Post by jamal on Jun 25, 2020 20:54:59 GMT -5
Hello, all. First of all, I'd like to thank the hosts for putting together a fantastic game. I had quite a lot of fun playing it, and I hope that you were justly awarded tons of interesting confessionals and insight. I'd also like to thank the VL who helped me get through one particular tough time. You all have no idea how much that meant to me.
Secondly, I'd like to congratulate my fellow partners-in-crime, Phoebe and Jefra for a game well-played. I hope to have a healthy debate with both of you on the merits of each other's games. And no hard feelings at the end!
Now, to the topic at hand.
I firmly believe I should win this game. Below, I'm going to outline my strategy, as well as a few important moves that I've made throughout this game. I think I played a subtle game, so I hope your questions encourage me to make the subtle explicit. I am extremely proud of how I played here, especially given the hand that was dealt with me. At times, I may have played more emotional than I would have liked. Those who were closer to me likely know some of the stuff I was going through in this game. But, in the end, I do not regret any move that I made.
Onto the info-dump. This is really a cliff-notes version, and I hope that you have questions about it so I can clarify.
My strategy from the very beginning was simple: communicate. I wanted to talk to as many people as possible and I wanted them to each think that I talked to them the most. In Survivor, relationships lead to alliances -- not the other way around! I had just finished Season 39 of Survivor, and I sort of modeled my game after Tommy. He was social, charming, and always in the know. Luckily, I met quite a few people who I really clicked wilth on a personal level. On old RaroTonga, I met Jaime. She was my first real "ride or die." In Round 1, I also grew very close to Brenda. I encouraged Jaime to create an alliance of Brenda, Jaime, and I, which Jaime agreed to. We later brought in Silas as a fourth.
Of course, you know the story from there. We lost. We got our asses kicked. And, soon enough, we swapped. Brenda and Jaime - my closest allies - were on a different tribe, and I was left with Spencer and Phoebe, the two players I felt least close to. Luckily, I had found the RT Idol, but it could only guarantee me one round of safety. So I tried to socialize the best with my new tribemates.
I bonded really quickly with Sarah. I told her I had an idol very early on & we worked together quite well. For most of the rest of the game, Sarah was my #1 ally. We exchanged information and tried to keep our relationship as quiet as possible. I also bonded with Jefra -- we formed a partnership very early on that would obviously work well for both of our games. Like my relationship with Sarah, we tried to downplay our connection as much as possible. We worked very, very well together, and, by the end of the game, I trusted her completely.. I also grew close with Phoebe, especially after the merge -- she became the second person I would tell that I had an idol, with Jefra the third.
Throughout the rest of the game, these three people - Sarah, Jefra, and Phoebe - would put me in the know about most information. I knew, for example, that Locky was being disingenuous when he proposed an alliance with Phoebe and me, because Sarah told me that he ratted it out almost instantaneously. I proceeded to tell Phoebe that and we both kept each other on our toes around him. I knew that Silas did not trust me because he threw me under the bus to both Phoebe and Sarah multiple times. I knew that Hayden had an idol at the F5 and that he was playing it on Jefra, because Jefra told me about it at the F6, which allowed Jefra and I to orchestrate the F5 vote against Andrea. I knew the result of every vote in this game before it happened and I was never blindsided, although I was very disappointed when Sarah did not vote with me at the F6.
Those three alliances also helped me orchestrate some of the "big moves" of the game. Whether it be the Locky/Silas vote or the Andrea vote at the F5, my connections with people helped solidify those votes. I couldn't have done it alone, of course, but I feel like I often stood at the center of each voting bloc, pulling together different people because they all felt more close to me than others.
To circle back around, my main goal in the game was to keep people around who trusted me and to cut people who did not trust - or did not talk to me. I wanted people at the end who I enjoyed talking with, and, if you did not talk to me, I was not that interested. This is why, for example, I was so keen on pushing Aubry out over Andrea, who not only talked to me, but formed an alliance with Phoebe and I.
Above all else, I played hard. I played hard from Day 1. I was always thinking, always talking, always trying to form relationships, and always strategizing. Many of you saw this firsthand. At times, especially early on, I was an underdog, but managed to work my way into a majority over and over again. Despite being a threat at the F11, I did not receive a single vote until the F5 Tribal Council, which allowed me to keep my idol to guarantee a Final 4. I persevered, and, with the help of allies, I got to the end. I think I have a great story, and I will be honored, if, by the end of this, you vote for me to win.
Secondly, I'd like to congratulate my fellow partners-in-crime, Phoebe and Jefra for a game well-played. I hope to have a healthy debate with both of you on the merits of each other's games. And no hard feelings at the end!
Now, to the topic at hand.
I firmly believe I should win this game. Below, I'm going to outline my strategy, as well as a few important moves that I've made throughout this game. I think I played a subtle game, so I hope your questions encourage me to make the subtle explicit. I am extremely proud of how I played here, especially given the hand that was dealt with me. At times, I may have played more emotional than I would have liked. Those who were closer to me likely know some of the stuff I was going through in this game. But, in the end, I do not regret any move that I made.
Onto the info-dump. This is really a cliff-notes version, and I hope that you have questions about it so I can clarify.
My strategy from the very beginning was simple: communicate. I wanted to talk to as many people as possible and I wanted them to each think that I talked to them the most. In Survivor, relationships lead to alliances -- not the other way around! I had just finished Season 39 of Survivor, and I sort of modeled my game after Tommy. He was social, charming, and always in the know. Luckily, I met quite a few people who I really clicked wilth on a personal level. On old RaroTonga, I met Jaime. She was my first real "ride or die." In Round 1, I also grew very close to Brenda. I encouraged Jaime to create an alliance of Brenda, Jaime, and I, which Jaime agreed to. We later brought in Silas as a fourth.
Of course, you know the story from there. We lost. We got our asses kicked. And, soon enough, we swapped. Brenda and Jaime - my closest allies - were on a different tribe, and I was left with Spencer and Phoebe, the two players I felt least close to. Luckily, I had found the RT Idol, but it could only guarantee me one round of safety. So I tried to socialize the best with my new tribemates.
I bonded really quickly with Sarah. I told her I had an idol very early on & we worked together quite well. For most of the rest of the game, Sarah was my #1 ally. We exchanged information and tried to keep our relationship as quiet as possible. I also bonded with Jefra -- we formed a partnership very early on that would obviously work well for both of our games. Like my relationship with Sarah, we tried to downplay our connection as much as possible. We worked very, very well together, and, by the end of the game, I trusted her completely.. I also grew close with Phoebe, especially after the merge -- she became the second person I would tell that I had an idol, with Jefra the third.
Throughout the rest of the game, these three people - Sarah, Jefra, and Phoebe - would put me in the know about most information. I knew, for example, that Locky was being disingenuous when he proposed an alliance with Phoebe and me, because Sarah told me that he ratted it out almost instantaneously. I proceeded to tell Phoebe that and we both kept each other on our toes around him. I knew that Silas did not trust me because he threw me under the bus to both Phoebe and Sarah multiple times. I knew that Hayden had an idol at the F5 and that he was playing it on Jefra, because Jefra told me about it at the F6, which allowed Jefra and I to orchestrate the F5 vote against Andrea. I knew the result of every vote in this game before it happened and I was never blindsided, although I was very disappointed when Sarah did not vote with me at the F6.
Those three alliances also helped me orchestrate some of the "big moves" of the game. Whether it be the Locky/Silas vote or the Andrea vote at the F5, my connections with people helped solidify those votes. I couldn't have done it alone, of course, but I feel like I often stood at the center of each voting bloc, pulling together different people because they all felt more close to me than others.
To circle back around, my main goal in the game was to keep people around who trusted me and to cut people who did not trust - or did not talk to me. I wanted people at the end who I enjoyed talking with, and, if you did not talk to me, I was not that interested. This is why, for example, I was so keen on pushing Aubry out over Andrea, who not only talked to me, but formed an alliance with Phoebe and I.
Above all else, I played hard. I played hard from Day 1. I was always thinking, always talking, always trying to form relationships, and always strategizing. Many of you saw this firsthand. At times, especially early on, I was an underdog, but managed to work my way into a majority over and over again. Despite being a threat at the F11, I did not receive a single vote until the F5 Tribal Council, which allowed me to keep my idol to guarantee a Final 4. I persevered, and, with the help of allies, I got to the end. I think I have a great story, and I will be honored, if, by the end of this, you vote for me to win.