Climbing the Ladder Of Success

Overview:
So you’ve gotten into the federation you wanted to be in. You’ve created the character you want to use. You’ve found the writing style that fits you best. You’re starting to meet people out of character, and you’re starting to figure out where you fit in. But you’re still not moving up. You’re staying on the lower levels. What do you do?

You want to climb the ladder of success, but you keep walking the balance beam of mediocrity. This section will attempt to get you on that first rung and headed for the top.

Part One: Who Are You Again?
The biggest problem people face when trying to climb the ladder is staying true to character. People will begin to recognize and know your character, and they will begin to expect them to react in certain manners. This is a good thing. Sure, you want to keep things surprising, but familiarity breeds content in the E-Wrestling world. If people (especially the ones deciding their fate) don’t have a feel for your character, they won’t care about them. If they don’t care about them, you’ll find yourself stuck in the same spot, even if you keep winning. Stay true to your character. Establish their thought process and their morals and stick to them. Major changes should happen extremely rarely.

Part Two: Where are you?
Another major hurdle is the responsibility being further up the card brings. If you are in the main event of a card, it is understood that you will be bringing your A game. In fact, if you really want to move up the ladder, you should do so even when you are not in the main event. Part of your A game is Role-Playing regularly. You can write masterpieces, but if you only do so once a Role-Play period you are never going to move forward. Activity is a key ingredient to moving up. Quality is more important than quantity, true, but someone who Role-Plays every day is showing a commitment that can mean worlds to a federation President. Not only should you Role-Play regularly, but you should try to be involved in any OOC activities the federation offers, and to write articles, strategies, and anything else available.

Part Three: Follow Me
A large part of being one of the “elite” players in any given federation is being a leader. Part of being a leader is being active and encouraging others to be active. This does not mean you should post OOC comments telling people to Role-Play more. Instead, you should Role-Play more and force your opponents to work harder against you. Instead of telling people to post in the OOC area, leave insightful posts or funny comments that make people want to interact. Instead of having to be asked to do a strategy, turn one in early. Leading by example will make you stand out to the President, and that is a surefire way to move up.

It sounds like sucking up, but think of it this way: if the World Champion is unwilling to Role-Play regularly, or to post on the OOC board, or to chat with new guys, or to write articles, then what does that say about the federation? If you want to be the top guy, you have to be willing to accept the responsibilities that come with it.

Part Four: But I should have won…
Don’t complain. This is a simple rule, but one that is easy to break. If you lose a match and you don’t think you should have, suck it up and move on. Most federations offer RP scores and such, check those and see how you stacked up. If you scored higher and lost, then you were the victim of an angle. Don’t complain that the President has it out for you. Don’t say that you were robbed (OOC, at least). Wins and losses are, for the most part, meaningless. Many times, you might lose a match as a test to see how you react. If you react by complaining, whining, and threatening to quit than you’re showing everyone you’re not ready to play a bigger role. Instead of getting caught up in the win or the loss, think about the impact on your character. If you grow as a writer after a loss and your character develops, then it’s better for you in the long run. Personally, my best work has come as a direct result of a major loss. Use the anger you feel, or the disappointment, or whatever else in a constructive way instead of letting it ruin your chances of moving up.

Part Five: Communication
Talk to the owner. Talk to the other wrestlers. Talk to anyone and everyone involved with the fed you can. Bounce your ideas for an angle off someone who’s been there longer. Ask the owner for his advice on an angle. If you don’t like the way a particular angle you’re involved in is going, tell the owner- but do so politely, and do so in the proper manner. This means privately, through instant messaging or email, not in a public forum. If you talk to the owner privately, they’re very likely to work with you. If you confront them in a public forum, you’re simply asking for them to make an example of you. This is not what you want. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, and one I’m trying to pass on to prevent you from having to do the same thing.

Part Six: In Six Months…
Have a goal. Don’t just Role-Play aimlessly. Take a look at the roster, and decide what title you can realistically challenge for first. Focus on that title, and make it known through your RP’s that you want that belt. If you’re working towards a goal you will find it much easier to find topics to write about, and you’ll find yourself feeling good after you move closer to the goal. Setting goals is extremely important, and if you’re not setting goals it might explain why you’re having trouble moving up the card.

An important thing to remember is there’s only one World Champion. Maybe that’s a long term goal, but it is unrealistic to expect to win the big belt in your first, second, or even third month. In established federations it just does not happen. Focus on building a solid reputation, winning some lesser titles, and earning your spot to challenge for the title.

Part Seven: Titles
Sometimes you will be told by the owner or President that they want you to challenge for a title. This is a good thing. This means that the powers that be are talking about you, which is what you want. It also means they want to see what you do with a belt. Whatever the title, say “Thank you” and work with it. Even if the belt is a laughingstock, take it and try to make it worth something. Treat that title like the most important thing ever, and eventually others will see it the same way. Do not ever refuse a title- you are telling the owner, the President, and everyone else that you think you are too good to play the role they want you to play.

The same is true of dropping a title. Don’t do it. No matter what. If you have a title, defend it. Work with it. If you have a real problem with holding the belt, tell the owner. Something can be worked out. Writing a Role-Play where you destroy or forfeit the title will only piss off everyone in the federation, in and out of character. This is not a good way to play the game.

Conclusion
It’s not really complicated to advance your E-Wrestling career. Stay true to your character, don’t complain about stupid things, address concerns privately, be open to angles and suggestions, and consistently put forth effort and you should find yourself well on the way to becoming an “elite” player.

This was written by Michael Cavenaugh, better known here as the handler of Michael “Snake Eyes” Cavenaugh. Snake is not only an eleven time World Champion, but he also holds the distinction of being the most frequently suspended member in the history of the federation. The lessons he learned came the hard way… don’t follow that path.