"Hey, I just had an idea to make a game about (spatu... er, pro wrestling). What do you think? Anyone want to help me brainstorm?"
Seriously, though. I'm thinking and hoping this is the right category, though I have ideas on some mechanics and other design aspects and elements, and unfortunately, no one else to really help with bouncing ideas, etc. Apoligies if this isn't the right place (either this category or this forum in general).
I'd like more here to get some broader perspectives. Apologies if this is "yet another" wrestling game post, and feel free to skip it, as it is somewhat lengthy, though I've tried to break it up some.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
First off, I used to be registered at BGDF through one or two site changes but it appears I had to sign up again, but my point is, I know this site is about board games primarily, and I'm not sure where my type of game fits anyway, as I'm not entirely certain the format I want.
I would like it to be mainly dice-based, with wrestler character sheets/cards that list moves (probably on random-die-roll charts) and some stats that allow players to more or less carry out the majority of the game with just dice and their wrestlers, without relying on much miscellaneous additions.
My reasons for this style are:
primarily, to keep the game simple and "portable" for kids/adults that want to quickly pick up and play, including throwing the needed game and components into a case or such and taking it with them without the need for lots of prep-work, sorting, separating, etc. Wouldn't hurt to have less production costs either.
Secondly, in keeping with the idea of (usually) fast and simple to understand wrestling matches, the less extra residual necessary materials, the quicker and cleaner it will seem (and hopefully BE) - basically streamlined or slipstreamed or some descriptive word with stream in it, denoting making it fast and sleek and solid.
CONSIDERATIONS
All the above said, I've considered the idea of a "board" (consisting of the ring and probably the surrounding arena area), but to be honest, I can't see that as being all that helpful, as each player/wrestler "turn" is likely to involve some "transition" (moving from one position to another) and the main move, and possibly a reversal, etc.
I've also considered the idea of using cards, which could help in some ways with some issues I've been having with mechanics and probability, but in others, it creates a logistical nightmare, as you can't come up with cards for every move for every wrestler, there are literally thousands of wrestling maneuvers, and each individual has, on average, easily 20-50 each, which also effectively eliminates the idea of static "universal" charts for all but the most basic steps.
HISTORY and INTENTION
I have looked around on the net and bought a handful of different people's wrestling games myself and have seen a number of different approaches, each with their own merit, as well as way of looking at wrestling (some take it as a realtime competition between wrestlers, some take it as more a management of stats like fantasy football, etc).
I'm at the point that I want to emulate real-time wrestling, allowing single, tag-team, battle royals, etc, and make use of some nearly RPG-esque stats and resources such as Defense/Counter, Skill levels for move, Momentum, Fatigue and special Main Event Points (or something to allow special rules/events) and provide "normal" grappling as well as throwing to the ropes, climbing the ropes, fighting outside, etc.
NEXT STEPS?
If I get any/much interest here I might post some stuff in the Machnics or Design forums if anyone would be willing to share some ideas and opinions there (unless I should post them now to help people get a better idea?), but one thing I'd ask of any wrestling fans, and any non-fans that might still try a wrestling game if it looked good, is what kind of mechanic do you like, for something like this, or sports in general (forgetting for the moment pro wrestling isn't a sport)?
Most of the other things that are coming to mind involve questions or advice on dice, probability, cards and such and all belong in another category so I'll close here. Any advice and thoughts are appreciated.
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Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I think I'm with you on pretty much all of your points as well. I do, first and foremost, want to develop this for my own enjoyment/achievement/satisfaction, and if it turns out good enough that it might be marketable, that's terrific, but I'm not deluding myself into thinking it would be a breakout border-crossing hit - I don't have any real problem in it being a PDF (I know I can at least do that).
Like Willi, I think, though I may not be totally invested in the game all the time, it's always there, waiting, years worth of ideas and charts and such - a personal labor of love, which I think a lot of games and just pastimes in general are, or started out.
I'm somewhat unclear on the "adventure game" aspect mentioned, however, that phrase you use doesn't seem to be ringing the same way to me as I understand it, in regards to the mechanics and scope of my game - could you elaborate on your concept of "adventure game", and maybe how it differs opposed to a dice game for example?
I haven't, for example, seriously entertained the notion of a full-on career emulation that would involve generated storylines or such (other than whatever ideas the players come up with), so my idea seems to me to be much more match-based, though the idea of rankings/rosters and some possibly meta-game mechanics such as heat or popularity of matches has occurred to me.
My idea is more to follow the flow of the "realistic" wrestling (read kayfabe) match, starting with weaker maneuvers and eventually progressing into more powerful attacks until usually a finisher or other opportunistic method is achieved to get the three count - then points for the match (and wrestlers) can be calculated, spent, improvements made, etc.
I only created (just in amatuer pdf form) a few other games over the years, one was a zombie board game (not realizing at the time that it is apparently mandatory for everyone to make one of those), and a few other more dice-based games, such as one where you run a wrestling federation (though with very generic stats/resources) and one where multiple players make movies, etc. Although I'm a big fan of normal tabletop RPGs and have a want to release one of those too, the wrestling game is sort of my all-time project.