Stop me if you’ve heard this, but…
Ditch the treasure chest, forget the costumes and make-believe captains, and get rid of the silly voting. Show a bunch of strangers learning how to sail a real ship and travelling to real places. Put a little reality in reality television.
(Speaking of which, did anyone watch Lobster Wars yet? I’d be interested to find out exactly when some of that was shot.)
If you have to keep Pirate Master as a competition, then have a competition that makes sense. People gat black-spotted for being weak, or strong. There was no strategy; nobody had any good reasons for what they were doing. Underneath all the window dressing, it was nothing more than a popularity contest. I detest popularity contests. At the beginning of each episode, give everybody a map. Last one to the finish is out.
I like this idea. Another thing… don’t have all of the treasure in one box at the end. Spread it around the island, like with cool side quests. Maybe the crew passes a Wanted poster stuck on a tree. It says BOUNTY $2000 Wanted: Dead or Alive, whomever brings in “Baby” Malone, a 4 foot tall bank robber. They spot him during the footrace, whomever wants to chase him down can collect that bounty. When they find him, he begs for his life and offers $5000 to let him escape. Or, when they’re in a shed looking for a clue, there’s an old lady in a rocking chair asking for help. She’s lost her precious wedding ring in the vegetable garden. Anyone who finds it and returns it to her will get a reward…
You wouldn’t want the side quest if you’re in last place, but if you’re in the lead, it’d be tempting. It also motivates the faster competitors to build a lead so they have time for side quests.