Judging criteria

Below are the criteria of people who are cleared to handle match judging for Federation X and all events we sponsor. If you need clarity on any of their judging criteria, please feel free to ask the questions.

LIVING DEADGIRL

What I look for in judging RP

1)Selling: This is not just of you or the other people. It's of the match gimmick, the stage, the announcer, the crowd, The ref. All of it. Wrestling is a show with violence, but first it's a show. So I look at the selling of everything. To me selling is bigger then any twist, Not to say twists are bad, but I'm more impressed by a person who can roll with a twist and turn it around smoothly then a person who is battles for control...


2)Story telling: Match action is important, but so is the reasons behind it. I look for things that hook me into the story. Be it backstage drama, a heated feud, or just looking to prove something. Ever Great match has reasons for it. It has moments in it that make you care about the people involved. I look for them....


3) Pacing: This is prolly the hardest thing to put into words. It's most likely the most intangible thing of anything I look for. Pacing is the way that the writing flows. Are you smooth and concise with your writing or is it getting bogged down about half way through. I'm not looking for a novel. Just some details and insight to what's to come. As far as length between 800-1500 words. More then that I tend to lose interest. As it means your going into too much detail for me or trying to do too much....


4)Effort Effort is HUGE to me. Being a person who is NEVER the best writer, Content matter more to me then anything. Run spell check, and we'll be fine. It's hard to explain how Effort fits in. It is just something that I see as I read. Being around a long time it lets me know what Most the people can. So if your having a bad day I can normally tell. Not a major factor, but something that I do think about..


5) Match action I LOVE match action. I watch wrestling a lot mot for the well built men, but for the action and the story telling that happens in the ring. With the moves and the way the action goes. So when I read a match I'm looking at those small details like the ref, and that your telling a story not just posting a move list. Moves are a small part of a good match. The same about “highspots” So try to build up the drama some in the match, and I'll be a fan....


Lastly, I will be more then happy to sit and brake down why the scores are the scores

GRAYSON

I judge on a 6 point system, and every part of the system holds equal weight. I score each of the 6 points out of 5, add them up and divide the total by 6 to get your overall score for each post. I consider anything that is 'average' from my perspective to be a 2.5. The details:

1. Action ~ You're writing about wrestling matches, and that matters to me. Great story is important, but if you don't include any action then the match isn't going to go over well with the fans. This shouldn't feel like an afterthought or a burden to you.

2. Dialogue ~ I look for dialogue that is in character and suits the scene. I'm aware of dialogue that fills space without purpose, and I pay attention for it. This part of a post helps with so many aspects of the post that it could almost be included under other sections, but it isn't because how well you write dialogue and use it to characterize everyone involved matters.

3. Selling ~ I see a lot of short-selling and a lot of people who would much rather not have to keep pushing something their opponent laid down. It shows in their work, which tells me they're not selling well. I expect the best posts to sell every aspect of the match. And I also expect you to have clearly read preceeding posts, and it hurts you here if I can tell you didn't. You can't sell what you don't read. I should also note that I look at character selling closely. Not just your opponents, but your own as well. You would be amazed how often I think people have done a terrible job of remembering the character they have laid out over the weeks and months before.

4. Effort ~ For me effort includes more than just how long it is, it includes spelling, punctuation and research. Poor grammar and spelling cannot be overcome with 6 extra pages of writing. Also, you should be aware that I don't like to read books. 1000 words is a good barometer. Too much above that means you cannot be concise, and too much below that means you're lazy or rushed. I am aware of changes in context as well. You could refer to this as 'technical' if you like, and it matters. You can hardly be the better writer if you cannot handle these things.

5. Progression ~ A match has a pace and rhythm to it. If it's choppy or doesn't move along properly, it isn't well done. Each post should move you towards a climax, and posts that don't seem to do anything but fill space are obvious. Another aspect of progression that you should be aware of is the timing of events. Early high points can lead to difficulty building higher late in the match. Being able to pace out a roleplay is a very important skill.

6. Innovation ~ Matches have high points, and sometimes they're in the moves and sometimes they are in the unexpected. Sometimes they are in the moments that should happen, but don't because nobody makes them happen. Innovation is why I shouldn't get tired of reading match rewrites. Creativity that works with the story and context of the match is crucial to making me care that the match even happened.

The big omission from my list is story telling, but I believe that it shows up in all but 1 of the catagories I've outlined above

flip a coin once for each paragraph in each post, assigning the first person to post as “heads”. High score wins, of course.

Okay, not really.

I use a system similar to Grayson’s, and no, it isn’t a coincidence. It developed over the course of conversations about post scoring with him, Living Deadgirl, Clive Windsor, anybody who will talk post scoring with me, I’ve pumped with questions, trying to find the best system I could put together. My scoring system has evolved from giving a simple overall score to using a 4-point system and now a 6-point system. Scores out of 5 for each point are added and averaged to get an overall score for each post.

My points are:

1. Selling – Yes, I put this first for a reason. The best storyteller in the world loses me if his posts are full of short-sells and lack of attention to what has happened before. If you don’t do a good job selling the match, the setting, the characters (including your own) it’s going to be difficult to impossible for you to win on my scorecard. This includes not just selling what is supposed to happen, but also all the things that do manage to happen whether they were supposed to or not. My other pet peeve here is thinly veiled OOC pointing out your opponent’s no-sells. Chances are if you noticed it, so did I, and I’ll be much more impressed with you just rolling with it than trying to show me how smart you are by pointing it out. Going OOC in a post hits your Selling score just as much as not selling that broken finger, if not more.


2. Effort – Not everyone is Shakespeare, but everyone can try their best to tell a good story. Effort includes length, but doesn’t end there. Much like Liv and Grayson, the length portion of effort caps out for me at around 1000 words. Where you gain or lose points here is accuracy in your research, being reasonably concerned with spelling, grammar and punctuation, etc. I’m not as big a stickler as some about typos and the like, but if it’s distracting or if your sentences are not understandable then it will cost you.


3. Action – There is an art to writing good action and making it flow. If you’ve ever watched a great wrestling match you have seen the natural flow of move to move – and high spot to plateau and down to low spot. Choppy action, overdone or underdone, will kill a post’s flow as quick as almost anything. I don’t have a hard-and-fast rule about how many posts it should take you to get to the ring, but as a general guideline, if you’re not at least starting the action by halfway through the match, you’re probably over-doing something else at the expense of action.

4. Storytelling – Possibly my favorite aspect of a match. I love both good drama and good comedy equally, and have always felt that the best writers are the ones who can weave the two together into a compelling story. I’m not one of those guys who favors one or the other. You don’t get extra points for making me laugh, you get extra points for making me care about your story.

5. Dialog – Really good dialog is like air – it flows through a post so smoothly that you really only notice that one catchy phrase or punchline. Well-written dialog is just as important to a good story as air is to life. And wooden, canned sounding dialog will kill a post just as quickly as sucking the air out of a room will kill the people inside. Just in the same way action flows in a wrestling match, spoken language has a flow, and capturing it is essential to good story telling. Superfluous, thrown-together dialog blares out ~FILLER~ and doesn’t help your story – or your score.

6. Wow - Yup. Wow. Very similar to Grayson’s idea of innovation. The wow is what makes me want to throw my scorecard down and just read the story. The wow might be a surprise, a twist, a really good high spot in a match, or it might be a new insight into what makes a character “tick”. Yes, that's poorly defined, but it's easy to see in a good post.

1. Leadership- Who steps up? Who takes control of the match? Who forces, through good selling, thier opponent to follow thier lead. Can you keep your opponent reeling from post to post so that he has to react rather then act. However....It can work both ways, Can you regain control? Can you use your skills to upend your opponent and suddenly make him the one who's reacting? The key here is Doing it with style, flair, and an even hand. Trying to hard will cost you points, Going out of your way to put your opponent in a no win scenario will cost you more. A leader and a follower Good....Two people struggling for control...BETTER.

2. Selling: Yes, I join the herd on this one but it has to be done. Far to many times to I see someone take Brain shattering head trauma in a match to be back and up on their feet slugging it out in less then a minute. Show the effects of the whupping you're taking. Don't be afraid to whip your own ass in a post either. One thing I hate is what I call "Superman Syndrome". That's where every post is you kicking your opponents ass and then your opponent posting kicking yours. Don't be afraid to look bad....Don't be afraid to admit you got your ass kicked. Don't be afraid to say "I'm losing" Show me that your Character has flaws. Show me your character is worried. In short.....Be human.

3. Storytelling: A match is not always about who pulls off the high risk moves or the most explosive action. Tell me a story, Keep my attention, Give me a reason to give a crap about why You and your opponent are in this situation. Show me what kinda of chessmaster you can be. Give me some foreshadowing and then the pay off. Make it look smooth and not forced. Is there a reason we keep flashing back? Is there a reason we jump from the ring to a convo backstage? Set it up and then knock it out of the park. Give insight, Show hate, anger, rage, desire, even love if it fits.

4. Effort: Simple.....Show me you want the win. Show me you want to be the best. If you post 15 lines....you're wasting my time. Don't go overboard though or you'll lose me to the "Is this post ever going to end" Train of thought. Find the balance and we're money.

5. Innovation: (Verbatim from Grayson Because I couldn't say it better.) Matches have high points, and sometimes they're in the moves and sometimes they are in the unexpected. Sometimes they are in the moments that should happen, but don't because nobody makes them happen. Innovation is why I shouldn't get tired of reading match rewrites. Creativity that works with the story and context of the match is crucial to making me care that the match even happened.

6. Action/Progression: Tell a story but don't get lost in it, After all, No matter what the story, This is and always will be a WRESTLING GAME. Treat it as such and show it to me. Pay attention to what your opponet does and pick up where he left off. Make each move a smooth transition. Don't get lost in the moment or Idea you have and forget what has happened prior. If you get choppy, I deduct points.


Need Clarification? Want an Example? Have a question? Hit me up.

Mr Francis I. Cartier » Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:33 am

Who am I? Well I could tell you but then I'd have to kill ya. But What I will tell you is I'm here to judge this fandango. And I will tell you what I'm looking for in my reading.

Its really simple and easy. When I read something it had best be damn entertaining. What exactly does this mean you ask? Well I'm not asking for a novel, but I don't want a little quipet either. I hate blocks of text that spends so damn much time describing what color the sky is that I forget what the hell I'm here for in the first damn place. I want to be entertained and I'm not some dumb jack hole who has no imagination either. Tell me whats going on give a little detail and got on with the action. I like Action in abundance, and that doesn't mean all violence. Take Jackie Chan he has tones of action and little violence but still entertains. That doesn't mean I want a bunch of odd ball crap either. I like comedy as much as the next guy but lets not get retarded with it. I also like to keep a sense of reality about whats going on, I mean if 20 purple spotted bears with Tommy guns show up, I'm gonna call for a serious drug test right there.

Now all the silliness is over, selling is very important. Both keeping in character as well as keeping the other guy IC as well is very important. Sure you can trick a fella no matter how smart he pretends to be, but it needs to be well executed and not he wasn't paying attention and I pushed him into a 50 foot deep well he was standing beside. Do this and win me over.

Control the tempo of the match. This doesn't mean just leading it but truly making the other guy, or girl play your game. Innovation and creativity play here can you hang with the big boys? You had better cause if you don't you wont be around long.

Surprise me, I love a good one, hit me the reader with something I don't see coming, this is a big plus for me. You can make me say WTF then you made a mark. Also make me want to read the next one lead me into the next path as we walk together on your journey. I want to be there right along with you. Make me feel what you feel and live what you live.

That's what I look for and that's what I want to see. Grammar and Dialogue is a bonus, but I'm no grammar Nazi so unless you really screw the pooch you have nothing to worry about. Good luck and my the Force be with you always!!!!!

That will be all. for now.

VonBraun » Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:58 pm

When judging a match, I use a five-point scale on every posts with half points as necessary. The points are assigned for the overall post, but I do look for specific things within each post.

Entertainment – I want to be amused, compelled, shocked, something. The worst thing you can do when I’m judging your post is to have me thinking about anything else. In the land of short attention spans, you better keep mine. This includes an even distribution of description and dialogue.

Originality – I’ve been playing this game a long time. I’ve seen about everything once before. That said, I’m am constantly surprised as new twists on old themes or even old themes presented in new circumstances. Show me that you’re not doing a paint-by-numbers match.

Personality – Show me who your character is. I want to read your post and understand who you are, what your motivation is, why winning is important to your character. More importantly, show me who your opponent and other characters are. If you can handle your opponent’s character as well as they do shows me something.

Action – Match action is important to me. It is the core of the match and being able to attack and sell will gain you points. But, honestly, it takes a fantastic writer to keep me interested in a match that is all fighting. There are only so many clothesline, bodyslam false pin attempts I can read without zoning out.

Pro Wrestling – It is vitally important that this is PRO WRESTLING. I’m not saying that this is all predetermined matches with scripted action. But I still think of this as a wrestling show. Ridiculous, over the top violence pulls me right out of a post. I’m willing to suspend some disbelief, but if you get ridiculous you lose points

by Psycho Mantis » Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:18 pm

Judging Criteria:

1. Selling. The selling of a match is very important. By that I mean the gimmick, the setting, the supporting cast, all of it. If I read your match and it doesn’t sound like something that a character would say or do, you’ll lose points. Continuity is a part of this. I’m a stickler for everything flowing and making sense in one timeline. If you’re not descriptive enough to where I can envision the scene, or someone does something one post, and they’re in a completely different position for another, you’ll lose points.

2. Action. I like wrestling. That said, action in a match isn’t all about the moves themselves. Its how the characters react to them. How long they stay down, who is in more control, and the general progression of violence in a match. This last part is important. I don’t want to see sick spots done in your first post. Few matches actually start this way. They’re a steady stream in that they build toward the big moments. This said, I LIKE big moments. But if you go cartoony on me, or don’t explain how we got to this point well enough, I dock points.

3. Effort. Many people think this is judged solely on word counts. That isn’t the case with me. If I have to read a 200,000 word long post, I will be PISSED. I like novels, but not in my games. If you range somewhere between 500-1000 words, we’ll be good. Now, what else does effort mean? It’s how the scene is detailed. How you craft your words in such a way to let me see your vision. If a section seems rushed, or lacks a certain amount of detail which would make me understand it better, you’ll lose points.

4. Creativity and Storytelling. Allow me to preface this by saying that not every match has to have some overarching plot. What every match DOES need to have is some kind of heat, story, or overall theme that ties it all together. Yeah, these guys are doing some serious luchadore style moves. That’s great. But how does it make them feel? How badly do they want to hurt their opponent? Why? Get me inside your character’s heads, or tell some kind of sub-plot or tie some other angle into your match, and you will score high.

5. Match Control: This is important to me. I tend to factor in who lead and who followed during a match. That isn’t to say that someone who is recessive throughout the entire match will score particularly low, but it may hinder them if I don’t see you at least TRYING to throw your opponent off balance. A good RP match can be not too dissimilar to chess in that part of it is in outthinking your opponent. Now, don’t use this to snow plow your opponents into unwinnable situations. Instead, use match control to create a problem that your opponent needs to solve. If your opponent takes that problem and somehow reverses it on you, all the better. But remember that to me, this is a game and as such, a certain element of strategy is involved.

by Genocide » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:04 pm

Let me first say, I've been reading this stuff for a long time... but judging is a lot different than reading, and I haven't actually judged posts, ever. So, this post will probably be edited quite a bit as I really decide what kind of judge I'm going to be, and what kind of things I look for in a good post.

Story - 1.25 pts -This will be the most important criteria. Does your post move the story along? Or does it just distract from it? There is an overall theme to most matches, especially good ones, your posts should be going along with that. Note-This does not mean more than one story can't be going on at the same time. In fact, the writer that manages to skillfully weave their opponent's story into their's will be rewarded. Also, keep in mind that "story" does not just mean backstage intrigue. Sometimes the best stories take place inside of a wrestling ring. As far as someone "controlling the story" I'm honestly not too worried about it. Controlling a bad, boring story won't get you anywhere. Controlling a great, innovative story will... but if you manage to write your opponent's story better than they do, that's also good. That being said, being too passive isn't a good thing either.

Dialog - 1.0 pts - This is an important one for me. Good dialog pulls me into a match. Bad dialog makes me want to scroll down to the next post. Dialog should be flowing and natural. It should be easy to read. It should also sell the speaker correctly.

Action - 0.75 pts - I've debated making this a different criteria from "story", considering I've covered a lot in that one. So this topic will mostly cover match action. As far as match action, I am a wrestling fan... and I will probably be able to tell if you aren't. Reeling off a list of wrestling moves can get very boring. Try not to fall into the "DDT-Powerbomb-Hurricanrana" listing of high impact moves. I like to see a good mix of action, standing, grappling, striking, ground moves, running moves... and most importantly, reversals. Innovative reversals to a move is a big plus for me. New spots I've never seen before will also get you big points.

Selling - 0.75 pts - Selling is a lot of things... and honestly, I'm not a huge stickler about it. Minor missells of a character (and smart ass corrections from the opponent... Alan Scott) will mostly be excused, though not ignored. Minor no sells of a situation during a match will be excused, especially in a Clusterfuck atmostphere. Major no sells are a different story... this includes short selling, like instantly trying to write a proposed storyline out of existance on your first response, instead of playing it out. A good match has push and pull, give and take. When that push and pull turns into a tug-of-war, the match... and scores, go downhill. I hate to see someone determined to bury their opponent's angle.

Effort - 0.75 - This includes things like length, grammar, spelling. As far as length, I don't really have a number of words that I like. I had a teacher that described the length of the paper we should write. I liked his answer, so I'm going to steal it. Your post should be like a woman's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting. Your post shouldn't feel rushed, however, and if your opponent is consistently adding more quality material than you, the scores will reflect it in the long run. Grammar, spelling... I'm not an English teacher. As long as nothing is too distracting, you'll be OK. And although missells of your opponent won't cost you much in the selling criteria, if it's obvious your opponent is more prepared for you than you are for them, it will cost you in effort points. Extra slack will be given for minor missells of new characters.

Fun - 0.5 This one is more subjective, and aspects of all of the other criteria will be considered in this one. Your post should be fun to read. I'm a sucker for good lines. Whether it's dialog, narration, announcer banter, you'll be rewarded for good lines. They can be funny, scathing, thought provoking, poignant. If you get a reaction out of me while I read your post, your score will go up. If I was bored, your score will go down.

by Xander Blackwell-Sterling » Mon Aug 02, 2010 3:33 pm

I will be judging on a 5 point system. I will take these 5 points and you will be judged on a scale of 1-10. In the end I will divide by 10 to get your score on a 1-5 scale. Why do I use 1-10 instead of 1-5? The answer is simple…It’s just how I roll…

1) Storytelling & Action – Call it what you want, but in the end, this is what will make or break you by me. If you keep me wanting to read more, then you have successfully gotten what I’m looking for. If by the middle of your post, I want to shoot myself…this won’t be good for you. It’s very simple, keep it flowing, and interesting. I want to see a good flow, and good action. I want the moves to lead into the dialog and the dialog back to the action. I want to feel the excitement of the crowd that’s watching…if it sounds like the transcripts from a John Cena Vs. Hulk Hogan match (e.g. Punch, Punch, Kick, You Can’t See Me, Hulk Up, Big Boot, Leg Drop, Kick Out, Attitude Adjuster, Pin) then you will get a very, very low score. But if I feel like I’m reading Eddy Guerrero Vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. then you should be fine. Same goes for action outside the ring, and interviews. Make me feel like I’m watching Dusty Rhodes, or Ric Flair…not Duke “The Dumpster” Droese…

2) Selling – Every Judge has listed selling, and for good reason…It is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT parts of this game. If your opponent posts that you were hit with their finisher at the end of their post, and the start of your post is you getting up from that, without making it clear time has elapsed, this is a major problem. Sometimes no sells happen in matches where there is a ton of action, and that is acceptable, but a blatant no sell is another story. Remember if you want your opponent to sell what you post, you need to sell theirs…I don’t want to see massive no selling, or complete disregard of something you didn’t like. Show your sell thoroughly and then move on...

3) Dialog – Simply put, if there is a reason for dialog in your post, I expect to see it. And I expect it to be relevant, and interesting. I want to be able to hear the voices in my head. I also want Play by Play action to be called in a manner that makes sense. Sometimes one commentator cuts the other off…or stops midsentence to say something about what’s happening in the ring. This is what makes dialog realistic and entertaining…

4) Effort – Prove to me you want the win. I don’t care if it’s the Card Opener or the Main Event. I need to know that you want it! Show me with what you put out there. I want to read the post and be thinking, “Wow, this guy (or girl) is on his “A” game. He/she wants this win, and they showed it to me with each and every post. Remember that sheer post count does NOT guarantee a win…don’t throw up the 5 minute special at 11:59pm to get one more post out…it is almost never worth it… Remember the word counts have changed, and I will be using the new counts (the point value will be doubled to fit my system e.g. 1=2, 4=8 etc):

1 ~ 0 - 100 words
2 ~ 101 - 200 words
3 ~ 201 - 300 words
4 ~ 301 - 400 words
5 ~ 401 - 800 words

5) The “IT” Factor (Creativity & Excitement) – Put that little extra “umph” into your post. That miniscule thing that makes your posts unique. Show me that you are different from all the other guys/girls out there. Just like no one wants to see Big Show Vs The Great Khali 356 nights in a row, make sure I don’t read the same post 356 nights in a row. Put the “Pizzazzy Umph” into every post you put up.


Questions, comments, concerns, etc…hit me up and I’ll explain…

These are the factors I consider when judging, you'll find that by and large they are similar to everyone else's but nonetheless, this will highlight what it is I'm looking for:

(Also bear in mind this is a first pass, I may change things as I notice how I tend to judge things or see something just plain isn't right)

Selling: This is by far my most important factor. When it comes to selling, I'm not just talking about post to post sort of things, which is important, but I like to see the details really be paid attention to, and not just your match, but any match, or really anything going on in the fed at the time. In all honesty, most of my other factors can get a huge boost from great selling.

Angle and Match Progression: Getting points here will involve mastering pacing. You'll have to walk a fine line between a slogging post that doesn't go anywhere, to a post that cuts off an angle or storyline before it can naturally play out. If it comes down to it, I'd rather an angle or plot twist go a touch to long then for it to ended abruptly for no good reason.

Creativity and Continuity: While I'm all for big twist and turns in a match up, I feel too many of these can really bog things down. I really enjoy seeing stuff brought in from outside the match, whether it be an old or ongoing storyline, or tying your match into a match that occurs before or after yours (i.e. Someone knocks down a hotdog vendor in the match before yours and when you get throw out of the ring you end up slipping on an errant hotdog). Now I'm not saying you have to be a Fed X historian to get big points here, just work on making your piece fit in the puzzle that is Fed X as a whole and creating something for other people to work off of.

Dialogue and Character Development: This is pretty self explanitory. Know each of the characters you are using in your posts and use them properly. Be sure to flesh them out and not make them just lifeless husks there to serve a purpose. Sure there's a time and a place for "Random Fed X Technician" but Fed X Technician Sam Stevenson with a kid in the hospital and a wife that's cheating on him creates a world of opportunities to expand upon.

Effort: Not just to be measured by post length (which I will always judge based on the current guidelines) but also spelling and grammar. When it comes to spelling and grammar, I'm not going to be overly nit picky. If I notice it, I'll dock you for it. If your story is enthralling enough that I breeze by a typo, I'm not going to skim back through to see if you swapped a couple of letters around. But if I have to go back a re-read a sentence because I couldn't figure out what you meant, that'll cost you.