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Scruff McGruff / Scruff's Jury Vote
« on: August 13, 2020, 10:16:35 pm »
...Wow. I did not expect this to be as difficult as it was to decide a winner. Both of you came out STRONG, and delivered incredible arguments for your game as well as great appeals and reasoning for what actions you took, what you did to advance your game socially and strategically, and just how you took advantage of the system of this game to get exactly what you wanted moving forwards. While both of you have impressed me with your FTC tonight, I'm afraid that only one of you will be eligible to receive my vote, and for that, I have to look at this from a bit of a subjective and objective standpoint, and weigh the differences between each and every one of you.
Lucifer: I have to admit-- when I left this game, I wasn't entirely impressed with you. At first, we were on seemingly decent footing with one another, and were in a position to create an alliance of four that could carry us through the game-- but as it stands now, that never happened, and as time went on, your responses began to dwindle until you were hardly sending me more than a sentence or so-- something that I can't really approve of, and something that didn't entirely improve on the merge tribe until hours or so before my elimination. That comes off to me as a sign of poor Jury management with me on your part, and it's not something that I can easily overlook. However, I do approve of your pulse on the game as it advanced, and I do think you made a lot of correct choices and moves that were overshadowed by your immunity. You undoubtedly have Hercule beat in the structural area of the game even though you didn't play a single idol, and you worked your way around every catastrophe that happened without actually burning any bridges or harming any relationships you were involved in, and that's 100% commendable from me. Your navigation of this game from a disadvantageous position is just as valid as Hercule's commanding grip over it from his own advantageous, high-profile one, and I believe that both are equally solid ways to play the game... in an isolated sense, of course. But this isn't about looking at things from an isolated sense, and I believe everyone here is factoring every decision made as well as their knowledge of them into their vote no matter what.
Hercule: I think looking at this from a vacuum, if one only examines the number of days we spent together, Lucifer would have the advantage. However, it's plain to tell from your social game and habit of sending walls as well as your great activity level that you were on top of this game at all times. You played a cutthroat, incredibly competitive game to get what you wanted no matter what, and you were clearly devoted to giving it your all and making it to the end on top of upholding a solid character 'gimmick' throughout the entirety of it. I don't see many people around who actually intend to keep their word and play the game as if they were actually the character that they've been assigned, so the fact that you were able to do so expertly AND make it to the end whilst consistently getting your way is pretty damn amazing, from someone who has tried and utterly failed to play gimmick characters in the past. Your hand on the strategic and social pulse of the game were undoubtedly above Lucifer's, and your involvement in votes and making them sway how you wanted was far more than his. However, there are a few things from a subjective standpoint that I would feel remiss about not criticizing you on. I think you managed me very poorly during my boot by messaging me who I was thinking of voting for hours before the vote when you had already admitted to knowingly pushing me. That's, like... a classic Survivor mistake, dude. I think that you lacked tact and elegance especially in that first merge vote I witnessed, and beyond your opening speech, I think your handling of this FTC as well as the jurors within has had a bit left to be desired.
Overall, though, the F4 has been a pivotal point in both you and Lucifer's games, and undoubtedly the move that shaped what final tribal council we're looking at now.
I honestly think that both of you are very good finalists, and representatives of this game as a whole. Despite that, as I said earlier, only one person can earn my vote-- and I think like I said, it most likely comes down to that final four vote. This, of course, is why I'm voting for...
Lucifer: I have to admit-- when I left this game, I wasn't entirely impressed with you. At first, we were on seemingly decent footing with one another, and were in a position to create an alliance of four that could carry us through the game-- but as it stands now, that never happened, and as time went on, your responses began to dwindle until you were hardly sending me more than a sentence or so-- something that I can't really approve of, and something that didn't entirely improve on the merge tribe until hours or so before my elimination. That comes off to me as a sign of poor Jury management with me on your part, and it's not something that I can easily overlook. However, I do approve of your pulse on the game as it advanced, and I do think you made a lot of correct choices and moves that were overshadowed by your immunity. You undoubtedly have Hercule beat in the structural area of the game even though you didn't play a single idol, and you worked your way around every catastrophe that happened without actually burning any bridges or harming any relationships you were involved in, and that's 100% commendable from me. Your navigation of this game from a disadvantageous position is just as valid as Hercule's commanding grip over it from his own advantageous, high-profile one, and I believe that both are equally solid ways to play the game... in an isolated sense, of course. But this isn't about looking at things from an isolated sense, and I believe everyone here is factoring every decision made as well as their knowledge of them into their vote no matter what.
Hercule: I think looking at this from a vacuum, if one only examines the number of days we spent together, Lucifer would have the advantage. However, it's plain to tell from your social game and habit of sending walls as well as your great activity level that you were on top of this game at all times. You played a cutthroat, incredibly competitive game to get what you wanted no matter what, and you were clearly devoted to giving it your all and making it to the end on top of upholding a solid character 'gimmick' throughout the entirety of it. I don't see many people around who actually intend to keep their word and play the game as if they were actually the character that they've been assigned, so the fact that you were able to do so expertly AND make it to the end whilst consistently getting your way is pretty damn amazing, from someone who has tried and utterly failed to play gimmick characters in the past. Your hand on the strategic and social pulse of the game were undoubtedly above Lucifer's, and your involvement in votes and making them sway how you wanted was far more than his. However, there are a few things from a subjective standpoint that I would feel remiss about not criticizing you on. I think you managed me very poorly during my boot by messaging me who I was thinking of voting for hours before the vote when you had already admitted to knowingly pushing me. That's, like... a classic Survivor mistake, dude. I think that you lacked tact and elegance especially in that first merge vote I witnessed, and beyond your opening speech, I think your handling of this FTC as well as the jurors within has had a bit left to be desired.
Overall, though, the F4 has been a pivotal point in both you and Lucifer's games, and undoubtedly the move that shaped what final tribal council we're looking at now.
I honestly think that both of you are very good finalists, and representatives of this game as a whole. Despite that, as I said earlier, only one person can earn my vote-- and I think like I said, it most likely comes down to that final four vote. This, of course, is why I'm voting for...
Spoiler
...Lucifer. I think that while you may not have had the most impressive or flashy game like Hercule, you played a more straightforward, classic one, relying on challenge wins to get what you wanted, protecting yourself, and being a decent guy and a good sport in general all throughout this final tribal council. What I wanted to see from both of you was a cool head and admittance of your mistakes, and I got that from you almost perfectly. I don't think that challenge wins and maneuvering your way around the game by acquiring safety are given anywhere near the credit that they should be, and part of that is because of the view that the holder is never in danger, and is thus disconnected from the vote as opposed to the actively involved nature of someone that may be vulnerable. You may not have had the same strategic or social acumen as Hercule, but you were honest and sincere with yourself and the Jury about your shortcomings in this game, and your awareness of your own flaws, an incredible defense against what's obviously going to be an uphill battle for you, and your own structural gameplay and an impressive way of flying under the radar for most of the game is what has earned my respect and my Jury vote.
Hercule, I think what ultimately has dissuaded me from voting for you is your playing up your social and strategic game and claiming responsibility for things that I was simply not made aware of. I think you were a charmer with huge PMs over anything else, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing in any regard, it's your F4 move that is inevitably what has turned me off from voting you. I was probably voting for you up until the tail end of this tribal council when that discussion came forward, and Leon got involved-- and personally, I think that your handling of that situation when you were in the game and here is the dealbreaker on my end. I don't think that Lucifer can be pinned as having a 'lack of control' when he ultimately put his trust in the right person and read the scenario correctly-- and would have even gotten firemaking to happen had Leon listened to his honest plea and voted the way he wanted to, which would be a boon for his game had he made it to the final three with or without Leon and succeeded against the odds. Rather, it is your handling of the F4 that I find... a bit discomforting, to say the least? While I'm fine with emotional manipulation to an extent, I think that bullying a player who's entirely new to the game with a loss of your Jury vote and taking advantage of your relationship with him to make it so that firemaking doesn't happen is kind of a scummy thing to do-- and a scummy thing that likely wouldn't even do anything considering that Leon is pretty horrendous at challenges anyway. Essentially, your 'crown jewel' as you've admitted is just a covering of bases that went unnecessarily far-- and your own defense to Leon that that manipulation would mean nothing if he didn't vote for you and you didn't win is just something that shows that you're not all that sorry about what happened as you've claimed, and that you don't regret burning him like you did-- in my eyes, you're simply doing the same thing here. I don't dislike you as a person in the absolute slightest, and I really want to connect and be friends after this whole thing is finally over-- but for how you handled the tail end of this tribal council, you've lost my vote.
Hercule, I think what ultimately has dissuaded me from voting for you is your playing up your social and strategic game and claiming responsibility for things that I was simply not made aware of. I think you were a charmer with huge PMs over anything else, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing in any regard, it's your F4 move that is inevitably what has turned me off from voting you. I was probably voting for you up until the tail end of this tribal council when that discussion came forward, and Leon got involved-- and personally, I think that your handling of that situation when you were in the game and here is the dealbreaker on my end. I don't think that Lucifer can be pinned as having a 'lack of control' when he ultimately put his trust in the right person and read the scenario correctly-- and would have even gotten firemaking to happen had Leon listened to his honest plea and voted the way he wanted to, which would be a boon for his game had he made it to the final three with or without Leon and succeeded against the odds. Rather, it is your handling of the F4 that I find... a bit discomforting, to say the least? While I'm fine with emotional manipulation to an extent, I think that bullying a player who's entirely new to the game with a loss of your Jury vote and taking advantage of your relationship with him to make it so that firemaking doesn't happen is kind of a scummy thing to do-- and a scummy thing that likely wouldn't even do anything considering that Leon is pretty horrendous at challenges anyway. Essentially, your 'crown jewel' as you've admitted is just a covering of bases that went unnecessarily far-- and your own defense to Leon that that manipulation would mean nothing if he didn't vote for you and you didn't win is just something that shows that you're not all that sorry about what happened as you've claimed, and that you don't regret burning him like you did-- in my eyes, you're simply doing the same thing here. I don't dislike you as a person in the absolute slightest, and I really want to connect and be friends after this whole thing is finally over-- but for how you handled the tail end of this tribal council, you've lost my vote.
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