In an E-Fed, each player controls (normally) one wrestler and will have full control over that wrestler in the game. They compete with him/her in matches, cut promo's, have backstage brawls and everything else you would consider 'normal' to a working professional wrestler.
So I said to the guy behind the counter, "I'll have a Big Mac and fries"
is ok, as is:
Jack walked up to the counter and said "I'll have a Big Mac and fries"
Some people feel comfortable writing in one style, and others the other. It doesn't matter, so long as you don't drift between the two. That become very confusing to the reader.
Ok, so you've decided you want to apply to join the HWA? Great! But before you start thinking of posting a roleplay you should send an email to Neil - the HWA's Owner on nawdrum@hotmail.com. On this email, you should give as much detail about your character as you possibly can (by this stage you will have already thought your character up - right?!). If you are unsure on how much detail to go into, check out the Biog Board page of the site, and click on any underlined name to get to that wrestler's biography. Remember that the HWA is an 'originals' fed. This means no Undertakers, or RVDs please. Make a new character up! Next thing to do is familiarise yourself with the HWA website.
The main areas you should check out first are what we call 'the boards'. The first, and arguably most important of the main two is the Roleplay board. This is, unsurprisingly, where you should post all your Roleplays. Take time to read through several which are on there to get some ideas. The second are you should check out is the Out Of Character board. This is where you communicate your ideas and thoughts with your fellow players. This is the only place where you should be yourself. No insults or flame wars in here please, save that for the RP board. Likewise, there should be no OOC (Out of Character) comments on the RP board either. Once you've took a look at those areas of the site, feel free to look around the other links like previous results (good chance to catch up with what the current storylines are and see where you can fit in!) and check out the roster and title histories and so on.
You may, by now, have noticed that many of the HWA's Roleplayers used advanced layouts and styles, colours and pictures in their Roleplays. This is done with the use of HTML. If you are not sure how to use HTML then there are plenty of websites on the 'net which will tutor you into using HTML. A few basics for you are below. All you need to do is replace the ( + ) brackets with the other sort you can get which look like arrow heads. I cannot write them on here otherwise the web page will read them as a command!
To change the font colour - (FONT COLOR = BLUE) for example.
To put a line from left to right - like near the top of this page (HR)
To start a new line - (BR)
To skip a line - (P)
To change the font style - (FONT FACE = ARIAL)
To use Bold, Underline or Italics - (B) (U) or (I)
To stop using Bold, Underline or Italics, add a / - (/B) (/U) or (/I)
These are but a few of the thousands of HTML commands available to us, but perhaps some of the most useful in the early going.
Use of HTML in RPs isn't essential and adds very little to the assessed quality of the Roleplay. It can, however, be easier for the reader if, say, speaker one has one colour and speaker two has a different one, in a part of an RP.
What is MUCH more important in a roleplay though, is the content. If the content is good then you will do well. If it is consistent with your wrestler, and adds to your wrestler's character then great. If your wrestler ends up coming across differently each time you RP then perhaps it's time for a rethink. For example. If your character is a beer guzzling redneck like Steve Austin, then you wouldn't have him campaigning for Feminism the next week. That would be poor consistency. The better Roleplays not only develop the wrestler's character, but also have him/her comment on what is going on in the HWA at the present time, especially with regard to any storyline / angle / feud which your wrestler is currently involved. Indeed, if your wrestler has been badly injured at an event, it wouldn't look right if he or she didn't mention the broken arm in your following roleplay. So to that end, Roleplays are written in what can be considered to be the time between HWA events, ie, the sunday to saturday.
I wish to have my wrestler interviewed, how can I go about this?
If you wish, you may use any of the HWA's interviewers for your Roleplays. Their information can be found in the staff pages, off the roster page. But don't abuse them, otherwise we'll stop you using them. They should attempt to remain impartial at all times.
I want something I write to be included in the results as opposed to in my Roleplay, is this possible?
Yes, very much so, and you will still get credited in the same way as if it were included in your roleplay. This is a good way of getting 'one over' on your opponent, as he/she won't know what you've sent until the results are unveiled, often giving you an advantage in the RP ratings. To send something for inclusion for the results, email the fed at nawdrum@hotmail.com.
How do I know if I'm going to beat my opponent?
Simple answer is you don't. You won't know until the results are published. Each person's Roleplays are assessed by a panel of HWA staff and votes are taken as to who deserves to win their match. In a very closely contested match then there may be a DQ ending, or perhaps a run-in, so that both wrestlers get to 'save face'.
What is off-limits for my roleplay?
Well, none of the HWA staff are fans of censorship, so the limits are really only those you set yourself. If what you write is upsetting someone then obviously you will need to be sensitive to that, as we want to make sure everyone has fun! Try to avoid things like Rape or Racism as that can be pretty upsetting for some people to read.
Can I write my own match?
In some cases that is possible, depending on who is writing the results in that week. The best thing to do is to leave a note on the OOC board and whoever is writing that weekend's results will get back to you. The normal understanding if you were to do this is to make sure the match is even and you don't use it solely as an exercise to make your character look good at the expense of your opponent.
I'd like to join the staff, can I?
Whenever there is an opening for someone to come on board the HWA staff team we will let you know on the OOC board.
I have a great idea for an angle, what should I do?
Email the staff on nawdrum@hotmail.com. If you can contact anyone else this angle involves (ie other wrestlers) and talk it through with them too, then even better. While some angles and attacks are work better unannounced to their recipient, the best angles are worked out in advance with several wrestlers getting together to work on them.
Nobody likes rules so we keep them to an absolute minimum. These must be followed though.
1) Only ONE roleplay can be submitted on the final day of Roleplaying (usually a saturday). this prevents last minute 'flooding' which upsets a lot of people.
2) Don't bitch when results are late etc. Remember, none of us do this for profit. In fact Neil pays for the site and many other things out of his own pocket just to keep this thing going, so please bare that in mind.
3) Don't use other wrestlers in your roleplays unless you have their permission. You can obviously talk about them as much as you like, but don't actually have them appear in your RP without permission.
4) Have fun!
Thanks for reading this, I hope it has given you a good idea what HWA is all about, any questions then please leave a note on the OOC board or contact any of the staff on IM.
Neil Williams
1.1.04 (updated 26/03/06)