"Creative Has Something For You" Thread

[lazorbeak]

One of the best ways to keep things in TEW fresh is to not do the same thing all the time. New Characters and stories are important when it comes to making things seem "new," and so the purpose of this thread is to ask for ideas when it comes to a worker or a storyline. Basically I hope it can be a fun thread where people can pitch some unusual, entertaining, or otherwise thought-provoking ideas and share it with others. Let's put that "create a gimmick" to work!

Quick rules:
1. no judgments, either of the poster asking for creative advice, or of other ideas, no matter how crazy. I don't care if someone is answering every question like they were booking WCW in 1991 ("how about a team-up with Robocop?"), the point is to throw out ideas, even bad ones, not to judge them.

2. If you create a new gimmick or change an existing one enough to deserve a new gimmick in the editor, give a rough idea of the gimmick type.

3. If you're looking for ideas, post the worker, a little bit of background information/guidance for what you're looking for, and the promotion you're booking for.

4. If you post looking for ideas, post again to say what you've ended up doing so that you aren't continually getting more ideas for the same character.

5. It's fine to have multiple active requests for ideas, but make it clear what you're responding to.

In case that's unclear, I'll throw out a character to work with:

I signed Bulldozer Brandon Smith in SWF in November 2010. I'm looking for a gimmick/storyline that sets him apart from other SWF babyfaces (no 'wholesome' gimmicks) and leaves him with a little more edge. Name changes, character overhauls, etc., welcome. The more creative, the better.

[CQI13]

Originally Posted by lazorbeak

In case that's unclear, I'll throw out a character to work with:

I signed Bulldozer Brandon Smith in SWF in November 2010. I'm looking for a gimmick/storyline that sets him apart from other SWF babyfaces (no 'wholesome' gimmicks) and leaves him with a little more edge. Name changes, character overhauls, etc., welcome. The more creative, the better.

Any thoughts on having him as a heel? Maybe the grey camouflage mask someone did as an alt for him. Using that, as someone who has turned his back on his country...OR someone who is more militant in their ways (kind of like Right to Censor was - what they were in and of itself was not bad, but the way they went about it made them the bad guys). I kind of like the second one better, now that I'm re-reading it.

If you're set on using him as a face, (though it lacks 'edge') what about using his football background, and setting him as a legitimate athlete? There's enough room to grow the character by way of promos or storylines to develop that 'edge'.

A request of my own:

USPW...thinking of bringing in the Latino Kings from FCW (all 3) and running them like LAX in the early TNA days. However, would it work having Champagne Lover as the leader of the group? I know at first it doesn't seem to fit in, but maybe since USPW is the land of giants, when Champagne Lover first comes in, he decides he'll need some back up (in the form of a stable). Obviously they would be heels.

So the two requests are:

Name for the tag team/stable (can both be the same), for a group consisting of the Latino Kings and Champagne Lover, as well as a name/gimmick for Champagne Lover himself.

[Derek B]

I like the idea for this thread.

Originally Posted by lazorbeak

In case that's unclear, I'll throw out a character to work with:

I signed Bulldozer Brandon Smith in SWF in November 2010. I'm looking for a gimmick/storyline that sets him apart from other SWF babyfaces (no 'wholesome' gimmicks) and leaves him with a little more edge. Name changes, character overhauls, etc., welcome. The more creative, the better.

One thing I like to do with Bulldozer is play off his legit sports background... and football is a team sport so I tend to put him in a tag team or a stable and have them build up as a group with their own plays that they can call in-ring. I tend to then throw in the likes of Dawn The Cheerleader as a girlfriend for someone in the group (though Raven Nightfall/Robinson has a great alt for that too) and sometimes even a coach if a good male manager is available too.

People I tend to put together for this group (usually called The All-Star Team)
include Primus Allen (athletic big man already in development), Des Davids (another former football player), Jesse Christian (a veteran/team captain type) and... well, any fairly athletic big man really. T-Bone Bright is a great add waaaay down the line too.

Originally Posted by CQI13

A request of my own:

USPW...thinking of bringing in the Latino Kings from FCW (all 3) and running them like LAX in the early TNA days. However, would it work having Champagne Lover as the leader of the group? I know at first it doesn't seem to fit in, but maybe since USPW is the land of giants, when Champagne Lover first comes in, he decides he'll need some back up (in the form of a stable). Obviously they would be heels.

So the two requests are:

Name for the tag team/stable (can both be the same), for a group consisting of the Latino Kings and Champagne Lover, as well as a name/gimmick for Champagne Lover himself.

Sadly I don't have much to add to this one yet but I like the idea... Champagne Lover can use his real name Antonio Maxi Marquez (very Hispanic sounding) for that group which should do failry well. As for the group itself, you can always run any cool sounding English name through a translator and see what you get. It's what I tend to do when I need a new name for group.

[Slim Jim]

Originally Posted by lazorbeak

I signed Bulldozer Brandon Smith in SWF in November 2010. I'm looking for a gimmick/storyline that sets him apart from other SWF babyfaces (no 'wholesome' gimmicks) and leaves him with a little more edge. Name changes, character overhauls, etc., welcome. The more creative, the better.

Another way of going with the grey mask alt would be to make him a mysterious force for good (probably using the Avenging Angel gimmick, if that's in the default database and not just a mod I'm playing with at the moment).

I'd start him low key by appearing to stop Shady K and Knuckles bullying an underdog or female worker, just dishing out crushing karma on a couple of low-life thugs. He does that a couple of times in different ways (backstage bullying, post-match beatdowns, intimidating interviewers all prior to his appearance and beatdown).

Then you can build up from there depending on the heels you want him to go against, so anyone that cheats he can appear to re-balance the odds, any heel trying to get a count-out victory, whatever they're doing wrong. Keeps him part of a clean-cut vibe but with a badass way of enforcing it. He's not going to high five people or kiss babies or even give the faces the time of day but he'll kick your ass if you step out of line. And with the darker mask, you can give him a slight Sting-like edge, throw him in the shadows and the darkness and make him seem like a loner.

The obvious crescendo if you really want to go all out on a mega-push is Eric Eisen abusing his power in the company, and he can throw out all kinds of obstacles for Smith to plow through.

And if that gets stale and boring, he just because too full of his own righteousness and turns heel, enforcing things the way that he sees as "right".

I also like the athlete stable idea but for me it screams heel (stereotypical jock) upon debut. Handsome, talented, athletic guy with a hot cheerleader girlfriend... everyone hates that guy. Put him in a group with a couple of other jocks and a loud-mouthed coach and you can build any one of them as the break-out face that's actually not a jerk (even the manager if none of the workers take off).

Originally Posted by CQI13

USPW...thinking of bringing in the Latino Kings from FCW (all 3) and running them like LAX in the early TNA days. However, would it work having Champagne Lover as the leader of the group? I know at first it doesn't seem to fit in, but maybe since USPW is the land of giants, when Champagne Lover first comes in, he decides he'll need some back up (in the form of a stable). Obviously they would be heels.

So the two requests are:

Name for the tag team/stable (can both be the same), for a group consisting of the Latino Kings and Champagne Lover, as well as a name/gimmick for Champagne Lover himself.

I'd bring in Lover on his own first (probably using his real name, as Derek said), playing up his celebrity status, being an arrogant, slimy jerk that throws his money and fame and bimbos in everyone's face, only to get splattered by one of the big men. So he realises he needs protection and throws a load of cash at some street thugs, and I'd imagine it would be a fairly strained relationship because of the image clash but the Kings want their money and Lover NEEDS their protection. And at some point, the Kings decide they have enough cash and turn on Lover, probably when he has some title belt or other.

As for the name... something like Los Gamberros (the thugs/hooligans/yobs) works well enough to make them sound bad in USPW. Probably works even better as Antonio Maxi Marquez i Los Gamberros to emphasise that Lover is the star.

[Remianen]

Originally Posted by CQI13

A request of my own:

USPW...thinking of bringing in the Latino Kings from FCW (all 3) and running them like LAX in the early TNA days. However, would it work having Champagne Lover as the leader of the group? I know at first it doesn't seem to fit in, but maybe since USPW is the land of giants, when Champagne Lover first comes in, he decides he'll need some back up (in the form of a stable). Obviously they would be heels.

So the two requests are:

Name for the tag team/stable (can both be the same), for a group consisting of the Latino Kings and Champagne Lover, as well as a name/gimmick for Champagne Lover himself.

Why not use the LAX/Mexican America premise? Call the stable 'La Raza' ("The Struggle"), use nicknames and add someone like El Fuerza (renamed 'Poq' (Poke) short for 'Poquito', playing on the tendency for big men to be nicknamed 'Tiny') and Joanne Rodriguez (obvious) or Miss Mexico (not obvious) and have them rail about how 'white bread' the promotion is and how Hispanics in USPW are 'oppressed' and 'held down' by "The Man" (good place to use Sam Strong). Give Lover his real name with his middle name serving as his nickname (so Antonio Marquez but his hermanos in La Raza call him Maxi). This will also give you a path to a 'We're Takin' Over' type storyline since you have enough members in La Raza to hold every title in USPW with no overlap (I think? World, National, TV, Tag, Women's?). You also have a ridiculous selection of people to use as the stable's manager (Cuervo, Jennifer Heat (which would give you a locker room boost), Magdalena, Gabriela Ortega, Padre Carrasco, Mercedes Gimenez, Lucia, etc). Lover as the leader/mastermind, Fuerza as the silent muscle (ala the guy he looks like, Batista), the Kings as the rowdy young upstarts (always ready for a fight), the female (whoever you choose. Could even be a white girl as a blanca (fair skinned) "latina". Alicia could do it as a 'little girl lost' type of thing) as either the love interest or '(wo-)man on a mission' type, intent on proving herself to the guys or Lover (or all of 'em) or both. If you use Alicia, you could play it as them using her to get to her father to undermine/blackmail/extort him in some way. If you do it before he retires, they could turn on her beforehand and then when she gets control.....

That's all I got.

[lazorbeak]

Originally Posted by CQI13

A request of my own:

USPW...thinking of bringing in the Latino Kings from FCW (all 3) and running them like LAX in the early TNA days. However, would it work having Champagne Lover as the leader of the group? I know at first it doesn't seem to fit in, but maybe since USPW is the land of giants, when Champagne Lover first comes in, he decides he'll need some back up (in the form of a stable). Obviously they would be heels.

So the two requests are:

Name for the tag team/stable (can both be the same), for a group consisting of the Latino Kings and Champagne Lover, as well as a name/gimmick for Champagne Lover himself.

Agree that AMM is fine, but if you want to go a different direction, I'd consider giving using his soap opera name or a variation of it. I think the LAX thing is a little played out, so as a twist, how about using AMM as a soap star/pretty boy, and the Latino Kings as his entourage, as an excuse to homage (rip-off) Entourage? AMM as Vincent, the big guy as Johnny Drama, and the less talented tag worker as Turtle. Maybe they can both be the Turtle. Maybe bring in a weasely heel to be their Ari Gold equivalent, too. Play up the fact that he really is a TV star in Mexico and is trying to get his foot in the door to cross over into Hollywood, so he's extremely reluctant to get into the ring except for PPVs, and the rest of the stable put up with him because they recognize he's their meal ticket, before finally turning on him. "La Comitiva" is "Entourage" in Spanish.

Originally Posted by Slim Jim

Another way of going with the grey mask alt would be to make him a mysterious force for good (probably using the Avenging Angel gimmick, if that's in the default database and not just a mod I'm playing with at the moment).

I'd start him low key by appearing to stop Shady K and Knuckles bullying an underdog or female worker, just dishing out crushing karma on a couple of low-life thugs. He does that a couple of times in different ways (backstage bullying, post-match beatdowns, intimidating interviewers all prior to his appearance and beatdown).

The Grey Mask idea is my favorite so far, but I'm not quite sold just yet- more suggestions welcome. The football stuff, while not what I'm looking for in terms of BBS, is a good idea and would be great to add to USPW as a heel stable.

Edit: I just realized that USPW would totally use a football playing jock stable as babyfaces- they're way too "All-American" to work heel, and would probably spend all their time feuding with Football hooligans and hockey playing French Canadians who try to tell them why hockey and soccer are superior.

[Self]

Originally Posted by lazorbeak

Agree that AMM is fine, but if you want to go a different direction, I'd consider giving using his soap opera name or a variation of it. I think the LAX thing is a little played out, so as a twist, how about using AMM as a soap star/pretty boy, and the Latino Kings as his entourage, as an excuse to homage (rip-off) Entourage? AMM as Vincent, the big guy as Johnny Drama, and the less talented tag worker as Turtle. Maybe they can both be the Turtle. Maybe bring in a weasely heel to be their Ari Gold equivalent, too. Play up the fact that he really is a TV star in Mexico and is trying to get his foot in the door to cross over into Hollywood, so he's extremely reluctant to get into the ring except for PPVs, and the rest of the stable put up with him because they recognize he's their meal ticket, before finally turning on him. "La Comitiva" is "Entourage" in Spanish.

Love this.

In my TCW game I called him 'Shredder Ramoray' to play off his soap opera character. Added Shredder just for the rock-star gimmick I have him doing. Plus I've been catching up on my turtle power. Tempted to steal the Entourage idea though. Dig it.

[CJAlex]

Originally Posted by Remianen

Why not use the LAX/Mexican America premise? Call the stable 'La Raza' ("The Struggle"), use nicknames and add someone like El Fuerza (renamed 'Poq' (Poke) short for 'Poquito', playing on the tendency for big men to be nicknamed 'Tiny') and Joanne Rodriguez (obvious) or Miss Mexico (not obvious) and have them rail about how 'white bread' the promotion is and how Hispanics in USPW are 'oppressed' and 'held down' by "The Man" (good place to use Sam Strong). Give Lover his real name with his middle name serving as his nickname (so Antonio Marquez but his hermanos in La Raza call him Maxi). This will also give you a path to a 'We're Takin' Over' type storyline since you have enough members in La Raza to hold every title in USPW with no overlap (I think? World, National, TV, Tag, Women's?). You also have a ridiculous selection of people to use as the stable's manager (Cuervo, Jennifer Heat (which would give you a locker room boost), Magdalena, Gabriela Ortega, Padre Carrasco, Mercedes Gimenez, Lucia, etc). Lover as the leader/mastermind, Fuerza as the silent muscle (ala the guy he looks like, Batista), the Kings as the rowdy young upstarts (always ready for a fight), the female (whoever you choose. Could even be a white girl as a blanca (fair skinned) "latina". Alicia could do it as a 'little girl lost' type of thing) as either the love interest or '(wo-)man on a mission' type, intent on proving herself to the guys or Lover (or all of 'em) or both. If you use Alicia, you could play it as them using her to get to her father to undermine/blackmail/extort him in some way. If you do it before he retires, they could turn on her beforehand and then when she gets control.....

That's all I got.

I'll take this one if you don't mind.

Later
CJAlex

[CQI13]

Thanks for the suggestions on the Latino Kings/Champagne Lover storyline. I currently have plans for a heel stable using the guys currently in the promotion, but if all goes well, it will last a year before fracturing.

And since I love me some heel stables, right around the time they begin to show cracks, I'll bring these guys together to take their place. This thread is awesome.

[serotonin187]

Originally Posted by lazorbeak

I signed Bulldozer Brandon Smith in SWF in November 2010. I'm looking for a gimmick/storyline that sets him apart from other SWF babyfaces (no 'wholesome' gimmicks) and leaves him with a little more edge. Name changes, character overhauls, etc., welcome. The more creative, the better.

You could use BBS as a comic book hero wearing the American Patriot mask, using him like Captain America always sticking up for the little guy backstage and saving them from attacks. Have him take out a few low level guys like Knuckles and Shady K before going into a feud with somebody like John Greed or an heel Atom Smasher.

[pennyone]

I want to add my two cents to the Latino Kings/Champagne Lover storyline i hope someone likes it, you could change their names to Antonio Marquez, Jesus Marquez, Rudy Marquez and Hector Marquez and go by the name "La Familia Marquez " or "Los Marquez" because they are brothers and have come to USPW to conquer the US just like they did it in Mexico, but they will not fight with the rules of the white man they fight with the rules of Mexico only in 3 vs 3 matches and they have his own title and win all his matches thank to the other member that isnt wrestling and you could add Jennifer Heat as his manager

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by serotonin187

You could use BBS as a comic book hero wearing the American Patriot mask, using him like Captain America always sticking up for the little guy backstage and saving them from attacks. Have him take out a few low level guys like Knuckles and Shady K before going into a feud with somebody like John Greed or an heel Atom Smasher.

and why not create his own super team with Atom Smasher , Lobster Warrior and the Captain Patriot (BBS) they will free the SWF of the inmorality and BSS

[Rayelek]

I think just having Brandon Smith come in as a Bad Ass face and blitz through people would work. Give him roughly the Brock Lesnar push, overpowering everyone and just throwing them around until he gets to a high level of competetion (aka the midcard?).

[Stennick]

LB for The Masked Patriot I actually make him heel.

What I love to do is play a goofy patriot similar to Kurt Angle.

I have him start off trying to "reform" some edgy good guy a forgiener if possible. Trying to Americanize them or "re Americanize" them if they're already American. Preaching how they shouldn't cheat, they need to work hard, etc.

It grows from there into full on heelship with Patriot preaching to the crowds about how he's all thats left standing between the great America he loves and wears so proudly on him and the degenerates and scum bags that have replaced his great nation.....etc.

That way its a fun gimmick, its still patriotic, he's still wholesome yet edgy all at the same time.

[NWO4until01]

brilliant thread. always wished something like this existed but this one has been kickstarted nicely. I can see it being as good as the whats goin on in your game thread...

with regards to Bulldozer Brandon Smith, I always use his yellow helmet render and give him a working class man gimmick. A gimmick like that can be very flexible with how you go with it, from a baby kisser wholesome to a rough, gruff, hard-life kind of guy, which could certainly pass as edgy. In one of my games I had him rebel against the established order cos he was sick n tired of the average man getting stepped on... ended up forming a 4-man midcard face stable called The Union (or Wrestler's Union, cant remember, but in line with his working class man theme). The thing is, I can picture a gimmick like that being the mainstay of a worker, similar to how say hogan or macho man always kept a similar persona throughout their careers. Likewise BBS, he's a shoe-in main eventer for the future to me, trouble is I rarely get that far down the track.

Slightly off topic with this, but seeing as Champagne Lover is getting a mention, I'll also throw out what I'm doing with him atm...
keeping with his realistic soapie profile he's a typical spotlight loving heel, full of himself and all that, but he also has Bradford Peverill towing the line as well as his personal filmmaker. The theme is that BP is making a documentary about Champagne's arrival in the US/SWF, so he just follows him around with the camera rolling, ringside n all. It's all cos of BP's render. I just dont see 'Hands of Stone', I see a person directing a model shoot so I cant help but stick that movie director gimmick on him. Down the track it'll lead to them tag teaming probably, but I've only just started it...