IWF Rules and History

IWF Fed Mission Statement & Brief History

IWF was originally founded in 2011 and was operated as a joint venture between Corey Casey, Chuck Matthews, and Brandon Macdonald. For two years, day-to-day business was handled by some combination of these three individuals, and IWF enjoyed a spot as a more relaxed company that catered to a very specific brand of writer: Rules were lax, workloads were heavier, and realism occasionally took a backseat in exchange for chaotic matches and impossible feats for entertainment and "wow" factors. For these two years, IWF enjoyed its corner of the internet wrestling world, putting out consistent weekly shows, engaging storylines, and talented champions on a regular basis.

In May 2013, the site and company as a whole was handed over to Alex Dillinger, also known as Axle Vengeance, and thus began what is now known as the Dillinger Era. Dillinger had a vision of expansion, and he ushered in an era that expanded IWF in ways it had never seen before: Realism was far more prevalent. Chaos and impossible moments, which made their presence known in the "Original IWF" were now obsolete, though IWF continued to maintain the same high quality of storylines, writers, and interaction that it did before. IWF was growing.

As 2013 drew to a close, another power shift brought IWF away from its home boards and into a new board and with it, new management: Now run by Gordon Fury, IWF continued to maintain its high quality of entertainment, but at a cost: IWF was a far stretch from what it was when it began three years prior. Even when Brandon Macdonald returned to assist in keeping the company afloat, IWF continued on its current path: Realism above all else, a stray from what IWF had begun as when it first opened up. When Fury and Macdonald were unable to continue keeping IWF running, the company was closed; No exposure of corruption, no ousting of management, no hemorrhaging of talent. IWF silently closed its doors and faded into nothing.

Two years later, Chuck Matthews, one of the original founders, has taken the time to re-examine what made IWF great and what, in the end, caused it to shut down. With a new vision in mind, Chuck Matthews intends to combine the controlled chaos of the original IWF with the evolution of later-day IWF; the IWF that evolved as the game evolved, and the IWF that could cater to the ever-changing audience of the wrestling world. This "Resurgence" as it's being called, intends to bring a new chapter to the Insurgency Wrestling Federation history book.

While IWF continues to value realism, there is a key emphasis on the "fantasy" aspect of "fantasy wrestling:" Major spots, intense matches, moves that toe the line between what's realistic and what could never be seen in a real-world wrestling promotion. This new IWF recognizes that the game has changed and continues to change. While some alterations have been made to the format of the original IWF, their statement remains the same: Give their members a good time, give them something fun to read, and keep the promotion in the roster's control.


IWF: How It Works

IWF operates on a monthly schedule, typically held on the third week of each month (in the event of a holiday, this date will change). Before each card is posted, a sign-up will be announced. Signing up is simple: Join the IWF board and reply to the sign up thread for the show you wish to compete on. If this is your first trip to IWF, you will be asked to fill out an application and post it in the relevant section. If you're no stranger to IWF and have signed the application in the past, you're already one step closer! Staff will move your application to the Event Roster page, and you'll be ready to go.

RP periods will typically be four weeks (sometimes five, depending on the month). There is no limit to the number of RP's you may write, nor is there a limit to how many words there are. However, only TWO RP's will be judged and scored. For a detailed breakdown of the way RP's are scored, please see the "Rubric" thread on this board.

IWF's RP schedule is broken down into "Preliminary Weeks" and "Final Week."
-Prelim Week refers to the period of time between when the original card is posted, and the moment that Final Week begins. You may post as many times as you like during Prelim Weeks, and the action that takes place during this time will determine the finalized card for Final Week.
-Final Week begins exactly one week before deadline. Final Week is important because it marks the moment that the card is officially "locked." The order of matches is set, and anyone booked on the card is now set as "confirmed." Only ONE RP may be posted during Final Week: This is an effort to hinder late-period posting as much as possible. Lock week ends at the final deadline.

In addition to signing up to compete for the show, you may also sign on to be a judge. You will be assigned a match to judge. If you would like a segment, you may sign up for a segment as well (see below for segment details). If you would like to write a match, you are welcome to do so; again, you will be assigned one to write. You may always request a specific match to judge/write, however, this may not always be granted if the match happens to be your own.

If you would like a segment on the show, as stated, you may sign to have one. You have the option to write the segment yourself or have the staff write it for you. Please note: If you opt to have staff write the segment, you are thereby giving them creative control for that particular segment. They will likely consult you before writing the piece, but the final edition will be their own.

There is no limit to the number of wrestlers you can bring to IWF. If you can handle the workload, you may sign up as many competitors as you like. You may even, if you prefer, compete against yourself. The roster "resets" itself after each show.

Once you have signed up for a show, you may back out at any time during the Preliminary Weeks. Once Final Week starts, the card is locked. I understand emergencies do happen, and we will make every effort to accommodate, but once Final Week begins, it will become very difficult to remove you from the card.


IWF Roleplaying Rules

IWF operates on Central Standard Time. Bear this in mind. Deadlines will always be at Midnight CST. If you are unsure what this translates to in your location, please ask.

As stated, there is NO limit to the number of RP's you may submit; however, only the BEST TWO will be judged. You are not REQUIRED to post two; however, if you post MORE than two, keep in mind that anything over that limit will not be factored into the final result.

Do not use other people's characters in your RP without their permission. Seriously, this is like, the universal RP rule of the universe. Just don't do it. You may use IWF NPC's as you see fit, but we ask that you do not maim/injure/otherwise harm them, as we need them for the shows. Also, please ask if you wish to use staff's characters. 

IWF is a roleplaying federation. Results are based on RP's, and as in most other places, quality will beat out quantity. If you write one superb RP, it will absolutely top two sub-par RP's. As stated, RPs will be judged based on a rubric. This rubric will be made available for you to consult at any time. If you wish to judge, you will be asked to use this rubric as well. This is to allow anyone who wishes to judge to do so, while still maintaining fairness within the fed and cut down on bias as much as possible.

While there is no maximum word count in IWF, there IS a minimum count of 500 words. This is to prevent writers from posting dozens of miniature RP's in order to boost their match's stock during Preliminary Week.

No shows. This is a thing that happens. I get it. Sometimes, real life gets in the way. I understand that this is just a game. However, I also recognize that this is a game that a lot of people enjoy playing, and no-showing detracts from it. As I've stated before: If an emergency situation comes up, I understand, and I'll do what I can to help you out. But the longer you wait to let me know, the tougher time I'm going to have. During Final Week especially, it'll be near impossible to remove you from the card. You'll have a 4-5 week period to write a minimum 500 words. If you suspect that's going to be a problem, we would recommend you sit that show out. We will handle no-shows on a case by case basis, but if you sign up for a show and write nothing, expect that you will not be welcome on the next event.

Do not edit RPs after they have been posted. You CAN edit to fix coding issues or spacing or things of that nature. Do not, however, add or remove pieces of your RP that alters the content.


IWF Character Creation

IWF is a created wrestler only fed. Your character must be 100% original: That means you may not write as a current wrestler or use play-on-word names that resemble existing wrestlers. Please try to keep your wrestlers mostly realistic: That is, size-wise and moveset-wise. A 350 pound wrestler likely won't be doing backflips around the ring, and a 190 pound wrestler probably shouldn't be performing triple powerbombs. Also: When selecting a pic base, please use a real person. Do not use anime characters, video game characters, etc. Use a wrestler, actor/actress, musician, whatever. It makes life easier when making graphics for the cards.

The IWF Universe Rule: IWF operates under the pretense that real-life promotions (WWE, TNA, ROH, etc) do not exist. Similarly, professional wrestlers that have made their name in those real-life promotions also do not exist in the IWF Universe. Mention of other e-feds and wrestlers is perfectly okay. This is one of the shakiest rules IWF has, and therefore one of the most lax. Still, it's written to illustrate the culture and world IWF tries to uphold.

If you're ever in need of assistance regarding writing, bouncing ideas, or just chatting about your character in general, you are always welcome to shoot the staff a PM. They're always happy to help, and may provide insight on your character and how they might succeed in IWF.


IWF Out of Character Rules

The IWF Chatbox is amazing. Seriously, it is. Stop by and say hello, it's a good time. However, with a live chat, some things just shouldn't be brought up. Racism, sexism, the usual -isms, rape, things of that nature should not be brought to the chat or any other OOC board. If somebody feels harassed and asks you to stop, do so. If you feel you are being harassed and it isn't stopping, contact a staff member and they will deal with it accordingly.

If you have personal issues with anybody, please do not take it to the chat or the OOC boards. People use these mediums to chat with fellow handlers, not to watch a shitstorm.

The chatbox, should you choose to use it, is strictly OOC. Anything you say can and will be taken as your own opinions, NOT your character's.

Do not post pornographic content on the boards. We cannot guarantee everyone is above the age of 18.

Do not advertise on the board without asking. In the future, we'll probably add a section where you can do exactly this, but it's common courtesy to ask permission before plugging your own fed. 95% of the time, we'll be cool with it so long as you ask to do it. To add to this: Don't mass-PM people. It's just kind of a dick move. IWF has one show per month; there's no members here to steal.

Please do not complain about wins/losses. If you're truly concerned that there was a bias in the result of your match, come to staff and we'll discuss it. Better to get to the bottom of things first than to assume there's a conspiracy against you. There probably isn't.

Don't be a douche. That's an official rule now. This rule covers any behavior not covered by previous rules but still falling under general douchiness. Don't be a douche.


IWF Miscellaneous Information

Feedback! You are always welcome to ask feedback of fellow writers on your RP's. I will probably always post a feedback thread after shows. You don't HAVE to leave any feedback, but please keep in mind that I'm only human and will absolutely make mistakes. If you don't leave feedback, I'll assume I'm doing well and continue the way I'm going. Of course, if you want to use the feedback thread to tell me how awesome I am and profess your undying love for me, that's cool too. It keeps me motivated, at least.

We're open to anything you guys have to say. If you want a segment, sign up for one. Or just PM it to me, I'll find a place to slip it into the show. If you want to use an IWF show to do some serious character development, awesome! Let me know, I'll hype the shit out of it. If your match is part of some crazy awesome rivalry I didn't know about, tell me! The more details you guys can give me about your characters, your history, your matches, the easier my life becomes when it comes time to write the show.

I intend IWF to be a place where you can have a straight competition with another writer. The shows are few and far between, but I do what I can to make every show special, and for those of you that stick around, I'll invest in your characters just as you invest in IWF. IWF was known for having some really cool concepts, be it match types, event gimmicks, or distinct arenas. The goal is to give you something a little different, a little crazier, maybe a little different than what you might be used to....but in an environment with very little commitment. Be cool with people, write what you want to write, have some fun with whatever you do, and I think you'll enjoy your time here.

But to get there, you're going to have to sign up for a show. So what are you waiting for? Get that app started and we'll get you a match.

Welcome to IWF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Well...no, I guess they're not "frequently asked." More like "anticipated questions." If your question isn't answered here, please ask!


Q: I used to be in IWF for the original three-year run. Do I need to fill out an application?
Yes. The application template is mostly the same, and you can absolutely copy and paste the pertinent information into the new app, but you'll notice there are some key differences, primarily in the movesets and fighting styles. For this reason, we ask that you re-submit the app, even if you've been in IWF before.


Q: I want to write my own match. Can I do that?
Only if you AND your opponent have agreed to it. This goes for ANY alteration to any of the rules. The rules serve as "defaults" if no other arrangement is made. If you and your opponent are in agreement, most (if not all) of the RP rules may be broken. If you wish to limit judging to one RP apiece or if you'd like to boost it to best 3 scored, you're welcome to do so. If you'd like to allow either handler to be able to post everything during Final week, you're welcome to. The only caveat is that ALL parties involved in the match must agree before a rule is rewritten for your particular match.

Q: Can we storyline the match?
If both parties agree, sure!

Q: You keep mentioning "Staff." Who exactly IS "staff?"
Current staff consists solely of Chuck Matthews. He writes the shows, he books the cards, he makes the graphics, he does everything.

Q: Can I be on staff?
I will never turn down help if you offer it. If you're really interested in becoming a full-time staff member, I'll likely require that you prove that you're invested in IWF: Assist in judging and match-writing for a while and it'll make a good case for you.


Q: I want more IWF. Why only one show per month?
Because I would go insane if I had to write a full show every week, and even every two weeks may be stretching it. If IWF grows and we can establish a set staff, we may certainly look into rebuilding towards a bi-weekly or weekly fed. For now, though, the monthly shows will have to suffice.

Q: So if only the best two RP's are scored, what's the incentive for writing more?
When cards are first posted, the order is malleable. Granted, occasionally this will not be the case: Sometimes, matches will HAVE to stay where they are, and sometimes due to sheer caliber they will not be allowed to move more than a slot or two (you will be well-informed if this is the case). Generally speaking, though, the order of the show will be determined by the RPs posted during Preliminary weeks: The more hype built through RP's, the higher up they'll move before the card is eventually "locked" at the beginning of Final Week. Once Final Week begins, matches will not move up or down the card. Ideally, this will create an environment where one-sided and/or less competitive matches will kick off the show, while only the most competitive and hyped-up matches will close the show. It also aims to make the main event something special: Not only does it boost the prestige of main eventing a show, it encourages both competition and cooperation with your opponent to put on a great show.

Q: You mention "themed" events. What do you mean?
In an effort to make things more interesting and fun, some events are centered around specific gimmicks, which competitors are encouraged to embrace where they can. For example: Nowhere to Run is an event centered around cage and/or cell matches. Violent Impulse favors hardcore-type matches. Isolation is the only event to feature the Isolation Dome, while Ascension introduces the Ascension Ladder Match. Still others focus on a general theme that, while not affecting matches, do offer something amusing to play to: Historically speaking, for example, Heroes Also Die revolved around comic books, and the opening hype segment typically featured IWF stars as famous heroes and villains doing battle.

Q: I have a cool idea for a match/event theme/segment. Can I use it?
Shoot it my way!

Q: What does IWF look like in terms of size?
Historically, IWF was meant to be a major promotion, akin to what WWE is to the real-world wrestling world in terms of power and influence. The new IWF will stick to this idea. Production values are very high. IWF attracts millions of fans around the world, and IWF itself rarely sticks to one place, traveling from city to city for each show.


Q: Is there anything I'm not allowed to do in RPs?
Like the OOC rules, we ask that you refrain from rampant racism/sexism/rape/homophobia/whatever. On the other hand, IWF itself is aired on MEN TV, its original network. There are no censors. Vulgarity is perfectly fine; no need to bleep yourself out (it actually might look weird). Content-wise, use your best discretion. If you're iffy about it, feel free to ask.

Q: My character is an ex-con who went away for murder. Is that okay?
Remember the mission statement of IWF: Occasionally, realism takes a backseat, provided the result is fun and entertaining. I encourage you to follow this same realm of thought. You are not required to be 100% hyper-realistic all the time. If you'd like to be, go for it, it will never be held against you. In addition, do remember that, at the most basic, your character is a professional wrestler. As such, it should be grounded in reality......but if a scene wears that line a little thin in order to tell a compelling story or give us an entertaining scene, we encourage that you do it.

Q: My character is a warlock who can slow down time. Is THAT okay?
This would be an example of straying too far from what's real. Now we might start running into problems.

Q: I signed up to this site a long time ago and now I can't remember the password. What do I do?
You can either create an all new account, OR feel free to shoot me a DM on twitter @ChuckBMatthews or @Insurgency_Fed, let me know the problem, and I'll do what I can to assist.