by Carter » Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:05:22 am
I'm going to keep this significantly shorter than my two opponents...
Hello everyone,
First off, I'd like to say thank you all for making this such a fun game. I had a blast, I made some good friends, and I really wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world. I'd also like to say that I know some of you are upset or angry with the way I played the game, things I said, or other facets of my game, and I won't say you're wrong for thinking a certain way, because opinions are opinions, and no one is right or wrong. I just ask that you all keep an open mind and allow me the opportunity to answer any and all questions that you may have for me, no matter how harsh or soft they may be.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. I didn't like my odds coming into this game. Unlike most of you, I had very few good, working relationships from prior games in my back pocket like it seemed everyone else had. I was playing again in back-to-back seasons which I know some of you are capable of doing, but seeing as this was my first and second ORG games ever, it honestly took more of a toll on me than I thought it would. All I had going for me were the things that got me through most of Nepal, which were my challenge prowess and my social game. I knew I was going to face much tougher competition, so I knew I couldn't count on repeating the challenge performance, so I did what I did best in Nepal: I made good, strong relationships that as many people as I could. After the carnage of Day 1, I was feeling pretty good about conversing with most of the people in the game. I was feeling pretty good about my ability to get along with and possibly work with most of the people I talked to and began working on building the foundation of strong bonds; Debb, Cochran, Ralph, Sarah, Chad and Ashley just to name a few. As luck would have it, all but one of these names would end up on my tribe, and my charm/social skills/whatever you want to call them had already paid off. These relationships bought me time, they gave me ample opportunity to plan for both the short and long term, figure out who would be good and bad people to go far with, and how to turn every possible twist/change into an advantage for me. It also helped that I was in a very tight alliance at Nuku Hiva, and was never in any danger of going home, so I knew that the twist and merge were my big opportunities to make a move.
I made it out of Nuku Hiva unscathed and I was now a member of Hiva Oa. I think this is where I was playing my best, even if it was pre-merge. After the swap, it quickly became apparent to me that I had to use the bonds I had been working on building to my advantage. Ted, Ashley, and Lisa were all convinced that I was a dead man walking at Nuku Hiva, and I used that to my advantage to make a move in the game. I played the sympathy card. I made myself as desirable an ally as possible because it would open doors in the short term for my alliance of four, as well as for myself the long term. This immediately paid dividends to me after the Ted vote. After that vote, Ashley was undeniably angry with me because of our relationships but I had to re-assure her that it was not a move against her but a move to help us move forward together. It ultimately worked out as our mutual interests lined up in the very next vote when I decided I wanted the loose cannon Vytas out of the game. I knew Vytas, Ralph and Cochran were a formidable trio and were just using me and Debb to move forward in the game but we weren't going to let them have that advantage on us going into the merge, especially when Chad was waiting on the other side to link back up with them, thus squeezing me and Debb out of the plans and into a state of irrelevancy for the remainder of the game. We teamed up with Ash and Lisa and took out Vytas. I had a strong relationship with Cochran and Ralph, so I was able to continue working with them despite voting out a strong ally, but I also had a strong relationship with Ashley and this helped me move forward working with her.
The merge was an entirely different animal. Debb and I were doing a lot of work to not even be considered to go home and I felt on top of the world. When the merge hit, I was feeling confident with my bond with Debb, my alliance with Cochran and Ralph, my bonds with Ashley, Sarah, Lisa and Chad. Hell, even Mia and I were on good terms and she willing to work together, as far fetched as that may sound now. Debb and I were ready to take the game by storm, or so I thought. Everyone came to us telling us Katie had gone off the wall, so suddenly things had to be put on hold in order to satisfy the general group and not arouse suspicion of any particular groupings of people working together. Katie went home in a weird idol play. Lisa was the victim of a confusing and poorly communicated split vote, that in reality, really shouldn't have happened. Sarah was rocked out, which sucked despite her being on the opposite side of the numbers. Ashley was beginning to act differently but I thought I could still work with her after the rock draw happened in my alliance's favor. When the rock draw happened, I had begun putting into motion my plan to blindside Chad. The plan had entailed Mia or Ken going at 10 and then the other at 9, which I knew could happen due to my alliance of 5 that consisted of myself/Debb/Cochran/Ralph/Chad having numbers no matter what, and then having an alliance that I had been attempting to create that would have consisted of Ashley, Jo, myself, Debb, and Sarah take out Chad at 8. Ashley was in the know, Jo seemed willing to make a move (if I recall correctly), Debb and I were as close as could be, and Sarah and I, while having a bumpy last day together, were still open with each other and wanted to make a move if the opportunity presented itself. Then the stupid rocks got in the way of everything. From then on, it was a battle of those who I had wanted to work with (Ashley and Jo) versus those that I had been working with and knew I had to continue working with to keep myself in the game, who were Cochran, Ralph, and Chad. I knew that if I tried to make a move and it didn't work out, one of my allies would go, I'd be deemed as untrustworthy and most likely have been voted out at a subsequent tribal, and all my hard work and planning would have been all for naught. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't ideal, but it worked. It got me to the end with a group that I felt comfortable being around and that I think I have a decent chance of winning against.
No matter what happens tonight, no matter how harsh you may be, I am still proud of myself and my game making it this far and i hope to keep in touch with all of you after it's over, as a winner or loser. I'd be disappointed in myself for losing but I tried. I knew I had to play differently than my game in Nepal, where I was too big of a threat to make it to the finals and was taken out in 4th place. In this season, I made it and I think I have a shot to win this. Thank you for your time and I look forward to answering your questions.
