Overall Game Rules [Updated: 02/25/2025]

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.

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

Our age rating is PG-17*:

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 MATCH WIN RULES
How to win? There are two primary ways:
<<The Traditional Way>>
1) You collaborate with your opponent(s), make a plan/script, and post the match win based on your determination. You may decide as you post through the match itself or before- its entirely up to your team.
2) If you need a different way and cannot decide how to win a match, you may request a Staff member to determine the win for you. You may also rate your match using our rubric: To rate a match for a win, read the instructions: viewtopic.php?t=776 Optional: you can use a google form to rate a match: https://forms.gle/8Nnua4mFzDAhh6R69

<<The Typical Way>>
1) If you choose this route, you post on the "Promo to Win" forum during our event window. Once the window ends, you may still consult your partners and go the traditional way. Or have the staff judge your promo and provide the win. If you go this route, you may ask the staff to write the match.

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.

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.

12. Please consider the balance of the game environment when producing factions or tag teams (and in general).
There is a sensitive, fine line regarding the number of people in your faction or tag team. It makes no sense if everyone on the roster also belongs to the same faction. It also makes no sense if you have a team of 5 against one person, and the total roster is 6 people. Therefore, you ought to limit how many people can be in your faction in proportion to the number of players in the e-fed. So, there ought to be an opponent for each person in the entire e-fed, a 1:1 equivalence. So, for example, if we have eight people controlling those many characters, then therefore you can only have a faction with eight people in it. I realize this gets complicated, so perhaps you have two people controlling those eight characters because, theoretically speaking, one real-life person could have their characters in multiple factions. To simplify this, the ratio should be based on the characters. But overall, use common sense. If there is an obvious disruption/balancing issue with factions/tag team, please consider balancing out your faction. Otherwise, you may be told to do it by an official. Please be considerate of the sensitivities of game balancing and equity.

13. Staff involvement and staff holding titles/rewards.
If you are an official/staff, you cannot horde titles for yourself or your friends. If the roster is limited (i.e., less than 3 people), there is some grace with holding titles and for how long. For example, the STFs (suggested title frame) might be extended to accommodate the current reality of the e-Fed (roster ratio). Staff members who are also players receive the SAME rights and privileges that ALL non-staff players receive. They follow the SAME rules equally. But staff members are not micromanagers or directors, but instead, overall, coaches. They suggest, recommend, and assist. If a staff member is elected to judge or write matches- they must follow a strict rubric and have a peer review of their work and decision-making. A staff member CANNOT be the sole person to judge or determine a title win or any other win or award. Staff members can hold other rewards such as Hall of Fame, etc., but non-staff players are regarded as a priority amidst anything, so there is a check-and-balance system. Players can also request to decide match-win outcomes or title changes amongst themselves and override the staff recommendations for who wins what and how.

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. Oh boy, lol. My age just came out there- can't believe it. I am also a teacher and so, there ya go. My contemporaries and research that I conducted aligns to what I just stated which is terrifying.

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).

I am sorry for being overgeneralizing and arriving at conclusions. Sure, there are exceptions. I know of, and also a part of, some e-Fed circles such as Discord, where there is an obvious community. There ARE still E-Fed communities with players- and people ARE willing and able to write- the biggest culprit of all of this is, sadly, the WAY CreatureWrestling is played. See. We do not align with just posting limited content during a recursive schedule. Have a matched writer write a summary of the event based on their perception of YOUR character and determine the winning outcome. CreatureWrestling's uniqueness in that we give the players control of practically everything is a double-edged sword... CWE is its worst enemy in that regard. That is why I am adapting our game to allow for the accepted status quo while allowing our way of doing things to still be possible.

--

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."

- 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/