New EWR Stat Update From Scratch?

[IDOL]

So, with all of the recent controversy surrounding the Paige turner stuff, I've been thinking that now may be a good time to have this discussion and see who may be interested in putting together a little team for a new EWR update. 

Note: I understand that @mkpunk has volunteered to take over the data that Paige Turner had been working on and keep that data set going monthly, this would be an entirely separate update. Remember when we had multiple updates to choose from each month? Weird times.

It has been discussed near ad-nauseam in the EWR Stats and Scenarios in Theory and Practice thread how, among other things, that the game runs best with a "back to basics" sort of approach - meaning that we should take a look at what each option in the data is meant to do and create our data accordingly. For example, taking a look at what the "shooting" and "Superstar" traits actually do and use them as they were intended, only adding essential relationships, etc... I realize Paige Turner did a lot of work to scale down the data sets from when Bill was updating them, but starting from scratch will ensure that nothing is overlooked.

We can also look at scaling worker wages proportionally, add each worker and there stats to a master spreadsheet that we can then filter based on stat to see where they rank in the game world and adjust accordingly - whether its popularity or brawling or whatever else. 

I'd also want to overhaul the worker images and make sure each promotion has snazzy logos and banners, get rid of the awful, out dated kyky images, create a clean looking skin, and loading screen sets as extras to download with the data. Hey, I'm a designer - I can't help it.

The original data looks something like this:

Workers: 1347
Promotions: 19 [16 US, 3 Canadian (1 Fictitious)]
Staff: 380
Belts: 66
Events: 76
Tag Teams: 329
Stables: 23
TV Networks: 36
Television Shows: 8
Alter Egos: 812
Relationships: 1467
Sponsor: 150

Game Analysis says: 21 random production, 9 random medics, 18 random writers, 12 random agents, 25 random trainers will be generated

Now obviously the original data isn't perfect, and Rave X included a number of fictitious workers and staff, but you get the idea on the size of the database I'd be aiming for. 

What I had in mind is only adding a set number of promotions, ones that members of the board actually follow and would like to take up as "official collaborators" so to speak, keeping each release thread filled with notes on the going ons of the promotion, titles, workers, etc... all of the changes that need to happen for the next month's data. If we keep a smaller number of promotions and have enough collaborators like this, the data will be easy to keep up to date.

Right now this is clearly in the "what if?" stage but I figured I would gauge interest with the rest of the community.

 

[TheWho87]

I'd say a from scratch reboot is something EWR has been in need of for a while, especally when all the complaints of bloated data and slow boot ups.

I would say the only thing that might be best to carry over would be the sponsors, I think Bill scaled them down to have enough to cover every promotion at every level.

Also to add to this, I'd outline a set of guides/rules for some of the more criticized areas, shooting and relationships spring to mind.

Edited January 21, 2018 by TheWho87

[Adam]

I think it's a good idea. I may be willing to get involved but I would rather personally put my efforts into TEW at this stage.

One thing I will suggest is ignoring EWR's narrow scope for countries in the game. Just an idea, but I think people would quite like to play these updates as at least one or two of the Japanese promotions (if that'd be workable with the way Japan is set up in the game or not I don't know) and the top 2/3 British promotions too.

[IDOL]

34 minutes ago, Los IngobernAdam de Japon said:

I think it's a good idea. I may be willing to get involved but I would rather personally put my efforts into TEW at this stage.

One thing I will suggest is ignoring EWR's narrow scope for countries in the game. Just an idea, but I think people would quite like to play these updates as at least one or two of the Japanese promotions (if that'd be workable with the way Japan is set up in the game or not I don't know) and the top 2/3 British promotions too.

See, I’m on the opposite side of that. I don’t even want to add Japanese workers unless they’ve made appearances in North America.

[mkpunk]

26 minutes ago, iDOL said:

See, I’m on the opposite side of that. I don’t even want to add Japanese workers unless they’ve made appearances in North America.

But here is the flipside, because of that you are more likely of having issues with fillers.

OK Dragon Gate... I mean Toryumon should be safe as almost all the current guys have wrestled at some point in North America. Same goes for New Japan minus maybe Nakanishi who hasn't since he was in WCW. All Japan, NOAH and Zero1 would likely face big removals if this was the case. I'm not against it, just saying there might be an in-game issue with this... Not that there wasn't random drops/adds in the past.

[Adam]

1 hour ago, iDOL said:

See, I’m on the opposite side of that. I don’t even want to add Japanese workers unless they’ve made appearances in North America.

Fair enough, I wouldn't personally approach it that way due to how much the world has moved on (in relation to wrestling, the expansion of the internet and streaming services making worldwide wrestling more accessible to those who may not have seen it prior to 2002) since EWR came out, but if you're wanting to keep to the integrity of how the game is set up then I understand that.

[Rocky]

I think this would go down quite well. Especially with using the game mechanics the way they are set up to work rather than what we believe them to be.

As for the Japan workers, They're not used as filler. I made an All-Japanese-Worker Scenario early last year and had to add ficticious workers to the database to fill all the slots.
I'm on iDOL's side in regards to keeping NJPW etc as touring only. If you add them to the game as a playable promotion, you need to make sure your main roster is signed to Written contracts to avoid them being called up for a tour in which you can not use them at all in the period they are away. and using NJPW as an example, those tour dates cover basically all their main shows for the year (Wrestle Kingdom, G1 etc).

 

[irk1ng]

Much needed and would be much appreciated. Taking out Japan would be wrong in my opinion, but if there was a way to make it easier to sign people touring Japan, that would be best. I hate not being able to get them on written contract and playing with arsenic editor isn't fun for me.

[Rocky]

31 minutes ago, irk1ng said:

Much needed and would be much appreciated. Taking out Japan would be wrong in my opinion, but if there was a way to make it easier to sign people touring Japan, that would be best. I hate not being able to get them on written contract and playing with arsenic editor isn't fun for me.

We can't change the actual game mechanics. Sorry. 

[TheWho87]

16 hours ago, iDOL said:

See, I’m on the opposite side of that. I don’t even want to add Japanese workers unless they’ve made appearances in North America.

I'd agree with the exception of NJPW, due to their connections with the west it would be logical to include their full roster even if they havent worked in North America, you never know who they may send touring in America.

Would you plan on a promotion limit?, what I'm suggesting is leaving the two spots for the Pinky & Brain promotions as well as to allow players to set up their own promotion.

[HarshMillennium]

I didn't like having to delete a promotion to make my own. I'd rather r just exclude a couple of nonessential ones.

I can throw my cap in on helping out Idol, if needed.

[IDOL]

Yeah I really am thinking a small core group of the major promotions that people follow so that we can have accurate updates.

[apsham]

Making a promotion is probably one of the easier things to do when it comes to customizing your game.

I also recommend cutting back on the staff members. At this point updates for EWR should cater to actually just playing the game and understanding the faults that were later fixed. Go into EWR and boot up the WWE and look at all the friggin' staff that they have packed in and how not a bit of it save for perhaps the announcers actually really matters all that much namewise. Production has proven to only need a singular member in it, and packing it up with a great number of people (some of them unsackable) makes playing as the WWE annoying as you can never get down to just that 1 worker with the highest value that you actually need.

With Japan, I'd still want all the workers there - even the ones that don't tour America. At least ones that work in major promotions... but I'd keep away from actually putting their initial touring schedules in. It's going to happen and we can't stop that, but starting a game and not being able to sign ANYONE because all those workers and most of the ROH workers are stuck to tour commitments that just don't work the way that they would in real-life really sucks.

Basically anything that we can do that stops the basic need for Arsenic that you need to have if you aren't going to edit the game hardcore before starting a game.

[TheWho87]

Would it not be simpler and easier to have a generic staff member for each position as default for each promotion who is unsackable, that way you can encompass the whole team into one account that can be upgraded with generated staff if you improve.

[apsham]

I liked the older updates where all the staff members were just generically named and there were enough at each level at different skill levels to make play at any level viable. Having someone unsackable just means that you could grow past that level and be stuck with them, so I dunno about that. I know that generically named probably wouldn't fly (Production #1, etc.) but maybe a standardization could be good.

[TheWho87]

I was thinking along the lines of "WWE Production Team", "WWE Medical Team", "WWE Writing Team" for each promotion.

[EWFan2004]

Could we also bring back the random Star Trek staff members? Worf as a promotion road agent with a 100/100 stat please.

[Skummy]

One issue with Japanese wrestlers - aside from the weirdness of how "Japan" works in the game - is that I'm not sure how you'd approach overness as a stat for someone who rarely, or never, works the US, but is a reasonably big deal in Japan.

[Canadian_Vampire]

I really hope this gets off the ground. As has been said, a completely fresh update from scratch is badly needed. Especially with the other update going further away from how the game was intened to be played.

[mkpunk]

9 hours ago, Canadian_Vampire said:

I really hope this gets off the ground. As has been said, a completely fresh update from scratch is badly needed. Especially with the other update going further away from how the game was intened to be played.

I do wish you would explain yourself here.