*title SLAMMED! *author Paolo Chikiamco *comment Steam January 2015 version *scene_list startup c1first_match c2amateurdays chapter3 c3pub1 c4phoenixpower c4phoenix_inter c4finale $ chapter5 $ c5inter2 $ c5inter3 $ chapter6 $ c6team $ c6finals $ chapter7 $ c7finale $ chapter8 $ c8skull $ c8home $ c8bar2 $ c8dobbs $ chapter9 $ c9gauntlet $ c9gauntlet2 $ c9gauntlet3 $ c9reveal $ chapter10 $ c10openingsalvo $ c10realface1 $ c10kayface1 $ c10realheel1 $ c10kayheel1 $ c10realface2 $ c10realface3 $ c10kayface1 $ c10kayface2 $ c10kayface3 $ chapter11 $ c11scaffold $ chapter12 $ c12montage $ c12_montage_proto $ c12_montage_sol $ c12montage_jj $ c12jj $ c12jj2 $ c12_sol $ c12_proto $ ending_truevillain $ ending_trueheel $ ending_jjbeatsyou $ ending_jjdefeated $ ending_protobeatsyou $ ending_protodefeated $ ending_soldefeated $ ending_solitarybeatsyou $ epilogue_alone $ epilogue_duel $ epilogue_ecstasy $ epilogue_home $ epilogue_madison $ epilogue_new_jjpal $ epilogue_new_jjlove $ mwwrfinal *create energy 100 *create scar 0 *create strength 50 *create technique 50 *create promo_ability 50 *create favor 50 *create orig_favor 50 *create temp_favor 0 *create kayfabe 50 *create ring_awareness 50 *create mwwr 250 *create mwwr_ms1 250 *create mwwr_final 250 *create orig_mwwr 500 *create anger 0 *create strikes 0 *create holds 0 *create highfly 0 *create lifts 0 *create wrestling_name "???" *create firstname "???" *create surname "???" *create real_name "???" *create orientation "heterosexual" *create theme "???" *create theme_start "Lalala…Lalala" *create theme_climax "Lalala…Lalala" *create finisher "Delgado" *create finisher2 "none" *create finisher3 "none" *create gearcolor "black and white" *create gear "trunks" *create weight "200" *create taunt1 "pump your fist" *create taunt2 "???" *create reaction "cheers" *create opp_react "boos" *create chant "Let's go" *create opp_chant "You suck" *create bwfname "???" *create sex "???" *create love "none" *create datemadison "false" *create mr "Mr." *create man "man" *create men "men" *create woman "woman" *create women "women" *create guy "guy" *create guys "guys" *create gentleman "gentleman" *create gentlemen "gentlemen" *create lad "lad" *create lady "lady" *create ladies "ladies" *create he "he" *create his "his" *create him "him" *create he_opp "she" *create his_opp "hers" *create him_opp "her" *create mister "Mister" *create miss "Miss" *create mrs "Mrs." *create boy "boy" *create boys "boys" *create girl "girl" *create sir "Sir" *create maam "Ma'am" *create son_opp "daughter" *create mr_opp "Ms." *create son "son" *create hero "hero" *create master "Master" *create griss "Griss" *create evelyn "Evelyn" *create madison "Madison" *create title1 "Alpha Lock Championship" *create champ1 "Alpha Champion" *create tagtitle "Tag Team Championship" *create tagchamps "Tag Team Champions" *create matt "Matt" *create benjie "Benjie" *create hometown "Parts Unknown" *create jasper "Jasper" *create weight1 "197" *create weight2 "184" *create larry "Larry" *create charles "Charles" *create bwftheme "???" *create lancefate "default" *create jjcrush "false" *create jjrel 5 *create solitaryrel 5 *create rovpromise "compete" *create fatefuldrink "no" *create ncaawin "clean" *create sagramore "Sagramore" *create edward "Edward" *create sagweakness "no" *create sagfan "no" *create sagrel 5 *create grissrel 5 *create sagfanpromo "no" *create sagmatch "squash" *create vase "no" *create sagback 0 *create sagknee 0 *create saghead 0 *create vinnie_angry "false" *create eqs 0 *create ecstasy "female" *create efriend "girlfriend" *create attractor "woman" *create emr "Ms." *create nfaname "Transfer Student" *create ecstasyrel 5 *create ecstasyfan "false" *create ehe "she" *create ehim "her" *create ehis "her" *create epartner "boy" *create erebuff "false" *create nfapenalty 0 *create ecstasy_suspect "false" *create sunshine_exposed "false" *create sunshine_scar "false" *create tepora_forgive "false" *create mentor1 "none" *create nummatter "yes" *create nfacritic "false" *create quinnfoe "false" *create harleyfoe "false" *create immunity_score 0 *create nfaimmunity "false" *create ecstasy_nfa "quit" *create ecstasy_finals "out" *create manager "none" *create ecstasy_wrestler "false" *create partner_is "ecstasy" *create riorel 5 *create tagname "…" *create taghog "no" *create tagpromo "no" *create luka "luka" *create felix "felix" *create tagfriendspromo "false" *create opponent_angry "false" *create tagpullapart "false" *create have_alcohol "false" *create intervenor "ecstasy" *create retirejob "???" *create firedname "???" *create firedfinisher "none" *create family_support "???" *create family_bane "none" *create ethnicity "???" *create sisname "Naomi" *create alexrel 5 *create persona2 "cross" *create realhome "???" *create abel "Abel" *create gauntlet "Challenge Gauntlet" *create rick "Rick" *create tony "Tony" *create persona3 "???" *create rabblefate "ignorant" *create gfight 0 *create protorel 5 *create realfacepromo "???" *create finalangle "none" *create tagline "Future of Wrestling" *create jjpunk "rv" *create khpromo "favor" *create riotype "false" *create nickname "???" *create facesorry "yes" *create jjweight "210" *create jjelim "true" *create finalfight "jj" *create surpriseguest "none" *create jjenergy 100 *create wolfcollar 0 *create whitefang 0 *create pushoff 0 *create steelsteps 0 *create kenji "Kenji" *create sol_condition "unknown" *create soldefense 0 *create soloffense 0 *create sol_forecast "victory" *create solmatch "false" *create koofyear "false" *create legendkiller 0 *create jjloss "pinned" *create finalrecord "???" *create offthewagon false *create heelnomoty "no" *create solopponent "no" *achievement bostoncrabby visible 5 Boston Crabby Ensure a flunky knows his role. *achievement partsunknown visible 10 Parts Unknown Win an amateur match via forfeit. *achievement dirtydeeds visible 10 Dirty Deeds Win an amateur match via disqualification. *achievement nhb visible 10 No Holds Barred Win an amateur match by exploiting an injury. *achievement bestbusiness visible 5 Best for Business Make a buck off a mark. *achievement texasdeath visible 5 Texas Death Match Reminisce about the most dangerous match, ever. *achievement hellchapel visible 5 Hell in a Chapel Reminisce about the most sacrilegious match, ever. *achievement shawnsell visible 10 Sell Like It's 2005 Make 'em look strong. Ridiculously strong. *achievement ringgeneral visible 10 Ring General Win by making sure you lose, with style. *achievement potatoshooter visible 10 Potato Shooter Take the old veteran down. Or try to. *achievement thecleaner visible 10 The Cleaner Use a mop on an opponent. *achievement legendkiller visible 20 Legend Killer End the career of a legend. *achievement botchwatch visible 5 Botch Watch Contradict yourself in an interview. *achievement samoandrop visible 10 Samoan Drop Get one of your trainers to forgive you. *achievement superjunior visible 10 Super Junior Earn Super Horns' respect early. *achievement chosenone visible 20 The Chosen One Gain immunity in Near Fall Academy. *achievement sheltonholmes visible 10 Shelton Holmes Uncover the truth behind the Near Fall Academy eliminations. *achievement toughlove visible 10 Tough Love Force a contestant to quit, for their own good. *achievement fallingstar visible 10 Falling Star Disgrace a contestant at Near Fall Academy. *achievement liecheat visible 5 Lie, Cheat, Steal Win the final Academy challenge using your wits. *achievement showstealer visible 5 Show Stealer Hog the mic. *achievement tronassassin visible 5 Tron Assassin Use a video montage to mentally massacre. *achievement crookededge visible 5 Crooked Edge Fall off the wagon. *achievement personfamily visible 10 That Person Has a Family Seek solace with your family. *achievement skullbasher visible 10 Skull Basher Good wrestlers don't quit—they just wear masks. *achievement kickparty visible 10 Super Kick Party Gain the Super Kick, and keep it. *achievement hiddenattitude visible 5 Hidden Attitude During an unmasking, use that famous line… *achievement gravityforgot visible 5 Gravity Forgot Master the high-flying style. *achievement strongstyle visible 5 Ruler of Strong Style Master a hard striking style. *achievement deadlift visible 5 Dead Lift Master a style involving power moves. *achievement thousandholds visible 5 1,005 Holds Master a submission-focused style. *achievement loserleaves visible 10 Loser Leaves Town Get a second chance, then fail a second time. *achievement breakwalls visible 10 Break the Wall Down Spear an opponent through a cage. *achievement whatmaneuver visible 10 What a Maneuver Hit a high flying move from the top of a cage. *achievement heelturn visible 20 Heel Turn Go from hero, to villain, in the eyes of the fans. *achievement generationme visible 5 Generation Me Use social media to interact with fans. *achievement realityera visible 10 Reality Era Air dirty laundry in public. *achievement killwish visible 5 Kill a Wish Be very, very mean to a child. *achievement horsemen visible 10 2x2 Horsemen Get into a two on two fight in the scaffolds match. *achievement handicap visible 5 Handicap Match Get into a two on one fight in the scaffolds match. *achievement codehonor visible 10 Code of Honor Turn a two on one fight into a one on one duel. *achievement superiorjunior visible 10 Superior Junior Get the best of Super Horns. *achievement eyesprize visible 10 Eyes on the Prize Don't make a deal with the devil. *achievement pridevalkyrie visible 10 Pride of the Valkyrie Get the worst misogynist in the federation to accept your challenge. *achievement bahgawd visible 30 Bah Gawd Take a career-ending fall. *achievement playerwinslol visible 10 PlayerWinsLOL Become the most popular wrestler in the federation. *achievement excuseme visible 10 Ex-cuuuuse Me Become the most despised wrestler in the federation. *achievement worldsstrongest visible 10 World's Strongest Become a true powerhouse. *achievement excellenceexecution visible 10 Excellence of Execution Become a true mat technician. *achievement pipebomber visible 10 Pipe Bomber Become a true master of promos. *achievement mandatoryrematch visible 10 Mandatory Rematch Get a second chance at love. *achievement poeticjustice visible 30 Poetic Justice Defeat your rival with the most appropriate finisher. *achievement likeagirl visible 40 Fight like a Girl Show the misogynist just how hard a woman can hit. *achievement notmichaels visible 20 Not Michaels Lose to your rival on the grandest stage. *achievement notmarty visible 20 Not Marty Beat your rival on the grandest stage. *achievement heartbrokenkid visible 20 Heartbroken Kid Have your heart broken on the grandest stage. *achievement ourtime visible 10 Our Time Is…Not Yet Come for the King, and miss. *achievement ultimateopportunist visible 30 Ultimate Opportunist Expose a chink in the champion's armor, and exploit it. *achievement bitw visible 100 Best in the World The best match, against the best opponent, on the grandest stage. *achievement bluepants visible 10 Blue Pants A crowd and a story aren't enough to beat misogyny. *achievement queenwrestling visible 30 Queen of Wrestling Become the first female GWA World Champion. *achievement motyear visible 20 Match of the Year Receive Match of the Year honors in the Masters of Wrestling Annual World Rankings. *achievement triplethreat visible 20 Triple Threat End the game with an unresolved love triangle. *achievement theanimal visible 30 The Animal Unleash your rage on your rival. *achievement thebeast visible 30 The Beast Cross the line, and destroy the best. *achievement lonelywarrior visible 20 Lonely Warrior End the game still looking for closure. *achievement thestreak visible 20 The Streak End the game in the cusp of a long-term commitment. *achievement powercouple visible 20 Power Couple End the game as half of the most influential couple in wrestling. *achievement timesplitter visible 20 Time Splitter End the game by returning to how things used to be. *achievement kissitout visible 20 Kiss It Out Prove that hate and love are two sides of the same coin. *if not(choice_is_web or choice_is_steam) *temp skip_description *config skip_description false *if skip_description *goto purchased *check_purchase adfree *if choice_purchase_supported and not(choice_purchased_adfree) Turn a scripted steel-cage wrestling match into a real fight in this 250,000-word interactive novel! You've always dreamed of becoming pro wrestling's biggest star…but a wrestler's world is fraught with hardship and betrayal, in and out of the ring. Become a powerhouse, a technician, a high-flier, or focus on your promo skills. There's more than one road to success. But none of those roads will be easy. This is a world where your biggest fans are your harshest critics; where the front office is more dangerous than the squared circle; where friends can become enemies with a single heel turn; where, sometimes, the only way to win is to lose, spectacularly. This is professional wrestling. And you're about to change it, forever. SLAMMED! is an epic interactive professional-wrestling novel by Paolo Chikiamco, where your choices determine how the story proceeds. The game is entirely text-based--without graphics or sound effects--but driven by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. There's never been a professional wrestling game like this, a game where the outcome of your final match, your choice of opponent, and your relationships affect the ending. When's the last time you played a pro-wrestling RPG with a "kayfabe" stat?--or where your trash-talking "promo" ability is as important as your core strength and wrestling technique? [i]You can play the first part of the game for free, or you can purchase the entire game now.[/i] *purchase_discount adfree 2019-07-09 $6.99 $4.99 purchased *if choice_is_advertising_supported *page_break_advertisement *if not(choice_is_advertising_supported) *page_break Play Now for Free *label purchased [b]CHAPTER ONE: The Backyard Basher[/b] *line_break -[i]click[/i]- The scene unfolds like a dream. At least at first. There you were, standing tall and proud, arms outstretched, an invitation to worship. All around you, voices obliged. They were chanting a name. Your name. This was the moment you had been waiting for. You soaked everything in for just one more second—what was the harm?—then crouched atop the turnbuckle and launched yourself high into the air, spinning like an Olympic diver before pinning your prey. Or at least, that was the plan. Your left foot—and the top rope—had other ideas. *page_break This is going to hurt. SLAM! You hit the mat hard and your head did a little bounce, arousing a sympathetic intake of breath from the small segment of the audience that wasn't laughing their lungs out. You lay unmoving at the feet of your opponent: *choice #Big Benjie, from the Kirby Men's Wrestling School. *set sex "male" ${benjie} stared down at you with a gap-toothed smile, shrugged, then threw a punch straight down at your face. He heaved you up across his shoulders, and before two seconds had passed you were in the air again. SLAM! One. Two. Three! You remember how much you disliked the big Brit when you were classmates at the KMWS. The feeling was, obviously, mutual. Unfortunately, ${matt} Kirby knew that you and ${benjie} were the best students at ${his} school, which was why ${benjie} was almost always your opponent during the unpaid "exhibitions" Kirby would put up to defray the expenses of your schooling. This is also why you feel as if your professional wrestling career was shortened by a decade even before it began. The ${man} turned every match into an actual beat down. Those ham-sized fists [i]hurt[/i]. Even when all you're doing is watching a video of the match…. -[i]click[/i]- *goto video_room #Big Brenda, from the Kirby's Women's Wrestling League. *set sex "female" *set weight 150 *set mr "Ms." *set man "woman" *set men "women" *set woman "man" *set women "men" *set gentleman "lady" *set gentlemen "ladies" *set lad "lady" *set lady "gentleman" *set ladies "gentlemen" *set guy "girl" *set he "she" *set his "her" *set him "her" *set he_opp "he" *set his_opp "his" *set him_opp "him" *set mister "Miss" *set miss "Mister" *set mrs "Mr." *set boy "girl" *set boys "girls" *set girl "boy" *set sir "ma'am" *set maam "sir" *set son_opp "son" *set mr_opp "Mr." *set son "daughter" *set epartner "girl" *set griss "Giana" *set evelyn "Evan" *set madison "Martin" *set title1 "Alpha Women's Championship" *set champ1 "Alpha Women's Champion" *set tagtitle "Women's Tag Team Championship" *set tagchamps "Women's Tag Team Champions" *set matt "Myra" *set benjie "Brenda" *set guys "girls" *set jasper "Jasmine" *set weight1 "139" *set weight2 "130" *set larry "Lana" *set charles "Marge" *set sagramore "Dame Sagramore" *set edward "Edith" *set felix "Felicia" *set luka "Lidiya" *set abel "Ada" *set gauntlet "Women's Challenge Gauntlet" *set rick "Rica" *set tony "Toni" *set master "Mistress" *set kenji "Keiko" *set hero "heroine" ${benjie} rolled her eyes in disdain. She blew a kiss at the crowd, then dragged you away from the ropes and hooked your leg as she lay across your body. One. Two. Three! You remember how much you disliked the big woman when you were classmates at the KWWL. The feeling was, obviously, mutual. Unfortunately, ${matt} Kirby knew that you and Brenda were the best students at ${his} school, which was why ${benjie} was almost always your opponent during the unpaid "exhibitions" Kirby would put up, to defray the expenses of your schooling. This is also why you feel as if your professional wrestling career was shortened by a decade even before it began. The ${man} turned every match into an actual beat down. Those ham-sized fists [i]hurt[/i]. Even when all you're doing is watching a video of the match…. -[i]click[/i]- *goto video_room *label video_room *page_break "So, what do you think?" asks Sam. With the video on pause, you find yourself once again aware of your surroundings. You're in a dingy studio apartment, filled with a strange combination of computer equipment and wrestling merchandise. It's like a Circuit City had a one night stand with a Toys "R" Us. You're sitting on the edge of a bed, one of only two spots in the room cleared for human habitation. Sam McEnroe sits on the other, a chair (a steel chair, naturally) drawn up close to a table that groans under the weight of recording equipment and video monitors. Sam is the Vice President of Promotions for the Borderless Wrestling Federation, which means that he spends most of his day uploading grainy, shaky-cam footage to YouTube. Shaky or not, those videos receive thousands of views from the diehard BoWsers, as the BWF fans call themselves, and they're one of the reasons why the BWF has been making serious waves on the independent wrestling circuit. (Well, that and the fact that they occasionally hold matches in a ring attached to a flatbed truck. A moving flatbed truck.) *fake_choice #It'd be great if I had a match like that. #I hope they don't put me in a match like that. #I'll wrestle in whatever match they put me in. *page_break Signing with the BWF at your age, and with your experience (or, more accurately, your lack thereof) is quite the coup. Sam's in charge of putting together a series of vignettes to hype your debut. He's here to make you look good. Or, at least, that's what you were led to believe. You look at the shot of your ignominious defeat, then back to Sam. "I was thinking of using this in your first video. Really captures your, you know, essence." "Um," you say. "I don't really think…" "Oh, don't worry, I already uploaded it. We're up to five thousand views already! I hope it goes viral…." He has a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He's enjoying this! Doesn't he know who you are? You're: *choice *if (sex="male") #Wulf Erikssen. *set BWFname "Wulf Erikssen" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="male") #Maverick. *set BWFname "Maverick" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="male") #Randal Roundhouse. *set BWFname "Randal Roundhouse" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="male") #Ender Gallow. *set BWFname "Ender Gallow" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="female") #Maverick. *set BWFname "Maverick" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="female") #Alanna Lionai. *set BWFname "Alanna Lionai" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="female") #Randi Roundhouse. *set BWFname "Randi Roundhouse" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *if (sex="female") #Lita Ender. *set BWFname "Lita Ender" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 #Blight. *set BWFname "Blight" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 #Avatar. *set BWFname "Avatar" *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 #Create your own: What is your wrestling name? *input_text BWFname *set wrestling_name "${BWFname}" *goto wname1 *label wname1 You're $!{wrestling_name}! You're a professional wrestler, and to see that smirk on his face makes you feel: *choice #Angry. I will not be disrespected. This man may have sabotaged your career, and he's laughing about it? You rise from your seat, and something in your expression makes Sam go pale. *set anger +1 *if (sex="male") You're no super heavyweight, but you are a professional wrestler. As for Sam…he'd be the underdog in a match with a wet paper bag. *goto c1angry *else Did he think he could pull this crap just because you're a woman? Did he forget that you're also a professional wrestler? You could take on five of him and you'd still be the odds-on favorite. *goto c1angry #Amused. A bit of friendly hazing, is it? Ah, now you get it. There's no way that Sam would sabotage the promotion he worked for just to mess with the new ${guy}—and making a debuting wrestler look like a lemon puts no butts in seats. You grin. "You almost had me there." "Almost?" Sam shakes his head, chuckling. "You should've seen your face, ${man}!" "Well…." You decide not to press the point. "It is my career we're talking about here, after all…." "Never fear, $!{wrestling_name}, that was just a little 'Welcome to BWF' gift to see if you're a cool cat or one of those hair-trigger types." "And did I pass?" "You'll do," Sam says, then smiles. "Come on, let's make you look good." *goto vrforreal #Resigned. I'm used to people laughing at me. It's always the same. People can worship a reality TV star whose only credentials are a hot body and a train-wreck lifestyle, but professional wrestlers—oh, professional wrestlers are just ridiculous. You thought things would be different in an honest-to-God wrestling promotion, but if their staff feel the same way, maybe you should reconsider— "Whoa there, chin up, ${boy}!" Sam gestures toward his computer monitor, where the offending video is gone, replaced by thumbnail videos of some matches you recognize as personal favorites. "Just a little joke there, okay? I didn't actually upload that trainwreck…. Everyone botches a spot now and then, right?" Sam gives you a wan smile. "We'll get started on the real thing now…but seriously, you need to have thicker skin if you're going to be in this business." You're too relieved to do anything but nod enthusiastically. *goto vrforreal *label c1angry *check_achievements *if not(choice_achieved_bostoncrabby) *achieve bostoncrabby He holds up his hands. "Kidding! I was just…just kidding!" He runs trembling fingers across his keyboard. "See? I haven't uploaded anything yet. I wanted to make sure I got your opinion first…." You glare at him. "You want my opinion?" "Erm…yes?" "No more jokes." "Right," Sam says, running a shaky hand through his hair. "Of course. Ah, shall we get started?" *goto vrforreal *label vrforreal *page_break "We've got a lot of good stuff here," Sam says, bringing up small windows of match footage in one of his larger computer monitors. "I'm impressed. You've got better quality videos than wrestlers who have been working the circuit for years." You nod. "${matt} knows what promoters look for." ${matt} Kirby, or "Killer Kirby" as ${he} is better known, is a former wrestler who worked all over the world, and even made it all the way to the GWA. Sure ${he}'d spent ${his} years there as a jobber, never winning any matches, but ${he}'d kept ${his} eyes and ears open, and learned from the best—and not just from the wrestlers. Kirby paid attention to every aspect of the business. It was this wisdom that ${he} passed down at ${his} school, at least to the few to whom ${he} still opened its doors. *fake_choice #I feel lucky ${he} took me in. #I got my money's worth, I suppose. #I still resent the hoops ${he} made me jump through. "What we need to do now," Sam says, "is tighten our focus. We need to highlight your strengths and cover up any weaknesses, and a big part of that will be the type of footage that we select." He leans back in his chair. "Now, lucky for you, we've got a wide assortment of footage. I've divided the clips into three broad categories." Sam walks you through each group. The first shows you doing a lot of power moves: suplexes, powerbombs, vicious clotheslines. The second group shows off your mat skills, with a lot of chain wrestling—extended sequences of you and your opponent countering each other's holds. The third group features promos you've cut before and after matches, challenging or mocking your opponents. "Which group should I draw most heavily from?" *choice #The first group. *set strength +10 *set weight +40 You consider your strength to be your greatest asset. You're no hulking behemoth, but then, you've always been stronger than you looked. You've never faced an opponent you couldn't lift off the ground. "This group," you say, pointing to a clip where you managed to lift Big ${benjie} and slam ${him} on to the mat. "All right," Sam says, "the vignettes will focus on your inhuman power!" Well, you wouldn't go that far, but it is nice to see him enthusiastic. *goto 2ndskill #The second group. *set technique +10 You consider your in-ring technique to be your greatest asset. Maybe it's because of your amateur wrestling background, but you wrestle a highly technical style, and ${matt} encouraged it, since ${he}'d been a similar type of wrestler. "This group," you say, pointing to a clip showing you dragging an opponent to the center of the ring before applying the ankle lock. "All right," Sam says, "the vignettes will focus on your mastery of every submission known to man!" You know a grand total of two submission moves well enough to apply in the ring, but it is nice to see him enthusiastic. *goto 2ndskill #The third group. *set promo_ability +10 You consider your eloquence on the microphone to be your greatest asset. If there is one thing that all the professional wrestling greats have in common, it's their charisma. Promo ability is what separates the stars from the scenery. "This group," you say, pointing to a clip where you got in the face of a larger ${man} and drove ${him} into a blind rage. "All right," Sam says, "the vignettes will focus on your ability to talk your opponents into surrendering!" If that were true, you wouldn't be of much use to a wrestling federation, but it is nice to see him enthusiastic. *goto 2ndskill *label 2ndskill *page_break "Great, great. I'm getting excited." Sam rolls up his sleeves. You're not quite sure how that will help him type better, but whatever. "We're going to be doing more than one vignette, though, so I'll be showing off other aspects of your game as well. But just to narrow things down, is there a group that you don't want me to emphasize in the vignettes?" *choice *if (strength>50) #The second group, which focuses on mat skills. *set technique -7 "I'm not as smooth, technically, as I'd like to be," you say. Not that you need to explain that further after reliving that botch with ${benjie}. "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your strength and your promos." *goto firstname #The third group, which focuses on promos. *set promo_ability -7 "I get a bit tongue-tied on the microphone," you say. You've focused most of your training on your physical conditioning, and you've never been comfortable with public speaking. "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your strength and your technique." *goto firstname *if (technique>50) #The first group, which focuses on power moves. *set strength -7 "I'm not going to be the strongest ${guy} on the roster," you say. "I'm not sure if you have footage of that match where I tried to suplex ${benjie}…" "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your technique and your promos." *goto firstname #The third group, which focuses on promos. *set promo_ability -7 "I get a bit tongue-tied on the microphone," you say. You've focused most of your training on your physical conditioning, and you've never been comfortable with public speaking. "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your technique and your strength." *goto firstname *if (promo_ability>50) #The first group, which focuses on power moves. *set strength -7 "I'm not going to be the strongest ${guy} on the roster," you say. "I'm not sure if you have footage of that match where I tried to suplex ${benjie}…" "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your promos and your technique." *goto firstname #The second group, which focuses on mat wrestling. *set technique -7 "I'm not as smooth, technically, as I'd like to be," you say. Not that you need to explain that further after reliving that botch with ${benjie}. "Say no more," Sam says. "I'll get you over by focusing on your promos and your strength." *goto firstname *label firstname Sam chooses a few more video clips, making sure that you agree before adding them to a folder with your name on it. "Okay, this thing is starting to take shape in my head. It's going to be epic." Sam's furiously shifting files around on his computer, but then he stops and whacks his forehead. "Almost forgot. Man, Gaider would have killed me." He rummages under his desk for something, and comes up with a slim folder. Inside is a copy of your contract with the BWF. "Just fill in the blanks. I wasn't sure about your full name, so I left that part for you as well." The first blank is for your first name: *if (sex="male") *choice #Brian. *set firstname "Brian" *goto surname #Phil. *set firstname "Phil" *goto surname #Dwayne. *set firstname "Dwayne" *goto surname #Steve. *set firstname "Steve" *goto surname #Colt. *set firstname "Colt" *goto surname #Something else. What is your first name? *input_text firstname *goto surname *else *choice #Lita. *set firstname "Lita" *goto surname #Beth. *set firstname "Beth" *goto surname #Mae. *set firstname "Mae" *goto surname #Sara. *set firstname "Sara" *goto surname #Gail. *set firstname "Gail" *goto surname #Something else. What is your first name? *input_text firstname *goto surname *label surname *set real_name ((firstname & " ") & surname) *page_break The second blank is for your surname: *choice #Irvine. *set surname "Irvine" *goto alignment #Cole. *set surname "Cole" *goto alignment #Lee. *set surname "Lee" *goto alignment #Blood. *set surname "Blood" *goto alignment #Something else. What is your surname? *input_text surname *goto alignment *label alignment *set real_name ((firstname & " ") & surname) "Oh, one more thing." You look up from the contract to see Sam still typing away at his computer. "Have you and Gaider agreed on whether you'll be coming in as a face or as a heel? That'll color the tone of the vignettes." Vinnie Gaider is the promoter and booker of the BWF, and he was the one who personally recruited you into the promotion. After a few meetings with him, you both agreed that it would be best if you came in as a: *choice #"Face. He said people would want to root for me." *set favor +10 Actually, what Vinnie said was, "People love scrappy little underdogs like you," but your version makes it sounds less like he thinks you're a one legged ${man} in a figure skating tournament. "We'll see about that. The BoWsers can be a picky bunch." *goto NCAAhistory #"Heel. He said I carried myself like a natural villain." *set favor -10 *set taunt1 "give the audience a thumbs down" *set reaction "boos" *set opp_react "cheers" *set opp_chant "Let's go" *set chant "You suck" You're not really sure whether you should take that as a compliment, but as Vinnie said: "If they're booing you, then they'll pay to see you." "That sounds like Vinnie, all right," Sam laughs. "You've got your work cut out for you—we've got lots of great heels at the BWF." *goto NCAAhistory *label NCAAhistory *page_break Sam squints at the screen, then shifts to his web browser. "Wait a second, you were the ${weight2}-pound NCAA champ a year ago, right? Let's grab some footage of—" You're on your feet and at Sam's side before you're even aware of what you're doing. "Hey!" he shouts. You realize that you have his right hand in a tight grip. "That hurts!" "Nothing from that tournament," you say, your voice sounding strangely calm in your ears. "Okay, okay, let go!" You let him pull his hand away, and he massages it gingerly. "Geez, all you had to do was say so…." You mumble an apology, or at least you think that you do. The rest of the session goes by in a blur, and you're only vaguely aware of Sam telling you that a new vignette will be released every Monday until your debut match in three weeks. You leave Sam's apartment and somehow make your way to the bus stop. It's only a ten-minute ride to your aunt's place, where you're staying before your first BWF show. But your mind is miles away, back in your hometown of: *choice #Cannon Rock, Minnesota. *set hometown "Cannon Rock, Minnesota" *goto_scene c1first_match #Life Haven, Vermont. *set hometown "Life Haven, Vermont" *goto_scene c1first_match #Autumn Park, Florida. *set hometown "Autumn Park, Florida" *goto_scene c1first_match #Apter, Tennessee. *set hometown "Apter, Tennessee" *goto_scene c1first_match #Something else. Where are you from, ${wrestling_name}? *input_text hometown *goto_scene c1first_match