I created this faq in order to provide more detailed info to the people interested in PWX that might need it. I have gathered this information from different forums about PWX throughout the years:

GAMEPLAY:
It's kinda more like... No Mercy + FPD for the grapple system, FPR for the AI interface, Smackdown + No Mercy for the CAW approach and DOR for the quick grapples.

Though I think there's a miscommunication about the nature of "quick grapples" as they've been discussed. "Quick grapple" denotes a fast snag and a relatively weak move a'la an irish whip or a snapmare. Something along those lines. The finisher-related stuff like Stunners and whatever else from a "quick grapple" is something else entirely, more akin to Smackdown's way of setting up the opponent from a kick. DOR used it as a hybrid feature in their ripoff of the AKI engine, which I thought was a pretty damn shrewd feature.

"Because if this amounts to an enhanced version of the AKI grapple system, with FPR's AI settings, and Smackdown's quick grapples and non-grapple (one button) finishers, you will have truly created the last wrestling game necessary. Well, until PWX2 and expansions anyway."

There was talk of a three grapple system and U-grapples were something totally different? All I know is we need the Smackdown finisher system. That's the only thing from Smackdown that really makes it stand out.

That's the gist. The U-grapple is something else entirely, and the three-tier grapple system is an expansion on the standard AKI interface, and I do agree that Smackdown's finisher system was probably the one thing that was done brilliantly right off the bat.


What are U-grapples?
Remember how you could flip your opponent around to the Tree of Woe in No Mercy? Same idea expanded to more situations.

WILL be some light grapples and no-ten-second-grapple finishers now?
Light grapples/quick grapples = I tap the button and grab you, then throw you into the ropes or hit a slap, snapmare or gut-kick by cueing the appropriate button. Same as No Mercy. Light + Strong + Finisher = three tiers of grapples, the latter of which is JUST LIKE the FP series, in that it's contextual. Opponent must have the crap beaten out of them to hit it.

Finishers outside of grapples = See above. The Smackdown/DOR ability to stagger an opponent and then quickly press A+B or L1 to hit a finisher is a feature that I've always thought was really cool, and would satisfy the general sense that finishing moves should be unpredictable.
Aside from that exception, the game still plays like VPW, so you can throw out a grapple, go grab a beer and mow your lawn or fly a rocket ship to Mars or whatever gets you through. ;)
I take it this means the only moves that can be done outside of a grapple are finishers and small strikes."
Yup. A'la Smackdown, you've got finishers and the two tiers of strikes. Strong and standard. A gut-kick or low-blow setup would fall into the former catagory.

What exactly is going to be your approach with finishers for pro wrestling x? Are we going to have to charge up?"
No, not quite. The PWX finisher interface is based on the idea that a huge move SHOULD ostensibly end the match or come close to it, which is where the idea of the "third tier" grapples comes in. As a match proceeds and your opponent is beaten down, the grapple animation changes accordingly, until you've got the option to start trying for your finishing move. Same thing applies to submissions. You're not going to be able to just keep throwing the Crossface at your opponent from the opening bell until they finally tap to the button-spamming.

[quote][cite]RoadWarriorAce:[/cite]
Though I think there's a miscommunication about the nature of "quick grapples" as they've been discussed. "Quick grapple" denotes a fast snag and a relatively weak move a'la an irish whip or a snapmare. Something along those lines. The finisher-related stuff like Stunners and whatever else from a "quick grapple" is something else entirely, more akin to Smackdown's way of setting up the opponent from a kick. DOR used it as a hybrid feature in their ripoff of the AKI engine, which I thought was a pretty damn shrewd feature.[/quote]
So a 'quick grapple' entails you grabbing the opponent (presumably in a collar and elbow à la AKI games and DOR) before performing a move. Almost the antonym of what I previously used the term to denote.
What I would consider a 'quick grapple' is a takedown which comes out of nowhere and can only be reversed by quick-wittedness Regardless of the physical 'quickness' of the tieup animation the sheer fact it exists is visually arbitrary- you don't need to tie up for a body slam.
My ideal form of a 'stronger' grapple would be where the opponent is brought to their feet with their opponent holding them, only to have a larger move inflicted upon them. These concepts are exhibited in the earlier Smackdown games, which gave decent movesets without excessive tieups.
Regardless of the physical 'quickness' of the tieup animation (think DOR), the sheer fact it exists is visually arbitrary and unrealistic, with the exceptions of when it would genuinely be used in the early minutes of a match.

[quote][cite]RoadWarriorAce:[/cite]
"Because if this amounts to an enhanced version of the AKI grapple system, with FPR's AI settings, and Smackdown's quick grapples and non-grapple (one button) finishers, you will have truly created the last wrestling game necessary. Well, until PWX2 and expansions anyway."[/quote]
I certainly don't like the AKI system. Modifying it by means of the Smackdown finisher system is not an improvement: The fact that you don't have to tie up for finishers (which occur but a few times in a match) but you do for other takedowns (which occur somewhat more frequently) isn't what I would consider appropriate for the 'last wrestling game necessary'.

I recognise the fact it's probably too late for me to be making these tired points again, but this overview of the chosen system just brings to mind the grave words of a newsletter from some weeks ago:

[quote][cite]Dave:[/cite]
...It became Wrestling Gamers Who More or Less Agree with Dave United. There are worse things in the world but still, we alienated just as many people as Smackdown did back in the day. Are we really any better or just different?[/quote]

[quote][cite]Dave:[/cite]
And after all this time there has to be more to PWX than just a little game that kinda plays like No Mercy.
[/quote]

Considering what WGU have had to endure I don't like making negative comments such as this, but in brutal honesty these gameplay fundamentals aren't going to sell the game to me. I want to support this project, but only with the genuine hope that it'll result in something I myself will really like.

The great thing about the AKI grappling system and gameplay was the timing of the animations. Unlike other games, AKI managed to get the perfect length for animations: not too short to be arcadey and not too long to be just a series of canned animations like SvR. This meant that the user was always kept busy, but not to the extreme of button mashing or the other extreme of waiting about 30 seconds for your wrestling to stop selling a move.