Post by thiago on Apr 14, 2013 19:14:29 GMT -5
So here we are.
I can't believe I'm back playing one of these games. It's been years. However, I can't deny that the excitement I once felt for these games has returned and I'm glad that I'm giving this game a try. I've heard great things and I'm really looking forward to seeing if I can still hack it like I once did.
I think it's really difficult to come into games like these with a set strategy. I really have to adjust my strategy depending on the people on my tribe. I always keep game logic in the back of my head: on a tribe full of leaders, be a follower; on a tribe full of followers, be a leader. It'll take a few days to really figure out where everyone's place in the game is, so I have some time to figure out what my role will be.
Given that the other tribe is full of larger-than-life personalities, I think that playing the role of a follower will be the most effective strategy. Leaders are going to target leaders over there, and once we swap or merge, whoever the favourites determine is a "fan leader" will be an easy target; I figure that any "fan followers" will be viewed as fodder and taken along for their ride.
I think that if there's any "SURVIVOR winner" that I would want to emulate my game after, it would be Vecepia. I know it seems like an outlandish suggestion, but I think she played a solid under-the-radar game. She was well liked by her friends, but she jumped ship constantly. She never tied herself down to any one alliance; if there were greener pastures, she would make her apologize and abandon ship. I think that in a game like this with so many egocentric favourites, frequent powershifts will be likely and sticking to any one group is going to be disasterous.
However, there is definitely the possibility that the favourites unite over the prospect of destroying us "Fans," and this is also a consideration. There is no stopping the favourites from dominating the pre-merge and pagoning all the fans. In this case, I want to still be viewed as a non-threatening fan, because at the point when the favourites decide to eat their own, my vote will be of use.
I think that at this point my best move is to play a really social game without assuming any leadership position or creating any alliance; if I am offered an alliance, I will accept it; however, I will not do the offering. Being an active strategist early could be viewed as sneaky and any excuse to be voted off this early in the game will be blown up, so I have to be mindful of that.
I know it's not the most exciting strategy to "be social with everyone, be a passive strategist," but given that this game is full of people who really want to make it into All Stars, given that it's their last opportunity, I have to assume that people will be going all-out. Given this consideration, playing low-key and likeable is a winning strategy, albeit not the most entertaining.
I also want to let both God (I never thought I'd say that) and the "PWs" know that I encourage you (if the PWs are allowed?) to ask me questions as often as you'd like. I tend to be a tad scatter-brained in my thinking and many times forget to include commentary that may be necessary for you to understand where my head's at. It's also really useful for me to have people asking me for clarification on things that I've said because I'm constantly reassessing both my strategy and the way I've interpreted situations in the game. In short, I encourage you to ask me questions! The more interactive my confessional, the better. Again, I'm not really certain of the limitations of the administration, but the invitation is out there.
One thing I made sure to do before the game started was to research the returnees. I was introduced to this series very recently so I really had no clue who these people are; I figured that any information I could get from their confessionals would be an advantage for a Fan. I think Alexis in Survivor: Micronesia said it best: the fans know the favourites' games, but they don't know the fans' game because we're an enigma. I think this is really the only advantage to being a "Fan" so I got to work right away.
What I have gathered:
Beau: he seems very immature; I think that his arrogance will get him again this season; he's likely looking for "weaker" minded people to control and take it to the end. I think that if I behave a little submissive and stroke his ego, he won't bother attacking me.
Ben: I think that given what happened to him the last time he played, he's going to have some serious trust issues. I can see him playing a similar game last time but willing to jump ship to people he "likes" better, which he neglected to do in The Plagues. I think that if I can bond with him on a social level, he'll be willing to work with me over any favourites that he's alligned with who he doesn't have that personal "connection" with
Carly: I don't see Carly changing much this time around; I think that she may think she's playing more aggressively, but she simply doesn't have the personality to take charge; I think she's a big question mark and I'll have to really make her like me if she's going to bat for me.
Chad: He seems pretty relaxed; I think that he thinks with his heart more than he would like to admit. I don't see him abandonning any early alliance he makes, so to prevent being a target of his I'll have to be someone he wants to protect.
Gloria: Although she was a little crazy, there's definitely a clever mind that. She seemed to value conversations with strategic people so I will definitely need to be viewed as someone she can both control and work with; I can see her dominating this season so she's one to watch
Laela: If she starts being very sweet to me in conversation I know that she doesn't actually like me; she plays a very fake social game. If I can show a bit of a nasty side she may open up to me more. She reminds me of Corinne
Liam: I really got to learn about this guy's personality: he's not a social person and prefers math/logic. He seems to be extremely intelligent and aware of his shortcomings. Something he posted in his confessional really helped me figure out how I want to play my game:
Liam comes across as a really "real" person, and I really like that. I'm not sure if we get along but I think strategy dominates his mind, so if I make him feel like he is being more social (e.g. me telling him that I really like him), he may think that his social game has improved and will want to keep me around. I don't think that Liam can win this game, though, and I think he's going to really struggle to survive on that tribe.
Liam's post also taught me that I should really watch how people interact, and I'll get to that when assessing my own tribe.
Selena: I don't see her doing well. I also see her trying to play a better game but I think it's just her personality to get dragged around and walked over. I don't think anyone will take her seriously. I think that if I can make her feel like she's the leader in our relationship, she'll want me around. I think she really wants to redeem herself as a strategist, and not as a goat.
Stephenie: She's a smart cookie; I have the benefit of knowing her outside the game. Not as a friend, but we've played together a lot in the past. I've always been really successful at controlling her. However, the trick with her is to kiss a lot of ass and make her feel she's in charge of the decisions. I think there's a need to really feel "liked" with Stephenie, so that will also be a goal of mine: to make Stephenie feel that I really, genuinely like her. She will go to bat for me if I appear to. She's an emotional player once she's in charge.
Taylor: He's really smart. I think I'm going to have to keep social with him to make him feel he has an opportunity to change things up. I think there's a bit of an ego there, and him feeling I'm an honest person will have him want me around. I think he, like Ben, will have some serious trust issues, so appearing as honest and passive as possible will be key.
Tina: She's nuts; I don't think there's much you can do with this one. I need to not be boring, though. She seems to target people who bore her, or people who are taking the game serious. I've got to be chill. I think people who play this way secretly want to feel liked and noticed, so paying her any attention should be beneficial.
Zoe: She's really cutthroat. I think she's going to be a snake and I'll have to be really careful around her. However, if I appear non-threatening, non-boring, and a little sinister, she could go to bat for me. She, like many of the favourites, has control issues.
Now, onto my tribe. I haven't met Mark, Naomi, or Pilar yet, so they will not be included.
Bree: She's really in character. I can appreciate being in character, but at some point it really is a drag in conversations. There's not much to talk about especially when your character is so shallow. "I am not rich but I like nice things. I like parties and wine." I don't think there's much further to go there. If she's going to be a character that's cool, but at least infuse your personality to help your strategy, or at least assert a strategy. She seems like she wants to be in character yet have people come to her with ideas. It doesn't work that way. To echo Liam's confessional, it seems like she's one of those people who will speak with everyone but it doesn't get deep. I can't see myself working with her.
Dion: I think there's an immaturity behind the alias. Very friendly, but I sense a naivety here. I think this is someone I could control, but they also keep their cards close.
Gabriel: He seems really cool; he's put on this strong black man guise but I was able to find out that he likes Icelandic folk music with a bit of prying. He's definitely an artistic type. I think he will open up to me more than the others simply because I broke the guise for a split second.
Julian: Another in character person. I think these characters are hurting themselves because they really limit conversation, but Julian isn't as bad as Bree. Starr doesn't seem to like him for some reason. I don't see myself working with him simply because it's tough to be open with someone in character.
Knox: He's pretty cool, but I have to watch him. He seems like a smart guy. I need to stay on his good side. He could be a dark horse stealth player.
Reese: he seems like a nice enough guy, haven't spoken much. I think he's smarter than he lets on, but there's a naivety there too. If I can make him think I really like him he should want me around.
Starr: IT'S THE STARR OF THE SHOW! She's going to be a big character, but also a social threat. She's going to take charge in a sly way. I really have to appeal to her. I think she's a scared player though behind all that bravado, so really assuring her that I'm on her side of life should be enough to keep me out of her lion of fire. I've already caught her making remarks about Dion's post count and Julian being a "snake," which tells me she's playing and she's willing to get dirty. I don't see myself trusting her.
Zac: this guy is really, really nervous. He's really worried about how he'll be viewed if he doesn't attend a challenge or even signs offline without saying goodbye. He's really paranoid that he will be a target. I am constantly finding myself assuring him that he's cool; I figure that the more I ease him the less he'll worry about me. He seems smart, but I think he's a really anxious personality.
Our tribe seems really quiet and slightly inactive. I think we could get demolished early. I'm not sure what to make of the Eden twist but I'm definitely nervous about idols. I've never played in a game with them. I'm definitely really nervous and find myself careful with every word I say. We'll see how things happen, but as long as I'm active and social enough without being someone people have a reason to talk about, then I should be okay. I don't want everyone saying "I love Thiago!" or "Thiago is so quiet"... I would rather play a middle-of-the-road game at this stage.
Right now I'm in the midst of final exams so this is a mental reprieve. Thanks for casting me and I'm looking forward to seeing how things shake up.
I can't believe I'm back playing one of these games. It's been years. However, I can't deny that the excitement I once felt for these games has returned and I'm glad that I'm giving this game a try. I've heard great things and I'm really looking forward to seeing if I can still hack it like I once did.
I think it's really difficult to come into games like these with a set strategy. I really have to adjust my strategy depending on the people on my tribe. I always keep game logic in the back of my head: on a tribe full of leaders, be a follower; on a tribe full of followers, be a leader. It'll take a few days to really figure out where everyone's place in the game is, so I have some time to figure out what my role will be.
Given that the other tribe is full of larger-than-life personalities, I think that playing the role of a follower will be the most effective strategy. Leaders are going to target leaders over there, and once we swap or merge, whoever the favourites determine is a "fan leader" will be an easy target; I figure that any "fan followers" will be viewed as fodder and taken along for their ride.
I think that if there's any "SURVIVOR winner" that I would want to emulate my game after, it would be Vecepia. I know it seems like an outlandish suggestion, but I think she played a solid under-the-radar game. She was well liked by her friends, but she jumped ship constantly. She never tied herself down to any one alliance; if there were greener pastures, she would make her apologize and abandon ship. I think that in a game like this with so many egocentric favourites, frequent powershifts will be likely and sticking to any one group is going to be disasterous.
However, there is definitely the possibility that the favourites unite over the prospect of destroying us "Fans," and this is also a consideration. There is no stopping the favourites from dominating the pre-merge and pagoning all the fans. In this case, I want to still be viewed as a non-threatening fan, because at the point when the favourites decide to eat their own, my vote will be of use.
I think that at this point my best move is to play a really social game without assuming any leadership position or creating any alliance; if I am offered an alliance, I will accept it; however, I will not do the offering. Being an active strategist early could be viewed as sneaky and any excuse to be voted off this early in the game will be blown up, so I have to be mindful of that.
I know it's not the most exciting strategy to "be social with everyone, be a passive strategist," but given that this game is full of people who really want to make it into All Stars, given that it's their last opportunity, I have to assume that people will be going all-out. Given this consideration, playing low-key and likeable is a winning strategy, albeit not the most entertaining.
I also want to let both God (I never thought I'd say that) and the "PWs" know that I encourage you (if the PWs are allowed?) to ask me questions as often as you'd like. I tend to be a tad scatter-brained in my thinking and many times forget to include commentary that may be necessary for you to understand where my head's at. It's also really useful for me to have people asking me for clarification on things that I've said because I'm constantly reassessing both my strategy and the way I've interpreted situations in the game. In short, I encourage you to ask me questions! The more interactive my confessional, the better. Again, I'm not really certain of the limitations of the administration, but the invitation is out there.
One thing I made sure to do before the game started was to research the returnees. I was introduced to this series very recently so I really had no clue who these people are; I figured that any information I could get from their confessionals would be an advantage for a Fan. I think Alexis in Survivor: Micronesia said it best: the fans know the favourites' games, but they don't know the fans' game because we're an enigma. I think this is really the only advantage to being a "Fan" so I got to work right away.
What I have gathered:
Beau: he seems very immature; I think that his arrogance will get him again this season; he's likely looking for "weaker" minded people to control and take it to the end. I think that if I behave a little submissive and stroke his ego, he won't bother attacking me.
Ben: I think that given what happened to him the last time he played, he's going to have some serious trust issues. I can see him playing a similar game last time but willing to jump ship to people he "likes" better, which he neglected to do in The Plagues. I think that if I can bond with him on a social level, he'll be willing to work with me over any favourites that he's alligned with who he doesn't have that personal "connection" with
Carly: I don't see Carly changing much this time around; I think that she may think she's playing more aggressively, but she simply doesn't have the personality to take charge; I think she's a big question mark and I'll have to really make her like me if she's going to bat for me.
Chad: He seems pretty relaxed; I think that he thinks with his heart more than he would like to admit. I don't see him abandonning any early alliance he makes, so to prevent being a target of his I'll have to be someone he wants to protect.
Gloria: Although she was a little crazy, there's definitely a clever mind that. She seemed to value conversations with strategic people so I will definitely need to be viewed as someone she can both control and work with; I can see her dominating this season so she's one to watch
Laela: If she starts being very sweet to me in conversation I know that she doesn't actually like me; she plays a very fake social game. If I can show a bit of a nasty side she may open up to me more. She reminds me of Corinne
Liam: I really got to learn about this guy's personality: he's not a social person and prefers math/logic. He seems to be extremely intelligent and aware of his shortcomings. Something he posted in his confessional really helped me figure out how I want to play my game:
Bringing that back to game play, I'm trying to learn from these traits. I am really good at puzzles and math, but not so good at interpersonal connections. I'm a viewer of Survivor Chronicles 6, which is currently in the FTC phase. One of the Finalists posted this as part of an answer to a question:
"When I talked to people in this game initially, I tried to connect to them in some way. Really and truly connect. As a sorority girl, we're taught to try and steer conversations away from the boring "where are you from, what do you do?" spiel that so many people can't get away from. (Yes, I can't believe I'm actually referencing sorority rush right now. Really never thought I'd see the day.) So what I did with a ton of people here was insist that we ask each other those stupid "get to know you questions" that everyone hates at camp. I'd usually follow it up with "What would you do if you got a million dollars?" and "If you could only have 5 things for the rest of your life, what would they be?" This enabled me to see pretty quickly what people in this game really valued, and find out if I could relate to them on anything kind of random, which I often could. I talked to Rusty about roadtrips/live music, Andrew about the one Karate class I took when I was 5 and got scared of the instructor's bare feet, Lynette about weird weather in Houston vs Scotland, Rob about a badass bar I'd just gone to, etc etc. You get the idea.
And because I'd had quite a few really great conversations, this led to me putting more trust in people on a game level once I'd gotten to know them better on a personal level. (Sidenote: that was why I never got along with Anh, because we had hardly spoken to each other and he was trying to pry game info from me.) The other side of this was that I was so busy having really good convos, that I didn't go around and talk to/introduce myself to every single player in the first few days. I believe this only added to my likability/credibility with the people I did talk to, as they weren't hearing from everyone else that I'd talked to them. That's actually why I never was able to put my full faith in you, Colin, or Matt. Because from those very first couple of days, I perceived both of you as people that were trying to talk to everyone, which I viewed as a little bit shady."
What's my point in me bringing this up? This shows the exact type of social awareness that I lack. But I'm learning. When I first started thinking about playing Survivor, I thought I would do awesome. I was falling prey to the Dunning-Kruner effect (Incompetent and unaware of it (look it up, it's cool stuff)). I'm learning about my faults which is allowing me to somewhat compensate for them.
So, I'm trying to be more social, and less overbearing with strategy.
Liam comes across as a really "real" person, and I really like that. I'm not sure if we get along but I think strategy dominates his mind, so if I make him feel like he is being more social (e.g. me telling him that I really like him), he may think that his social game has improved and will want to keep me around. I don't think that Liam can win this game, though, and I think he's going to really struggle to survive on that tribe.
Liam's post also taught me that I should really watch how people interact, and I'll get to that when assessing my own tribe.
Selena: I don't see her doing well. I also see her trying to play a better game but I think it's just her personality to get dragged around and walked over. I don't think anyone will take her seriously. I think that if I can make her feel like she's the leader in our relationship, she'll want me around. I think she really wants to redeem herself as a strategist, and not as a goat.
Stephenie: She's a smart cookie; I have the benefit of knowing her outside the game. Not as a friend, but we've played together a lot in the past. I've always been really successful at controlling her. However, the trick with her is to kiss a lot of ass and make her feel she's in charge of the decisions. I think there's a need to really feel "liked" with Stephenie, so that will also be a goal of mine: to make Stephenie feel that I really, genuinely like her. She will go to bat for me if I appear to. She's an emotional player once she's in charge.
Taylor: He's really smart. I think I'm going to have to keep social with him to make him feel he has an opportunity to change things up. I think there's a bit of an ego there, and him feeling I'm an honest person will have him want me around. I think he, like Ben, will have some serious trust issues, so appearing as honest and passive as possible will be key.
Tina: She's nuts; I don't think there's much you can do with this one. I need to not be boring, though. She seems to target people who bore her, or people who are taking the game serious. I've got to be chill. I think people who play this way secretly want to feel liked and noticed, so paying her any attention should be beneficial.
Zoe: She's really cutthroat. I think she's going to be a snake and I'll have to be really careful around her. However, if I appear non-threatening, non-boring, and a little sinister, she could go to bat for me. She, like many of the favourites, has control issues.
Now, onto my tribe. I haven't met Mark, Naomi, or Pilar yet, so they will not be included.
Bree: She's really in character. I can appreciate being in character, but at some point it really is a drag in conversations. There's not much to talk about especially when your character is so shallow. "I am not rich but I like nice things. I like parties and wine." I don't think there's much further to go there. If she's going to be a character that's cool, but at least infuse your personality to help your strategy, or at least assert a strategy. She seems like she wants to be in character yet have people come to her with ideas. It doesn't work that way. To echo Liam's confessional, it seems like she's one of those people who will speak with everyone but it doesn't get deep. I can't see myself working with her.
Dion: I think there's an immaturity behind the alias. Very friendly, but I sense a naivety here. I think this is someone I could control, but they also keep their cards close.
Gabriel: He seems really cool; he's put on this strong black man guise but I was able to find out that he likes Icelandic folk music with a bit of prying. He's definitely an artistic type. I think he will open up to me more than the others simply because I broke the guise for a split second.
Julian: Another in character person. I think these characters are hurting themselves because they really limit conversation, but Julian isn't as bad as Bree. Starr doesn't seem to like him for some reason. I don't see myself working with him simply because it's tough to be open with someone in character.
Knox: He's pretty cool, but I have to watch him. He seems like a smart guy. I need to stay on his good side. He could be a dark horse stealth player.
Reese: he seems like a nice enough guy, haven't spoken much. I think he's smarter than he lets on, but there's a naivety there too. If I can make him think I really like him he should want me around.
Starr: IT'S THE STARR OF THE SHOW! She's going to be a big character, but also a social threat. She's going to take charge in a sly way. I really have to appeal to her. I think she's a scared player though behind all that bravado, so really assuring her that I'm on her side of life should be enough to keep me out of her lion of fire. I've already caught her making remarks about Dion's post count and Julian being a "snake," which tells me she's playing and she's willing to get dirty. I don't see myself trusting her.
Zac: this guy is really, really nervous. He's really worried about how he'll be viewed if he doesn't attend a challenge or even signs offline without saying goodbye. He's really paranoid that he will be a target. I am constantly finding myself assuring him that he's cool; I figure that the more I ease him the less he'll worry about me. He seems smart, but I think he's a really anxious personality.
Our tribe seems really quiet and slightly inactive. I think we could get demolished early. I'm not sure what to make of the Eden twist but I'm definitely nervous about idols. I've never played in a game with them. I'm definitely really nervous and find myself careful with every word I say. We'll see how things happen, but as long as I'm active and social enough without being someone people have a reason to talk about, then I should be okay. I don't want everyone saying "I love Thiago!" or "Thiago is so quiet"... I would rather play a middle-of-the-road game at this stage.
Right now I'm in the midst of final exams so this is a mental reprieve. Thanks for casting me and I'm looking forward to seeing how things shake up.