Erik's Thread Full of Wonder and Intrigue

[imfeelinrusty]

First off, I want to say thanks to the lovely hosts (mainly Julie) for putting on this game. It has been a hell of a ride and I'm glad that you guys took the time to make this game work and make it unique. For that, I thank you.

Mike:
I find it difficult to imagine myself voting for you in any scenario. I'm sure that you're a wonderful person, but all that you did in this game was tell me that you wanted to work with me, even after we vote out Spencer. I always had a hard time deciphering whether or not you were being genuine, but you always came off as disingenuous. As I see it right now, you are here on luck, rather than skill. Let's say that Andrea is voted out at 10th, there is no possible fucking way that you make it to the end as anything other than a goat. I understand that you had difficulties in real life that interfered with your gameplay, but your post count is pathetic. I can't label you as an UTR player because you had very little options, very little control, and you had very little to say about it, based on your post count & your tribal answers. I wish you the best of luck, man, but I don't think that you're going to win this, even with an amazing FTC performance. My questions to you:
1.) Let's say that Andrea is voted out first at the merge instead of Parvati. How does this change your game? Where do you go from there?
2.) Out of genuine curiosity, how many confessional posts did you end up actually making? If you tripled your post count, it would still be less than mine, and I was out at least 4 places before you.
3.) How much control do you think you had in this game, and your fate in this game? Give it a number between 1-10, and explain why.
4.) How would you have played differently had the real life situation not occured? Any moves that you would have made? Alliances you would have broken? Be specific.
I find it an unlikely scenario voting for you, but I wish you the best of luck.

Andrea:
You're a great player, both physically and strategically. But ultimately, I felt like you had zero personality. Whenever we talked, your answers were always short, you never expressed any characteristics, you seemed disinterested, and I always felt like I had to keep the conversation going, rather than have it flow naturally. Although you made a lot of great moves and you had the right people under your thumb, I find it hard to believe why you would take Rodney to the end. You had no reason to not vote him put at the last tribal counsel, and that would have satisfied me greatly, but it also would have secured yourself an easy win, no doubt. I have a hard time finding myself voting for someone who didn't do everything possible to ensure a victory, even if loyalty played a big part in it. Questions:
1.) Why did you take Rodney to the end? Seriously, WHY?!?!
2.) Show me a thread of your actual personality. Actually tell me about yourself. Show me that you're strong, but vunerable. Because right now, I have no knowledge about yourself, other than playing in a few other ORGs.
3.) Why did you always seem disinterested whenever we spoke to each other? We're you never planning on working with me? Did you want Rodney to solely depend on you, rather than between me and you?
4.) I still have a really, REALLY hard time believing what went down in the Hunger Games challenge. Not being able to post RIGHT when it would have cost you a loss? Posting after I had bitten the bullet to get Courtney out? I can't fathom that the coincidences lined up so perfectly for you to have an innocent story as to why you didn't get Courtney out and how you won. What actually happened?
5.) You won 6 immunity challenges. 6. Did you use 1337 H4CK5?
6.) You're in a similar boat as Mike in terms of activity. Considering how you controlled the game towards the end, I was expecting that you would have more posts for the PWs and the hosts as to how you were dominating the game. I'm pretty sure that I have double the amount of your posts, and considering how great of a player you were towards the end, that's kind of disheartening that you barely wrote about it.
7.) Why did you skip out on so many of the questions at tribal? This may not bother some people, but it bothers me. Even the inactive Mike was able to answer questions, albeit with dumb jokes. It seems like you didn't put any effort into offering us insight on your game, and that's disappointing to me.
That being said, you were a great player, and coming into this FTC, assuming that Rodney is gone, you would have had my vote. Now, I'm not so sure.

Rodney:
Oh man, get ready. I'm about to not tear you a new asshole. I probably should, but I really don't fucking care that much at this point. I still question the integrity of your move, but I understand that this is a game. I'm kind of confused by your opening statement though. You claimed to have so much control in the game, yet for the last three or so rounds, you were literally under Andrea's thumb and doing anything she said. There's more examples of how you contradicted yourself in your opening statement, but that's the main one that I took away from it. So let's get onto the questions, shall we?
1.) Why did you choose Andrea over me? What made you think that riding out the rest of the game with her was better than sticking with the brains? I asked you this at my vote off, but you cited Andrea's advantages as your reason. We could have easily worked around them and still maintained a majority.
2.) How early did you know about Andrea's advantages? After the auction, you were crazy idol paranoid and mainly pointed your fingers at Colby and Alex. Did you know Andrea had it at this time?
3.) I think the thing that irritates me most is how paranoid you always were. You seemed to think that I was always about to vote you out, even though I never had any plans ready to. To be honest, I'm not sure if I would have taken you to the FTC had I stayed in the game, but you always seemed to be so on edge, and after EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I calmed you down, you still turned around and voted me out. Obviously, I was a threat to win, but how could you not see that voting me out would lead to three potential lost jury votes? If your game was so calculated to get you here, how could you not see that betraying three people who were with you from the start might cost you three votes at the end? Granted, this might not actually be the case, but jury management can make or break someone as a player, and I'm not sure how well you know about that concept. What was going through your head, in terms of jury management, when you voted off the brains?
4.) In what scenario would have made you side with the brains over Andrea? What would have made you stay loyal? Would you have picked Andrea almost every time?
5.) Let's say you win immunity at the final immunity challenge. Who would you vote off? Would Andrea still be here if you had won? If you didn't have the votes, let's say that it was a F2 scenario with Andrea and Mike still I'm the game. Do you keep Andrea, or keep Mike?
6.) I just have a really hard time understanding why you would vote out your backbone in the game. I was with you on Day fucking 1. I calmed you down every time you came to me paranoid, or with insane ideas. I kind of helped mold your game into what it is. I had your back everytime your ass was on the oine, which was almost all the time. I would understand your move more if we were playing for a real prize, but was it worth sacrificing a potential friendship just to get one step ahead in an online game?
That's all the questions I have for you persobally for now. I wish you good luck, even though a huge part of me would like to see you on the jury with me for closure.

To all of you:
1.) What were the most important relationships that got you here? Give me two examples, no more, no less.
2.) List off the bad qualities of every single juror. KEEP THIS RESPECTFUL. I just don't want to see you kissing anyone's ass, myself included.
3.) Align every character on the Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic chart. I don't know what it's called. But your choices are Lawful good, Neutral good, Chaotic good, Lawful neutral, True neutral, Chaotic neutral, Lawful evil, Neutral evil, and Chaotic evil. Look up a chart online if you have any trouble placing a juror to one of the categories.
4.) Which prejuror do you think most deserves a second chance? Why?
5.) Write an emotional, legitimate, sincere apology to ONE of the people on the jury. I want vunerability, not ass-kissing. Keep that in mind.

Good luck all of you, and stick around this thread over the next few days, because I might have more questions to post.

[imfeelinrusty]

Feel free to answer these one at a time. I asked for at least 9 questions from all of you and that's a lot of questions on your plate. I just want you all to answer them to the best of your ability; time won't play a factor for me, considering how many I asked.

[Rodney]

Erik,

To start off. I miss you, buddy. The game was a cold unforgiving place after you left and you are right, the last portion of the game I did willingly surrender some power to keep my ties with Andrea strong. I was not intending to sound contradictory. I was indeed running the show but in order to stay aligned with Andrea, obviously with the powers she won in the auction, I was not going to have control over her. As the amount of survivors got smaller, the power of a double vote and having a Mike under your thumb becomes extraordinary. I was in control only in the sense that I was safe after she had majority (Her 2 votes and Mike.)

1) I chose her because we become great friends. I don't know how much the powers effected the decision but they certainly didn't hurt her cause. I am pretty sure I would have made it to the finals no matter which way I went. If I went with her I knew she wouldn't vote me out and she had powers, If i went with you I would have had a much better shot at challenges and I would have been surrounded by allies, I could have worked with either way, It just came down to the personal conversations I had with her. I can assure you she is very much human and a good person.

2) I knew about the double vote immediately and I told you about it right away (Sorry, Andrea ) The idol she kept close for a few days but she told me about it during a passionate argument about trust. The way that information came to me was special and there was no way I was blowing that one. All that idol paranoia was genuine because I had no idea for a while.

3) Erik, I was paranoid because I had every right to be. I had an idol played to take me out. I received 15 votes this game. I was a threat and I was afraid of my allies seeing me as such. I have only played in 2 other games and I was burned by my Erik in the last one so I'm sorry if I kept you busy with all that. I am in fact familiar with jury management but with the amount of hate i was getting I decided to take another route. I knew for a while that my angle was going to have to not be, "please like me" but "please respect my game"

4) I don't know, Andrea and I really connected on a personal level. I'm not sure what else you could have done. Like I said in Natalie's thread, you did everything right, I just did you dirty. Maybe if we had more personal talks I would have tried more to bring you guys together but I don't any scenario where I could have betrayed her.

5) I guess I have different goals than some others and this may sound strange but I was preaching for a while that it was important to me to have a competitive final tribal council. If I was sitting here with 2 inactive it would be uninspired and would feel like everything I did was overshadowed by it. After you left I wanted Andrea and Natalie with me, but before you left I really did want you and Andrea, my two best friends in this game to be sitting next to me. Courtney would have been fun too. I have more of a hedonistic philosophy about it where it's all about the experience so to answer your question, Andrea would be here no matter what. She won a ton of individual immunity but she didn't need to. She was safe with me.

6) I talked with you about how silly I thought Colby was for taking it personally and I thought you were on the same page as me. I never intended to lose a friend over it and when you told me that it really broke my spirit. I had no desire to do a live challenge or answer tribal talk questions that night. I was a little torn up to be honest. I tried to get you two to get along, I really wanted to go to the end with both of you but it wasn't in the cards and I made a choice.



I'll get to the rest later

[imfeelinrusty]

Just so you know, I tried really fucking hard to get along with Andrea, but she never returned the favor and it always seemed like a ome way street with her. I tried to fill your wishes just as you filled mine, but Andrea had always had a different agenda. I know you made a choice, but you went with the marriage-level argumentative relationship over the tight friendship that I thought we have. The way that you talk about you and Andrea sounds like you had something with her that we didn't have, and I thought, for sure, that we had something special too. Maybe I was wrong though.

[Rodney]

Sept 13, 2015 23:50:49 GMT imfeelinrusty said:

Just so you know, I tried really fucking hard to get along with Andrea, but she never returned the favor and it always seemed like a ome way street with her. I tried to fill your wishes just as you filled mine, but Andrea had always had a different agenda. I know you made a choice, but you went with the marriage-level argumentative relationship over the tight friendship that I thought we have. The way that you talk about you and Andrea sounds like you had something with her that we didn't have, and I thought, for sure, that we had something special too. Maybe I was wrong though.

There no need to compare. I know this game brought out a situation where I was forced to but I don't like to look at it that way. My relationship with you and my relationship with Andrea were different but they were both sincere. I'm trying my best to show you that now and you'll see even more how much I struggled with it when you read my confessional entries. You were my rock in this game for a really long time and I hope you change your mind on how you perceive the way I felt. 

[Rodney]

Sept 13, 2015 22:50:39 GMT imfeelinrusty said:

4.) Which prejuror do you think most deserves a second chance? Why?

Ken and Rob were the only real prejurors I met, Candice and Burton both seemed like real players but I think it has to go to Hali because of the circumstances by which she left. I really hope we hear from her and that everything worked out.

[Mike Holloway]

1.) Let's say that Andrea is voted out first at the merge instead of Parvati. How does this change your game? Where do you go from there?

This would have changed my game drastically. I still would have sent myself to Exile the next round, as I did, but if the Brains and Brawns would have stuck together for one more round, and voted out Parvati the next, I most likely would have become the next Beauty vote, and then you all would have had to turn on each other, or you would have had to keep me for a vote for a few more rounds. Andrea wasn't seen as a complete threat right off the bat as Parvati was, so it is unlikely Parv would have been able to sway enough power, especially how she was heavily targeted mutually by one tribe. Now, if Parv would have stuck around, I would have had to work with her, but she seemed to be tighter with Angie & Courtney, leaving me 4th at best if I choose to work with them. So all around, my connection with Andrea in this game was my best bet because it gave me the ability to have her on one side, and then I play my own game with her so that we could make it further together. Myself and Andrea were on the same page this game, where as I don't think I would have been with Parvati as much. So in that situation I see myself as 8th at worst, 4th at best, unless I would have flip flopped back and forth and made it to the end that way.


2.) Out of genuine curiosity, how many confessional posts did you end up actually making? If you tripled your post count, it would still be less than mine, and I was out at least 4 places before you.

I only made about 10. Yes, I know it was not a lot. Yes, I regret it as I love to post confessionals. Real life got in the way with this, and so I sucked at posting on the board, but I was constantly on AIM. So my activity was not so much on the board, but on AIM where no one can really track it but the conversations I had with everyone.

3.) How much control do you think you had in this game, and your fate in this game? Give it a number between 1-10, and explain why.

I think I had some control in this game. If I didn't, I wouldnt be here. By voting how I did (the Shirin vote), keeping Rodney, making him "owe me one" and working with him gave me some security. I think I had a 5 or 6 because there was always a chance I could go. I wasn't sure on half the votes as I wasnt working with them, so if even one person turned on me I could have been done, but I trusted my alliance and didnt have to worry. My name was written down, I had some people suggest me as a vote, but I did what I needed to do. I didn't play ruthless, I was honest, and I stuck to my word. I don't think you need to be an in your face, aggressive, lying, manipulative person to win the game.

4.) How would you have played differently had the real life situation not occured? Any moves that you would have made? Alliances you would have broken? Be specific.

So, real life has been quite hectic, so I apologize to everyone it has effected and the views that it negatively put on me, but I have been here, checking everything constantly, and doing my best to try and remain here in the game. I would have had more time to socialize, more time to confess post, more time to basically chill with you all, and compete harder in challenges. I would have still stuck with the same people, still played the way I did, I just would have been more open, and around on the board. I was still on AIM, but wasn't around here per say. So, with that being said, I would have stuck with Andrea & Rodney, voted the way I did, and played the way I did, just with more umph in my game and getting to know people better because that it was I regret the most about not being around.

[andrea]

1. I formed a friendship with Rodney, and I remained loyal to him. I think my loyalty was something that should be respected. I could have easily voted him out and we could have had a boring final tribal, but I wanted to go to the end with him. I would be lying if I didn't say personal feelings were involved. I love Rodney as a person, I talked to him almost every night about a variety of different things. 

2. I'm sorry you think I have no personality, don't take this the wrong way but the first time we talked you wanted to get straight into game talk. You wanted to know the tribe dynamic from my old tribe and everything. So I did sort of put a wall up with you cause I felt like it was 100% game with you and I apologize if wasn't. More about me as a person, I am 20 years old starting college this year. I took a year off from school and worked tutoring children. I'm in college now to become a nurse because I want to help people in this world. I'm a huge Fall out boy fan, I believe I talked about that to Courtney and some others. I was in a long distance relationship that's been kind of rough lately, and one night I started to tell you about that but then I got talking to Rodney about that so I apologize for that. I'm really stubborn and like to get my way, not only in the game but real life.  I really don't like confrontation, I try to stay away from it most of the time. I live with my two best friends in an apartment I can barely afford to pay for lol. I also have met a few people from the org community because people in orgs can become some of your best friends. I'm also really shy, in real life and here. In real life I can't start conversations with just anyone, and here it's hard to open up with some people.

3. One of the main reasons was trust. I never really trusted you because I knew that you and Rodney had a final two deal. I wanted Rodney to myself. I would always be planting seeds to Rodney about how we need to make a move against you sooner than later. I was really paranoid that you might know I wanted you out. I never wanted you to think I was distant, I was trying to be nice when we talked. We were working together so I wasn't trying to shut you out if that's what you thought. I also knew I could never beat you in a million years

4. Obviously I wanted to win that immunity but if I appeared greedy then you might have wanted me out. The lie I created wasn't the best obviously lol. But I also saw it as why should I have been the one to shoot Courtney if you could. We were both itching for the immunity win that round lol. If Courtney would have shot one of us, the other would have won as well. It also exposed the alliance you had with Courtney, because I found out after the reason you didn't want to shoot her.

5. I actually used gameshark hacks

6. I confessed at least once per round. I have 3 or 4 pages of confessionals for the entire game. You have to take into account how I was taken out at the beginning of every posting challenge. I wasn't inactive at all, I just didn't make 10 post every round, I mostly confessed right as I was making my tribal vote, and talked about the entire round as a whole.

7. Julie said I didn't need to answer the questions, and most of mine were "Do you think you needed immunity?". I always need immunity so I didn't need to answer that ten times. I apologize if you think I didn't care or was inactive, but I didn't think it was required or I would have answered it every time.



To All of Us

1. Mike and Rodney for sure. Rodney was like a ride or die for me. Any move I made I went to him first to get it done. He had more social pulls with the brains, but I was more like the black widow and making a lot of the moves. Mike was someone who always would do what I wanted to do. He wanted to progress himself with me, so those two were people I knew would do anything I wanted to do

2. Colby didn't build good enough social connections. Natalie has a temper that can be really mean. Ciera is hard to talk to at times. Erik you are too much about game talk, after two seconds of meeting me you wanted to know everything that happened on my tribe which made it seem like you wanted to use me for information. Courtney honestly didn't have a bad quality, she was just too liked by the Jury. The way Angie speaks to people she wants to work with. Shirin was inactive for the most part which made it hard to talk to. Alex didn't have the social connections with people he needed. Parvati showed her cards too early with the idol play, she should have held on to it until merge.

3. Can I get clarification on this one please

4. I only knew one of the pre jury, but looking at activity and challenge performance I would say Burton. He seemed to really care about the game and wanted to play. I think a shot at redemption would be good for him

5. My apology would be to Courtney. Her vote off was the hardest for me and made me feel terrible. She really wanted to play this game, and I was lying to her  up until a few hours before the vote was revealed. I shouldn't have led you on Courtney when I had no intention of working with you, I am sorry for that. 

[imfeelinrusty]

Nine distinct alignments define all the possible combinations of the lawful-chaotic axis with the good-evil axis. Each alignment description below depicts a typical character of that alignment. Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with his or her alignment from day to day. Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.

The first six alignments, lawful good through chaotic neutral, are the standard alignments for player characters. The three evil alignments are for monsters and villains.

Lawful Good, "Crusader"

A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.

Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Neutral Good, "Benefactor"

A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.

Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order.

Neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Chaotic Good, "Rebel"

A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit.

Chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.

Lawful Neutral, "Judge"

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount to her. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.

Lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.

Neutral, "Undecided"

A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. She doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil-after all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, she's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.

Some neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run.

Neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion.

Neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Chaotic Neutral, "Free Spirit"

A chaotic neutral character follows his whims. He is an individualist first and last. He values his own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others' freedom. He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

Chaotic neutral is the best alignment you can be because it represents true freedom from both society's restrictions and a do-gooder's zeal.

Chaotic neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all authority, harmony, and order in society.

Lawful Evil, "Dominator"

A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. He cares about tradition, loyalty, and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. He plays by the rules but without mercy or compassion. He is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises.

This reluctance comes partly from his nature and partly because he depends on order to protect himself from those who oppose him on moral grounds. Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood (but having underlings do it) or not letting children come to harm (if it can be helped). They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.

Some lawful evil people and creatures commit themselves to evil with a zeal like that of a crusader committed to good. Beyond being willing to hurt others for their own ends, they take pleasure in spreading evil as an end unto itself. They may also see doing evil as part of a duty to an evil deity or master.

Lawful evil is sometimes called "diabolical," because devils are the epitome of lawful evil.

Lawful evil creatures consider their alignment to be the best because it combines honor with a dedicated self-interest.

Lawful evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents methodical, intentional, and frequently successful evil.

Neutral Evil, "Malefactor"

A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.

Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies.

Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others.

Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Chaotic Evil, "Destroyer"

A chaotic evil character does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse. Thankfully, his plans are haphazard, and any groups he joins or forms are poorly organized. Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him.

Chaotic evil is sometimes called "demonic" because demons are the epitome of chaotic evil.

Chaotic evil beings believe their alignment is the best because it combines self-interest and pure freedom.

Chaotic evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.

This is the alignment chart I was referring to. There's a description.

I will address all of your answers tomorrow as I see fit. Thank yout for taking the time tonight.

[Rodney]

Before I go any further I feel like I need to set something straight. There isn't much denying that I was running the show through the Courtney boot but what I feel people have mistaken is that Andrea stole the power from me from that point on and that simply isn't true. There was one vote the entire individual portion of the game that didn't end the way I wanted. It may have gotten put under a microscope but Natalie was the one and only. Erik was just as much, if not more MY move. I may not have randomly bid on the idol but it is safe to say this move couldn't have happened without me. Anybody could have flipped to prevent something, that is not my assertion, rather it is the fact that I had a choice. I very easily could have done Andrea dirty, told Erik about the idol, made a counter move, flushed the idol, and sailed safely to the finals with Erik and Natalie. They were just as much my allies, I had just as much of an easy path no matter what I chose. The decision was hard because of friendships and it was prompted by Andrea no doubt, but she wouldn't be here if I didn't consent to it. There was no point in this vote where my hands were tied. 

As for the rest of them, you be the judge. Observe, an entry from my confessional right after Courtney was voted out. Please disregard the doucheyness, it is part of the show, but look at what I had set up.



The only thing I didn't account for was Andrea fighting me on the Natalie vote, but otherwise, if you want the mastermind, you are looking at him. I had this all planned out. Andrea won a lot of immunity but A) it wasn't needed and B) look at the competition. 

Most of the challenge threats were removed by this point and we already had majority so at best it was for keep away purposes but Andrea and I were safe from the Shirin vote on and we both knew it. The amount of ICs I didn't even feel the need to participate in is kind of embarrassing actually. The only reason I attempted the FIC was because I was starting to get worried about my All Star chances because I wasn't active in IC's but it was because of my strong social game. I just didn't need them.

I really think Andrea's game was enriched by my involvement. Please make no mistake about who was calling the shots. I worked hard to get here I don't want it to be seen any other way.

Jury,
I hope this is the passionate fight you're looking for. Someone who wants it.

Andrea,
This is nothing but game and I want nothing more than for you to tear me down. This is why we're here, let's lay it all out there and have fun with it. I love you no matter what.

[imfeelinrusty]

Really quick things to address before I go in depth:

Andrea, I am having a really hard time believing that you're being 100% genuine during this tribal. The way that you talk and type always makes it sound like you're holding something back. For the record, YOU were the one who even brought up game in the talks first. I was pleasant and making conversation straight at the start and never even mentioned the game, yet you claim I was 100% game from out very first conversation?! I asked more about you than I asked about previous tribe dynamics at the start. I'll post a screencaps of our first conversation in a minute, but I was 100% genuine with you straight from the start, and you never gave me the time of day. Also, I couldn't stand your cover up of the Hunger Games challenge. It was so insanely obvious that you just wanted the win, but you didn't own up to it AT ALL, even after I called you out. I would have respected you if you owned up to what you did and just mentioned that you wanted a win, but just so you know, I could have waited for Courtney to take you out (because she was going to go after you next), and then I would have won. But I didn't, because I knew you were being greedy and not owning up to it. I'm not mad about your moves, I'm mad about how transparent they were and how obvious they were. Also, you claim that I didn't do much besides be likable, but then you turn around and say that I always talk game? Both are lies. Me and Rodney pretty often talked about what to do, and how to do it. You will see in my confessionals that I didn't have to do much. And, if my only claim to fame is being likable, then how would I predict EXACTLY what would happen the night that you voted me out? I think you're discrediting me, and I don't get that.

I tried doing genuine conversations with you, and EVERY SINGLE TIME you seemed disinterested, even at the very start. Maybe this is a wake up call, but if you want my vote, you need to convince me that you have laid everything out on the table, because right now, I'm not convinced, even if you have laid out everything. And to you, rewarding loyalty is fine. But to me, you had an easy win in the palm of your hands. I know that, even thought it's an online game, I would do ANYTHING to win just once. I can't help but disagree with your decision.

Rodney, I like all of the effort you have put into answering these questions, but I just don't seem completely satisfied with them, and you make it sound like you had so much control, even though your ass was almost gone so many times. I respect that you were able to overcome all of those times that you did, but to say that the game was almost always in your control seems to be stretching the truth, at least a little bit. I'm still a bit pissed at your decision too. I know you made a personal connection with Andrea, but holy fuck, ever heard of Bros before Hoes? I was always 100% with you, and our agenda was pretty fucking similar for a while. Andrea had a pretty different agenda, both when not using her double vote to get Natalie out as leverage, and when she screwed me out of challenges and transparently tried to cover it up. We both know I was the better partner to you, and I'm still confused why you took someone who grinded you into different directions and who you seemed to fight with A LOT over the game, over someone who was always with you, had your back at multiple roadblocks, never fought with you, AND helped orchestrate your entire first half of the merge.

Mike, I don't know. I don't really want to reward someone who wasn't in the game basically at all. Maybe in another universe you could win this, but not in this one. I still might give you a pity vote, but don't count on it.

I will address all of your answers shortly.

[Rodney]

Sept 14, 2015 20:19:34 GMT imfeelinrusty said:

Rodney, I like all of the effort you have put into answering these questions, but I just don't seem completely satisfied with them, and you make it sound like you had so much control, even though your ass was almost gone so many times. I respect that you were able to overcome all of those times that you did, but to say that the game was almost always in your control seems to be stretching the truth, at least a little bit. I'm still a bit pissed at your decision too. I know you made a personal connection with Andrea, but holy fuck, ever heard of Bros before Hoes? I was always 100% with you, and our agenda was pretty fucking similar for a while. Andrea had a pretty different agenda, both when not using her double vote to get Natalie out as leverage, and when she screwed me out of challenges and transparently tried to cover it up. We both know I was the better partner to you, and I'm still confused why you took someone who grinded you into different directions and who you seemed to fight with A LOT over the game, over someone who was always with you, had your back at multiple roadblocks, never fought with you, AND helped orchestrate your entire first half of the merge.

The only time I was legitimately in danger was when I almost got idol'd. Yeah I got a lot of votes and yeah I was paranoid AF, but I always had majority. I always made sure the work I did socially came through for me on TC night. Of course it's nerve racking being the one who will be targeted every round but what were the two things I was ever nervous about? the idol, and somebody flipping. That's it. Am I right about that or am I wrong? Those were the only two things that could stop me because I always had the numbers and I was the one telling those numbers what to do.

I really did do you dirty, and I really do still feel bad about it. I never thought I had it in me to back stab someone who was so close and meant so much to my game but I just wanted it. I really wanted it so I did what I knew would get me to the end, and I knew Andrea would never vote me out in a million years.

[imfeelinrusty]

Erik,

To start off. I miss you, buddy. The game was a cold unforgiving place after you left and you are right, the last portion of the game I did willingly surrender some power to keep my ties with Andrea strong. I was not intending to sound contradictory. I was indeed running the show but in order to stay aligned with Andrea, obviously with the powers she won in the auction, I was not going to have control over her. As the amount of survivors got smaller, the power of a double vote and having a Mike under your thumb becomes extraordinary. I was in control only in the sense that I was safe after she had majority (Her 2 votes and Mike.)

You gave basically all the control to her, whether you see it or not. Sure, you had some sway when it came to decisions, but ultimately, she was the one who would decide on what happened. We both know that we could have easily, EASILY, worked around the powers that she had and still kept a majority. You were basically under her thumb. She was the president and you were a congressman.

1) I chose her because we become great friends. I don't know how much the powers effected the decision but they certainly didn't hurt her cause. I am pretty sure I would have made it to the finals no matter which way I went. If I went with her I knew she wouldn't vote me out and she had powers, If i went with you I would have had a much better shot at challenges and I would have been surrounded by allies, I could have worked with either way, It just came down to the personal conversations I had with her. I can assure you she is very much human and a good person.

There's probably a few scenarios where you make it to the finals. Regardless of alliances, you were always a threat. I'm not totally sure why Andrea rewarded you with the FTC, but any rational person who wanted to win would have voted you out.

2) I knew about the double vote immediately and I told you about it right away (Sorry, Andrea ) The idol she kept close for a few days but she told me about it during a passionate argument about trust. The way that information came to me was special and there was no way I was blowing that one. All that idol paranoia was genuine because I had no idea for a while.

Fair enough. I do remember you telling me that fairly quickly.

3) Erik, I was paranoid because I had every right to be. I had an idol played to take me out. I received 15 votes this game. I was a threat and I was afraid of my allies seeing me as such. I have only played in 2 other games and I was burned by my Erik in the last one so I'm sorry if I kept you busy with all that. I am in fact familiar with jury management but with the amount of hate i was getting I decided to take another route. I knew for a while that my angle was going to have to not be, "please like me" but "please respect my game"

Uhm, all of the votes were directed at Shirin initially, in case one of the brains had an idol. It was only last minute where everything flipped around and you almost got out. I know I was disappointed when I heard you led Natalie on but failed to follow through. That's poor gameplay and poor jury management. Voting out your best friend was poor jury management. It's like if Stephen would have conspired against JT after the Tyson vote.

4) I don't know, Andrea and I really connected on a personal level. I'm not sure what else you could have done. Like I said in Natalie's thread, you did everything right, I just did you dirty. Maybe if we had more personal talks I would have tried more to bring you guys together but I don't any scenario where I could have betrayed her.

Like I've said, I tried REALLY fucking hard to connect with Andrea, but she never returned the favor. I tried so hard to appease you when she didn't give me the time of day. It's not fair that I do everything you ask me to and I get voted out, and she never does anything you really ask of her and she controls you, and she gets to stay in. Yeah, I can attribute that to my gameplay, I know, but it still makes me upset that she almost never went with you and you reward her, and I did anything you asked me to and you burn me. That's something that I despise about the situation. Props to Andrea for getting her to control you like that.

5) I guess I have different goals than some others and this may sound strange but I was preaching for a while that it was important to me to have a competitive final tribal council. If I was sitting here with 2 inactive it would be uninspired and would feel like everything I did was overshadowed by it. After you left I wanted Andrea and Natalie with me, but before you left I really did want you and Andrea, my two best friends in this game to be sitting next to me. Courtney would have been fun too. I have more of a hedonistic philosophy about it where it's all about the experience so to answer your question, Andrea would be here no matter what. She won a ton of individual immunity but she didn't need to. She was safe with me.

Yawn. That's boring, but understandable.

6) I talked with you about how silly I thought Colby was for taking it personally and I thought you were on the same page as me. I never intended to lose a friend over it and when you told me that it really broke my spirit. I had no desire to do a live challenge or answer tribal talk questions that night. I was a little torn up to be honest. I tried to get you two to get along, I really wanted to go to the end with both of you but it wasn't in the cards and I made a choice.

Even if I said it, there's no possible way that losing me as a friend didn't come up in your mind. If you were so calculated, why wouldn't you consider that voting me could potentially lead to losing me? I have a really hard time believing that you didn't consider that to be an option.

I'll get to the rest later

Take your time, man.

[Rodney]

You keep asking why Andrea never voted me out but you're not realizing that she just wouldn't. She wasn't going to do it and I knew that. Please don't underestimate that I knew that. It really did have a lot to do with my decisions. Give me some credit, please re-read my post above that includes the screenshot. I was very much in control other than one vote where she stood up to me. Everything else went exactly as planned, and yes, it was MY plan. If I didn't know for sure Andrea was with me til the end or if she had other plans, she wouldn't be here. I carried her through this game to a point where her powers gave us majority, then all she had to do was use them. I just don't see why you're missing so much credit from my story

[imfeelinrusty]

Sept 14, 2015 21:26:51 GMT Rodney said:

You keep asking why Andrea never voted me out but you're not realizing that she just wouldn't. She wasn't going to do it and I knew that. Please don't underestimate that I knew that. It really did have a lot to do with my decisions. Give me some credit, please re-read my post above that includes the screenshot. I was very much in control other than one vote where she stood up to me. Everything else went exactly as planned, and yes, it was MY plan. If I didn't know for sure Andrea was with me til the end or if she had other plans, she wouldn't be here. I carried her through this game to a point where her powers gave us majority, then all she had to do was use them. I just don't see why you're missing so much credit from my story

Andrea, what do you have to say about this?