If YOU were on Survivor how do you think you would do? What would be your strategy?

Cafe Society
1

Oh, I miss Survivor so much. Don’t know if it’s the SDMB threads or the show itself, but oh how I feel the void left by the show’s conclusion (couldn’t Ian and Tom have stayed on the buoy forever?). I miss Watsonwil’s rankings, the Iantologists expressing their nerdlust, the dopers dis’ing Caryn at every turn (and deservedly so), and everything else.

And mostly… I miss Katie. I liked her spirit.

(Moonchild ducks to avoid thrown objects.)

So, I’m creating the methodone thread to my Survivor 10 heroin. How would you do on Survivor if you were on the show and what would be your strategy?

First my strategy: being one who has worked and lived in many different scenarios, I feel I am a good judge of character just by looking at people and/or observing them from a distance. So I’d seek out 2-4 people I felt could be most trusted and bond. Then I’d offer an alliance and make sure we had a “hard alliance,” not the Boston Rob-esque “I’ll help you if I can” B.S. which is not an alliance, but lip service. I would really hold each other to that. United we stand, divided we fall and that stuff. So, really, I would basically put all my marbles on my ability to judge character. If we make the Final 4 all bets would be off (and of course, they wouldn’t be; sub-alliances would be likely), but I’m a good athlete and smart on my feet: an immunity or two and I could make it.

I would play it cool, be low key (which I tend to be in groups) and not come off as too quirky (although I am a bit quirky, but not in an egotistic manner). I would eat and wash as much and as often as possible. When you get skinny and haggard you think, say and do dumb things. I would never, ever, ever have a meltdown, throw somebody under the bus, or even castigate somebody in the slightest way. I have the ability to keep from doing that. I suppress my anger with my wife most days, so I’ve definitely been battle-tested in that department.

And I would always be looking for that one moment, that one window, where I could make a power play and flip the game in my favor. Hopefully it would occur near the end of the 39 days and not early on. I have a tendency to blow it when I have everything in my favor. I think I’d have to play with confidence and bravado at that point and hope for luck.

I would be true to my word and not make any promises that I feel I might regret later. (This is my flaw and I would have to live with it.) I would hold back on challenges as long as possible without joepardizing the tribe, but I doubt I could hide long. I’m not a great leader, but a good no. 2. So I would stay away from the alpha-male in the group as much as possible as to not be his toady or his nemesis.

Mostly, I would approach the show as the name implies. SURVIVE each day possible. But I would always think two votes ahead, no more. Too many variables on the show to look too far in advance IMHO.

Now, as to whether I would be successful at this is the question. I would almost certainly get to the final rounds before the merge no matter the alliance situation (I’m a good athlete with a good work ethic). I would probably get goofy (hard to suppress my comedic nature at times) here and there and probably make a few enemies. I could also see myself coming off as holier than thou and annoy people with my New Age mentality (though I could probably suppress this). I would probably say or agree to things I would regret and that would be my demise, joining in with an alliance of people I don’t trust. I also tend to think too much. I wonder if I would think myself into paranoia. Possible. I also have a tendency to choke or chicken out/hesitate and not make that bold move when I knew it was the precise moment to do so.

I could also weaken if an attractive, strong-willed woman wanted to wrap me around her pinkie at a given moment to her advantage. I’m susceptible to that, though not as much as I was before marriage.

I could win it, but I would just as likely get bullied out early instead. I could be the Kel (and I do masturbate a lot… oh, different jerky, never mind) or Colby. The question for me I believe would be whether or not I would stand up and make the bold move when it was warranted. And it would be anybody’s guess.

And also, I would need to be very lucky. Of course.

You?

2

Oh I miss it too. Can’t wait for Mayan Ruins!

My strategy would be to shack up with Stephanie, horde all the Pringles, abuse Ian until he cried, and then skate with a million bucks. (Oh wait, that’s my personal fantasy… I’ll get back to you on actual strategy later.)

<Old bag in a white dress getting voted off in the first round>
sung to the tune of ???
"Survivors, We Are Survivors…"
</Old bag in a white dress getting voted off in the first round>

::severe Survivor withdrawal::

3

My strategy would be to figure that even if I was the first one voted off, I’d get a check for $2000 and a five week vacation out of the deal. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

4

Too right, Nemo.
If this show is still running when I stop being pregnant or nursing, my tape’s going on the heap. I’m in great physical shape, but no natural athelete (threat). Socially, I tend to be a bit of a chameleon and I think my best chances would be to play a Sandra type game.

My downfall would be getting trapped in one of those generation gap scenarios. I really hate that crap, and I’d not suffer Heidie/Jenna foolishness for long before ripping those silly little girls new assholes.

Farmwoman, the tribe has spoken. It’s time for you to go.

5

My strategy would be to work hard and stay quiet the first couple days while simultaneously feeling out the others in my tribe to find one or two solid people I could make an alliance with. The people I would seek out would the hard workers who were also quiet and could keep their mouths shut.

6

I’ve never watched the show all the way throguh, but seen enough of bits and pieces to understand some of the nuances. My strategy? Well, basically to0 ahve no strategy.

I would make no allainces. NONE. When you make an alliance, sooner or later you’re gonna have to break it, and the thing is, people will try to decude when you will break it, and then break it before you. Don’t make one in the first place and that problem is avoided. I am also the king of blending in and mellowness. I never show when I am mad at someone (granted, being stuck in the middle of nowhere with limited food and shelter might change that, but normally i never do,) I get along with most people to at least the point of being polite to them, and I have never met anyone who has shown outward hatred (or anything even worse than polite indifference) to my face. granted, behind my back pehaps everyone I have ever met talks about how awful I am, but that does seem odd.

Farmwoman said it best, a social chamelleon. I am able to hang out with jsut about any personality type and can quickly change my attitude and what I say to get along with that group. As such, I will last towards the end I think, but at some point I need to do something to stay on after the tribes merge and whatnot, I think.

7

I’m an obnoxious dork, so my chances of surviving past the first day are slim. My only chance would be to point out that I actually have survival training, and can easily do things like catch fish, find water, make a fire by rubbing two Boy Scouts together, etc. They might want to keep me around just for that. But, remembering the last few seasons…maybe not.

8

I considered trying to get on the show. My parents were even supportive of it. I talked strategy with my dad for a few days in a row, I mean - I was SERIOUS about trying out.

I don’t know how I’d do. I’m a lot like Rupert, hard worker and a big guy, but not overly athletic so I wouldn’t be too threatening in challenges. I’d probably be like chris from vanuatu, I’d lie and cheat and pull strings, and scrimp and shove and scratch and cause all hell.

I mean, that’s the way you play if you’re not the most athletic. Tom won Palau through sheer force in challenges, the only person who could have challenged him was Ian who was #2 in challenges.

And since I’m not as athletic as them, I’d be a political machine.

But then, after making it to the jury, I’d flub up and get caught in my own web of deception.

9

The only consistent rules I’ve seen in Survivor is never win the final reward challenge - a new car isn’t worth the million. And move north - nine out of the ten final votes were won by the player who lived north of the other player.

But getting that far in the first place? I have no idea. I’ve watched every episode and as far as I can see, there is no consistent strategy. Some people have been respected and liked, others have been universally loathed - and both types seem to win or lose. Some people form a strong alliance with another player, some join group alliances, some form multiple different alliances, and some stay out of all aliances - no plan seems to work better than the others. Some people work hard in the camp and others dodn’t work at all; some people are leaders and others are followers; some people win numerous challenges and some don’t win any; some people are part of the crowd and others are outsiders; some people are loud and others are quiet; some people are honest and others lie - and there’s no pattern to what works and what doesn’t.

10

Dust off and nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

11

How would I do? I’d be wondering how long I’d make it without insulin. I think I could last a week for $2,000, though…

I liked Katie’s strategy, even if I kinda didn’t like Katie’s personality during the show. It’s a little more acceptable for her to have been lazing around, skating along and riding peoples’ coattails all the way to F3 since that was her strategy. She actually planned that. There have been plenty of people (Caryn, for example) who have gotten far in the game by saying, “Well, it’s a bright new day. Ooh, clams!” as their strategy, and that’s kind of annoying to me. Worked for Jenna Morasca, I guess. Sandra wasn’t that far from that strategy, either; her plan was, “So long as it isn’t me.”