[Dean Kowalski]

Still got more than half a week to go until the next break! Let's see if you can still maintain your sanity by the end of it all.

1. Talk of idols and idol clues have been a thing for a couple days now. Do you see yourself getting close to the answer yet? Do you think it's been found already or not? Who, besides yourself, would you be okay with finding the idol, and who do you NOT want to get the idol?
2. We are now at F17. How much has the game changed for you since F17 in Stranded in the Aegean Sea, versus your place at F17 in Stranded in Crete/Rhodes?
3. Let's talk alliances. Are you in any right now? If you're part of multiple, how loyal are you to them? Are you worried about anyone else being part of an alliance? What do you hope to gain by being in them?
4. Who on your tribe right now is likely safe from the next tribal council or two? Who do you think is in hot water and likely to be voted out? What about your own danger level?

[Domenick]

Before I get to those...Just some raw thoughts for those of you veteran players out there. Like you ever over-question yourself just cause other players around you aren't playing the game optimally? I think I forget sometimes that I have 15 years under my belt of being around ORGs and people like Will this is their first game or others don't have much experience. Anyone out there know what I mean? Like you are going through the game and you are thinking....."why is this person not asking me for a deal?" or "why are they not pressing me harder for info, I would totally press myself harder and not just blindly trust" or even "why is this person seemingly just going along for the ride? Don't they understand doing so means soon they will have zero agency in the game?"

Like these are just some of the raw thoughts I ask myself when encountering players that aren't playing optimally. Because in my brain I'm going "ok Rachel should be doing this right now if she wants to win the game...why is she not doing this?" or I'm going "Is Jay really going to leave me this unchecked with scooping up all these people under my wing right under his nose?"

So ya...veteran players...some of you out there have to know what I mean right? Playing with less experienced players is sometimes more stressful than playing with other veterans because with other veterans you can predict optimal gameplay. With less experienced players you just end up asking yourself "wha....why...are they doing that?"

[Domenick]

Now some may read that post and think I'm just trying to flex and go "this is too easy" but actually quite the contrary. This is the first time since I have came out of retirement in 2020 that I have truly felt challenged. I have not had to use this much of my ability and this many of my old tricks in over a decade. I am having to draw upon skill sets and mental toughness in these games that I forgot that I had. Not trying to offend those out there that do discord game or the snapchat ones or the instagram ones or even minis/speeds, but all of those games....sure you may not win them all, but they honestly aren't a challenge. Like I said at the beginning of the season...with those games I know the second the game starts I'm one of the top 3 players in the cast guaranteed just because I know the level of caliber I'm dealing with in those environments isn't as high.

I want to give a huge shout out to all the hosts and especially Poody himself for creating, and even the cast as well. Like do you know the last fucking time I had to work my ass off as much as I did PRE-SWAP like I did on OG Lato? It's literally been a decade since I've had to bust my ass that much at that portion of the game. James, Steph, Morgan,....that is a testament to all of your ability as well because I have not had to work that hard early on in a very very long time. 

I'm honestly very happy right now writing this because I'm not trying to come off conceited or like a dick, but the fact of the matter is...I'm not truly challenged to the degree this game is challenging me very often. I'm willing to go on record right now and say Stranded season 40 with this 40 player cast....this is in my top 3 greatest challenges of all time. The other 2? Survival of the Fittest season 1 (which I won) and Survival of the Fittest season 2 (which I reached finals in and didn't escape the labyrinth first...too complicated to explain rn). Survival of the Fittest I think at this moment of this post I would still rank as a higher challenge for me because there were no breaks, people could come at me from all angles, no tribes of any kind, and 30 people or more cast as well all able to mingle at the same time and the game continues day after day after day with so many elements to think about on a daily basis. You had to be good with literally everyone or risk being taken down quickly. And yet being good with everyone meant its hard to take them out too. 

However, final 17 of Stranded season 40 coming in as my 3rd toughest challenge ever for a player that has been around the block for 15 years...I think that's a testament to what this cast has done in terms of gameplay and what the hosts have done in bringing the pressure at every turn. Like who the hell has this many swaps even jeez? lmao. 

so in short....thank you to you all for giving me an experience that is putting me to the test...

[Cochran]

Welcome to stranded :)

[Domenick]

Welcome to stranded :)

Definitely loving it man. First time in a decade I really feel like I'm being pushed the way I used to be pushed by top tier players every day. I said it back then and I'll say it till the day I die...you can't get a true ORG experience anywhere but on old school forums like this

[Michael Snow]

As someone who started ORGs 20 years ago, Stranded is one of the best experiences. 


I mean aside from LinkedIn orgs, of course. 

[Domenick]

As someone who started ORGs 20 years ago, Stranded is one of the best experiences. 


I mean aside from LinkedIn orgs, of course. 

That's actually one of the few platforms I haven't tried out. Partially cause I've never used or set up a linkedin lol. Is LinkedIn still prominently used today even? I don't hear it talked about as often anymore.

[Domenick]

Still got more than half a week to go until the next break! Let's see if you can still maintain your sanity by the end of it all.

1. Talk of idols and idol clues have been a thing for a couple days now. Do you see yourself getting close to the answer yet? Do you think it's been found already or not? Who, besides yourself, would you be okay with finding the idol, and who do you NOT want to get the idol?
2. We are now at F17. How much has the game changed for you since F17 in Stranded in the Aegean Sea, versus your place at F17 in Stranded in Crete/Rhodes?
3. Let's talk alliances. Are you in any right now? If you're part of multiple, how loyal are you to them? Are you worried about anyone else being part of an alliance? What do you hope to gain by being in them?
4. Who on your tribe right now is likely safe from the next tribal council or two? Who do you think is in hot water and likely to be voted out? What about your own danger level?

1. Yes, I think I am the closest to the answer on my tribe, but I just am not close enough to actually get it. I've found Saint Anthony or Abba Anthony a desert saint who matches most of the clue description but he doesn't seem to be the right answer so I'm looking for alternatives as well because that seems to be leading more in the direction of Egypt and farther from Greece. I've looked at Greek saints but am not finding the proper one that fits the description. I just need 1 more clue to have enough context to put this all together I think. The idol definitely has not been found yet. Ricard and Will aren't active enough or try hards enough to put in the work for it, and Genie, Jacob, or Lindsey would all tell me if they found it and none of them seem even remotely close. Lindsey only knows its about a Saint cause of me and Genie only knows its a person right now. I would be ok with me, Jacob, or Lindsey getting the idol preferably. Genie or Jay haven't it isn't horrible either though because I know it won't be used against me. Will or Ricard are the main 2 I don't want getting it because Ricard isn't active enough to build proper relationships and Will might use an idol to help Tyler.

2. Oh its changed A TON. F17 in Crete I was at the bottom of the barrel breathing through a straw as James and Stephanie and Bradley kept dumping buckets of water on my head. It was rough. F17 in Aegean Sea, I'm gaining more and more control in this game with every single boot that happens. Take a look at the boots since the twist reveal...JD, James, Rodney, Morgan, Stephanie, Brad, Carolyn....every single one of those boots (with the exception of Morgan) is AMAZING for my game because there isn't a chance in hell I would have worked with any of the other 6. Well...ok...James I had a f3 deal with and I would have worked with him and I would have held myself to my word, but at the same time I would have tried to undermine him in hopes he gets shot without my control over it. Sorry James...that's the full truth. But ya...6 out of the last 7 boots have been perfect for Dom and only added to my control in the game. I hope that trend continues and like I have SUCH a good set up on my own tribe that at this point...anyone but Wendell leaving on the other tribe is completely fine with me. If Wendell leaves its not like a critical blow to my game where I'm scrambling...it just means I lost a key figure in my game. Any of the other 7 are no longer key figures in my game with the amount of influence I have on this current tribe. So no Wendell leaving and I consider it a win with any of the other 7. I will cut Wendell myself one day, but I really really want Wendell on that jury because he will be an AMAZING juror for the type of game I play and likely will vote for me. 

3. Yes. I'm in a final 3 alliance with Lindsey and Jacob. I'm also in the pairs 6 alliance with Lindsey, Jacob, Ricard, Genie, and Will. I also have unspoken trust with Jay whom wants me in an alliance with his crew of jessica/taylor and jacob as well. Then Rachel would like to work with me but hasn't talked alliances. Bradley from what I heard wants me in his alliance if he makes one too but he isn't active enough to make his own alliance. In terms of what is real....Jacob/Lindsey/Dom is very real 100%. The trust with Jay...that is real until its not. It is very real that I don't want Jay going out before merge. Once merge hits...well...sorry Jay but at that point you'll be on jury and that is the farthest I'm guaranteeing you in my own head because Jay would make an AMAZING juror like Wendell and likely vote for me as well. So yes, I am thinking way ahead about stacking the jury with people that will likely respect my game. That is why Wendell, Jay, Tyler...while they are all threats...they can't leave pre jury for me. I just want to cut off their underlings and take away their source of power, but still have them themselves in the game. Like this is the period of the game I want to go on a goat massacre. I'm not a goat herder...goat herding is completely stupid and only leads to issues for you in most cases. If you play your game right, you don't have to be scared of anyone in the finals and that is the game I'm going to play. Wendell, Jay, and Tyler are the 3 players most likely to beat me in a final 3 right now, so those are the 3 I'm keeping my closest eye on. The rest of the cast I think I can take in a final. Could I beat those 3 too? I'm not saying I couldn't but I don't want to take my chances.

So ya back to the heart of this question...I'm not super loyal to the pairs 6 I'm loyal to Genie, Lindsey, and Jacob in it...but i'm not loyal to Will or Ricard. So I have some loyalty to it, just not to every person in it. Big alliances of that size rarely work out because its hard to keep everyone loyal to every player involved in it. A tight 3 or 4 people is more likely to stick together. Am I worried about other alliances? I wouldn't say worried is the correct word. I'm not worried, but I'm curious is what I would say. Jay is a very smart guy...and Genie is smart as well. It's highly possible they have an alternate alliance without me in it just for their own security. Bradley and Rachel aren't playing hard enough to have a HUGE worry about them being in alliances without me. Sure anything is possible though that is why I am not getting too cocky to say it's impossible. Is it probable? no. However, I'd be naive to not at least be curious and consider the possibility of other groups. A lot of these alliance chats that pop up I know from Crete just end up being troll alliance chats to confuse people.

4. So Bradley is guaranteed to leave at the next tribal unless Jacob or I decide to change our minds. That may sound cocky or conceited..but its the honest truth. Unless Jacob and I change course, no one will deviate from Bradley as an easy boot. The 2nd one after that...Jacob/Lindsey/Jay/Dom/Genie are all safe. Will is in a lot of danger, Ricard and Rachel are in some degree of danger because their names have been on the table depending what circle you are in (i.e. Jay and Genie considering Rachel...Jacob and I considering Ricard at one point, etc). What level of danger am I in? Well you never want to say 0% cause that's when you just get dunked on and get taken out if you get that comfortable. So I never want to get TOO comfortable. However, in order for me to leave in the next 2 boots...it would essentially take the entire tribe turning on me except Jacob/Lindsey so I leave in a 5-3 at the 2nd vote which is an extremely low probability with the amount of social work I have put in with these people OR I could leave via a rock draw or idol play. Honestly, with me being closest to the idol that is unlikely too. So the most likely chance for Dom leaving in the next 2 boots is a rock draw. It is theoretically possible that at the 2nd boot Ricard/Will/Rachel discover their position and convince Jay or Genie to flip to get it at a 4-4. However, I don't think its super possible all 5 come together and flip. Also, if they put the votes on me, then I will be immune if it goes to rocks. Thus it would take a really specific scenario say Genie/Ricard/Will/Rachel voting for Lindsey...then I would go to rocks for Lindsey, and then I pick the bad rock and go out. So can I leave? Yes...anyone can always leave...but would it take a lot of convoluted events occurring to bring my demise? Also yes. So I don't think I'm in a ton of danger until swap #4.

[Domenick]

Extremely eerie vibes here...minutes before the challenge no one talking no one in the group chat...hmmm...something going on?

[Jeff Probst]

[Domenick]

Lets goooo Jacob beasted that challenge for us and him and I get clue #3. Is it obvious we are working together...yes it is...however, it's something thats basically impossible to hide after this much gametime. Is it possible getting 2 clues in a row increases my target level? Yes it is. However, 1. Getting that idol is so important that it is worth increases target level a little bit to do it 2. my social game has been so on point that I think I can diffuse the target level to a degree.

However, I absolutely can't get a 3rd clue tomorrow or anything. Jacob Genie and I now have 2 clues a piece. So tomorrow if I haven't found the idol already we need to get Lindsey a clue, and we also need to involve Jay. I am a bit worried now that Jay is gonna feel too left out and start making a move if he hasn't already. However, the price you pay for getting an idol is worth it because it's not like getting 2 clues like this is going to instantly make me #1 threat on the board. I think I can still work with this, just I have to be verrrry careful now and for a few days I need to lay a bit lower if at all possible to let people forget this.

[Domenick]

Oh wow it was posted in here 1 second before I wrote that lmao. Sorry for the PM Jeff!