It's a slow day so I figured I'd mess around and describe the boxing game I'm going to produce once that Nigerian prince finally transfers a percentage of his inheritance to my account.
Yes, I'm that bored. And I know I've posted some of these ideas here and elsewhere so feel free to gloss over them if you've read them before.
I will be describing my game in narrative form.
So here goes
Money99's boxing game: "Undisputed"
You’re a struggling boxing manager in small town USA. You only have a handful of fighters in your stable. You'd like to add more but with the cost of running the gym and paying your fighters a small amount, you can't afford more at this time.
You have Sean O'Sullivan, middleweight. This kid is all heart. He's a high volume puncher who never takes a step backwards and rarely takes a day off from the gym. Trouble is, he has virtually no power (5/10) and average defense (6/10). Good thing he has a good chin (8/10) and tremendous heart (10/10).
His current record stands 17-4-1 (7 KO's). At 29 years old, he's probably not going to be fighting for the WBC title anytime soon. Or the NABF for that fact. But he's a local star because of the style he brings to the ring, so you know you can sell a lot of tickets at the local rec-cen featuring 'Sully' as one of your headliners.
Then there's Rasheed Smith, super-featherweight. This kid has talent. He's got great speed (9/10), an alusive defense (8/10) and decent power (6.5/10). At 7-0-1 (4KO's) he's an undefeated prospect who gets better and better with each fight. The problem is, he's not overly popular in your neck of the woods so he doesn't get a lot of publicity. He's not an overly exciting fighter but he's very technically sound with a razor sharp jab and has the ability to throw 5 and 6 punch combination's. If he were to get a shot on a serious card he might make some waves with the big fish.
Next is big John Anderson, heavyweight. Another crowd favorite. He's very heavy-handed (9/10 power), has a strong chin (8.5/10) and a devastating right-uppercut (9.5/10). His jab is sufficient (6.5/10) and he has decent endurance (7/10). The problem with John is that he's slow (4/10 speed) and old at 36-years old. But he has a very respectable local record of 27-6-2 (22 KO's) and has never tasted the canvas losing all 6 fights by decision. Not only that but he's not prone to skip training. He's mostly fought in and around the state and is a big draw at local shows because of his one-punch power and size. Crowds will generally be bigger if you put a bigman on as a headliner. And with John in your stable, you're always getting calls to put him against other neighboring towns big men. Between John and Sean, you keep the lights and heat on at the gym by accepting and promoting local boxing shows. Without these two guys, you probably wouldn't be able to sell tickets and keep the gym open.
Finally, you have Ricardo Monez, welterweight. Ricardo has the potential to be a star. He has power in either hand (left-hook, 9.5/10, right-cross 9/10), has very good speed (8/10), a good chin (7.5/10) and an above average defense (6.5/10). At 26-years-old and with an impressive record of 23-2-1 (20 KO's, 1DQ) Ricardo should already be a star.
The trouble with Ricardo is that he's a disturbance in the gym. IF he even shows up. Getting him to the gym is hard enough, but making him stay out of the bars is even harder. Several times in the past 2 years Monez has been charged with DUI's, assault and even indecent exposure. And when he does come to the gym, he disrespects your other fighters making waves with their morale. Not only that, but because of his disregard to training and attraction to the night-life, he often doesn't make weight, forcing cancellations in his scheduled bouts or a cut from his negotiated purse.
You believe you can keep him in check and you want to believe that, because Ricardo could easily hold a belt some day. And probably sooner than later. But will his temper and obnoxious personality persuade some of your other fighters to leave your stable before you reap the rewards?
Each fighter carries a popularity meter, local and national. Some fighters have a tremendous local following like Anderson and O'Sullivan. They bring the bacon. But O'Sullivan has 0 on the National scale and John only has a 1/10 nationally. And that was achieved because of a fight he was dismantled in, when agreeing to go on "Boxing After Dark" against the current #3 ranked heavyweight in the world - who was a green, up-and-coming prospect at the time.
The more National pub a fighter gets the better the chance that you get recognized. And that means more money and more prospects hoping to train with you. Perhaps even an Olympic star would sign on with your stable if you had enough exposure.
Scenario: One day a big-time promoter, Ron "Only in North America!" Ding, calls your office. He has a very good young heavyweight prospect that needs a good 'opponent' for a fight on ESPN2. This will help move Ding's fighter into the top 20 if he wins. And he wants John Anderson to be that opponent. He knows John will bring a good show because he doesn’t back down and carries a big punch. But he also knows that he's limited in skill and his fighter will look very impressive in beating him. You know there's great potential for John to get hammered again. And on National TV.
But you get Ding to agree in putting Rasheed and Monez on the undercard against a tomato can's that you know they can easily take. This will help launch Smith's career and give Monez a bigger spotlight to springboard his career forward.
There are many pro's and con's to this decision. If John is humiliated again, there's a real possibility that he will walk away from you. And that means a lot less local ticket sales. It could hurt your regional monetary worth. However, if Smith and Monez win, it could mean bigger fights and bigger paydays. That is, if you can even get Monez in the gym and to make weight.
These are some of the issues you face. You have to continuously guide your current boxers to keep them happy and keep the bills paid as well. Organizing boxing shows in your hometown will help get you started. Some venues will be more expensive but will seat more. If you bring in the right talent, maybe more people will show, giving you a greater grosse profit. Or maybe you stick with the local Pub-and-Chug. It's cheap but small. And the owner gives you a better cut on beer sales.
Or pick up your fighters and bring them to an out of town, or state, venue hoping to take a cut of their managers profits. Many managers love John Anderson and are inclined to share more of the gate-receipts because of his size and strength. They know a top billing of two heavyweights will bring out more fans. Especially one that brings the hammer like John Anderson.
You also have to be weary of who your fighters opponents will be. Trying to steer your fighters against opponents who are too experienced or strong. But at the same time, you don't want them to become stagnant against bums and also-rans. It's a delicate balance trying to slowly, or quickly, build your fighters into stars and champions.
Perfect records bring in the cash and publicity so you don't want to put a young lion into the ring against someone who could pick apart their inexperience and possibly ruin a young career. OR, you could take a fighter with limited ability and attempt to build them into a top contender with smoke and mirrors. Spend money on promotions and hype while making sure they do nothing but KO one bum after another. Try to make as much money off of them as possible before the facade is revealed. This could make you rich, but could also push prospects away from signing with you.
With the attribute ratings, most of the fighters skills are etched in stone. You can work on things like endurance, defense or even help improve some of the various punches in their repertoire. Skills like power, speed, chin, heart, attitude are almost exclusively static. A fighter can work hard on speed or power so it might go up a .5 or whole point but it doesn't happen very often and depends greatly on the trainer(s) you have on staff.
Speaking of trainers, when you start out you're fairly poor so you'll have to choose from a variety of trainers who each have varying skills in the art of sculpting pugilists. Some will be more expensive to hire than others. And some have different personality traits that might clash with the boxers you manage. Maybe one day you'll have enough money to employ a handful of trainers for a large stable of fighters. But for now, you have to pick your poison for what's available on your budget.
Actual gameplay can be simmed, coached or played hands-on.
Nothing I've written here is original or new. Many of these things are present in the PC simulator Title Fight. I've only taken their ideas and expanded on them somewhat.
And I'm well aware that all of this is a pipe dream when it comes to a console boxing game. But you never know. Like I said; once that lazy SOB, Prince N'Abahaboo finally transfers that cash, I could make it a reality. Or maybe you could just give me some money and I'll see what I can do.
Happy New Years!
Yes, I'm that bored. And I know I've posted some of these ideas here and elsewhere so feel free to gloss over them if you've read them before.
I will be describing my game in narrative form.
So here goes
Money99's boxing game: "Undisputed"
You’re a struggling boxing manager in small town USA. You only have a handful of fighters in your stable. You'd like to add more but with the cost of running the gym and paying your fighters a small amount, you can't afford more at this time.
You have Sean O'Sullivan, middleweight. This kid is all heart. He's a high volume puncher who never takes a step backwards and rarely takes a day off from the gym. Trouble is, he has virtually no power (5/10) and average defense (6/10). Good thing he has a good chin (8/10) and tremendous heart (10/10).
His current record stands 17-4-1 (7 KO's). At 29 years old, he's probably not going to be fighting for the WBC title anytime soon. Or the NABF for that fact. But he's a local star because of the style he brings to the ring, so you know you can sell a lot of tickets at the local rec-cen featuring 'Sully' as one of your headliners.
Then there's Rasheed Smith, super-featherweight. This kid has talent. He's got great speed (9/10), an alusive defense (8/10) and decent power (6.5/10). At 7-0-1 (4KO's) he's an undefeated prospect who gets better and better with each fight. The problem is, he's not overly popular in your neck of the woods so he doesn't get a lot of publicity. He's not an overly exciting fighter but he's very technically sound with a razor sharp jab and has the ability to throw 5 and 6 punch combination's. If he were to get a shot on a serious card he might make some waves with the big fish.
Next is big John Anderson, heavyweight. Another crowd favorite. He's very heavy-handed (9/10 power), has a strong chin (8.5/10) and a devastating right-uppercut (9.5/10). His jab is sufficient (6.5/10) and he has decent endurance (7/10). The problem with John is that he's slow (4/10 speed) and old at 36-years old. But he has a very respectable local record of 27-6-2 (22 KO's) and has never tasted the canvas losing all 6 fights by decision. Not only that but he's not prone to skip training. He's mostly fought in and around the state and is a big draw at local shows because of his one-punch power and size. Crowds will generally be bigger if you put a bigman on as a headliner. And with John in your stable, you're always getting calls to put him against other neighboring towns big men. Between John and Sean, you keep the lights and heat on at the gym by accepting and promoting local boxing shows. Without these two guys, you probably wouldn't be able to sell tickets and keep the gym open.
Finally, you have Ricardo Monez, welterweight. Ricardo has the potential to be a star. He has power in either hand (left-hook, 9.5/10, right-cross 9/10), has very good speed (8/10), a good chin (7.5/10) and an above average defense (6.5/10). At 26-years-old and with an impressive record of 23-2-1 (20 KO's, 1DQ) Ricardo should already be a star.
The trouble with Ricardo is that he's a disturbance in the gym. IF he even shows up. Getting him to the gym is hard enough, but making him stay out of the bars is even harder. Several times in the past 2 years Monez has been charged with DUI's, assault and even indecent exposure. And when he does come to the gym, he disrespects your other fighters making waves with their morale. Not only that, but because of his disregard to training and attraction to the night-life, he often doesn't make weight, forcing cancellations in his scheduled bouts or a cut from his negotiated purse.
You believe you can keep him in check and you want to believe that, because Ricardo could easily hold a belt some day. And probably sooner than later. But will his temper and obnoxious personality persuade some of your other fighters to leave your stable before you reap the rewards?
Each fighter carries a popularity meter, local and national. Some fighters have a tremendous local following like Anderson and O'Sullivan. They bring the bacon. But O'Sullivan has 0 on the National scale and John only has a 1/10 nationally. And that was achieved because of a fight he was dismantled in, when agreeing to go on "Boxing After Dark" against the current #3 ranked heavyweight in the world - who was a green, up-and-coming prospect at the time.
The more National pub a fighter gets the better the chance that you get recognized. And that means more money and more prospects hoping to train with you. Perhaps even an Olympic star would sign on with your stable if you had enough exposure.
Scenario: One day a big-time promoter, Ron "Only in North America!" Ding, calls your office. He has a very good young heavyweight prospect that needs a good 'opponent' for a fight on ESPN2. This will help move Ding's fighter into the top 20 if he wins. And he wants John Anderson to be that opponent. He knows John will bring a good show because he doesn’t back down and carries a big punch. But he also knows that he's limited in skill and his fighter will look very impressive in beating him. You know there's great potential for John to get hammered again. And on National TV.
But you get Ding to agree in putting Rasheed and Monez on the undercard against a tomato can's that you know they can easily take. This will help launch Smith's career and give Monez a bigger spotlight to springboard his career forward.
There are many pro's and con's to this decision. If John is humiliated again, there's a real possibility that he will walk away from you. And that means a lot less local ticket sales. It could hurt your regional monetary worth. However, if Smith and Monez win, it could mean bigger fights and bigger paydays. That is, if you can even get Monez in the gym and to make weight.
These are some of the issues you face. You have to continuously guide your current boxers to keep them happy and keep the bills paid as well. Organizing boxing shows in your hometown will help get you started. Some venues will be more expensive but will seat more. If you bring in the right talent, maybe more people will show, giving you a greater grosse profit. Or maybe you stick with the local Pub-and-Chug. It's cheap but small. And the owner gives you a better cut on beer sales.
Or pick up your fighters and bring them to an out of town, or state, venue hoping to take a cut of their managers profits. Many managers love John Anderson and are inclined to share more of the gate-receipts because of his size and strength. They know a top billing of two heavyweights will bring out more fans. Especially one that brings the hammer like John Anderson.
You also have to be weary of who your fighters opponents will be. Trying to steer your fighters against opponents who are too experienced or strong. But at the same time, you don't want them to become stagnant against bums and also-rans. It's a delicate balance trying to slowly, or quickly, build your fighters into stars and champions.
Perfect records bring in the cash and publicity so you don't want to put a young lion into the ring against someone who could pick apart their inexperience and possibly ruin a young career. OR, you could take a fighter with limited ability and attempt to build them into a top contender with smoke and mirrors. Spend money on promotions and hype while making sure they do nothing but KO one bum after another. Try to make as much money off of them as possible before the facade is revealed. This could make you rich, but could also push prospects away from signing with you.
With the attribute ratings, most of the fighters skills are etched in stone. You can work on things like endurance, defense or even help improve some of the various punches in their repertoire. Skills like power, speed, chin, heart, attitude are almost exclusively static. A fighter can work hard on speed or power so it might go up a .5 or whole point but it doesn't happen very often and depends greatly on the trainer(s) you have on staff.
Speaking of trainers, when you start out you're fairly poor so you'll have to choose from a variety of trainers who each have varying skills in the art of sculpting pugilists. Some will be more expensive to hire than others. And some have different personality traits that might clash with the boxers you manage. Maybe one day you'll have enough money to employ a handful of trainers for a large stable of fighters. But for now, you have to pick your poison for what's available on your budget.
Actual gameplay can be simmed, coached or played hands-on.
Nothing I've written here is original or new. Many of these things are present in the PC simulator Title Fight. I've only taken their ideas and expanded on them somewhat.
And I'm well aware that all of this is a pipe dream when it comes to a console boxing game. But you never know. Like I said; once that lazy SOB, Prince N'Abahaboo finally transfers that cash, I could make it a reality. Or maybe you could just give me some money and I'll see what I can do.
Happy New Years!
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