Round 1: The Beginning of The End

[henry]

Round 1: The Beginning of The End

See what I did there? Oh I'm just oh-so punny.

I guess I'm not really sure where to begin this confessional. My trepidation here likely reflects my trepidation about the game. When I played in Season 2, I had pretty low expectations of myself -- due to past failures in alias games -- and I certainly started out pretty poorly. However, I really turned things around and played my ass off. I will bashfully admit I'm really fucking proud of how I played in The Four Corners, yet I still wasn't able to win. Fast forward to now. My time as a PW, I think, has earned me more enemies than friends combined with my "Top 5 Greatest Players" status makes me feel like I need to tread very, very carefully here in the early going. Only time will tell if I'm citing real concerns or just nerves.

I think what I learned from Season 2 is that I need to do a better job in meeting people where they're at. I recently moved and so I haven't really had cable, therefore I had recently borrowed Survivor: Borneo from a friend to rewatch. Rudy, in the early going, stumbles into a funny, but highly insightful confessional and says something along the lines of "I need to be more like them; there's more of them then there are of me." I really hope this cast is a bit more mature and fun than my previous cast, but even if they aren't, I can't let them know I don't like them. I'm going to be short on allies this season (a common theme for me in GVSE, haha) so I'm really going to be dumping a lot of my effort into my social game. I don't want to burn any bridges early that I might need to save my ass once we get into tribes and swaps.

That was kind of a long antidote, but I really am excited to kick things off! I know that I was a bit wordy here, but I've had 3 seasons off to consider all of this!

[henry]

What a sexy, sexy tribe. Go Legatu! Legatu, meaning Legacy, I believe, in Latin. More thoughts on my tribe to come.

[henry]

When the tribes were announced, I have to admit that I let out a huge sigh of relief! I think I got about as good of a break as I could have asked for. One notable thing about our tribe is that there are 4 people on it from Season 3. Obviously that is a concern to me, but I kinda assume that God wouldn't put all of them on a tribe together if he felt they would align. Still, I'm going to remain suspicious of them for the time being. Other than that, I would say that our tribe is full of really rational, solid players.... and AJ (I'm kidding, AJ!)

Everyone agrees that AJ is adorable. She's honestly one of the most positive people that I know. I could see myself working with AJ because I believe her to be honest, almost to a fault, and someone who is comfortable letting other people take the strategic reigns. The only downside to AJ is that, I feel, she could win this whole thing if we all let her get to the end, she's that nice.

Cassie/Ryan is a third placer who got taken out because she was going to win, and then came back for Season 3 and actually did win. I do see Cassie as being tied to AJ a little bit, and I think it was Quincy or Emily that confirmed that relationship to me. I'm certainly not targeting Cassie right now, it might benefit me to keep winners around, but if she's current got the relationship with AJ that I want, it might not be the worst thing to get rid of her.

Chase and I had talked a bit pre-game, I didn't really know him prior to that, and so it's funny he ended up on my tribe. We'll see how much of a group contributor he is, and how he functions within this Season 3 dynamic.

i.minus.com/ikHZCzpjwpCmG.png

[/img][/center]

The only thing I know about Colleen so far is that she's Australian. She went to the final 2 with Ryan and lost, but usually its better to go with the enemy you know rather than the one you don't. Should I be concerned about a Cassie/Colleen/AJ alliance?

Quincy is a bit of an unknown to me, but I really respected the writeup Morgan recently gave him in the rankdown. I may be biased, haha, but I think Morgan has good taste, so if he liked Quincy's game, then maybe I can get along with him as well. I need to find out how useful he's going to be in challenges.

I don't remember how high I put him, but pregame I think I wanted Thaigo out the most. Since Season 5 just happened, those people who were aligned are prolly going to be aligned again. I don't want that. However, with Thaigo now on my tribe I've been talking to him, and I can totally see why he won his season. He's a charmer, for sure. I see that as a threat, but I've yet to determine how immediate. I don't want to put Thaigo out of the game at the expense of me falling into a minority in any alliance, but I also am not sure how much allegiance he'd have to this tribe in a swap. He seems sincere when he talks to me, but I know that's how he won Season 5. Thaigo, I suspect, has a pregame with Ellen, something else I must consider.


In all All-Star games, the connections get so sticky, it's like a spider web. Instead of trying to focus on the relationships between all 21 players, I think my best bet is just to manage what I can on this tribe and survive until the numbers are a little smaller.

[henry]

I'd be remiss if I didn't also comment on my Season 2 fellow All-Stars

Emily has been the only Mythic to contact me since the game began. We've talked some about having each other's backs, but I don't know how much I really trust it. Her alliance is something I'll totally cash in on if I need it in a swap/merge, but I'm not holding my breath for her to actually save me if need be. Maybe that can change.

I want neither of these two on the jury or next to me in the Final 2. I don't think either of them respect me, and their lack of communication with me in the early going suggests that they don't want to work with me, either. I fully expect Wendy to fail because she sucks at getting on AIM. That was ok in Season 2, but not in All Stars. Annie could go far again, other people respect her, but I just don't see an elite level of gaming from her.

[henry]

Upon the Eyes of God:

As soon as the tribe forums were revealed, I noticed that we had a secret forum likely containing our tribe's idol. Oh boy, here we go again. Obviously the idol tempts me, if anyone remembers Season 2. I of course quickly tried a lot of the obvious solutions to the password with no luck, but I've since backed off a little bit. If another tribe member is on the forum, I really would rather not be seen on the password forum. I know my reputation, and if people know I'm actively looking for the idol, well, I think I'd prolly seal my own fate. That being said, you better believe I'm mulling over this pictures and thinking of new angles I haven't considered yet.

[henry]

Our first IC had us working at separate stations to earn puzzle pieces. We then had to work together to compete the puzzle. Thankfully, OUR TRIBE WON IMMUNITY! ;D Thank goodness, too, because we are totally not ready yet for a TC. I got through my puzzles just fine, but there were a couple that took a lot of work. Still, we came in second which was good enough.

For the most part we worked well together. Colleen was late, but I'm not going to blame her for that because she had a good reason. AJ was prolly the weakest link on our team, but I knew going in she wasn't going to be strong in challenges. Quincy I think was the person who I thought would do better. He was absolutely awful at the word search and he was kind of confrontational in the chat. I also got a little frustrated at the end because Cassie, AJ, and I think Chase (idr for sure) were chatting instead of helping put the puzzle together. Where's the focus?!?

It's easy to forgive all of that when you avoid losing. For now I'm content, but we'll have to be stronger if we want to beat Proelia.

[henry]

[Jordan] Cassie GVSE: (3:31:57 PM) if we dispose of the biggest threats too early, then there's no bigger targets aound.

I wanted to pull this quote from Cassie, because it really struck me during my convo with her. We talked, and since we're kind of familiar with each other it was a necessary convo to have about working together. I feel like this statement really revealed how Cassie felt about me. She sees me as a threat, but doesn't want to blindset me yet, key word being yet. I think Cassie, rightfully so, wants to take really weak people to the end and/or atone for screwing over AJ in Season 3 by getting there with her. Even though I see Cassie as a friend, I can tell already that I'm not going to be able to fully trust her.

Typically in this situation I might start working to get Cassie out, but this is All Stars and things are complicated. I trust AJ, and campaigning against Cassie might lose me her. Cassie also is close to Ellen, and if I'm against Cassie I might become an enemy of her alliance, whatever that may be.

Cassie suggested Quincy or Thaigo as the first boots. I find it interesting that she didn't mention anyone from Season 3. I think I need to talk to Chase next, if he also avoids targeting anyone from Season 3, then I'll have to assume I don't have many options other than to agree with them.

[henry]

Chase Ingmen: (12:19:35 AM) I mean, it's an option
Chase Ingmen: (12:19:38 AM) I won't deny that

WHY DO I HAVE FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE SAME SEASON ON MY TRIBE?!?

Haha, don't worry, I'm not really that OTT about the situation, but it is the question looming amongst many of us in the group. I know some of these people voted other people from their season off, but as the saying goes, "better to go with the enemy you know rather than the one you don't."

The good news of the night is that Chase wants to have a secret alliance with me. Chase is nice, I want to talk to him more, but I'm not going to the F2 with him at this point. I said yes anyway though, hopefully ensuring that I will be going nowhere while on this tribe.

It seems like Chase also wants to see Thaigo be the first one gone. If Chase and Cassie/AJ both want it then Colleen is going to want that too, and that's a majority. I'm not saying I'm wanting to save Thaigo forever, but I hate being in an all-Season 3 alliance.

If I had to choose between Thaigo and Quincy, I'd want Quincy out first. I get along with Thaigo the best, prolly, in the tribe and Quincy the worst (after Colleen). I floated the idea past Chase, who gave a mixed reaction. I'm in no position whatsoever to push the issue, so we'll see how this continues to develop in future rounds.

The hand I've been dealt in this tribe seems to have given me safety, but not power. It would be cool to find the idol...