Round 01

[Matt Elrod]

I'm surprising myself by focusing so much on an aspect of games I sometimes neglect due to time - the social game. I want to establish a baseline now in case I get busier later.

Abi isn't responding to IMs. I haven't seen Danni, Jay, or Rory on. Ashley seems to be the definite weak link socially of the people I've talked to as she either ignores messages, responds to messages after ridiculously long gaps with unimpressive responses (forty-five minutes is enough time to produce more than 3 characters), or sends responses that make it impossible to carry the conversation.

Lisa is my favorite on the tribe. It's just bizarre to me, but she grew up and lived in a city less than 10 minutes away from where I've lived almost all my life. We both went to a lot of the same stores, have been to one another's schools. We may have even seen one another. It's one of the most interesting coincidences I've run into in a game, but it generated a surprisingly long, strong conversation about a variety of topics. We hardly even touched the game, but I know she can't stand Ashley and her short replies and that she liked Brandon and JT.

Brandon is my second favorite. Our conversation started off slow and was really all over the place, but then we connected by discussing psychology and religion (lol). This continued into our general interests and hobbies, and he provided me with some interesting names of upcoming books and movies while I told him about my favorite book Ender's Game coming out in theaters this November. He seemed interested. I can't even recall discussing the game with him, so we'll have plenty to talk about later.

JT and I discussed Big Brother and Survivor. This conversation wasn't quite as personal as the chats I had with Brandon and Lisa, but it was for sure good enough that I feel we can keep talking and work together now. My guess is that the majority alliance here will be me, Brandon, JT, and Lisa. We'll take Ashley out first or someone who doesn't talk, and then we'll have the numbers to control the tribe until we swap or merge.

[Matt Elrod]

I had the chance to introduce myself to Jay and chat with him prior to the challenge. We had a solid conversation about what we're doing in school and what we want to do in the future. The two of us were the only ones online at the start of the challenge, so we calculated the number of combinations and then made a list of the 126 different posting combinations. It helps a little for organization. I see the two of us as our tribe's biggest challenge assets down the road if this competition was any indication.

Ashley, Brandon, and Lisa arrived shortly after the start but had to get off. Surprisingly Ashley initiated an IM to me and seemed to care about the challenge. That might make the difference and keep her in the game longer. Abi was also online, but she was multitasking and not very social. JT works until 1:30 AM so we'll see if anyone is left online when he finishes.

There's been no sign of Danni, so I expect that she'll be our first boot if we lose. Rory came on late for the challenge, was very slow at posting, and doesn't seem to have socialized much with anyone so he's a candidate to leave first as well. He's sitting in the chat waiting for people to show up for the challenge now, but since everyone's offline, no one will even know he put effort into it, and I won't emphasize it just so that he's still a good boot possibility. Obviously winning the challenge would be preferable and not voting off anyone.

[Matt Elrod]

I am up so late, but we are going to destroy Luoba in that challenge. I felt like I was running that for my tribe. I kept computing combinations for the team based on who was all online and who had to go to bed first. I'd then privately tell Jay what order to go in next, and he'd coordinate the group in the chat while I kept the list up-to-date in our Challenge Strategy thread.

We repeated one twice. #9 and our first #27. That was our only hiccup, and we re-adjusted the ordering to post a second #27 so we should still have 29 total.

It was an incredibly strong effort. I hope people aren't getting scared of me because I did so much, but by making Jay the person who was more visibly leading, I hope that puts the threat target more on his back than mine. Anyway, the group of 7 that did amazing in the challenge was Abi, Brandon, Danni, Jay, JT, Lisa, and me. We went for hours. So Danni is now back 'in' with the tribe while Ashley and Rory are more out. I'd now place the weight 70% on Rory being our first boot, 20% on Ashley, and 10% on it being someone else.

I also had another good chat with Brandon on board games and relationships, bonded with Danni, formed a challenge domination bond with Jay, and privately helped JT with posting his images. Everything feels too good right now, and that worries me.

[Matt Elrod]

We won the challenge! Based on monitoring the other tribe's board and AIM activity, I figured that it wasn't even close. I could have helped us post some more near the end, but I knew it would be a waste of time since we had so much of a lead. That challenge was tiring, and I needed a break. I'm taking one this evening as well.

I'd like to get some kind of alliance going on my tribe, and that will be my focus tomorrow. I feel like I have a pretty solid relationships and have proven my ability as a competitor, but I just need to just socially bond more with people and then see what they have to say about strategy. I want to make sure I get in before an alliance forms without me.

[Carlos Bernard]

Do you have any ideas on who you want to form alliances with?

[Matt Elrod]

Jay, JT, Brandon, and Lisa are the 4 players who I've spoken to the most in that order. I assume my alliance would be with them. I spoke to them all briefly on AIM today, and there's been more Ashley bashing. I think Lisa spoke negatively about her to Jay, and JT is questioning what she's doing with the idol.

I've only had one chat with Danni, but it was good. I don't want to vote her out. Abi's a player who I think I could work with, but she just leaves her AIM signed on while she plays video games so we never end up talking long. Ashley and I don't seem to talk much or connect, so she's who I'd want out first. Rory isn't around much, so I don't talk to him either, but I don't see as much reason to vote him out because he doesn't seem like a major threat and he's active enough that he's a semi-asset as much as Ashley is. He was around for the challenge for maybe 5 hours versus Ashley's 2 or so.

[Matt Elrod]

Concrete alliance formed with Jay. Two strongest players coming together, comparing notes, and controlling the tribe type of alliance. Both of us like Brandon, Lisa, Danni, and JT enough that they're in our '6'. Abi, Ashley, and Rory are the three on the outs. Officially now.