The Future of the OAOAST

[Papacita 0]

A little while ago I was reading the Introduction to the OAOAST write up that Tony did a while back, and while going through the history section that deals with how it all began and I got to thinking to myself that 1)I have been posting at this damn message board for WAY too long ...and 2) it's amazing how far along this fed has come since the beginning. I mean, I wasn't involved in the original One & Only Anglesault thread, but I was around for all the events that surrounded it's creation, and it's kinda crazy to think that all led to what we've got today.

 

Now, if you haven't figured it out by now, I way too much time on my hands today, and considering that it's the end of the year anyway, I figured that a good way to kill some time and/or fulfill my independent thought quota for 2005 would be to start this thread.

 

So basically--to cut through all the bullshit--what do you see for the OAOAST in 2006 and beyond? Website? Merchandise? Strippers? Weekly AIM chats (which you promised me when I signed up, Malibu! WHERE'S MY WEEKLY AIM CHATS, DAMN IT?!?!?)?

 

Well...

[Failed Bridge 0]

Its headed down the same road as the WWE.

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

Making money and loved by millions? Sweet.

[Failed Bridge 0]

that was their old road. They're headed down "Nobody Gives A Shit St" followed by "Broke Ass Nigga Blvd" since they've been on the "Dumb As Fuck Freeway" for so long now.

 

OAOAST needs a large captivating angle very badly.

[NYU 0]

Stop trying to win the Biggest Bastard of an Idiot award. Voting ended already.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Well as long as we've got people writing, apparently people give a shit, so that part of your opinion is null and void.

 

Papa, if you've noticed, my AIM time got cut down drastically in the last six months or so, due to some more responsibility at work, classes on top of that, and just the stressors of life in general. I used to be able to AIM it up a lot at work, post HD for us and everything, and a lot of that freedom has lessened, although I do get some posting/writing time in while on the clock (such as now).

 

As for FFMS calling us "Dumb As Fuck", well, Pot. Kettle. Black. I love how the only negative opinions of this place are from people who a)have no idea what it is, or b)did something that pissed everyone rightfully involved in the company off.

[Failed Bridge 0]

that was the WWE I called Dumb as Fuck and the rest of the stuff. Without a hard hitting and captivating angle then this fed could end up going down the same road.

 

Shut up BOBBY~, I'm gonna win that award. You'll see

 

And this isn't a company. Companies make money. This is more a club

[Papacita 0]

Papa, if you've noticed, my AIM time got cut down drastically in the last six months or so, due to some more responsibility at work, classes on top of that, and just the stressors of life in general. I used to be able to AIM it up a lot at work, post HD for us and everything, and a lot of that freedom has lessened, although I do get some posting/writing time in while on the clock (such as now).

It's cool. I'm rather anti-social anyway. I'm the type of person who'll get everybody's screen name just so I can block them.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

As for FFMS calling us "Dumb As Fuck", well, Pot. Kettle. Black. I love how the only negative opinions of this place are from people who a)have no idea what it is, or b)did something that pissed everyone rightfully involved in the company off.

 

 

WOW WOW WOW. You can call FS lots of things but he's not "dumb as fuck", he's rather intelligent at times.

 

Let's stick to calling FS out on his CC stalking.

 

ya fuckin' drama queens

[Hoff 0]

When I came in two years ago, we had maybe twice as many writers as we do now. People just keep quitting. I'm not talking about guys like me and Bobby and the drama queen over there...I mean guys like Papa, longtime members, as well as guys like CWM and Some Guy who came back but didn't stay. It just seems like nothing is holding interest anymore, and it's kind of sad because this place used to be really hoppin'. I don't think it's going to DIE or anything, but it would be nice to see some new blood. The worst thing was guys like Steviekick and that horror movie guy, who signed up, but did nothing. It just feels kind of bleak at times. Everyone knows how I feel about the current angle, but those personal opinions aside, the fact is that either nobody knows we're down here, or nobody cares. I don't know how to change that, which is why I've kept my opinion to myself, but as long as we're discussing the issue, I am kind of worried about the longevity of the OAOAST. If there was a way to recruit (this is where NGA busts in with the chants of "SWF INVASION"), that'd be great, but we can't force people into a hobby.

 

I don't know what else to say on the issue, and I wish I had answers, and I want everyone to know that I'm not trying to run the place down; this is a concern I've had for about a year now. But I believe it needs to be addressed.

[Failed Bridge 0]

WOW WOW WOW. You can call FS lots of things but he's not "dumb as fuck", he's rather intelligent at times.

 

Let's stick to calling FS out on his CC stalking.

You're going to ruin my reputation. Now I'll have to go sit in the corner and start picking my nose while drooling all over myself to uphold it. I haven't spoken to CC in about 3 months either. Its not because I'm upset at her or anything but I feel she's pretty busy right around now as I see her on maybe once a week. I don't want to go filling up her inbox with random messages saying "hello" and "hope you're doing well and hope to talk to you soon".

 

Anyways, I will say this. One of the main problems of the OAOAST is the fact that there's so many damned "mods". Almost everybody has access to the GCF and because of that its real difficult to go about setting up something shocking and what not for the few involved here. It was insanely difficult to keep most of the twists and turns of the program me and Cal did from other members when I was involved because of everybody who has access to that folder. Almost everybody can basically see what may go down on the next show without having to read the actual piece because of the discussion in there.

 

You really should only have 2 or 3 people tops being allowed to see that particular folder. Malibu, Whomever's World Champion, and perhaps one other(or none since PK is a mod and can go in there anyways).

[NYU 0]

In my opinion, if you compare the beginning of 2005 in the OAOAST with the end of 2005, it becomes obvious the federation has taken a downward spiral. I'm not saying this to put down anybody in particular -- specifically, Popick, who has done a better job with the title than I had expected at first -- but it just seems evident to me. There are less great writers here, less exciting angles to work with. Hell, the atmosphere in the OAOAST folders has taken a hit, with less people seeming to care than they once did. There isn't the same type of joking around and bonding there once was. There are certain steps the OAOAST should take for 2006.

 

First off, this Civil War angle has left the federation stagnant. I spoke out against it months ago when I felt it was falling apart, and I'm speaking out against it now. You could put some of the blame on Hoff or myself if you want, and that's fine, but the thing has been pretty directionless from Day One. There were never really any set money-making angles that were going to come from it, there were never any important results that were going to come from it -- hell, up until I lost my modship in August, no one had any idea who was going to win or where it was going. I was one of its main proponents in the beginning, until I realized the mastermind behind it had no plan what he wanted to do with it besides have it be big and huge and involve everybody in the federation. When I left the OAOAST in August, I realized fully that the angle was directionless and that this lack of direction was not going to change. It still seems to be that way, sweeping the majority of wrestlers along with it. I would think the angle should be dropped -- or at least, quickly ended -- in the first month or two of 2006 and pushed aside for something else that can drum up interest. This clearly isn't doing it. It not only hasn't inspired any writers of value to join the federation, but it's actually lost several prominent writers because of how it has damaged the OAOAST. It's silly to cling onto something that I'm sure, if everyone took off the blinders and looked at it for what it was, could see is not working. Drop it and build something else.

 

Second, I do see where Adam is coming from with the "too-many-mods" tidbit. When I wanted to make my return back in May, I had to do a lot of work to make sure the bare minimum of people knew. I couldn't post it in the GCF folder because then, instantly, 95% of the federation would know what I was doing. In January, when I had AJ Flaire reappear as Drek's mystery opponent, I posted about it in the GCF Folder days before the angle was posted. What happened? There was a total lack of surprise in the revelation, which seemed to lead to a lack of interest in the program. What good does it do if everybody knows the inner workings of each angle? There's no need for all the mods, since it only seems to hurt things rather than help it. By posting up polls in the GCF Folder and asking all the mods to respond, you're only restricting two or three OAOAST members from the conversation anyway. You might as well post it in one of the federation public folders and let everybody take part. Everybody contributes to the federation equally, albeit with different measures of quality.

 

Third, I've always been known to be a gigantic whore for this, but I'm going to mention it again. Feedback. With the exception of certain shows, the feedback for many HeldDowns and Pay-Per-Views has been lacking severely. I know for myself, and for various others as well, if no one leaves their thoughts on something I write, I have less inclination to put as much devotion into it in the future. Take a couple of minutes out of your day and just leave some thoughts for the stuff people write. That's always been an issue here, but it's especially prominent in the OAOAST's current state.

 

If I think of more, I will definitely post it. But these are some of my initial thoughts on how the OAOAST could improve in 2006.

[Adam 0]

First off, this Civil War angle has left the federation stagnant. I spoke out against it months ago when I felt it was falling apart, and I'm speaking out against it now. You could put some of the blame on Hoff or myself if you want, and that's fine, but the thing has been pretty directionless from Day One. There were never really any set money-making angles that were going to come from it, there were never any important results that were going to come from it -- hell, up until I lost my modship in August, no one had any idea who was going to win or where it was going. I was one of its main proponents in the beginning, until I realized the mastermind behind it had no plan what he wanted to do with it besides have it be big and huge and involve everybody in the federation. When I left the OAOAST in August, I realized fully that the angle was directionless and that this lack of direction was not going to change. It still seems to be that way, sweeping the majority of wrestlers along with it. I would think the angle should be dropped -- or at least, quickly ended -- in the first month or two of 2006 and pushed aside for something else that can drum up interest. This clearly isn't doing it. It not only hasn't inspired any writers of value to join the federation, but it's actually lost several prominent writers because of how it has damaged the OAOAST. It's silly to cling onto something that I'm sure, if everyone took off the blinders and looked at it for what it was, could see is not working. Drop it and build something else.

 

I agree, and its about time you posted that rather than just 'lol malibu sux0rz civil war sux0rz'. This whole 'war' thing has gone on for a few months now, and it is restricting a lot of characters' movements. I was against the idea, then for the idea, and now that the idea is happening, it just doesn't seem to be working as well as everyone thought it would. I think to fix this, we need to almost let it whither away, move on, mention it less, and start a new era. 2006 could quite possibly be the perfect time to start that era. At the moment, the shows revolve around three things: the civil war, the tag division, and the womens division. That's fine, but I think if we scrapped the war and went back to the way everything was this time last year, we'd be a whole lot better served. Look at WWE. After they did a 'war' angle - the Invasion - they had nowhere to go. Things started to suck. We need to make sure the same thing doesn't happen. Now, I'm not about to blame people and point fingers, because its not the way to handle things. But I do think we, as a group, need to sit back, look at the state of this place, and change it. Because it needs changing.

 

NYU, I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of the not-leaving-feedback thing. Totally guilty. I've got no one to blame for that other than myself, and its the same for everyone else. Its good to harp on about it, becaue whether people admit it or not, nagging works. I do believe that the OAOAST can get back to late 2004/early 2005 levels again. We just need to assess our options, and do what's right for everyone. This isn't about leadership right now. This is about input. Everyone having input, and everyone getting what they want. Or at least, as many people as possible getting what they want, and the fed being in the best position possible.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Since we're not really a company and we don't make money our main drive in even writing these storylines is feedback from our peers and when barely three people leave feedback for the shows it's hard to get motivated to write anything. I know I'm not able to feedback every show, but I try to as much as possible and when I do I always make sure to feedback everything on the show.

[Hoff 0]

Hell, I even try to leave feedback every so often, which is more than I can say for several current writers.

[Foshi 0]

I think you guys should be proud you've kept it up for so long. I was around in like 2002-early 2003 and I started visitng TSM again and decided to rejoin OAOAST just because it was still around. And as far as the future, it'll always and only be as good as the writers.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Believe me this isn't the lowest we've been. Remember when we had to cancel Intense Zone and go back to just one show because it got so bad. I think we had an Intense Zone with no matches at one point. It was just promos.

[Hoff 0]

Okay, but HeldDown was STACKED at that point. Now it's just a few writers doing a lot of characters, so it seems as big, but sometimes it reads thin. That's not a knock on anybody, as it takes a lot to write for more than one character, and those who do generally do it well. But it often shows...people only have so much time and so many ideas.

[Adam 0]

Exactly, which is why we need to all get on the same page again. Once the mood of the fed starts to improve, the quality of writing will improve, the quality of storylines will improve, and people will be more inclined to either come back, or join.

[David Blazenwing 0]

Quick question... what IS OAOAST? I mean, like what do you do? I was bored a while back and thought about joining, but I read through like eight threads and could not figure out what type of fed you guys were for the life of me.

[Hoff 0]

Wait, before we answer...are you the REAL David Blazenwing?!

 

We're noncompetitive, is the best way to put it for you. Cooperative would be a different term. And very informal.

[Adam 0]

We're an e-fed thats in the middle of your usual 'results predetermined by computer program' efeds and the SWF. We write damn good matches and build damn good storylines, all the while cooperating about who goes over at specific times. You write good stuff and you're a nice guy, and you get recognised, and soon you'll be working with the upper card guys.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

No he won't, because I'll hold him down to feud with a returning MarioLogan.

 

Seriously, I would love to hear other OAT TOASTERS chime in. I'm glad for the kind of backhanded but still nice comment NYU said. Hey, I honestly suck as a writer, and I know that, but you know, I'm back and I'm trying.

 

We're in no way shape or form in our worst form. That was what happened the last time when I tried to guide the fed to what I wanted. Oops. Yeah. Thanks for the mulligan opportunity.

 

Anyways, here's MY top 5 things we can do in the OAOAST next year.

 

1) Reduce the mods. Peter Knight, Zack Malibu, Papacita, + whoever is champion. Knight because he is a mod, Malibu because he IS, like it or not, the de facto lead here, Papa for the graphics, and the champ.

 

2) Do more than just match shows. Think about it.

 

3) Let the Champ pick the next Champ. No one else. Any storyline with the main belt is at the Champ's discretion. Also, championships should last 3-6 months. Makes it mean something, etc. One must put forth the work to be deserving (cough, Ed Wood Caufield, cough)

 

4) Promote a better sense of community. Look, we all have had some down and out times, but NGA is still here, and Hoff/NY are still around and trying to contribute positively. If I can be forgiven by CWM for all of my shit, be given an opportunity to be the "man" for awhile, we can all move forward.

 

5) End true style shoot promos in our written shows. Anything storyline is bible, but shit outside of written shows, should be taken up in other threads. Shooting is great, but it can also be a silver bullet to us.

 

Oh, and I'd be remiss without the ultimate solution:

 

6) Make SJ World Champion 4 Life.

[Papacita 0]

Agreed about the shooting. I don't recall it ever happening to the point that it got to be a serious problem (but then again, I've been dipping in and out of the fed for most of the year, so I can't say for sure), but when I've seen it it's left a bad taste in my mouth. I also agree about mods. I really don't know much about GCF and how it affects storylines and what not, but just looking at the list it's always seemed a little silly to have as many mods as we do (really, it seems like the whole fed's on the list). I dunno about modding me, though. Tony made me a mod around AM3 so that I could edit the graphics into shows, and I swore I was gonna wreck the board that week.

 

Feedback's always been an issue, but still a valid one. If it matters any, I've got some free time over the next couple of weeks and I'm gonna try and give some detailed feedback on the shows.

[Papacita 0]

You know, these days I'm kinda on the outside looking in as far as the fed goes, so I'm not sure if this is as big an issue with anybody else, but I think that we could probably benefit from more communication among the posters involved. I was really joking about the AIM chats, but really stuff like that would go a long way in promoting a sense of community--helping everyone, especially newer members, to feel more involved and what not--and also I think it'd improve the overall cohesion of the shows. I mean, I don't feel that we're all so disconnected that it's a problem, but I remember there were a couple of minor issues towards the end of my run that I feel wouldn't have happened if we'd been a little more communication. And again, I'm not suggesting weekly chats or anything, because I know it's not always feasible, but in the future it'd be nice to just touch base every once in a while just to get more familiar with one another, get a better idea of what everybody's doing, etc.

 

And fuck y'all for turning this into a serious thread! This wasn't supposed be a serious thread!

 

I knew I shoulda started a deadpool instead.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I don't even know what this GCF is, and by shoots do you mean when people pick on Puerto Rican for ripping off the Rock and such?

[Hoff 0]

I think what's meant is shoot comments in the shows themselves. "Characters" shooting on the real people behind the keyboard.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I've obviously been missing this stuff, then.

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

More community and more feedback, which I'm certainly guilty of neglecting, are certainly areas to be improved.

 

I don't think having lots of mods and the GCF are a problem...if you don't want your stuff spoiled, communicate and submit segments by PM. But I like having the GCF to talk out angles and stuff, and I'd sulk if you took mine away. So there.

 

The concerns about the Civil War lacking a coherent plan are valid. It's just a shame this is the first time I've read them properly expressed in all the months its been happening.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Oh boy, more fun stuff.

 

Firstly, because of your graphical abilities Papacita, you definitely need your modship.

Secondly, about modship, and more specifically mine. I don't use GCF for anything but posting my segments. I can do that via PM too. Therefore, because me having a modship really doesn't matter, I'd be more than happy to give up my modship whenever I'm through with this whole SJ and title thing, which things should be settled out by the end o winter).

 

Feedback is a problem, and I left my first feedback for a PPV for ClimaXXX. Not sure if it was good or helpful, but it showed I read each and every match. maybe recognition helps.

 

Hey, I'd be all in favor of a Sunday Night Hangout on AIM. That's normally a good time to be free. Perhaps we can pin a screenname list to the OAOAST folder that we can all put down, whatnot, with name, screenname, and characters controlled, and general interests.

 

But please dont ask anyone out.

 

Especially girls in Canada.