Alright before I answer those questions above...this morning I'm feeling exhausted from work...but I'm also reflecting...and looking at the board in front of me and I'm just realizing...I still fucking got it. Like I first played one of these 15 years ago and I may be a decade and a half older now, but I can still hang with all these new school players, and more than hang with them...I can stay ahead of them too. Sure I've done the discord orgs and the skyper and the instagram and the speeds/minis etc...but its been over a decade since I threw myself in the ring with a true forum based org where the real competition is at...and I'm not floundering...I'm actually still exceling. I've got the experience to know it easily can all come crashing down, but I would bet out of 22 players in this game right now...I guarantee I'm one of the top 5 best situated players on the board out of all 22 of us and that ain't too bad. Why do I think so? Well let's look at my situation...
The following players still currently in the game all look at Dom as either their #1 ally OR damn close to it enough that they would burn social capital to protect me:
-Morgan
-Jacob
-Wendell
-Rachel
-Genie
-Tyler
That's 6 #1 allies out of a field of 21. So basically 33% of the cast looks at Dom as their #1 or close enough to it to the point they would go out on a limb for me.
Let's take it a step further...in addition to that list...I have what I would call "olive branches" with the following players where if I need some help in a swap they probably will have my back:
-Jay
-Jessica
-Taylor
-Bret
-Bradley
-Ricard (via Genie connection)
Adding those players in thats 12 out of 21. Meaning Dom has at least a working relationship to get a favor out of about half the cast.
You can absolutely say I've overstretched myself. But this isn't the same thing as say a Tyler Krispen from Big Brother (1st season not his all stars game) promising final 2s to everyone. Let's recap...what exactly has Dom promised to these people? Ricard? nothing. Bradley? Nothing. Bret? Nothing. Taylor? Nothing. Jessica? Nothing. Jay? Nothing.
Tyler? That he wouldn't be the next boot and I want to work with him...both true statements just leaving out that he would be the 3rd boot on this tribe and that working with him doesn't specify how far into the game
Genie? That I want to work with her, that I am glad we met, and that I will try to protect Ricard if I can....once again all true statements. But just again leaves out the fact that I am not specifying how far I'd work with her.
Rachel? That I want to work with her and we need each other in this game....once again all true statements...seeing a pattern here?
Morgan? That I'd go to finals with her....true statement I would really uphold that.
Jacob? That I'd go to finals with him...true statement I would really uphold that.
Wendell? That I want to go deep into the game with him (I don't think I ever promised finals officially, maybe I made a mistake on that one if I did, but it wasn't my intent to promise that)....true statement because in my ultimate dream plan Wendell would get 4th place likely.
See what I'm getting at here? I have not broken a promise or lied to anyone. I just simply have kept my promises precise to what I can reasonably uphold. In this game, especially in a 40 person cast...you have to adapt and I want to be the best equipped person to adapt. I can't put all my eggs in one basket. Say the swap happens and someone takes out Jacob or Morgan...well I'd be pissed and that would suck, but that opens a spot for Wendell in my official plans and moves Genie or Rachel up to the #4 spot.
That's the thing is while all these people are playing offense such as James gearing up for a war with Jay or Jay taking him out or figuring out their next targets etc....Dom ain't been playing offense...Dom has been playing DEFENSE all game, because its DEFENSE that is going to get me to the finals not offense. While all these people are picking and choosing and squabbling over their targets...they are losing more and more time to make a move on Dom. I have set up a defensive web so powerful that 12 people in this game will go "no, I don't want to do that" if someone tries to target me OR will at least tell me that I'm being targeted. THAT is the kind of stuff that gets you to the end because I have so much flexibility in this current structure that I don't need to play offense. I openly called my one target as Stephanie because it makes everyone else feel even more comfortable with me. They know who my target is, and my target isn't someone that is very well protected either. So they know if I want Stephanie out I'm not looking at them, and in turn they aren't looking at how well connected I actually am. I do think some people are starting to see the light that I am pretty well connected like Jacob and Wendell for instance I think they are starting to catch on. However, the beauty of it is they are both genuinely locked in with me and I genuinely plan to go to final 4 with them both so they have no reason to make a move on me.
Who said old dogs needed to learn new tricks? Cause this old dogs old tricks still work just fine