We Should Talk About The Title Scene

The issue of fun however, goes against everything suggested in the thread so far, and people clearly aren't having fun with how the title scene currently is, it would seem.

Why not tweak the idea. Make it a regulation that, if you have a belt, your required to at least try and branch out and work with people you never have, and give them title shots, or be required to lose it to someone who hasn't held a belt yet, and then after, you have to wait a set amount of time before you can do anything with a belt again?

Granted, that might affect whatever stories people want to do when they have the belt, but it would get more people involved in things, make them happy, and open the door for others to get their foot in.

(I'm going to apologize in advance. I'm dead exhausted and shouldn't be writing right now, but I feel the need to comment anyway. This post is probably going to sound really sloppy and rambling, but screw it. Better to get it out now then wait for later.)

Hi. Player of a former Friction World Champion here. I'm going to throw in my two bits on things.

Tai is right about one thing. You HAVE to reach out more if you're interested in title runs and matches. And you know what? If someone has a belt and doesn't want to work with you or do anything with you? Fine. Move on. Find someone else with a belt or wait until someone else has the one you're interested in.

Or even better? And hear me out.

Fuck the belts.

Stop worrying about them. Stop craving them.

I know someone is probably already posting an angry FUCK YOU, but listen to me. The titles are nice end goals, but they shouldn't be your main goal. Getting a title shouldn't be the main reason you're here or the main reason you're writing and roleplaying with others on the site. They're nice to have, sure, but here's the deal. There's a lot of people on AFW, right? And matches move pretty slow, usually. If everyone is focused on getting belts, then it's going to end up a messy situation where either no one gets them or you're forced to sacrifice story to hurry up and shuffle it off to the next person begging for a belt.

Fuck the belts. Worry about writing great stories and great threads. Work on reaching out to people you don't usually work with. Reach out to new people and try to do things with them. Work on making AFW a better, more inclusive place, instead of complaining about belts and complaining about veterans not working with newer people. It's cliched, but you have to be the change you want to see.

Because here's a secret, right? If you work on reaching out to people more, and helping newer people yourself, and doing what you unfairly accuse veterans of not doing, then eventually, you'll be more connected with others. What Winner said is right. It's about who you know, and if you reach out more instead of just complaining about things? Maybe, just maybe, you'll get in with the right people, or maybe in the future you will be the right person for someone else.

Fuck the belts. Write great stories without them. Help new people more. Eventually, that kind of thing that get noticed, and eventually, maybe you'll get that title shot you all seem so hungry for.

ThunderFox wrote:Do wrestlers in the WWE becoming ineligible for another title after they've won a belt before? A limit is reasonable, but an outright ban on winning another title after getting one isn't way over the line. Not only does that introduce the problem of the belt eventually never being able to change hands, but how is that at all fun?

Apples and oranges. Matches in AFW can take months, whereas matches in the WWE take ten minutes to half an hour, on average. A ban here and a ban there would have drastically different effects.

(Not saying I'm for or against this, I'm just saying it's not really comparable.)

And for crying out loud, stop suggesting that we force people to do threads with other people. That idea is never going to work and just result in a lot of people getting upset or pissed off.

Winner3 wrote:

ThunderFox wrote:
Tai, I'm pretty sure no one here named any names at all. So I really don't understand why you are taking this personally. No one is attacking anyone, this is a discussion about potential changes to how titles change hands.

Also, if I were a newer person and I saw what you just wrote, I most definitely wouldn't want to RP with you, because it is incredibly condescending. Hell, even vets to this site can see that and be put off. This is supposed to be civil, and so far, you are the only one on this entire thread that I've seen get offended by anything said here.

This is supposed to be constructive, so let's keep it that way.

Thank you!

Now, does anyone else feel like enough has been done, here to make a push on how to move forward? I'd still like for this to be constructive. So if everyone can look past Tai's outburst, and contribute ideas and opinions worthwhile, it would be much appreciated. I think the majority of people agree that change is needed within the title scene.

Actually it seems the majority dont care or dissgree anout a big change. I myself voted toward the middle option and lean towards no change. I disagree with the notion that its only about who you know, to me its more like who you can rely on. Were trying to tell a story and that kinda should be the priority of titles since from a wrestlers and readers stand point that should be the best of the best. Yeah there can be some communication with others along the way but its a bit unreasonable to assume its just people not listening, I dont think everyone or even the majority of title holders are uncaring or unwilling to work with people. Though I definitely disagree with the idea of not being able to compete for a title after losing it, since some storylines could call for when it makes sense to do so like in many scenarios in wrestling (though I can see winning it ight back could be annoying and trading it around like hot potatoe should also he a no-no, yes im looking at Charlotte and Sasha banks, but still it shouldnt e banned outright.

Then again im new here so this may just be my inexperince talking.

Alexandra wrote:Apples and oranges. Matches in AFW can take months, whereas matches in the WWE take ten minutes to half an hour, on average. A ban here and a ban there would have drastically different effects.

You post for the first time in forever, and you shoot down my thoughts?

You and me are gonna have to throw down. Let me go find my throwing down pants.

Alexandra wrote:And for crying out loud, stop suggesting that we force people to do threads with other people. That idea is never going to work and just result in a lot of people getting upset or pissed off.

No-one has this time.

So, just a quick list of amendments. And this'll probably get buried, I figure it's better to try to get these few disclaimers out there before some people come away from this thread with the wrong idea/ideas.

1) I feel like certain people are/will write this off as another set of people complaining about something because it seems out of reach for them. That is not what's intended here. I started this thread of my own free will. Not because I feel like I'm not getting an opportunity that I deserve, but because I wasn't happy with the titles here the rules for which they are/were handled, or lack thereof. This was not made to be whining/ranting/complaining thread. This was not made to say titles are an end game. This is not to assign blame, joke, blow a gasket, or do any of that stuff. Some people may have chosen to do all that. I didn't.

2) I should clarify, again, my point on "more belts". Since people seem to be echoing that phrase and shooting down the idea. I don't believe we need more belts than we already have. I believe we should decommission the ones that are inactive or reasonably inactive and replace them with others. Maybe add more then we had before if we feel there is a demand for them, which given the user-base, I feel there is. If you still disagree with this point, that's fine. I just wanted to make my point clear.

3) I don't think people failing to reaching out to any specific people is a valid claim for anyone to miss out on opportunities regarding belts or other accolades. Especially with no rules stating so.

scorn53 wrote:No-one has this time.

You mentioned being curious about it on page 2. ;P

Alexandra wrote:

scorn53 wrote:No-one has this time.

You mentioned being curious about it on page 2. ;P

SARCASTICALLY! I thought that was implied given the context was two people who can't even communicate are then be forced to thread together.

Winner3 wrote:3) I don't think people failing to reaching out to any specific people is a valid claim for anyone to miss out on opportunities regarding belts or other accolades. Especially with no rules stating so.

It's totally valid.

You and I have never done any threads together. I don't think we've ever even talked much. If I had a belt again, I wouldn't be reaching out to you to see if you want to do anything involving it. I would ask people I know and trust and can work with if they were interested.

On the flip side, if you were to message me and had an idea about it, I would at least give you a fair shake and hear you out. That's the difference here. The people who hold titles shouldn't be expected to message random people they don't know or haven't worked with and ask them if they want to do something with it. That's unfair to them.

Angel had the title for a little over a year. A year and three months, I think? Four months, maybe? In that time, do you know how many people came to me and wanted to do something involving it?

One. Flubs. That was the only one.

So what did I do to fill that time? I did a thing with bean, who I was friends with and talking to at the time. I did Kitten for Summer Splash, since we'd worked together before and she wanted a rematch with Angel for Natasha. I did a big long-term thing with 'mouse because Taylor getting the belt from Angel seemed like a logical step and she was my friend. I worked with people I liked and trusted and knew I could do good stuff that was worthy of the belt with.

But if a newer person or someone I hadn't worked with had asked me about the title and shown any kind of interest in it? I would have listened and tried to see if we could work something out. No one did though. No one but kerflubble.

So when I say you need to reach out more, I speak from experience. If you want a title shot or want to be involved with a belt, the responsibility is on your shoulders to reach out and ask. It's not on a title-holder's shoulders to reach out for you.