Overall Game Rules [Updated: 08/08/2024]

Wed May 22, 2024 7:50 pm

Below are all of the general game rules. All of these rules are in effect, and all players authorized to play here have agreed to and followed these rules. The rules can be updated with or without notice. Also, please review the privacy and terms of use/service here: https://creaturewrestling.com/privacy-tos.php for further legal information.

The purpose of and for why we have detailed rules is severalfold. One is to ensure that the gameplay is void of unfairness and personal drama, which causes negative adverse effects on the player(s). Two, to protect the game from attempts at causing harm to its entity (i.e., intellectual and artistic copyright infringement). Third, to ensure that lawsuits are not a reality. It is doubtful that a lawsuit could happen. especially since, we are not a payed service of any kind and we do this voluntarily. But you can never tell; that is why we wrote extensive privacy and copyright clauses, including how you interact here. For example, any original content you post or send to CreatureWrestling becomes the property of CreatureWrestling. This clause is not there to piss you off or steal your stuff- you can do whatever you want with your stories, such as taking them elsewhere and using them however you so please- but what you cannot do is threaten us for housing your stuff (such as demanding your posts back or expect that your content, when used by other players, is infringing on your creative rights, or even using your stuff for the usage of stories and general gameplay)- and you cannot steal our stuff (such as making a copy of e-fed based on our work). Suppose you want to be a logical human being and show you care about this genre and want to preserve it. In that case, I am happy to help you out, give you permission on contingencies, and adapt "Creature" e-feds to your own e-fed because I am old, and I wouldn't want to see this genre disappear from the internet. If you want to sit down and have this explained to you, then we can arrange an appointment.

GENERAL BEHAVIOR POSTING RULES This e-fed always aims to be Toxic and drama-free.

Our age rating is MA-17 with restrictions*:

1) You cannot show/use pictures, such as NFSW, with graphic nudity/genitalia body parts.
2) You can use swear words as long as they are not overly offensive.
3) Usage of innuendos is okay- but be mindful and respectful of your target audience- I'd instead that you reserve that type of thing for the S2B brand since that brand is specifically designed for that sort of thing (poking fun/parodies).
4) The ONLY exception to posting mature content is if, in rare circumstances, your STORY can benefit from shock value/effects. You inform the roster of your intentions (if the entire roster's consensus is opposed to your idea, then they can overturn your use of mature stories) and gain permission. You label the subject of your post with (MATURE). Note: Chapter 12 of the main storyline was for shock value. It is doubtful that we will post that mature content again, but there might be some reference to Chapter 12 in current events/stories, so you are warned.

*We reserve the right to change the age restriction or rules in the event these rules get abused.

CORE GAME RULES
1. DO NOT USE THIS E-FED IN ANY WAY TO BRING / CAUSE PERSONAL DRAMA OR UNFAIRNESS OF ANY KIND.

2. NO Obsessive swearing and X-rated profanity*.
* The ONLY exception to posting mature content is if, in rare circumstances, your STORY can benefit from shock value/effects. You inform the roster of your intentions (if the entire roster's consensus is opposed to your idea, then they can overturn your use of mature stories) and gain permission. You label the subject of your post with (MATURE). This is to WARN readers what to expect. Therefore, you do not need to read posts you know may be mature audiences only.

3. NO Racial offenses, and not limited to using the chat to bully others (hating on other posters). It would be best to respect one's personal opinions about any topic and not attack those opinions. The easy solution is to keep your personal opinions to yourselves.
For example, players should respect their personal political beliefs even if they post those beliefs in an out-of-character discussion. Do not attack their beliefs in any way on or off the e-Fed. If you do attack their personal political beliefs, I will ban you.

4. NO remarks or using your character in-game to stain the reputation of this e-fed, including criticizing this e-fed, comparing this e-fed to other e-feds in a negative light, or any negative criticism aimed at any player or Staff. You can say whatever you want at home in your personal space but refrain from using our resources to spread that here.

5. DO NOT HIDE behind "Ohhh, I was just in character" as an excuse to still break the rules. It does not give you a magical protection badge to get around the rules.

6. DO NOT THREATEN any members, Staff, or this e-Fed period.

7. DO NOT go into "God-Mode" or create a god-like character without permission*:
This game is unique from most other e-Feds I have encountered in that we accept wrestlers with supernatural abilities and wrestlers who do not have paranormal abilities. Making a character with supernatural abilities does not give you an edge in any way in this entire game, especially in matches. All matches prohibit the use of magic unless the match stipulation allows it. Furthermore, you MUST have a balance in this game when you are fighting someone- aka, you must "sell their hit." If you do not do this, I will contact you to ask, "What is going on?!" because that is unfair to your fellow posters. I will even suspend you on the spot if you are found to be dishonest.

* The game DOES have certain "god-like" characters if they are pivotal for the use of a story, which is fine and, to some extent, the exception to the rule but those "god-like" characters serve as the main storyline's main or supporting antagonist or protagonist, And even so- the main storyline's "god-like" characters have an expiration date- they are intended to be defeated at some point or rendered their "god-like" abilities neutralized. You can make a "god-like" character, but please consult me first and be prepared to explain your game plan with how they will be used and if used in matches... but always "sell the hit." I have a weakness, not just a strength.

8. "Powers-that-Be" characters are for storyline purposes and are temporary*:
PTBs are regarded in the same way as "god-like" characters. First, I have to approve them personally and have an expiration date. PTB characters should only be used for storyline purposes, and they can either be staff members or regular players. ONLY "The Promoter" is not temporary* and is controlled by the actual e-Fed Owner because "The Promoter" outranks all PTB characters and typically is the one that decides on the booking of the matches in-story. Also, just because you are a PTB character does not mean YOU ARE THE ACTUAL person of that title in real life, LOL! PTB characters are characters used solely for storylines and nothing more. I reserve the right to tell someone to conclude their PTB character. The golden timeframe for that would be at the four-month mark or the conclusion of a central storyline/angle/chapter.

9. Using other player's characters:
There will come a point when you have no choice but to enact as a fellow player, especially when you match write (when you are replying and must write out what your opponent does or says). I do not expect you to "nail it" and act precisely as the original author- that won't happen. However, there is a big issue if you abuse other players' characters/inappropriately. For example, say I created a post, and I am calling out "Jake,"- I write my intro but then also write in Jake coming out to address the challenge, and I speak for him through my post, not allowing the player who controls "Jake" to respond. That is an issue. On the absurd end of the stick, in someone's post, they write that a champion drops the title belt to them without ever consulting the actual champion and the Staff about it!!! Well, of course, that is grounds for suspension or banning.

Also, remember, what you post here you do not exclusively own (see the disclaimer for that down below, and again, don't get into a hissy-fit because it's not saying you do not own your stuff) ... this means that what you post on here stays on here, what you post on here others can use. This allows others to enact as you at appropriate moments, so we have a flow (i.e., role-playing, matches, etc). There ought to be an equal, respectful, and mutual balance. In the best case scenario, you communicate with a player and ask their permission to enact as needed. But that can only sometimes be the case.

So, my guidelines and suggestions, especially if you are a new player trying to get involved, are:

1) Post an exposition/promo (like you would see in real-life wrestling: an introduction to a new wrestler)
2) Post an actual introduction- maybe go to the ring and "lay some smack." Before that, you could contact someone here using the OOC board. In the introduction, you establish the foundations of a feud. Take turns posting and decide how it ends. The face or heel will end that segment, whether they left the ring unharmed or harmed.
3) Balance out posting. Have another confrontation. Maybe in the intro, the heel got the last word and attacked. Maybe for the next post, the face got the last word and attacked.
4) Arrange a match. Decide who wins in that match or consult a staff for that decision. Write the game out to play it.
5) Rinse and repeat.

10. No necrobumping, trolling, or posting out-of-character on boards not designated to be OOC.
Although this board will bump your post to the top if it gets replies- please be mindful of the date of your posting thread. It is possible that a posting thread, like a saga-type or main story post, will be pretty old- as long as it makes sense and other surrounding posts, events, etc, aren't too far along, then necrobumping isn't an issue. Please use common sense and don't necrobump a thread that has ended. Please also do not troll on the board, and please keep out-of-character posts off of the main boards... if you need to leave a quick OOC message within the posting body, please use (OOC: your message) at the top or bottom of your body post.

11. Please be kind and not act like a spelling or grammar Nazi.
I don't expect anyone here to produce content without spelling or grammar issues- it will happen. A player might be new at this- and when I look back at my past CWF posts- oh man, wow, I, and lots of people, could have done better at spelling or grammar. So please show kindness. Don't criticize or laugh at them. Allow them to grow and become stronger. If you care so much about this topic, help them with their spelling and grammar privately. If you are acting like a jerk, and it's obvious about this, I will ask you to stop, and if you do not, there is the door.

Other/FAQs:

- I bet the #1 thing on your mind is, where are the (roster) numbers? When I first dived into this (e-Fed), I was 20 years old in 1999. At the time of writing this, in 2024, I am 45 years old. I have seen so many things come and go, and trends have been changing over the twenty-plus years, and that's amazing. You need to know and understand that first. Second, sad to say, but as great as CreatureWrestling is, it has been affected by trends and, in many ways, more damaging in how you perceive it. You can't go back to 1999 when there were many posters because people act differently and expect certain things as time passes. Back in the day, we used to have a maximum of 50+ solid players! I used to have two RPG boards and even closed the registration to the e-Fed because there was no way to maintain so many people. Nowadays, it would be a miracle if I could get a single posting partner.

There are many reasons for why we do not have a large roster anymore, but the primary one are the effects of smartphone and web/internet trends- most people are hooked to their smartphones and looking for instant gratification with little effort to get it. This is not an opinion, but grounded research in brain development and user experience design has revealed this to be an ugly fact of life. Because of these trends, I had to change the vision and scope of this e-Fed to match what is happening across the internet as social media platforms like Tiktok, Threads, Discord, Twitch, Instagram, and even Facebook (which is now regarded as "old" and unhip to younger people) dominate people's mind and attention. Plus, we can't forget the demands of everyday life—albeit I find it interesting as a web developer (and even as a teacher!) that if people can spend an average of 4.5 hours a day on their smartphones, sometimes surfing even mindlessly, at content, why is posting a single post once a week or so so hard?

So, where are the numbers? It's a valid question, as CWE has also been a social experiment. As time progresses, there's a diminishing desire to write stories, and even if there is a desire, the attention span is short. Even when I manage to recruit a player, they often leave when they realize there aren't a billion other players to play with here. Each time this happens, I find myself pondering, 'If only they had faith and stuck around- THEY are the roster, and over time, it is possible to build a roster. If they leave, we return to zero, and this vicious cycle repeats.' But. Alas. Sigh. There is little that I can do, but like I said before, this e-Fed is a life-long project that I love to do. I am at least enjoying myself and writing stories in this unique genre. This game keeps my mind fresh, I practice writing, and I gain a sense of satisfaction for carrying on this thing for this long!

Another problem is that the original generation has gotten older and posting on forums like this is perceived as out of fashion. Most original players are 30-40+ years of age, and most people typically motivated and able to have the time for this e-Fed are in their late teens/early twenties. And, that age group are hooked to their smartphones surfing popular apps like poor ol' TikTok (sorry for using that as an example so much, but it really is a problem) or more interested in playing shooter video games like Fortnite, Call of Duty or hybrid games like Roblox (I get it, this is more for ages 9+ but the you will be surprised to hear that even late teens/early 20s still play games like Roblox and find them the 'hip' thing to do- even over other genre of video games). The typical age range for something like CWE which could amass a roster is about late teen/early 20s. Unfortunately, as I highlighted above, CWE is not their "thing." That is sad, because, this tells me that our youth cares more about smartphones and shooter games than anything else.

I am not joking when I say, because it is a topic that comes up every single time in educational circles, is, that there is a drastic lack of problem-solving skills that the youth has- and sadly- CWE is avoided because it requires problem-solving skills (if we are looking at the optimal age range that could do this e-Fed with- because quite frankly adults are too overwhelmed with work and making ends' meat- trying to support their family and to survive lol- although- I could write a dissertation about how smartphones and instant gratification has also impacted adults- but I will save that conversation for another day lol).

On the other hand, traditional e-Feds still exist today. But, they mostly follow the same generic formula (see our introduction pdf for more of my insights into that here: https://creaturewrestling.com/introductions.pdf ), and we are a fish out of water since we are so different from the rest and avoided. Surviving modern e-feds are following the same model using TikTok or YouTube or streaming content on Twitch- mainly using WWE 2k** video game leagues- which makes sense since that is what the entire world appears to be on crack about... To get anywhere with this, one must dedicate 200% to promoting yourself on social media like an endless job and constantly connect and communicate practically daily. I do not have the time to do that- I doubt I would even want to if I could. But that is how our world works now.

An e-Fed like this one, requiring immense imagination and writing, is less favored than some other e-Fed, which many e-Feds are generically based on typical life wrestling rather than about fantasy (such as mortal and supernatural). It appears they would rather have someone else do all of the writing (the matches) for them... on top of that; people prefer title-centric e-Feds with as little writing as possible with bi-weekly events-- I guess less writing nowadays and have someone else do your work for you is preferred... go figure. To me, quality and quantity go hand in hand. The other problem, sadly, that I experienced is that some players are not grateful towards me and, at the same time, expect outstanding customer service and everything to go their way. Um. I don't think so.

I will continue to keep an open mind and design CWE like it was once before as a full-fledged e-Fed and provide support/options for a theoretical roster of players- but in reality- the e-Fed is not likely going to be significant with numbers, and it works at an undersized roster, sometimes 1-2 players. We gear towards writing posts seasonally whenever there is enough free time available.

If you are serious about dedicating time here, realize that you may have to deal with being in a pool of small people posting slowly over time. So- that is where the numbers are. Maybe, who knows, I doubt, but maybe there will be an internet trend, and people who like to write or do more than flip through Tiktok slides of mindless videos want to use their minds a bit more and maybe write- but I am not going to hold my breath.

Sorry for laying down the negatives and the obvious, but knowing where we are and what to expect is essential. CWE can constantly improve, but it takes time and patience. Do not expect an extensive roster overnight, but we could likely have a bigger one. Honestly, from my experience, having an extensive roster is not always a good thing, and I am more than satisfied with a small roster— personally I even prefer it.

- How many characters can I make? Unlimited with stipulations:
To create unlimited characters, you must exist in the e-Fed with steady activity for at least two consecutive months.
You will be allowed to create up to 3 characters at first, and then you can create unlimited characters at the one-year mark.
You cannot fight against yourself using your characters unless you are given explicit permission by the e-Fed Owner.

- Do we have a discord? Can I make a discord?
Our official discord channel is: https://discord.gg/PNZuf5Mgsm

You cannot create a Discord channel about CreatureWrestling. If I find out that you did, you could be suspended or banned until you dissolve your Discord.

- Can we role-play on Discord or fight on WWE 2k 23 (or whatever year is current) instead of writing so much? The short answer is YES. I am very open to other ways to enjoy and expand CreatureWrestling. Keep in mind that I am a veteran web developer, and I have seen enough adaptations throughout the internet to say that you have to adapt to the latest trends and needs of the audience. If there is a need for adjusting the role-playing onto different platforms (and also keep in mind that this e-Fed once started on the Network54 board, moved to a custom-unordered list board, and went back and forth to a phpBB board)-- then I am open. CWE does have a discord set of forums to role play or battle on.

** Note: If there is ever a time when there is a distinction (those who just want to win matches via writing VS on a game or Discord), then we can always adjust this game's titles and divisions (i.e., have a specific top title for gaming/Twitch—whatever—I am open).

- Woah...WOAH!! why am I kicked off of CWE's Discord!!
How long have you been active on discord, or as a whole, with the entire e-Fed?? Your contributions, no matter how small, are crucial to our community. Our discord is similar to the attendance policy we have here. I look at your entire contribution, and if you don't do anything, especially for an extended time, I will kick you. Do read the "inactive" player policy here: but to save you some time, here is what it says regarding discord or other places outside of the main message board: "Posting regularly on other platforms like Discord and Reddit does NOT save you from the deactivation process on the e-Fed (this message board). However, CWE may kick you off of our social media groups for either breaking the rules, or it is evident that you need to participate in Discord, Reddit, etc. (roughly an inactive period of 90 days)." I consider this subjective- I have even waited over a year before kicking people who did not contribute a thing off Discord.

- My philosophy is an open community that works together through stories up to matches and, on occasion, voting. It is also a game "soft" rule. You can close posts simply by stating "closed" in the subject header or elsewhere, but please do not abuse this and close every post you make. This discourages and defeats the concept of an open community working together and generating unique and spur-of-the-moment events.

- It's fun to write a lot, but please have a balance (i.e., approximately 1000 words per match post). Other e-Feds limit the amount of word counts. It is another "soft" rule, especially for your matches. Please be mindful that quantity does not necessarily equal quality. And you cannot simply write an 80-page essay and expect you deserve a title belt just for that alone. Titles are awarded through various means- from player decisions to decisions made by the Staff to voting decisions. These decisions should be based on not just what you write but how well you write, how entertaining it is, how much media you use, and how well you perform on the RPG board.

- Goals for Matches. I'd rather see 50 pages worth of content if the players are going back and forth writing, and it's exciting and progresses the match logically, and you finish it within a couple of weeks. However, there ought to be a cutoff point, and you must finish the game. Please finish your matches within one month of their posting. Ideally, it should be no more than two weeks, but this e-Fed is not a gigantic roster-filled one, and we all have lives. I will bug you 1-month elapses. In one month, I will then ask to finish the match, or I will decide on a finishing post, resulting in a draw or an outcome you may not like.

- What is the golden rule for how long a match should be regarding content/amount of replies before someone writes an ending? If you and your fellow opponent are having fun writing up a long match- I will only stop you if you go over a month. Then I strongly encourage you to finish it very soon because the show must go on. If you reach page 4 of your initial posting block, wrap it up.

- We primarily post by taking turns... However, please be mindful that the show must go on within a reasonable time, especially regarding matches. Give your opponent several days to a week to post (but ensure that you contact your opponents to discuss if they need extra time and inform a staff member in that case). If they do not hear from them and they have not posted, and it's been a week since they did, then go ahead and post again. If another week elapses, we will consider that your opponent still needs to be shown. When they no-show, either you edit your last post to include an ending or reply again to your post to write an ending... or a staff member can do it/make a match determination at that point. A staff member may state that you won due to a no-show.

- If a player no-shows. Honestly, this is frowned upon in this e-Fed because the etiquette is to contact your opponent(s) and the staff members to tell them ahead of time that you cannot participate in the match for whatever reason you have. But if you disappear from the face of this Earth (figurative language here) and then come back and act like nothing happened + expect to pick up where you left off regarding your progress- well, guess what? No. You will have a penalty against you, and you cannot partake in the next event or able to earn a title for a penalty period of 1 month.

- Out-of-Character board or any other means of communicating out-of-character.
Our OOC board is meant to prepare/plan and set up angles or to waste time if you want. ALL the rules in this e-Fed exist on the OOC board. Use common sense and be respectful and kind to each other using the OOC board. Show respect. If you agree with them, don't say anything.

- Why is one of the disclaimers (the bit above saying we don't exclusively own our characters/content on here seen above) saying we are just visitors/guests?

First thing, as I posted at the top of this whole thing:
The purpose of and for why we have detailed rules is severalfold. One is to ensure that the gameplay is void of unfairness and personal drama, which causes negative adverse effects on the player(s). Two, to protect the game from attempts at causing harm to its entity (i.e., intellectual and artistic copyright infringement). Third, to ensure that lawsuits are not a reality. It is doubtful that a lawsuit could happen. especially since, we are not a payed service of any kind and we do this voluntarily. But you can never tell; that is why we wrote extensive privacy and copyright clauses, including how you interact here. For example, any original content you post or send to CreatureWrestling becomes the property of CreatureWrestling. This clause is not there to piss you off or steal your stuff- you can do whatever you want with your stories, such as taking them elsewhere and using them however you so please- but what you cannot do is threaten us for housing your stuff (such as demanding your posts back or expect that your content, when used by other players, is infringing on your creative rights, or even using your stuff for the usage of stories and general gameplay)- and you cannot steal our stuff (such as making a copy of e-fed based on our work). Suppose you want to be a logical human being and show you care about this genre and want to preserve it. In that case, I am happy to help you out, give you permission on contingencies, and adapt "Creature" e-feds to your own e-fed because I am old, and I wouldn't want to see this genre disappear from the internet. If you want to sit down and have this explained to you, then we can arrange an appointment.

In layperson's terms: don't get into a hissy-fit and think that you're screwed and what you post you don't own, such as your characters and ideas-- no, those are yours. You can also take your character to other e-Feds- I don't care- that is your business. But what you write here stays here. Others can use what you write here, which also makes sense since you may need to use your character in a promo, narration, or storyline. The only exception to what I just said is if there is an issue with another player personally- such as if they are bullying you if they are ruining your story using your characters (see the rule about "using other people's characters above), etc.-- then you can explicitly ask the Staff and roster to please not use your character in other people's storylines/matches, but you have to have an excellent reason. Finally, because you write here, you do not own our game mechanics and original game concepts or "CreatureWrestling."

- But but but I get to do what I want, when I want, how I wish waa waa... this is ours because... um... we post on the e-Fed... this is my time/my work...

If someone tells you, like someone in the past lol, this is your game, and we all own this. They are full of sh** and just playing the sympathy card to recruit you for their own e-fed. On the one hand, you do have ownership. We work as a community, but the ownership aspect (i.e., your actual stories, media made, time and effort) has limitations. There ought to be limitations because in the real world, running any website, no matter how small, costs ongoing money and time for the developer. And, if players think that they own everything, they believe they can do whatever they want and ignore the rules, steal game mechanics and practically everything that they can think of, and you have mass issues all over the place (yeah, I've been there- I seen this first hand what could happen). Again, in the real world, when an original work of art is created, it is automatically protected under copyright law in the United States. The reoccurring problem with online communities is this sense of ownership by those adding content to the website, especially over time. Players are indeed significant, and their contributions are essential and rewarding, but we must also protect the website from those who wish to cause harm. Trust me when I say that I have been through the ugliest moments and lived to tell about it- hence this response, lol, and my attempts to prevent that from EVER happening again. If communities are left unchecked and not explained that they do not own the website that they are contributing to, then what always tends to happen- is you will get someone dumb enough to want to steal everything and infringe on my website- they think that they can take what they did AND take everything else that they did not make. Shockingly, I am all for keeping Creature E-Feds alive. I always have, but it has to be done the right way. It is wrong to rip off everything because you like it. I am flattered that you find what I did and everything, but that does not give you the right to use it. All you have to do is ask me and expect there will be rules, contingencies, and credit CreatureWrestling. We are the original and first Creature E-Fed. I have a question: how would you feel if I stole something you loved dearly and used it, claiming it as my original thing and burning bridges?

Okay, you may read the rest:

I also totally "get it" that one thinks that you're pouring in all of your time for the betterment of this e-Fed and yourself and that it is the community that is keeping the e-Fed alive on resources that they did not make—yes, yes, the community places a pivotal role, but this is still an internet company and the other side of the hemisphere is that the e-Fed Owner pours in massive amounts of time and money in operations and maintaining the place and developing brands, media, original game mechanics, etc that was not created by anyone else.

Does this mean that I am not aware or grateful? I have always been well aware (and grateful) that players are essential, and I mostly have great relationships and am thankful. I wouldn't hold on so long if I wasn't.

But, anyway, I love playing with other players, and I promote the heck out of your characters, work with storylines, and take all of the heat when something doesn't go perfect. But it's also disrespectful and unkind to treat me poorly. I learned to accept that it's not always the case all players are good players; that is why I am fine if I am here alone or if there is a tiny roster. I would rather be and play around a small group of good people, than a big group of jerks.

While CWE is not exclusively yours just because you post on it, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate your emotional and artistic investment in your work. I understand that the e-Fed can feel like your baby, but it's important to remember that CWE is a service that is paid for and maintained. I've witnessed how a sense of ownership from players can potentially harm this delicate service/genre. I am truly grateful for your contributions, and I also deeply respect the time and effort from everyone to uphold this e-Fed.

But. You DO NOT get to do whatever you want anywhere, from stealing our game mechanics and ideas to developing your own version to causing all sorts of drama. If you think that ripping off CWE to make your own e-Fed will get back at us, I have news: it has been done. It all flopped because the dolts who did that had no idea what they were getting themselves into, they did not possess the necessary skills to operate a website, and their lack of creativity and skills was astonishing. When issues arose, they, of course, drowned.

So, if that doesn't deter you- let's put it into perspective: to get started on a website to compete, you would have to pay for the registration of a website every year (~17.00/yr), then purchase a web hosting company. I spend $300 bi-yearly for a cloud server. You may get a shared hosting company for cheap, like $3.75 a month, but they always want a package for 36 months. So expect to cough up a reasonable $130 upfront... but then they jack up the price after that introductory year. A shared hosting package gives you just enough to run a website, but the bandwidth becomes a problem if you have fewer visitors, so you may have to pay more, and SSL certificates (which we have) can cost upwards of $60 a year.

After you shell out cash for your website creation, you must MAKE THE WEBSITE (days upon weeks of work to make a decent-looking one, not counting ongoing maintenance), then decide on the platform to run your message board. Sorry, there's no Network54 anymore to make a free account on or pay money to take off ads-- so you can't simply rip off my idea on that message board anymore. Unless you know PHP and SQL to install a PHPBB like this one- you're pretty much screwed- but there are free message boards out there, but they, of course, have ADs which means you still have to pay extra (typically, that's $35 or more a year). So far, the math shows you are paying about $350-400 just to get started... and that is ongoing yearly.

Then, there are the authoring programs and the training I went to college for (which cost me years and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition) that you would need to operate your e-Fed. It's no secret that I use the industry standard programs from Adobe Creative Suite. I pay with a discount because I teach: $19.99 a month ($59.99 if you are not in education).... so, that screws you up... now you are paying $719.88 a year to use the same software that CreatureWrestling is using... hey, you wanted to compete since you believe by posting on here you own the e-Fed, right? (But stealing is cheaper). And now, imagine paying for all of this for 24 years and ensuring you have the time to manage the entire e-Fed anywhere from the coding, database, producing news, posting on social media, and then running your characters (I have about 25 characters) and make PPVs (and creature trons). I know I will likely leave out a ton more, but you will get the picture by now.

And the craziest thing about all this is that I have never ever profited from running CreatureWrestling. I do it because writing is a passion. I find it fun and creative to do this, and I get to practice what I have learned throughout my life. If I were to ever sell CreatureWrestling, you're looking at least $9,600-$12,000 (to cover the years of hosting at least) for a decent bid to make this sort of breaking even (but that does not take into account the countless hours producing graphics/branding logos, motion clips, and writing).

- I think I get it. Although I am a player and get to play on a free website where I don't pay a penny for excellent services and get praised, are you still opposed to expanding the e-Fed?

Here is the most peculiar and perhaps sorrowful thing: never have I ever encountered a moment when a player(s) genuinely wants to adapt everything we've built here to another place, all in the name of preserving our beloved 'Creature' e-Feds, and not as a means to dismantle CreatureWrestling in the process. Whenever an "adaption" was made (and always without my consent except for one time, which went south because that e-fed's intent was harmful towards CreatureWresting), it was always out of spite and revengeful thinking and often about power control. There will inevitably come a time, as we are all human, when I won't be present... so the proper adaptation of CWE is something I would be deeply invested in and actively participate in. Unfortunately, when this game was 'adapted,' or more accurately, stolen, it led to consequences that severely damaged our fragile player base. And note: the places that did that did not unsurprisingly survive.

So what would be the "right way"? For once, actually, come to me about your ideas and respect my decision about it going forward—I am basically giving you permission to use my stuff. Give credit to CreatureWrestling, and don't burn your bridges. Respect and honor go a long way. Be open for collaboration, and don't use your e-Fed as a launching pad for drama and sabotaging the other. So, basically, use common sense.

- Okay. Okay... Okay..... I get it, but why do we need rules?!

What I learned as an actual teacher in real life is that your choices have consequences. It can be a good or bad choice, and the consequences follow. Make good choices. This e-Fed could be better- not all human beings are ideal. I may make a decision that sucks... but I own up to my failures and learn from them and make a better choice. The e-Fed has structure for a reason, and this is not kindergarten, which means, I assume, that we are all adults by now and understand how to act like one.

We have to have rules so that there is as much of a fair balance as possible. Does this mean there will be screw-ups? Oh yeah, there will be screw-ups. But I'd rather that you come to me and explain what is bothering you than for you to keep it all to yourself, and that festers and boils down the road.

At the end of the day, the e-fed Owner deals with all of the consequences, anywhere from script failures to carrying onward the e-fed into the future. Although I don't have to, I repay you not just through all of my hard work making this place, etc., but also by providing praises, images, and trons for you, and I provide credit whenever I can for your contributions. But the e-Fed will always be here as long as I will it or die, lol.

The e-Fed company will fight if it has to. We have a legal right to enforce our copyright claims and protect this place from being sued or threatened—just like any other company—but I will most likely ignore you because I have better things to do with my time than discipline babies.

- Okay... I have questions about copyright...

The nitty-gritty is that when any intellectual production of work that is created is automatically protected under copyright law:

"Copyright exists automatically in an original work of authorship once it is fixed..." Source: https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/