1. Different Game Mechanics On The Outside
My biggest annoyance as a wrestling fan with pretty much every wrestling game ever has been how the gameplay mechanics dont change when you exit the ring. Sure there are some environmental actions that can be performed but the grappling mirrors that of the in-ring mechanics exactly. Whats worse is how it doesnt seem to matter what move is performed on the outside, the victim will get up just as quickly as if they were in the ring. For example, hitting a powerbomb or death-plex on the outside doesnt mean that the recipient comes close to internal / neck injuries, instead they pop up as if they take the move on a mattress. Thats not all that is wrong with that scenario! The fact that you can pull off said moves so easily is a problem. How often do you see such moves performed on the harsh mats on WWE TV? Maybe once a year! The reason being of course is that them there mats aint nice to land on. Trust me! What I would want is a change in gameplay as soon as you leave the ring. The gameplay becomes more of a brawl between the participants seeing as kicks, punches and whips into objects are the norm. I would have punches and kicks created to be specific to the outside, mostly because some strikes involve the striker to jump and land awkwardly. Instead, strikes on the outside would be more animated as well as the sell itself from the opponent seeing as on TV, a wrestler who gets hit by a punch would rather flail about and fall onto the barricade / ring apron than take a bump. Grapples would also be different and, instead of a collar and elbow tie up (when have we EVER seen one of these on the outside), you would instead grab your opponents mid-section as if you are about to ram them into the nearest obstacle or hold their head waiting to give a big punch. From there the next phase of the grapple would be the natural follow up. This would be great for reversals also as they would be much simpler than, and not as technical as their in ring counterparts. Again, when have you seen a reversal into an armbar / wristlock on the outside? But, its always a spectacle to see a disgusting move done on the outside which causes some serious injury now isnt it? Much like the OMG moments from WWE 13; powerful slams and suplexes could only be performed once a finisher is stored. Once more this would mean that superstars would need a couple of Outside Finishers as well as all their others. Potentially they could just mirror their usual finishing manoeuvres but, with John Cena for example, one could be the Attitude Adjustment and the other could be his Blue Thunder Bomb. Once one of these moves is hit, the recipient may not be able to get up to answer the ten count if the match has gone on for some time. It would also bring in an element of strategy. Firstly, would you risk potentially wasting a finisher and hoping they stay down for ten or hold off until your back in the ring? Also, if youre a big man whose strikes pack a whollup, you may want to move the action to the outside to isolate a smaller opponent. I have also countered the possibility of a player simply spamming the running strikes / grapples. Have the character have the limited ability of only running in straight line bursts on the outside and if they miss their opponent, they run the risk of colliding with the apron / barricade / announce table. All of the above game mechanics would also need to be translated to being on top of the Cell or on the gridding in a Chamber match and would really make the matches seem much more legit. Also, if done right, these additions would take nothing away from the enjoyment of the game itself. Let me know what you think and also, anything else you feel is missing from WWE games to really immerse the player.