--9th Place - Voted out 5-4--
#73091
SINGLE DIGITS BABY!!! Congrats to you guys making it to FINAL NINE 🥳🥳🥳

We're getting into endgame now. From 40 people to 9. Have fun with this much needed weekend break, before we get into the final week of the season! Aegean Sea is almost over, yet there's still a bit more ahead, so let's do some reflecting together.
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Chill with DK Chillin!
  1. Describe your Stranded experience so far. It's been almost a month since this game first began. What did you think you were getting into when you first signed up? Is this like anything you've done before? Are you having a good time? What are some differences of your opinion on this game from Day 1, to right now? List some ups and downs you've been through this season.
  2. Today's tribal council was whisperless, but still intriguing nonetheless. What do you make of all the talk going around in there about goats? Do you think there are any goats right now, or is it hogwash? Do you think you might be perceived to be one? Does your end strategy involve bringing goats to the end, or do you want to cull them before they have a chance to make it there?
  3. Think of FTC, Final Tribal Council. Who do you think you fare best against to win the game? Who do you think would be difficult to beat if they sat next to you?
  4. Similarly to the above question, who do you think has excellent shots going into next week to win this game if they make it to the end? Is there anyone who has low or even impossible odds to win if they make it to the end?
  5. Jury management is said to be something super important to start taking into account in this stage of the game. Do you believe there are/will be any bitter jurors? If you make it to jury, would you be one of them? How do you go about making sure that a jury will vote for you to win the game?
  6. Since it's the weekend, let's do an updated trust rankings list. Tell us who's your top ally and who's your sworn enemy.
Now, get some shut eye. You're going to need it for next week.
 

Dean Kowalski

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#73155
hiiii my babes it's good to see you again. if i'm being HONEST with you all it's been a bit stressy of a time lately! but nonetheless tomorrow we are back to fight the best we can and make it the best final week here that we can. i do feel like a fight is a good way to call it though, i doubt it's going to go all that easy :woozy:

1. It's been... fun. I think! Like let's go through a few reasons I wanted to play the game and see how we're feeling on that front to try and answer this question.

a) I wanted to play with people outside of my usual quite insular ORG circle because I like to meet new people.
-> Or DO I? Honestly I think this is one of my biggest personality flaws but... I just have really high standards for people that are a little bit unrealistic! Like it's not something that makes me HATE others or be unable to coexist with them but I think for me to actually want to be friends with somebody they have to be really interesting and fun! Which is unfair because some people are very that and you just don't see it through a short time online together. Anyways what I'm saying is I DID meet new people and there are some I'd be interested to keep talking to after BUT I'm also fine with... not. So half success! Also a bit of recruitment opportunity for things I host (by the way.. if you're ever looking to play a similar style game hit me up xoxo!!)

b) I just wanted to experience the change in format and see how it affects my play and enjoyment of an ORG
-> Well I did experience it! 4 weeks of it so far! I think there are things I like and things that I'm not as huge on. The atmosphere of having tribal EVERY day or even the potential for tribal in the premerge definitely changed the dynamic a lot. I think it's... something I don't like. I really enjoy the parts of ORGs where you just kind of shoot the shit about nothing and don't get me wrong there was a fair amount of that here! And probably would be even more if I had more time to get the game conversations out of the way. I just feel like there is always the looming danger overhead which makes it hard to just talk in a relaxed ISH manner! I don't know, it might just be me here. I do enjoy the like SPEED of it all it feels very active and involved. Anyways this is a SUCCESS I would say I did enjoy seeing kind of how things could be and how it affects people's playstyle and it has been interesting from that angle.

c) I wanted to see who you would cast me as
-> Okay this is a dumb reason but I was curious! I think assigning reps in this way is very fun but would be a hard sell to people who are generally used to picking, I think it's been fun to see how people live up to the expectations I have of them given who they are playing as. A+ content there!

I would say that in the most general sense I HAVE enjoyed my time here and met people I wouldn't have otherwise interacted with. I think it will be memorable in the long run just for being kind of like such a present part of my life for this time. I do wish that I had gotten closer to some of the people here which I do think is some fault of my own, but alas! Now all that's left to do is try and crush them.

2. I think there are goats yeah. I think I'm relatively goaty unfortunately BUT I do not think I'm the pinnacle of goathood. Which is good, necessary even because I don't know how I'd continue if I thought I truly had no chance in the end. I think I beat Shirin and Bret who I can't see having much support at all. I think I could beat Will as well just because I think he'll come across pretty abrasive at a FTC. The rest I think would be a hard sell, I could make an argument against Erika and Jacob though I think they'd have a decent level of support. I would not feel confident at all versus the others, but of course I would never say that ingame and if that's the only way I can make the end I will do my best to shove their face in the dirt and win over them anyways!

So yes I intend to bring goats to the end. It's not my ideal style of play but it is the winning one here I think, and I fully expect the FTC to include some of them one way or another.

3. Oh I just answered this. I think I don't think I could beat Lindsey, Wendell, or Jay. They've all played far more active and social games and just have better connections with the jury. They are the only people here who can really claim they DID things once the jury starts swinging with the whole "what were your MOVES questions". I'd have to take a more... abstract approach talking about resilience and underdogness (gross!) and try to lean into managing my threat level which... is stupid and THAT is the real hogwash. But sometimes hogwash wins.

4. I feel like you've asked the same thing 3 times in a row now!!! I won't answer this one because of that.

5. I think the jury will be bitter yeah, most juries tend to be especially if they are newer players. I wouldn't even say BITTER necessarily just stupid and biased. People think they know how to make the objective opinion and will go in and vote who is FAIR but people are just trash at having a good opinion. The FACT of the matter is that most jurors will rationalize how to vote for the person they like the most if they aren't willing to outright say that this is what they're doing. You can frame the same game SO differently if you're trying to be positive on it versus trying to be negative on it. There are things that you cannot deny, however, and I think that somebody like Lindsey that can actively point and say I did this this and this will be able to pull quite a few votes that way.

Yes I think they'll be bitter. Yes I think I will be biased, but I think my biases align with who actually played a good game. But then again, that's kind of how biases work do they not. Oh I don't think I mentioned Erika when talking about who I could beat? I think she probably beats me but it isn't a landslide. Personally I wouldn't vote for her unless she has two real goats, she's underwhelming.

6. I mean this now more than ever, I don't trust anybody. I trust Lindsey in that I think she wants to bring me to the end because she can beat anybody at this point so why not bring me who shares a lot of the same relationships?

After that TENTATIVELY Erika who at least has that mutual connection through Lindsey so I can of have an insight into what she's thinking.

Then Jay who is pitching me a Wendell boot currently. I guess it's a step up from the rest! And it would be intensely weird of him to pitch this if he doesn't intend to follow through like... what's to gain. Well actually Wendell said something about an idol so maybe they suspect that I have one? I'll get him to elaborate on THAT ONE. This could be a play to make me not play it I suppose!

And then the rest who basically are trying to vote me out. Which like... I get it! I slay a little! But I think the only trust I have with them is the potential to bring up a mutually beneficial scenario.

* * * * *

Anyways, because I didn't really talk about it. I guess hearing now that Jay wants a 4-3-2 Wendell boot with Lindsey and Erika presuming that the other 5 are going to split 3-2. He says he can get Bret to side with us if they decide not to split. I need to talk about this with Lindsey and Erika yet but I'm good to go along with this, we could try to blow it up and get him in trouble but I think that's pretty dumb. I would probably not play my idol if this is the plan in place. Again I think it could be a ploy to get me not to play anything BUT if it may be a risk I need to take in order to make the end here.

Now let's just assume for a minute that this goes okay, Jay then says he'd be willing to vote Shirin with us next round. NO! We're not doing this. I cannot vote out Shirin and I know that I put a vote on her on Thursday but that's because I both didn't think she was actually leaving AND still had Ricard in the game who I thought could be an alternative endgame option. With him gone I don't think I can lose Shirin, I mean if I DO then I can try angle for a Bret/Will FTC but I don't like that as much. At this point I'll try to run to Shirin/Bret/Will/Jacob and make a group of 5 with them. I think it's honestly in their best interests to boot the other 3 with that group for all of their winning chances. WELL, it's best for me, because I can maybe win the last two immunity challenges and secure a spot. So it might be advantageous for them to try and cut me at 7 or 6 if they don't like their endgame chances against me. 

So we'll see. Also... how often do you see somebody immune for an entire week of the merge ;) It's kind of my specialty! Let's see if we can make it a second week running. I almost want to play my idol just so I have more guaranteed shots at more challenges to win. In my ORG community liking challenges is seen as a bit ~lame~ but you know WHAT. Fuck that challenges are fun BECAUSE winning is fun. They're little microwins, what's to hate. Majority Rules is a tough one though, I can do my BEST but it's always a long shot and something that anybody can pull out really. I also don't have the BEST read of people in this game, so... hmst. We'll try!

Anyways have a good Sunday! See you all tomorrow night.
 
 

Rachel

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#73199
hmmm, i feel like i SHOULD idol tonight in that there is a very real chance that i leave, like... very very real?

it's just a matter of like risk assessment with it all. if i DO idol and it saves me here, am i completely and undeniably fucked next round anyways if i do not win? i feel like the answer is YES which... i mean of course i could always work against that and if i outright KNEW i was leaving i would of course play it! but...

if i DON'T need to play it, it's something that could make the difference in me winning the game versus losing if i can idol somebody like erika out at f6 or so, you know? so... hmm, i'll think on it for a while yet.
 

Rachel

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#73206
fuck me tbh, i really think like there is a solid.... 70% chance i leave here and at that point it just feels almost stupid to not idol?? jfc... it's just tough because some of these people are like sketchy on the best of days so when i know there IS a reason to be worried i feel like their standard behavior just freaks me out
 

Rachel

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