by Halzikar
What makes WBPLW different than wrestling you see on TV?
Other than it’s simmed in Fire Pro Wrestling World. Other than it’s members of the Legion and Aux. Other than it doesn’t have to be bound by the same rules of physics and physicality that a normal human body is. Other than it caters to a specific fanbase. Other than…
Okay, the point I’m getting at is that the characters cannot be expressed in the same way as they are on live events, be they on broadcast or live and in person.
WBPLW wrestlers don’t have the same promo availability, they don’t have the same ability to jaw with the crowd or into the camera, they don’t have the same ability to express some form of charisma and connection. That’s fine, that’s just the reality of doing the show they way we are. It does create a certain challenge, though. Part of it is that everyone watching may or may not already have people they’re fans of. I don’t think it would shock anyone that folks tend to be fans of Randolph P. Checkers the first time they watch. Some people are fans of (sigh) Beeplechan the moment the music hits. Sometimes people like a particular member of the WBPL76 staff are happy to see that person’s character hit the ring. And some folks just have a connection to someone out of nowhere because they liked something they saw.
But if we just feature the same folks over and over again, both the watchers and I will get bored. So, how do I go about making characters that are fun to watch and engaging if they don’t have promo time? That is a tricky question.
I have to find a way to make a particular character stand out. The horror of Krispy the Furbinator is something that’s easy. The horrifying visage of that human sized monstrosity kind of sells itself. I might build someone with the intent of attaching them to an existing character that makes people happy to see them by association. If I add someone to Cosmic Suplex Love, people tend to be excited. If I add someone to CarnEvil, people are probably going to boo them. That’s also easy, because frankly it’s heat by association. (Heat being a wrestling term for crowd investment, typically with heels but it can be used for anyone.)
Building other people to be interesting characters takes a little more work. As one example, when I set out to build Goat, I did it fully intending to equip him with an exciting finisher (GOREGOREGORE) and see how well I could sell people on it by putting that move over as a huge deal. And man, did that one deliver. Some characters I created the way I did because I thought it would be funny, and hoped that the viewers would as well. (I’m looking at Cenith.) Sometimes I opted to build someone around a specific concept that is meant to add some excitement. My own character I built around using the lariat as a signature move, and doing it well. Instead of having one big signature like Goat does, having a move that’s used consistently gives an overall flavor to the character that I hope makes it a consistently fun viewing experience. I also did this with Crow, making him the master of the German suplex, and with Iden as Mr. Moonsault. It’s the idea of seeing someone who has such mastery over a particular technique that they use it regularly, and that’s cool to see.
Sometimes, though, I’m left just trying to create a general vibe for the character. Werlin’s wookie started as an arm-ripper build, but since that both didn’t fit and didn’t seem to perform particularly well, I went a different direction and made him one of the strongman spectacles. Between Werlin, Bionic, and Hatt, we’ve got three big big characters that do big power moves that look cool. Fez, Exemplus, and El Ganso are examples of people who do the same thing but with high flying, acrobatic style offense. Don’t tell me that seeing someone who can do acrobatic moves in a wrestling context isn’t cool; your body will rebel against the magnitude of such denial.
So, what am I getting at? Last column, I mentioned how the inability to script storylines (given the way we do things), forces me to be creative and think on my feet. The character building does the same thing. It takes me a few hours to build a character. The visuals are usually the easier part, because then when I construct their movesets and logic, I have to try and find a way to make that person’s offense be unique and interesting in a way that makes them stand out, in a good way.
I guess there’s a life lesson in that. Find a way to stand out, in a good way. What is something that you can do that is a good kind of memorable? Now, as for that, I can’t answer that part. You’ve got to figure that out. The thing I do know is that, in a world where selfishness and callousness seem the norm, kindness, care, and supportiveness will make you stand out. People remember someone who had their back, who supported them, who built them up when it seemed like no one else cared. You can’t do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do. (I stole that line). You can’t be there for everyone. None of us are Superman. But the people you can be there for, you should be, and they will remember it.
You may not have a bright, colorful attire or a big gold belt (and that’s okay, because they’re heavy to lug around). That’s alright. Find a way to stand out in making the world better, just around yourself.
Keep your feet on the mat, unless you’re leaping for… no, that doesn’t work. Hit the ropes and… no, that doesn’t make sense. Drop that elbow and… okay, that wouldn’t help at all.
I need a better sign off.
– Halzikar
– Brodie Lee forever
Halzikar, the self-declared Lariat King, hails from parts unknown and manages the WBPL wrestling league Sunday evenings on WBPL-76. Legend says he threw a car off Hell in a Cell and plunged sixteen feet through an announcer’s table.
