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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 20 2011, 11:03 AM (251 Views) | |
| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 11:03 AM Post #1 |
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Well, I guess my retirement didn't last very long, huh? Blondie wouldn't let me pull out from this game, so I guess I'm sticking with it. I have no idea how well I'll do. I have no idea if I'll be appropriately active. I have no idea if I'm going to be able to stay interested, considering it's been a long time since an ORG has really held my attention. But we shall tread into the unknown nonetheless! I'm basically going to play this game quite straightforwardly. A public schtick will be accompanied with the normal charming social game that used to help me do pretty damn well in games past. If I can be around enough, this game will be a throwback to my performances as people like Sawyer, and it will also be a final test to see if I have the passion and free time to actually do well in an ORG. The fact is, there are people who manage to do pretty decently in games without actually making every live event. I think I proved it was feasible as Sharon and GC, but at the same time, I really didn't enjoy those performances, so I'm looking to adhere to a slightly more old-school style of play. I used to be able to pull it off, so let's see if I can do it again. The format of the game is certainly on my side, because winning Arena duels is something I should be able to do with my hands tied behind my back (then again, there was Goro...). That'll give me time to develop bonds that others might be able to create more quickly due to being online far more frequently. This opening weekend could be killer, but I'm making an honest effort to devote the next few hours to being around and talking to people. Fortunately, Saruman can't be here at all, and that could give me my first reprieve. I don't want to see him go. At this point, I know nothing about him, except that he's more likely to have an active social life than most of the people on the tribe, and as such, he might be easier to string along than anyone else. So he wouldn't be my first boot pick by any means. But his absence will almost definitely make him a target, so his return on Sunday will be critical in determining how well he does. If someone here is annoying enough to become ostracized by the group, they might just be able to be picked off first. But hell, we might have an active, sociable tribe, and Saruman might pop in on Sunday and impress the group far more than I'm able to. In that case, I could still end up being the #1 target, and that's an occurrence I have to be prepared for. I do have some emergency back-up plans up my sleeve. There's always that Fellowship Immunity Ring, for example. Using it in the first round when the competition in the Arena will be at its lowest point seems a bit of a waste. But at the same time, it's something I want to take advantage of before anyone else on my team gets to play it. Pippin is one of the few no-shows at this point, which means I need to be prepared to earn an Immunity Idol by being the last of my trio standing. I have no idea how well Faramir will do, but if he happens to get booted early, that could result in a welcome prize being dropped into my lap. I don't want either of them to save themselves with the Immunity Ring. So my using it prematurely might just be the best course of action. There's also the chance that I willingly volunteer to go into the Arena. I can be pretty confident that I'll be able to defeat whoever the other first boot(s) is(are), and it'd be the sort of noble sacrifice that shows I'm committed to the group. Unfortunately, this is an ORG, and nobody really gives a shit about things like that here. The personal bonds just aren't strong enough, and the good favor I'd curry might not be worth the risk. Especially because if I'm the one on the outs, then the potential scrambling that would accompany a normal TC is exactly what I want to see happen on the tribe, even if I still end up getting sent into the Arena anyway. Unfortunately, a lot comes down to Sunday, when I'm not sure I'll be able to be here. Saruman's arrival will probably make or break him, and the IC will determine quite a bit of what happens. In all likelihood, our tribe will be attending a TC, and I'll have to hope I survive it, however that happens. And if I end up being the underdog who fights his way through Arena battles, then so be it. That's fun too. |
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| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 12:10 PM Post #2 |
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Assuming I can trust people are telling the truth (and I tend to believe they are, this early in the game), then I've got some good news. According to Nazgul, the only people who were really online last night to talk were himself, the Witch King, Gollum, and Balrog. The way he phrased his PM suggests that he and the Witch King are relatively competent gamers who are already fairly close, but I don't want to read too much into things and make any assumptions. It's just something to keep in mind. I've gotten the chance to exchange a few PMs with Grima, who says he didn't get online until 3 in the morning and therefore hasn't done much talking himself. He says he spent his evening shopping at Walmart, which suggests he's telling the truth because I just don't think anyone would use "I was shopping at Walmart on Friday night" as a lie to suggest they're on the outs. He would have to have no pride whatsoever. Anyway, the point is, this doesn't seem like a tribe who's gotten a great opportunity to bond and form real alliances. Which is good news for me, since I'm not going to be around enough to do that myself. |
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| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 12:15 PM Post #3 |
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Oh, and I hate Grima, by the way. Why is he the guy who happens to be online this afternoon? :rolleyes: |
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| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 12:22 PM Post #4 |
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Gollum's already got 10 posts in his confessional. I already knew to watch out for him because he was someone ballsy enough to take on the character of Gollum. Now I know for a fact that he's the sort of player to keep an eye on. Nazgul's got 5. Considering he told me almost nothing has happened in the game, that strikes me as rather odd. And yes, I know all my confessional posting leaves me open to the same sort of analysis I'm applying to other players right now. But I'm trying to get into the old-school PT groove, and confessionals are part of that. Besides, I assume most people who notice threatening players find ways to appease them, and don't immediately view them as enemies who need to be eliminated, like I do.
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| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 12:58 PM Post #5 |
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My first ally is Grima. I can't stand him. But it looks like we're on similar footing in the tribe, and if there was a loose alliance formed last night, then that means the rest of us need to look out for each other and make sure it doesn't steamroll over us. Honestly, despite what I've been telling Grima, I'm not too worried about any group of four having been solidified in our absence. If it had been, Nazgul wouldn't have willingly thrown that information at me after only one PM. He was careless about his list of names, which means they don't hold any particular significance for him. But those four did get a chance to talk, and that means they got the opportunity to lay the foundations for a future alliance. And if they do that again tonight, I could easily fall behind. Plus, I want Grima paranoid. That increases the chances of him making a mistake and getting himself ostracized. |
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| Sauron | Aug 20 2011, 01:00 PM Post #6 |
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Grima just made his first confessional post. It's either about how he's down to work with me, or how he hates me. I'd like to think it's the former. |
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| Shelob | Aug 20 2011, 02:09 PM Post #7 |
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Off to a great start I see. |
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| GaGa | Aug 20 2011, 08:37 PM Post #8 |
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Oh my fucking God, everything is amazing in here. Such brilliant updates from someone who is retired and was strongarmed into playing in this game! ![]() I love your comments about Grima, it sounds like me with Dooku, I could not stand him and he was most loyal to me, that was funny as hell. I look forward to seeing you kill this, I know you will, just do not use the Arena like Goro did, there is absolutely NO incentive in dueling in this game, so do not, or I will cut you. Be the HBIC pls and ty. Your character kinda demands it anyways.
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 08:31 AM Post #9 |
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:lol: Yeah, I certainly don't want to make that mistake again. The idea to volunteer for the Arena was really an absolute last resort, but in all likelihood, I'll be doing everything in my power to avoid it. I may have a decent chance of surviving a duel, but a decent chance is not good enough odds, not at all. Besides, I don't think I'm as on the outs as I previously suggested. Sure, the Friday/Saturday night banter probably helped some people establish some bonds. I'd be foolish to think otherwise. But I don't get the impression that any large, effective alliances have been formed. Only a few people were online on Friday, and only a few people were online last night. I'm going to try to get out of my plans for tonight so that I can be here for the first round of events. If I do that, I really don't feel like I have a reason for concern. Everyone is basically playing the same card right now. As far as their interactions with me are concerned, they're completely in the dark and haven't heard much from anyone. To an extent, I'm sure that's true, but I'm also sure that there's been more talk than anyone has really admitted. We've got a couple of aggressive players over here, I can tell that right now. Gollum is pretty obviously the sort of guy who's going to push to get things going, for example. Saruman's chances of surviving the first TC are slipping with each passing minute, but I've tried to suggest that people keep an open mind, and some seem willing to give him a chance to prove himself when/if he arrives today. I'd been trying to draw attention to Orc's absence at this board (despite his activity at the other one), but Orc has since arrived and is pretty damn good at sucking up to me. I'm no longer as eager to send him out. Nazgul is actually the one person who strikes me as the weakest social competitor. I don't get a good feeling from his PMs, none of which have been as forthcoming as his initial message to me. There's a chance someone told him I immediately leaked the info he gave me on Day 1, but the way he casually shared it, I figured it wouldn't be something that would concern him too much if it got out. Seems a bit too conspiratorial to assume that's why he's been fairly terse with me. More likely, he's just not a very inviting person. And then there's the Witch King. He was here Friday night, but hasn't dropped by since then. He'd be my first boot choice, since he's had the chance to talk to at least a couple of people, but has yet to share a PM with me. Saruman hasn't bonded with anyone. That doesn't bother me. But a player who does have connections, none of which are with me? That's an obvious boot choice if I've ever seen one. |
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 08:35 AM Post #10 |
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Geez Gaga, up at 9:30? That's 6:30 your time. Quite an early start for a Sunday morning.
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| GaGa | Aug 21 2011, 08:47 AM Post #11 |
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Head Bitch In Charge
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I know, I know! I have been awake finishing up challenge images and write-ups for the week, and vote images and figuring out boot avis, I have been slacking on the little shit and I needed to play catch up bad. You are up early on a Sunday morning too though and writing epic confessionals, wtf best emote ever? yes or yes?
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 04:26 PM Post #12 |
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Well, my Saturday night was pretty tame. Fun, but I didn't get so wasted that I had to sleep in until noon. :lol: My emote, of course, is delightful. Thank goodness Grima doesn't get one. That would be disgusting. Anyway, I'm going to be around for the next few hours trying to get an idea of what people are thinking about tonight. It's extremely likely we'll be facing a vote. And as much as people would like to write off Saruman, if he arrives any time before 10, that changes everything. Even if he sucks and doesn't make a good impression, he has a chance to play his Immuniity Ring and upend any plans we may create. So alternative boot options are imperative. I've already broached the subject with Grima, mainly because I feel comfortable doing so and I want to get him thinking along the same veins I am. Hitting him early means I'll be able to manipulate him more easily and convince him that my target is the best target. As for who my target may be, I haven't yet decided. I've gotten a grand total of one PM from the Witch King. In that PM, he affirmed that he and Nazgul are close. That sets off warning bells for me. I don't know much about the interpersonal dynamics of this group (if they even really exist). But an alliance I'm not a part of is an alliance that might as well be broken up. It does me no good. And since I haven't established any sort of rapport with the Witch King, losing him would be no real shame. But there's time for that to change. Orc didn't make a good impression on Grima, but Orc is someone I think might be easier to string along than, say, Gollum. Gollum's a strong player, I think, and that scares me. If I'm going to make an early power play and dictate the boot, I want to remove someone who threatens my success. Gollum does that. Then there's Nazgul, whose social game has been incredibly lacking with me. But a lacking social game means he's less likely to establish firm connections, so there's always a flip side to the coin. Balrog is forgettable and easy enough to ignore. We'll see what relationship I can form with him. At this point, I'm still working on first impressions for the most part, and I know well enough that those are often not to be trusted. I'm never the sort of person who acts on gut instinct. Those who do so are those who can't reason correctly. If you can trust your logic and your ability to think rationally, than a well-formulated thought is exactly what you should act on, not a knee-jerk reaction. So I'm going to try to formulate some of those thoughts. There's time to do it. Players are going to be pretty active as we near the 10:00 start time. Big Brother might put a damper in the proceedings, but being as I don't watch TV live, I really don't give a shit if the people who do are put at a disadvantage. |
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 04:27 PM Post #13 |
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Orc, by the way, is a terrible writer. |
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 04:39 PM Post #14 |
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Despite mentioning the potential for an Immunity Ring use to Nazgul, he has reaffirmed that Saruman's demise is imminent, and that he is unlikely to discover his Ring's status amongst the multitude of rules threads. In all likelihood, he's completely correct. But I can't completely rule out the notion that Nazgul is only trying to keep me calm so I don't scramble because it's actually my ass on the line in Saruman's stead. But that, I think, is needless paranoia. I haven't gotten a really strong impression that I'm in danger. And why should I be? I've been around this weekend. I've tried to talk to people. I wasn't here for the late-night chats, but if anyone is to be believed, neither was anyone else. And from my experience, an inactive start is almost always universally recognized. If I was a target for a lack of participation, I would have heard about it. Undoubtedly. So no, I'm not worried about being a primary boot candidate. Which allows me to focus my mind on other matters. Like, for example, the Fellowship twist. Pippin remains inactive. It's extremely likely he'll be booted tonight. Faramir has a low post count and suggested in our thread that he's barely been around during the weekend. That puts him in hot water (particularly as the person he named as his saving grace arrived at the board earlier this morning). There's a very good chance neither of them will last very long, and if I can ensure their departures, I'll be able to nab an Immunity Idol. The confounding factor, of course, is that Immunity Ring. I don't want either of them to be able to play it and save themselves. That would remove it from my hands and also delay my HII. So the key is to figure out when I should use the Immunity Ring myself. Pippin is a lost cause. Unless he shows up very soon, he'll leave tonight and he won't have a chance to play his Ring. Faramir is a little trickier. He might become his tribe's first boot, and he might realize that, allowing him to play the Ring and change his fate. I don't want him to be able to do that. But I also would like to save the Ring so that I may use it a time more opportune for me. I don't want to completely waste it. Ideally, I'd be able to save it until tomorrow night, when playing it will sink Faramir and ensure my safety during a more volatile round. But we'll see, we'll see. The thing is, if Saruman arrives any time before the challenge, everything changes. I'm not going to leave in a clusterfuck vote that results from his appearance. I'm working to ensure that doesn't happen anyway, but a usage of the Immunity Ring might be in order just to help ease my mind. |
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| Sauron | Aug 21 2011, 06:04 PM Post #15 |
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Okay, so I'm honing in on Witch King as the boot. If Saruman doesn't show, he has to go, simple as that. There's no need to keep someone who I haven't talked to at all. Whether or not it's fair is debatable, but an absolute unknown entity is worthless to me. But if Saruman arrives at the last minute? If Saruman proves himself to have potential? If Saruman plays his Immunity Ring? Something else will need to happen. And at this point, the Witch King is the only person I have a strong reason to want gone. He's close to Nazgul, he has no relationship with me, and he should be easy enough to pick off. Considering the lack of deep strategic talk that's occurred thus far, that's enough for me. If Grima had his way, Orc would leave. But Orc doesn't strike me as threatening. He's a poor writer, and thus, likely to be a poor player. He's relatively transparent. And he's already made an enemy. So booting him is a waste of time. And if his lack of cohesion with Grima continues, then that means keeping both of them around ensures the maintenance of conflict that doesn't involve me. That's good for business. |
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yes or yes?

2:37 PM Jul 11