[Taylor Hawkins]

Hello everyone,
I am exploring the potential interest in a project built around the new WWE 2K18 game coming out on Xbox One October 17th. We're still a few weeks out so hopefully the idea doesn't get stale, but I wasn't sure how long it would take to fill up the roster spots so here we are. I've undertaken projects like this in the past with a league built around UFC 2 on Xbox One as well as the long lasting CMMA celebrity MMA cyber league. I think this project will attempt to take the most successful aspects of both of those endeavors and I'm looking for guidance as far as what might make you more willing to participate and make this thing last for quite some time. Obviously with any project like this, the up-front time and energy is enormous. I want to make sure I follow the interests of those participating to ensure all that work I put in to get things started doesn't go to waste after a month or two when the initial buzz fades.

My plan is to utilize the most extensive create-a-character system there is to make a roster of celebrity fighters in-game. Each participant manages a stable of fighter(s) as they fight for a championship belt in the Universe mode in the game. I plan to run fight simulations and upload match results in video form; with the managers having the option to customize match style (to KO, submission, pin, table match, etc.), setting (in-ring, backstage), character appearance (hair, clothing, tattoos, etc.), stats, fight style, and tons of other options. You will have complete control over your fighter. This game offers almost anything you can think of for match types; tag teams, championship belts, royal rumbles, 4-way matches, etc. Not to mention you could spend hours customizing fighter wardrobes, fight style, moves, upgrading skill points, and tons of other options. The possibilities are really fun to talk about! I think we should have no problem continually growing the roster of managers if we so desire.

In addition to these video PPV's, I want to give people a forum to run cyber fights. I'm still working out the best way to incorporate these into the rankings, but they can either act as a sort of "un-ranked" sparring system just for fun/bragging rights or they could count just the same as PPV fights. I know cybers aren't for everyone, so I'm leaning toward the un-ranked aspect. It should keep people engaged during the down time as well as adding a new wrinkle and some fun stories for everyone to read. I would also prefer for all participants to be native English speakers. When Emma Watson starts talking shit to Kristen Stewart, it kinda breaks the immersion when she can't speak in complete sentences...



My only major concern is the create-a-wrestler gameface system. If you've played a previous WWE 2K game, you know full well it's a fucking nightmare to try to use actual photos. They come out looking horrific no matter how long/hard you try. If anyone was a part of the UFC 2 league I previously ran with some friends, the EA Sports gameface engine was VASTLY superior. In my opinion, the best way to create celebrities in WWE 2K is to physically try to mold a lookalike AI face myself by changing facial structure (i.e. chin, cheek, eyes, nose, etc.) The issue this creates is it could really hurt the immersion for some, and more than anything I want to get that fact out in the open BEFORE you join. You're not going to be able to identify these fighters by visual alone in most cases, and if that is a deal-breaker for you then please, please don't sign up. You'll have endless customization options after that, but the face might be somewhat cookie-cutter. If you own the game (on Xbox One ONLY I believe...), you could even create your fighters yourself and share them with me to use in our Universe.

Another thing to think about is that if it keeps growing, I selfishly don't want to go multiple PPVs without my girl(s) competing, which is one reason I added the cyber aspect for those that want to utilize it. To start, I plan on capping sign-ups at 20 managers because 10 fights per PPV is doable for me. Each manager will be allowed to claim 2 fighters on a first come, first serve basis, with only their 1st choice being "active" initially. Once the game comes out (October 17th) I'll create 20 fighters, 1 per manager, and we can roll out the first PPV product (hopefully by November). While the dust settles I can make everyone's backup fighter in-game and moving forward they can set up fights with both girls. I plan to constantly thin the herd of managers who are not active or go MIA, which means that if you don't get in on the first round of sign-ups, still message me and you'll be first on the reserve list. If things are going smoothly after the first couple PPV's, I plan to expand to 3 fighters per manager or increase the number of managers from 20 to 30.

While celebrities make up the primary and majority of the roster, you can obviously claim any of the actual WWE Divas that already exist in the game (major brownie points from me if you do this that's one less wrestler I have to create!). We currently have 5 managers signed up with the following celebrities taken:

Stana Katic
Keira Knightley
Yvonne Strahovski
Margot Robbie
Victoria Justice
Liz Gillies
Sophia Bush
Katharine McPhee
Taylor Swift
Katy Perry

The list of WWE Divas in the game that you can choose are:
Alexa Bliss
Alicia Fox
Alundra Blayze
Asuke
Bayley
Becky Lynch
Billie Kay
Brie Bella
Carmella
Charlotte Flair
Dana Brooke
Ember Moon
Emma
Ivory
Jacqueline
Lita
Maryse
Mickie James
Naomi
Natalya
Nia Jax
Nikki Bella
Nikki Cross
Paige
Peyton Royce
Sasha Banks
Stephanie McMahon
Summer Rae
Tamina
Trish Stratus

If you are interested in joining, feel free to message me your two fighters and I'll get you locked in. Additionally, let me know if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions. This is all completely up in the air, I'd love to hear what would keep y'all interested.

[Nightshade]

I would LOVE to participate in such a league, however.......I tried doing a similar thing in WWE 2k17. The game didn't support making anything that remotely resembles a celebrity, maybe in rare cases you can get something that slightly resembles someone but its rare.

Furthermore, the WWE games are still SO ugly, clunky and goofy looking in terms of in-ring action\animations, and are full of bugs, which ruins it for me when watching a match. It mostly looks like 2 brainless robots fighting in a ring. Honestly, the UFC 2 game did a much better job both with faces and realism of the actual fights.

I know WWE lets you make A LOT more custom things when it comes to wardrobe,moves, match types etc, but if the end result looks lame all of that doesn't matter.
For me, if the girls don't look like the real celebrity, the whole thing becomes uninteresting. Maybe if you make up your own women it would be better, since then they dont have to look like someone in real life, but that still leaves the clunky robotic in-ring action.......

I might be wrong and WWE 2k18 will end up being be the best thing ever, but I doubt it. 2K disappoints every year.
I guess I will wait to see how the game is before joining....but unfortunately my hopes aren't high...

[Taylor Hawkins]

I would LOVE to participate in such a league, however.......I tried doing a similar thing in WWE 2k17. The game didn't support making anything that remotely resembles a celebrity, maybe in rare cases you can get something that slightly resembles someone but its rare.

Furthermore, the WWE games are still SO ugly, clunky and goofy looking in terms of in-ring action\animations, and are full of bugs, which ruins it for me when watching a match. It mostly looks like 2 brainless robots fighting in a ring. Honestly, the UFC 2 game did a much better job both with faces and realism of the actual fights.

I know WWE lets you make A LOT more custom things when it comes to wardrobe,moves, match types etc, but if the end result looks lame all of that doesn't matter.
For me, if the girls don't look like the real celebrity, the whole thing becomes uninteresting. Maybe if you make up your own women it would be better, since then they dont have to look like someone in real life, but that still leaves the clunky robotic in-ring action.......

I might be wrong and WWE 2k18 will end up being be the best thing ever, but I doubt it. 2K disappoints every year.
I guess I will wait to see how the game is before joining....but unfortunately my hopes aren't high...

I'd love to back 2K and refute anything you said, but for the most part I can't
Though I have read a ton of previews with phrases like "overhauled fighting mechanics", "improved wrestler interaction", "smoother", and "more visually polished". Like you, I'll believe it when I see it. Compared to UFC2 it's nowhere close when it comes to actual fighting beauty, but after running hundreds of fights on UFC2 it gets beyond stale. There are only so many ways to knock someone out, and while the graphics were great there was literally 1 body type. From the neck down everyone looked identical. So if you can look at a tall, curvy blonde and sprinkle a bit of imagination to know that's your Kate Upton, I don't think the lack of a reliable gameface system will be a huge issue. I've also got 2K17 and it's not so bad. The sim system is what we're really utilizing. But like I said originally, if that breaks the immersion for you, please don't sign up just to bail once I pour hours into making your fighter. Pick a Diva in-game instead to test things out, or just enjoy from the sidelines.

As far as the actual fights, I probably won't upload the entire 20 minute video so you won't have to wade through the entire thing. I'll probably do the last minute or two of the fight, so you'll get lead-up and a finisher/pin, which always look really clean.

[Nightshade]

Out of 200+ views only I showed interest.......really?

[Taylor Hawkins]

Out of 200+ views only I showed interest.......really?

Lol hey, I did get an overwhelming ONE manager to message me claiming fighters so there's that...I did hope for a bit more give-and-take regarding what people liked/disliked

[Drake687]

Besides the concerns with the whole create-a-wrestler (Or superstar) system, I think there's a ton of fun options that this game could bring for a league like this. I'm already signed up and looking forward to it. Plus the idea of almost "off the record fights" seems like it could lead to a lot of fun written scenarios too.

I think the shorter clips of largely just the finish might help significantly with concerns about realistic looking CAW's. Maybe/Hopefully.