Mad Scientist

I've noticed the move resests too. At first, I thought it was just a change when you were outside of your normal finishing zone (for instance, if you had a finisher that required the ropes or turnbuckle, and you were on the outside (without any secondary finisher that would fit). Then I noticed that my CAW's also changed at other points. Sloppy coding. Honestly, there were a few good points, but it seems that the SDvRAW games are depending too much on their newer features to carry the games without really making corrections to a lot of problems. And sometimes they inexplicably drop cool features or eliminate options for no good reason. The good stuff about 2008 is a short list: the Struggle Submission system, the additional enviromental hotspots (included a cool chop spot in the corner), the fighting styles, the new finishers included in the game (Player's Boot, Kenny's leg drop, the Elijah Express), streamlined Ultimate Control Moves (only one fireman's carry move, etc.), and the additional springboard moves. The bad stuff is a much longer list, unfortunately: the limited number of moves (specifically submission holds) available (they dropped 80% of the submission moves since 2006 for no explicable reason, and they also lost a lot of the "indie" finishers and different versions of some of their moves [i specifically liked the old Scott Steiner reverse DDT]), quirky moveset shifts, funky bugs in the 24/7 mode, extremely annoying advancement system for CAWs (I hate the workout idea...I preferred the old points system), a roster that lacks a lot of the better wrestlers, the inability to play 30% of the roster in 24/7 mode, the loss of the the ability to pick your opponent up so that the face away from you (an essential for any decent back grapple finisher), and the continued inclusion of the absolutely useless Divas as playable characters (I wouldn't object to their inclusion if they could be used for anything in the basic workings of the game, but you can't play them in 24/7, there aren't enough of them to warrant an actual women's tournament match, and the ones they included are the mostly worthless ones [Melina, McCool, Maria - really only Mickie and Candice are remotely worthwhile]). How do you go from an pretty darn good game in 2006 to this? I just don't understand.

The 24/76 mode is really bug-ridden. Sometimes, a storyline will work just fine, and all your choices and selections will go through correctly. Then the next time that storyline comes up (because to reach legend status with a CAW, you're going to have to play through at least 2 years), it will go completely wonky. I remember the Stephie/Title forfeit just forced me to give up the title, but the second time that story came up, it didn't force a forfeit, and I actually kept the title...a line of code is screwed up somewhere in there.

You should be able to hold the R1 and press up or down on the control pad...I think. They still may be utterly incompetent at it, but they should at least enter the ring. I've found it works best to call them in just before you go for the pin or just as your submission hold is locked in. The kit gives you an overall 80, and you can raise them further through the workout regimen in 24/7 mode. Whoopee. So for those of us who like to make a plethora of different CAWs with different stats, the game sucks. Niiiiiiiiiiiice. Well, each kit is designed to highlight a particular fighting styles main stats...so if your CAWs actual stats will be a little different, depending on which premium kit you use for that wrestler. Each kit will give you a 90 in the fighting style's primary stat and good stats in related categories. Of course, you still need to run each CAW through 24/7 to pump their overalls up above 80.

You should be able to hold the R1 and press up or down on the control pad...I think. They still may be utterly incompetent at it, but they should at least enter the ring. I've found it works best to call them in just before you go for the pin or just as your submission hold is locked in. The kit gives you an overall 80, and you can raise them further through the workout regimen in 24/7 mode.

Toxxic, would you prefer to beat me by pinfall, submission, or DQ? Just so I can be prepared, y'know.

Yeah, they just dropped the entire weight deal. You'll still occasionally see that "I'm too heavy" no-sell, but it shows up as a big guy counter now. I thought they had things right in SDvR2006...you can only lift someone one weight category above you. Heavyweights can lift superheavyweights, but light heavyweights can't. I still can't fathom why these developers felt the need to break things that worked well in previous versions.

Take that, Uncontested Interview Segment! Hah!

Welcome, welcome!

I need to start. Right now, I don't want to dilute the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT coming up in the House of Marvelous segment. Or at least, that's my current excuse.

Stone Cold could hit the Stunner on a mentally challenged quadriplegic orphan nun and get a face pop. Great promo by the way.

TNA: Yes, but Ventura was not still governor when TNA did the Starr gimmick...! Ha!

TNA: Look how great Lethal got over with his Machismo gimmick? This will get Williams over big! He'll be a parody of an even bigger star and current governor!

Yep. The sad part is, whether he's reading his script or adlibbing, he's always awful. He sounds like he's been kicked in the unmentionables while having an asthma attack.

Honestly, Tomko has improved immensely. He and AJ have grown on me as a team as well. "Serious" Tomko is working very well. They need to distance him from Angle and Christian to let him really have a chance to shine. Not that I'm sure he will, but what I've been seeing from him, both in the ring and out, has been surprisingly good.

Yeah, I know, but if you were playing with your own CAW from the outset, and didn't try simming through a season first with Undertaker or someone to get cash, then you debut as an overall 37. Personally, I bought the kits because I used the simulated season shortcut, but that means that I've had to cheat to get around a simply foolish aspect of the game's design. Which is not good in a game that has gone through at least 6 prior incarnations by this point.

My suggestions for a better SDvsRAW would be as follows, in no particular order: Add more moves in general. They can do this either by bringing back moves they dropped since 2006 (there were tons of great moves in SDvsRAW 2006) or by coopting the move list from DOR2, or both. Add more submissions. I like the new Struggle Submission system. It's a great strategic minigame (as opposed to the button-bashing and/or slide bar). However, right now there are only about 15 moves (if that) using the system, including moves that NO ONE has ever submitted to in modern wrestling (Abdominal Stretch...I'm looking at you). Where's the crossface chicken wing or Cloverleaf? Sadly, they kept some of the submissions on the roster and just didn't implement the new system, which just basically puts the cloverleaf and anklelock into the realm of the headlock or arm wringer. Lazy. Drop the voice work. It's all crappy. And it's all the same commentary as the last couple of years, just with a few different voices. Or, if voice acting must be included, only use it for the cutscenes in season mode. Then it at least makes some sense. Don't have CAWs begin as automatically inferior to the pregenerated wrestlers. I don't mind having to work up a ladder to a title shot, but come on...starting me at overall 37? Let wrestlers start out at somewhere close to most wrestlers who debut on TV...at least at overall 60-70. My CAW Powerhouse should not have the overalls of one of the Divas when he debuts on TV. If they did some kind of developmental mode, this could be okay...my guy starts in training as a loser, but then is competent by the time he shows up on WWE TV. Lower card titles should be included in career mode. I should have the option of going after the US, IC, or even the tag team belts in the career mode. Jumping right into word title contendership is a bit much for a debuting wrestler. Strangely enough, DOR1&2 had this kind of thing, as did the abortive Xbox game Wrestlemania 21 (at least a little bit). SDvsRAW has ignored the intermediate titles for too long.

No, just examples of other stuff that were fads during the same time period. Can't really say Nine Inch Nails or Tim Burton when they're still putting out new material. Didn't Smashing Pumpkins just kick out something new in the last couple of months? I remember hearing something to that effect on Ye Olde Radio.

A title shot for Petey would be great. He and Angle (even as slow as Angle has now become) could have a great match. I would mark out like a bitch if Angle took a Canadian Destroyer. Even if he managed to sneak a foot on the ropes to break the pin, or his wife interfered, it would still show that TNA was willing to let its young talent look good against their new "old guard" of WWE/WCW drafts. Angle might even be willing to do this, as it seemed like he was the one that pushed a clean finish loss to Jay Lethal.

I gotta agree with you. It's so goddamn slow. Goldberg and Rhyno's spears were much faster. Edge just looks like he walks up the opponent and spears them And it looks like he just hugs them to the ground. He doesn't clip the legs or anything. He just runs at the opponent and grabs them in a waistlock, and the guy falls as if it was an actual tackle. At least Lashley's lackluster spear involves him looking like he's clipping the legs at impact. This is another good point. Edge has that great looking Edgecution DDT, the Edgeucator, and hell, even his old Downward Spiral is better than the Spear as a finisher. Using it as a setup is okay (I'd prefer he dropped it, but that's not going to happen), since that's how it is used by other 5 guys on the roster that use it, including Batista.

No problem. It really works well in multiman ladder matches (MITB comes to mind), because even if one wrestler comes up after you, another will tip the ladder. If you've gotten the belt with both hands, you can hang from it and not fall, while the other guy climbing the ladder eats canvas. So far, none of the computer guys have been smart enough to knock me off the belt if that kind of thing happens.

I think Raven could do great as a color commentator. Pair him with Tenay, and cut the screaming out, and things could get better commentary-wise. This certainly doesn't solve the main problems (wacky-ass booking and burying your young talent in stupid gimmicks and squash matches for people like 3D and/or the Steiners).

Okay, now I know what you were talking about. And that double chokeslam is gold.

Climb to the top of the ladder and push both analog sticks up at the same time. Your ladder must be directly under the suitcase/belt/whatever, though. If the ladder isn't properly placed, you might just nose dive off the ladder and take a bit of damage.

You can be unhappy with your job and still not be willing to quit. If your family needs the steady paycheck, you don't just drop a job because you're unhappy. You need something at least as good, and hopefully better, lined up before you do that. I get frustrated just watching TNA's booking sometimes; I can only imagine having my career directly attached to that fiasco. That being said, I still wouldn't quit unless I knew I was walking into a steady job. Plus, you've got to understand that TNA has one of the easiest schedules of any wrestling promotion, especially one with a prime time TV deal.

I have no idea what that was about. But apparently, it's bad to be late.