regional, Cult, National, and Global). A promotion's size depends on it's popularity in various regions, and each new level provides it's own unique benefits. Most relevant in DOTT is the race to National Status. Once there, workers will consider signing exclusive, "written" contracts you, a huge advantage.

Cult Promotions:
WWF
AWA
Mid-Atlantic
Georgia Championship Wrestling

There are 10 US regional promotions, including WCCW, trying to elevate to Cult Status.

Regional Promotions:
Mid-South
Championship Wrestling Association
WCCW
Championship Wrestling from Florida
Pacific Northwest
Central States
Southwest Championship Wrestling
World Wrestling Council
Houston Championship Wrestling
GLOW

The Universe also includes smaller promotions, as well as promotions in Japan Canada, Mexico, and the UK, but I'll be focusing on the above, for the most part.

The United States has an economy of "A" (and rising), and a wrestling industry rating of C- (and rising). Definitely favorable conditions for someone to try to go national, and then global.

WCCW

WCCW starts with $375,000 in the bank, and two demands from owner Fritz Von Erich. First, I can't drop below $225,000 at any time in the next year. Second, the promotion must not fall in size (to small) at any time in the next year. Von Erich has also will not tolerate the signing of any injury-prone wrestlers - only guys with at least a C- rating in Resilience are fair game.

WCCW currently has a "working relationship" with a number of promotions that allow for talent trading and shared workers. I can try to sign any of their guys, but can't sign them to exclusive contracts. I can also offer straight up talent "loan" trades. The agreement exists with: All Japan, Central States, Florida, Pacific Northwest, WWC, Mid-South, Houston, and Consejo Lucha Libre. Most everyone else I have a fairly hostile relationship with at this point.

All production and merchandising expenses are set at very conservative levels. One we make our national push, we'll revisit that.

WCCW presents two weekly shows. "The Stars of World Class on Tour" every Wednesday, and the "World Class Wrestling" television show, which tapes every Thursday night, and airs on Sundays on a local station in Texas. WCCW also runs a big arena show at the end of every month, starting with the last Saturday in April.

WCCW has it's biggest popularity in the mid-south (TX area) at a B-, with it's second highest region in terms of popularity is the midwest, at D-. To reach Cult status, we need at least C- popularity in two regions. So obviously, WCCW's big push in 1983 will be in the midwest. All new talent acquisitions will have to have to be known in that area.

WCCW, at this point, has a custom style the game calls "The Von Erich Shrine". That means approximately 70% of show time devoted to matches, and moderate tolerance of violence and intensity. There's a focus on traditional wrestling, but a fairly heavy dose of "sports entertainment" as well. Kaybe is still alive and well, but perhaps not at strict as other promotions of this era. "Hardcore" wrestling is expected only rarely, and "Daredevil" and "Lucha Libre" are completely abscent. I may tweak the product definition of WCCW down the road, but don't want to piss off Fritz or the loyal fan base right off the bat.

THE ROSTER

(Name, Age, Alignment, Days Left on Contract, Fee per apperance)

Main Eventers:
David Von Erich, 24, Face, 335, $1,000
Michael Hayes, 23, Heel, 503, $1,500
Kerry Von Erich, 23, Face, 69, $1,000
Terry Gordy, 21, Heel, 143, $1,000

Upper Midcarders:
Buddy Jack Robers, 31, Heel, 251, $800
Kevin Von Erich, 25, Face, 113, $1,000
Bill Irwin, 29, Heel, 251, $800
The Great Kabuki, 38, Heel, 203 $1,000

Midcarders:
Iceman Parsons, 26, Face, $500
Sweet Sugar Brown, 28, Face, 96, $500
King Kong Bundy, 25, Heel, 503, $500
Jim Garvin, 27, Heel, 335, $800
Chris Adams, 26, Face, 335, $500

Lower Midcarders:
Frank Dusek, 36, Heel, 251, $400
Mike Von Erich, 19, Face, 266, $500
Magic Dragon, 26, Heel, 92, $500

Openers:
Johnny Mantel, 26, Face, 221, $100
Brian Adidas, 25, Face, 251, $100

Occasional Wrestlers (These guys won't be mad if I don't book them regularly):
Black Gordman, 46, Heel, 106, $1,000
Checkmate, 31, Heel, 251, $350
Jose Lathario, 45, Face, 79, $1,000
Ken Mantel, 34, Face, 286, $1,000 Written Contract (not pay-per apperance, so I'll run this guy into the ground)

Managers:
Skandor Akbar, 44, Heel, 206, $600
Gary Hart, 36, Heel, 251, $600
Sunshine, 26, Heel, 335, $900
Precious, 24, Heel, 134, $900

Announcers:
Bill Mercer, 43, Face, 400, $1,100
Marc Lawrence, 37, 251, $900

Referees:
David Manning, 31, Face, 686, $3,000 Written Contract
James Beard, 28, Face, 215, $1,500

Road Agent:
Bronco Lubich, 45, Face, 189 $1,500 Written Contract

Authority Figure:
Fritz Von Erich, 53, Face, $7,000 Written Lifetime Contract

Personality
Arman Hussein, 41, Heel, 251, $600

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

Here's where it gets tricky. A number of my workers have contracts with other companies. A handful of them consider those other companies a higher priority than WCCW. So, if they're booked by that other company, they're not available to me that night, so I have to be careful not to advertise them. I have the ability to move my event schedule around if there are too many conflicts, but I have to limit that to avoid fan confusion.

-Bill Irwin: Central States

Central States runs a weekly show every Thursday, and a monthly "Wrestling at the Chase Event", starting the last Sunday in April. So I can't count on Irwin to be there at any of our TV tapings. Which means he'll probably be "designated Von Erich job boy" at our weekly house shows.

-Gary Hart, Magic Dragon, Sweet Brown Sugar, The Great Kabuki: Mid-Atlantic

Mid Atlantic runs weekly shows every Friday, and TV tapings every Wednesday. It also has monthly big events, next up is the Clash of the Champions the last Sunday in May. So I can't count on any of these guys for our weekly house show. Not as big a problem as Irwin presents, but Hart's absence may take some steam out of those shows, since he'll be part of a lot of storylines. Akbar will be given the opportunity to be the promotions top heel manager.

CHAMPIONSHIPS

WCCW is a promotion that has always loved its title belts. They currently have 5, which seems excessive for a promotion of this size, but I'll keep them all in place for now, with an eye towards unification down the road.

-WCCW Texas Heavyweight Championship. Main Event Title, 85% prestige. Current Holder: Jimmy Garvin (Since March 1983). This title will be defended only in Texas, to distinguish it as much as possible from the other singles titles.

-WCCW American Heavyweight Championship. Midcard Title, 65% prestige. Current Holder: Kevin Von Erich (Since March 1983). It's odd to see the "American" title with less prestige than the "Texas" title.

-WCCW Television Championship. Midcard Title, 50% prestige. Current Holder: Iceman Parsons (Since March 1983). This title will be defended only on television.

-WCCW American Tag Team Championship. Midcard Title, 70% prestige. Current Holders: Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy (Since December 1982).

-WCCW Six Man Tag Team Championship. Midcard Title, Main Event Title, 70% prestige. Current Holders: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

-Obviously, it's all about the Freebirds and Von Erichs at this point. The Von Erichs, Hayes, and Gordy are all 25 or younger, keeping them together will be a priority.

-Pushing the Von Erichs is a necessity in WCCW. You can trust their loyalty to the company over all others. I see David as the cornerstone of the company. He's not going anywhere, he's hugely over, and he's only getting better. He also seems the best equipped of the Von Erichs, from his stats, to play a heel. A David heel turn against the family somewhere down the road may the angel that propels us forward to a national level.

-Outside of the Freebirds and Von Erichs, things look a little thin. Though Gary Hart's H&H Limited Stable certainly has potential, and will be pushed right away (King Kong Bundy, The Great Kabuki, Magic Dragon, and Arman Hussein).

-Chris Adams and Iceman Parsons are the two top non Von Erich faces - I'll give them both plenty of TV time and hope at least one becomes a big star.

-Mike Von Erich is awful. I'll push him anyway, because he's another guy you can be sure won't be signed away.

-I'm going to book at least the first month or two with the roster I have before looking elsewhere, to get a better feel of who works well with who, who can deliver in storylines and who can't. Then we'll look for some big name guys who are over in the midwest, which should help us reach Cult status, and lead to a better TV deal on a bigger network.

-Not sure I need two refs, James Beard will be kept on as an emergency guy only, who we'll only call upon if David Manning misses a show for some reason.

-Fritiz Von Erich is going to get a ton of face time as a face authority figure. He's hugely popular, and can probably still get in the ring every so often.

April 1992, Week 1

First show is the weekly house show, for which I've advertised:

Freebirds v. Von Erichs for the 6-man Tag Championship. I'm pretty sure this match was run 15,000 times in WCCW, so might as well start out with it and draw a good crowd. It'll have to run 25-30 minutes to be able to fill out a 90 minute show with the rest of the roster.

Jimmy Garvin v. Chris Adams for the Texas Heavyweight Championship. This is a big "tryout" match for Adams to see if he's ready to take a step up.

Bill Irwin v. Iceman Parsons. If Irwin wins, he'll get a TV title shot at the next TV taping. Of course, anyone who knows of Irwin's other commitments to CSW knows the outcome of this match. It's important to get Iceman clean wins where I can, since he's sure to have his share of time limit draws on TV.

Mike Von Erich v. Checkmate. I'll give Mike every chance to improve by putting him in the ring with competent veterans.

It'll be an expensive show money wise, with all of the top guys in action, but you gotta make a good first impression.