I loved Derpy!

Very disappointed in Rainbow Dash and Rarity not answering this. 

1) Since the merge happened, everything went very smoothly for me, so I never really saw the point in changing things up. I worked with the ponies I wanted to work with and I stuck with the ponies I liked to work with. Making moves for the sake of making moves is not how I want to play the game. What I value the most in these games is that I can talk to people when this game is over about this game and we can laugh about it, discuss it, disagree about it, and so on. So the answer is probably no for me. I don't feel like I changed up the game, simply because I didn't need to and I didn't want to.
2) It did come up, but really you never know what a jury is going to value in somepony's game. Some people value a player who dominated strategically, some people hate on the people who voted them out, others just vote for their best friend. Anything is possible. When I got to around the F7, I knew perfectly well that if Soarin or DJ would make it to the end, they'd be hard to beat for me. They targeted me for pretty much all of the merge so I couldn't allow them to get to the end. Chrysalis I thought had a great story as well and she was so much more connected than most ponies thought, so she would also have a strong case. So I really saw no point in backstabbing my closest allies, who might also possibly have a good story, but at least they stuck with me the entire game. everypony is a threat in his own way, it's just a matter of how you sell your game.
3) My biggest regret is not succeeding at connecting with a number of ponies. I don't think I had any memorable chats with DJ. My chats with you were very limited. I also couldn't really get anywhere with Derpy. I'm usually very focused on my social connections, but I think I was just happy with what I had instead of expanding my connections a bit more.

I like this response.  It's not really exciting, but it's not defensive, and goes down as smoothly as any argument could from somepony who played Pear's game.  It carries the kind of self-confidence Pear has and the self-respect he has for his game in it, without trying to make any bold unearned claims about how he played.

DJ's post was too rough for me, even though I agree with the general thrust of it.  Being a losing finalist at FTC can already be pretty emotionally difficult as it is.  (Otoh I don't think Soarin was really trying to be mean.)

From what I've gotten through, Rarity is coming out the gates first and coming out the hardest, which I admire, but in some places she's doing more harm than good to her case, so I'm pretty comfortable in saying she's not going to pull out an underdog win.

I don't mind her responses to Soarin and DJ really, but from her very first post in the social thread, she was already losing me...

I know that there was a lot going on for you, but how could you just sit and be so passive after everything? It's incredibly difficult to see you in your own right, and I need you to convince me that you didn't just coast along here. Where is the fire and fight you have?

If I did go after her in a blaze of glory, I didn't feel confident that I would actually make it to the end.

Hmm, but why? Well:

I just never felt I was in a good position or had social connections to fall back on.

This is possibly true, but why would you ever say that in a venue where you're fighting for jury votes?!  What case do you have left when your very first post to the jury says, "I never really was able to do much, but that's only because I never had good social connections or good positioning."

From the strategy thread...

Hi Starlight. It's nice to see you again.

1) For your original challenge, I think you are referring to shaping the game and not just going for easy votes. I believe I performed fairly well, as I would not consider the subsequent Derpy vote as being an easy one. Additionally while I didn't cast a vote for her directly, I was complicit in the power house Rainbow Dash being eliminated, which was doubtless a major shake to the game.

2) Jury threats were definitely something I considered, and were another reason I was apprehensive about letting DJ and Soarin anywhere near the finals. One thing I could count on with Coco and Pear was that we had all betrayed about the same ponies more or less, so there was likely to be equivalent bad blood to wade through. Other than them, I was slightly worried about Granny, but I figured I still had a reasonable case to argue against her.

3) I think I most regret letting Rainbow Dash go how and when I did. I skipped out on the forums for that TC after choosing to use my ring, and I told myself it was fine because there was nothing I could do and I had hectic life circumstances to deal with anyway. While I still believe I had to betray her for a shot at victory, that is not how I should have done so. Additionally it really set Chrysalis in a bad position, which meant I lost two friends for ring gambit later. That's not how I wanted to see it go down.

Like, ouch, you just said one of your two biggest moves and your biggest mistake were one and the same.

Coco is so gosh darn nice

Will Rarity actually take Coco? I think it's a bad move, but she's talked about doing it already and I can also see doing it as a "fuck you" to Soarin.

That'd be true to form.

It’s a little like Smash Bros

Can coco's value increase enough for Suri to overtake Harshwhinny?  I bet Coco surges to like $80

DJ said Coco was going to win, then got voted out.  Soarin says Coco is going to win, is being voted out.  Granny also currently saying Coco is going to win, and seems to be the next target.  Pear and Rarity still don't seem to be getting the hint and are marching into a shutout vote.  It's honestly likely too late for anypony, as I don't expect Coco to lose both the challenge and the fire, especially without Soarin in the game. 

In a normal season, they might vote out Granny next and look really bad, but otoh I figure each of Rarity and Pear, if they win the challenge, would at least know enough to bring the other to the end, so even if they do see Coco in their f3, he'll still have to face Granny in fire.  Maybe she's good at Onitama.  But honestly, kudos to Coco for bringing Rarity and Pear in with such loyalty that everypony else's games are going to be derailed for waiting too long to strike.

Wow, it's exactly 800 words. That's kind of neat? The one sent to Rarity was 676 words, which is a neat number as well.

Explain to me the appeal of the number 676.

Will be sad if they finally win over Rarity and vote out Pear, keeping Soarin to slay Coco in Onitama, and then Coco easily wins F4 immunity. lol

Granny is on the mark with her most recent confessional, willing to risk her tail to push Rarity into saving Soarin. If Rarity went with it, I think a Soarin/Granny/Rarity f3 is still a tough sell for her, and favors Soarin for winning fire, but they’d all have cases. Unfortunately Rarity seems committed to the idea she can beat Coco. But maybe having Granny + Soarin shouting truth in her ear for a day will sell it.

Even if Pear goes out here it sounds like Rarity still plans to go back to Coco right after - totally disregarding the Soarin PM.

Soarin/DJ/Granny should know better than to let Coco skate after that, and will have 3 of 5 votes next TC?  But there's bad blood with DJ/Granny and Granny could be afraid that if she boots Coco then she's dead walking at 4 (although a few chances at safety there, I think DJ/Soarin are the clear challenge favorites)

I feel like recently this site has taken a while to load at times. Maybe it's just me?

For me the mafiascum site was not loading at all.  Seems better now.

And with the parasprites now basically useless it's time for a double-idol shotgun blast.

Rarity afk

Harshwinny can just not buy stock anymore and win.  too bad I repeatedly missed deadlines and suffered for it. 

I will now sell my Granny share for $15, pay off interest and fees, and buy a $10 Soarin share with the remaining funds

Last round for idols and Coco has 2 idols?  Haha

I took out a loan last round and bought 1 share of Granny for $10.  Granny shares are now $15.  Depending on the interest rate of the loan, I may be able to sell that share and have my ledger in the black.  But I think I will let my Granny share ride.

It's hard to say, but its far more likely is an obvious thing to say here. Considering DJ realizing they want to make moves on Coco, if Rainbow had been legit I think they would have tried to go to Rainbow/Rarity about doing things instead of what's happening now. tl;dr lying to DJ/Soarin about roping them into a big move was a huge mistake.

They were even talking about working with Rainbow here on this vote, and then found out Rainbow was plotting against them.

want a hug?

here's Porcupone, she loves hugs

I typed up a post here a few times but threw it out without posting, about how even though Rarity missed the best opportunity to activate the ring (Starlight vote), this was a good moment because it was an even number and it's a strong advantage, and as long as everypony assumes she has a vote and doesn't want to vote into a tie, it's no loss.  Glad I didn't post that and you all didn't see that I might have had a wrong opinion.

Shocked SHOCKED to see Pear’s pony and the communist pony by Rarity beating out QC (or even Coco and/or DJ)

Oh no what happened??   

Like this maybe

Imagine a pony covered in quills or needles like a porcupine, and the pony is called Porcupone.  "She's a prickly pony but she's sweet on the inside."

How about a pony with a pair of binoculars around its neck and one of those khaki caps on its head, tied under its chin with a string, and the pony is obsessed with hunting for cryptids?  The little spot on its side could be the silhouette of Loch Ness Monster.

Picture a little pony whose patch really just looks like a birthmark.  All the ponies that meet her think it's something different, like a Rorschach test.  This pony loves having the ability to be whatever people are looking for, but at times struggles with the fact that she doesn't know what she really wants to be.

Now there is a grey pony with a white spiderweb mark on its side.  Its presence first became known shortly after construction of the Glue Factory was completed, but it's not clear where it came from.  This pony constantly has ants crawling across its skin and doesn't really speak.  This pony only appears in the background of scenes in which there is soon to be a death of some kind. 

But can she WIN

i think if she can make it to the end, she can win

pinkie and starlight probably would vote her and others are coming round.  Ill have to go look at what items she has because i feel like it's a lot.

Ooh catching up with the game and Queen might be a good play right now.  Both Coco and Granny talking about wanting to work with QC.  What a comeback, potentially...

Dehumanize yourself and face to friendship.

it is freaking me out that people know this... meme?

Strange, it was a communist My Little Pony joke (something about how it's not YOUR little pony, the pony belongs to the people) from an hour ago that he apparently deleted.

ID spoilers

I think I'm just having less fun with Survivor than I used to. And a lot of that speaks to how much better IRL circumstances have become in the past year. Survivor has always been something I go to as a way of enjoying myself when everything else around me is a bit shit. But now that life is better than it's ever been for me, I'm finding that I would rather be living my life than playing online Survivor.

(In case it still isn't obvious after the insane flash game score and the two idols, I'm Klick)

[close]

Blasphemy!  Good job on the irl though.