"It's The Story, Stupid!"
By Chad Merritt
2:20 AM on 3/05/2002


The political reference in the title may be lost on some of you, but the idea won’t be, I’m sure. I continue to see great discussions on what types of leagues people prefer, what types of results, etc. The great debate has changed from Generated vs. Real leagues to whether you prefer Angle or Roleplay feds.

Just as in real wrestling, there will always be different views. Some people prefer the Russo “Crash TV” style with massive amounts of vignettes and little wrestling. Others prefer ‘old school’ wrestling with set promos and little outside of that formula. Some prefer the cartoonish WWF characters of the 80s, while others enjoy the newer style, with face/heel lines blurred. It all depends on your likes and dislikes, as well as your frame of reference.

The same is true in the Fantasy world. Some readers prefer long cards with realistic matches, while others prefer longer vignettes driven by angles and in-card roleplay. The majority of angle feds (and remember, I’m speaking in generalities here, so there are always exception to the rule) use significant amounts of roleplay within their cards to further the characters and their motives. “Vignettes” are a significant part of the card, while matches may be in a shorter format that describes the action rather than ‘commentating’ it outright. Roleplay feds tend to pull the focus off in-card roleplay, although it’s often used in in-card ‘classic’ interviews, or backstage happenings. These feds tend to ‘spell out’ matches, using more commentary and ‘ring psychology’ to put over characters.

Some of you may disagree with the above assessment. But in the long run, it’s simply a matter of style. Leagues like the fWo, mostly known as an ‘angle’ fed, and the CSWA, primarily known as a ‘roleplay’ fed, mix and match the techniques listed above to give fans of both styles something to look at. For example, you only have to go read fWo’s Body Count Battle Royal to dispel the rumor that fWo is ‘all about segments.’

A good storyline uses all the resources at its disposal. It takes place inside and outside of the ring, on-card and off. It uses classic ‘promo’ roleplay as well as ‘storyline’ roleplay to further its cause and keep the reader involved. Most importantly, a good storyline expands a character and sends him in a new direction. And that’s what keeps the game fun.