Iowa Onslaught Wrestling Alliance FAQ (08/11/98)
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
1. The Iowa Onslaught Wrestling Alliance
2. The ICBINR
3. Past - Present - Future
4. Goals
II. How To Play
1. Creating a character
2. Roleplaying
3. Strategies
4. Angles
5. Winning & Losing
6. Commercials
7. Submittals
8. Schedule
III. IOWA Staff
1. Real life
A. Booker/Fed Head
B. Writers
2. Fantasy
A. CEO
B. V.P. of Operations
C. Commentators
D. Interviewers
E. Referees
F. Ring Announcer
IV. IOWA Shows
1. Regular
A. Slamfest
B. Squared Circle
C. Smackdown
2. Supercards
A. The End of the Beginning
V. IOWA Titles & Rankings
1. Singles
A. Great Lakes Heavyweight Title
B. Great Lakes E-Mail Title
2. Tag-Team
A. Great Lakes Heavyweight Tag Titles
3. Rankings
I. Introduction
1. The Iowa Onslaught Wrestling Alliance
The Iowa Onslaught Wrestling Alliance, hereafter referred to as the IOWA, is a regional fed with it's headquarters based in Des Moines, Iowa. It covers a three state region (Iowa, Illinois, Michigan) and all events are sanctioned by the ICBINR (I Can't Believe It's Not Real). The IOWA's televised events are aired on Cable Access channels all over the United States.
2. The ICBINR
The ICBINR, or I Can't Believe It's Not Real, is a national sanctioning body for regional wrestling promotions.
3. Past - Present - Future
The IOWA really has no past. Unless you take into account the history of its sister fed the Great Plains Wrestling Alliance and then it has a deep history going back to mid 1996.
Today the IOWA is a regional fed sanctioned by the ICBINR.
In the future the IOWA is going to be a place for veterans to show their skills and for rookies to cut their teeth.
4. Goals
The IOWA was created to allow those that either don't have the time or don't want the stress that goes along with feds that are run with real time schedules but want the quality of competition and card writing that those feds offer. Most of the time IOWA cards will come out every two weeks. Sometimes they may take longer if that ugly thing we call life rears its head and interferes with the writers ability to spend time on writing the card. The IOWA is also an ideal environment for the beginning wrestling roleplayer. They can learn the ins and outs of the game from the veterans on the IOWA roster and they also don't have to try and constantly meet weekly deadlines which in turn may lead to poor roleplays. I do understand the IOWA is not for everyone. If you want the fast paced 2 to 5 cards a week action with the required 2 to ??? flashes a week format then there really is no need to read further. If you are looking for a little more relaxed pace or just wanting to learn the ropes then welcome to the IOWA. I hope you enjoy your stay.
II. How To Play
1. Creating a character
This is pretty simple. All you have to do is go to the IOWA webpage at http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/park/4777/creation.htm and fill out the form there. It will automatically forward to me and you will usually receive notice as to whether you have been accepted into the IOWA in less than 24 hours. If for any reason you are not accepted to the IOWA I will include the reasons you have been denied or the requirements you need to meet to join the IOWA.
2. Roleplaying
Roleplaying, or flashing as it is generally called, is the most common way you interact with the other players in the fed. It is also how you draw attention, or heat, to your character. I read and judge every roleplay submitted and that affects my decisions on whether you win or lose matches. The better your roleplays the bigger the push you will receive. However don't be fooled into thinking that just because you submit the best roleplay you will always win. As the booker of the federation I take several aspects of every match into consideration when I decide who wins and loses and quantity does not equate to quality. When writing roleplays. Please refrain from mentioning other federations that you have been in. They mean nothing to the wrestlers from the IOWA and in my opinion break kayfabe. There are exceptions to this rule. The IOWA does recognize a few other past and current federations and these are acceptable for use in roleplays. They are....
LRPW - Legends of the Ring Professional Wrestling (Closed)
GIWF - Global Internet Wrestling Federation (Closed)
PPOW - Paramount Powers Of Wrestling (Closed)
ICBINR - I Can't Believe It's Not Real
CLLL - Campeones Locos del Lucha Libre (Closed)
GPWA - Great Plains Wrestling Alliance
.....Mentioning real life wrestlers or anything related with real life wrestling is also a breach of kayfabe in my eyes. I do appreciate creativity in spoofing real life wrestling (i.e. The Dusted Road character that occasionally appears on GPWA Small Package).
Profanity does not bother me personally but I would prefer that it is kept to a minimum and that you <BLEEP> anything too harsh. If I feel you are going overboard I will not hesitate to let you know it and if it still continues I will not allow you to participate any longer.
It should also be understood that I have final editing power on everything sent in. For the most part I see no reason to change anything. However I may change the intro or closing of a flash to allow for a more fluid transition and flow of the show. I will never change any of the main content of a flash without prior approval or request from the handler.
3. Strategies
Much like roleplaying. Strategies play an integral part in how I decide who wins and loses a match. More importantly it gives me an idea of how your character will react during a match and aids my writers and myself in the actual writing of the match. Your strategies should match the style and abilities you chose when you created your character. If you create a power wrestler and submit a strat with a lot of highflying moves in it chances are you are going to lose the match. In reality your only hopes for a win at that point are having your opponent submit an even worse strategy or the current angle dictating that you win the match.
4. Angles
Angles are the ongoing storylines of the game and usually come to a head or intensify even further at Supercards. I encourage handlers to discuss angles with each other as well as myself. Next to strategies this is the best way to let me know what direction you want your character to go.
5. Winning & Losing
I don't want the IOWA to be just about winning & losing. It is meant to be fun. If all you are worried about is your win/loss column then you are probably in the wrong fed. Everyone will go through winning and losing streaks and sometimes how you handle a losing streak may be all the difference in whether I ever see you as a contender for a IOWA title. As the fed head I will make an effort to see that everyone gets a piece of the spotlight but you have to understand that not everyone can be a champion.
6. Commercials
Commercials are a fun part of the IOWA and help to give it that television feel. Writing commercials is optional but by writing them you show me that you want to be an integral part of the fed and to help it improve and grow. Commercials should be original ideas or parodies of existing products but please don't use the product real names. We already see commercials for those on TV. We don't want to see them in the IOWA as well.
7. Submittals
This may well be the most important part of this document. Pay special attention to what you are about to read. I use Eudora Pro Mailer and it can filter messages to specific mailboxes that I setup. All correspondence must contain the appropriate code in the subject header or they will not be filtered to the correct IOWA mail folders on my computer. I understand this can be a little confusing at first so don't let it intimidate you. If you don't get it right at first. I will send you a message letting you know what was wrong and how to fix it. However I am very adamant about this systems use. Chronic errors after being notified of improper submittals could be cause for release from the IOWA.
Format [IOWA]{Show Code}-{Subject Code}-{Wrestlers Name}
Show Codes:
SC = Squared Circle
SF = Slamfest
SD = Smackdown
SCD = Supercard
GEN = Special code (See example 3 below)
Subject Codes:
FLASH = Flashes STRAT = Strategy
Example 1 - This entry in the subject header would automatically route the handler of Joe Blows flash for Squared Circle to the proper IOWA mailbox.
Subject: [IOWA]SC-FLASH-Joe Blow
Example 2 - This entry in the subject header would automatically route the handler of the Masked Marauders strategy for Slamfest to the proper IOWA mailbox.
Subject: [IOWA]SF-STRAT-Masked Marauders
Example 3 - The GEN code is for general inquiries or special notices and does not follow the regular format. When the mailer encounters this code it automatically changes the priority on the message to high and will be handled by me immediately.
Subject: [IOWA]GEN-When are flashes due?
The GEN code should also be used for commercials. The proper syntax is.
Subject: [IOWA]GEN-Commercial
8. Schedule
The IOWA is run on a bi-weekly schedule with the cards being released on Sundays. In the event that a writer is unable to finish his card by the deadline the schedule will be bumped up another week. While this does slow down progress to an extent it also helps to keep things organized and less confusing for all involved.
Typical Schedule Outline
Card Released on Sunday
1st Thursday (7:00 PM Central) - Strategy Deadline
1st Sunday (7:00 PM Central) - Flash Deadline
2nd Sunday - Card Released
The most up to date schedule will always be posted in the Monday Night Update.
III. IOWA Staff
1. Real life
A. Booker/Fed Head
Roger Stillwell - icbinr@geocities.com
B. Writers
Kai Lewis - IOWA Slamfest
Larry Jones - IOWA Squared Circle
Brian Driver - IOWA Smackdown
2. Fantasy
A. CEO
This office was vacated when the ICBINR became the sanctioning body.
B. V.P. of Operations
Tony Murrain
C. Commentators
"The Kid" Anthony Parker & Joe Carney
(GPWA Slamfest)
Sam Bearfoot & Eddie Shockett
(IOWA Squared Circle)
Dave "Coach" Gleason & Rashaun Brown
(IOWA Smackdown)
D. Interviewers
Tammie Wade: A very attractive, blonde, female interviewer who suprisingly knows a lot about wrestling. She is relatively unbiased.
"The Mouth" Chris South: A scrawny, twenty something, man with slicked back black hair and a poor sense of fashion. He is very biased towards the heels and very rarely interviews faces.
Jake Okraland: A middle-aged balding man with a thick mustache. He usually wears IOWA suits and is partial to faces. He will push heels to the edge but he is a veteran of the business and knows when he has gone to far.
These are the only three IOWA employees that handle interviews. If you feel like someone besides one of these three must handle your interview you must get prior approval from me first.
E. Referees
Tony Pacetti - Sr. Official
"Mighty" Joe Yeung
Jim James
F. Ring Announcer
Michael McDonald
IV. IOWA Shows
1. Regular
These are the IOWA's main programs and always air in the following order.
A. Slamfest
Location - Varies
Commentators - "The Kid" Anthony Parker & Joe Carney
Type - Wrestling
# of Matches - 3 to 5
B. Squared Circle
Location - IOWA Studios in Des Moines, IA
Commentators - Sam Bearfoot & Eddie Shockett
Type - Flash/Interview with occasional guests
# of Matches - 1
C. Smackdown
Location - Varies
Commentators - Dan "Coach" Gleason & Rashaun Brown
Type - Wrestling
# of Matches - 3 to 5
2. Supercards
These are the IOWA's version of Pay Per Views. Since the IOWA is a regional fed it doesn't have the money or the drawing power to be carried by a PPV provider. Most Supercards will be held whenever the need arises for one. Usually every 3 to 5 months but the IOWA does hold one Supercard every New Years to crown the ICBINR New Years Royale Champion. Most special stipulation matches will be reserved to take place at Supercards.
A. End of the Beginning
Date - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1
Location - Varies
Commentators - Trent Musfurter & Timmy "The Turk" Uyuklu
Main Event - New Years Royale
The match starts at 11:30 PM on Dec. 31. with regular Battle Royale rules. Thirty seconds until midnight a steel cage with a 10' steel pole mounted in a corner with the ICBINR New Years Royale Ring tied to it begins to lower around the ring and sets down at the stroke of the New Year. The first of the remaining wrestlers up the pole and retrieving the New Years Royale Ring is the winner.
V. IOWA Titles
1. Singles
A. Great Lakes Heavyweight Title
This is the most prestigous singles belt in the IOWA. It is defended at all Supercards and at least once during the cycle of shows. Only the current #1 Contender to this belt can request a title shot but the title holder can challenge anyone they choose to defend against. The belt cannot change hands on a DQ or Draw. All matches for the Great Lakes Heavyweight Title have a 60 Minute time limit.
B. Great Lakes E-Mail Title
The E-Mail Title is defended at all Supercards and at all Smackdowns. The belt cannot change hands on a DQ or Draw. The holder of this belt does _not_ automatically assume the #1 Contender position for the Great Lakes Heavyweight Title. All matches for the E-Mail Title have a 10 Minute time limit.
C. ICBINR New Years Royale Ring
This immaculate ring is only defended once a year at the End Of The Beginning Supercard. Whoever wins that match has bragging rights & the ring for the entire year.
2. Tag-Team
A. Great Lakes Heavyweight Tag Titles
This is the most prestigous tag-team belt in the IOWA. It is defended at all Supercards and at least once during the cycle of shows. Only the current #1 Contenders to these belts can request a title shot but the title holders can challenge anyone they choose to defend against. The belt cannot change hands on a DQ or Draw. All matches for the Great Lakess Heavyweight Tag Titles have a 60 Minute time limit.
3. Rankings
There is not currently a standard ranking system in use in the IOWA. The #1 Contender for each IOA Title is the only ranking currently in use.