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Jared's FTC
Topic Started: Mar 15 2018, 02:53 PM (317 Views)
Tom Colicchio
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This thread is for Jared's FTC. Jared has from 17:30 EDT until 18:30 EDT on March 15th to post an opening statement. At this time, the Jury will have access to the thread and be able to ask questions.

The thread will close again at 18:30 EDT on Friday, March 16th.

The Jury have until 18:00 EDT on Saturday, March 17th to vote.
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Tom Colicchio
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You now may post your opening statement. Please do not post more than your opening statement, and don't edit it other than to correct grammar or problematic tags.

At 18:30 EDT jurors will gain access and may begin to ask questions. Do not post in your other finalist's threads, but you may quote and refer to answers from the other threads in your own.
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Jared Goldman
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Hello, my name is Jared Goldman. I'm an 11-year-old from Dunwoody, Georgia.

Posted Image

I am here to humbly ask for your vote, for the title of Sole Survivor.

I think I should start, by describing my game in broad strokes. My intention, from even before the game began, was to be an enjoyable person to play with, that might also be overlooked. I was little Jared Goldman, with the quirky personality, and no threat to you. And yet, that was deceiving, for when the time came, I would never back down from making the big move, and would throw punches above my own weight.

I think I was successful in fulfilling this plan. Here I am, having survived to the end, and having only been voted against in the Tribal Council that unanimously sent Kat home. But, let me go into a little bit more detail, here.


Pre-Merge

My game began on the Blue Tribe. Right away, I began making friends where I could. Matthew, was my instant best friend, and I identified him as the type of player beside whom I could take shelter. Kat, had asked me to vote against Bai after the first challenge. She did not deign to tell me, who else I would be working with, only that she had a "friend or two" that would join us, in the vote.

Matthew and I, knew right away this was not to our liking. Between Matthew, myself, and Gear, we were able to use Bai's high cards, to turn this vote around, protect Bai, and move onward in the game, with the terrain structured more to my liking. Kat angrily called me out, saying the next vote must be me, or her. However, the social work I had done previously, had prompted people like Matthew and Gear, to side with me, despite the early faction Kat had built. She was voted out unanimously. This was a credit to my game, and a sign that I had brought the right people to my side.

From this point, I set to work strengthening the bulwark of the Blue Tribe. I kept up my relationship with Paul, and made it a goal to become close with Courtney, sending a frank alliance offer, already looking ahead to an eventual move together.

After Paul had flaked somewhat, in terms of activity, Matthew set his sights against Paul. However, I feared Matthew and I, would look selfish, carrying Bai in our side pocket into the merge. I supported a plan that, as long as Paul would log in, we could sacrifice Bai, to increase tribal cohesion.

The result was a formidable tribe, that went into the merge, played our cards together, and was able to vote out a Gold player. I also had the plan, to cooperate in the idol search, an idea I introduced to Matthew, that he was able to develop and improve. Finding the idol would ensure Blue safety in the first vote. All of this was very deliberately done, and nothing was stumbled into.


Post-Merge

We might start with Jenn, the first member of our jury, voted out after she had not been present for a few days. I am sorry I did not have more opportunity, to get to know with her or work with her. But, the plan of fortifying the Blue Tribe pre-merge, seemed to be paying dividends, after two Gold players went out first.

However, it was even before Jenn's exit, that I had hinted my next intention to Courtney. The Gold Tribe would be telling us, I predicted, that Matthew was calling the shots. We should pretend we did not already know this, until it was time for us to strike. Courtney understood me immediately.

After the Jenn vote, we were down to eight, and I had identified Courtney, Paul, and PG, as the players I should like to work with going forward. At a certain point in a Survivor game, with self-aware and intelligent players, like we had here, a point of reversal might arise, when everything can be up-ended. The most threatening players, become, for that very reason, the hunted ones. I had positioned myself to be part of the insurgent group at this point.

I was in a safe position, and Matthew and Chumlee were still making plans with me. Yet, I was proactively messaging with Courtney, and Paul, alerting them that I felt it was time to make the move. Although other people had the same idea, I did not need this move brought to me. I had been watching for this moment all along.

This was not because I liked Gear, or Paul, more than Matthew. It was only because, I knew that Matthew was someone in whose shadow I had been playing. I needed a player more out in front, to be sent home at this point. It was a painful move to make, because the Jared that Matthew knew, should never have been capable of this betrayal. It felt unfair, and mean, to do this to Matthew, who had been my closest ally, and friend. But, I did not feel it was best for my game, to let Courtney or PG leave, and so, we worked together to execute the move. This was the vote where Gear was left out, and misplayed his idol as Matthew went home.

I continued hunting big players, voting against Martin in the next Tribal Council, but we fell short by one vote, and, sadly, Courtney went home. However, we successfully pushed out Chumlee thereafter. From the moment I met Chumlee, I saw how good he was. Therefore, I tried to keep up with messaging him, with a positive attitude, but also always had an eye toward voting him out. At one point, Chumlee had offered me a three-person alliance with himself, and Matthew. There is no way I could say no to such dangerous players, but also no way I was foolish enough, to stand by their sides into the end game. Yet, because of the Jared they thought they knew, it still seemed believable, when I accepted the offer.

When we reached the F5, I am proud to say I voted the "wrong" way, and took my shot at Gear. I was never too precious, to vote out some person I liked, when I thought it to be the right move. Paul, however, claimed he was busy and had connection issues, and he was offline leading up to the vote, so I was not able to press the case to him. I would have chased him around the island, if it was possible, but in this game, he was simply offline, and could not be reached. He stood in contrast to PG, and Courtney, both of whom I believe, would do what needed to be done.


Card Play

The challenges, were a strategic part of this game, and I believe I managed this portion the best of the players remaining. On Blue Tribe, Courtney was our expert at tracking opponent cards, but I suggested point targets for us, that turned out to be correctly calculated. And, after the merge, I also played my cards intelligently. I understood the value of holding the tiebreaker in crucial votes, and urged the Blue players to seize control in the first challenge. I also petitioned players at F6 to determine their willingness, to go high.

I played my best remaining cards, the round Chumlee won immunity, in order to keep him honest and force him to spend, or to win immunity for myself if he went low, because that was an unstable round.

Other than that, I made it my mission, to play only one card during most rounds, because I had the foresight to look toward the final challenge, and see the value in this. My last words to Matthew, even as my vote against him sat in the urn, was discussing this strategy.

Going into the final challenge, Gear believed the points would be doubled, in the ending rounds, and neither Paul, nor Gear, had any structured plan for how to proceed. It was myself alone, who authored a script, telling them both exactly what card to play, in every round. I sent the following to them, before the challenge began:
Code:
 
Round 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Jared 1 3 3 5 3 4 2 3 3 5 5 6 4 4 4 4 4
Paul 3 8 4 4 6 7 7 7 6 4 4 5 3 3 4
Gear -5 4 1 4 2 3 3 3 2 4 4 5

Paul and Gear, would follow this plan, and we were able to successfully smother Martin. Additionally, their adherence to this plan, delivered me the immunity win, and placed the power into my hands.


Final Vote

After winning the final immunity, I thought long and hard, about the difficult choice I had to make. I had no problem voting for Gear previously, and was intrigued by the potential treachery, of now eliminating him, after convincing him to follow my card plan.

I would have done it. However, the spectators had given Martin the card bonus, and I considered the jurors, too, might like his underdog story, as a Gold player making it to the end. Additionally, he was the only remaining player, who could claim he played his cards better than I had, by winning consecutive individual immunities, in a key period. And, he had voted on the right side, against Matthew, against Courtney, and against PG. The reason I allowed Gear to stay, is that I respected Martin too much.

-

I did not play a game like Paul, whom, when active, would tell all people he had voted their way, only to be found out later. I did not play a game like Gear, who had run too far out in front, so that his life dangled by a thread, at F5, and was held in my hands, at F4. I played a crafty, calculated game, so that I could snipe at my opponents, from a perch of relative safety. I believe this was the best, and most thoughtful game, of the players here before you today.

Posted Image

People of the jury, respectfully, I ask you for your vote. I will be present tomorrow to clarify, or respond to questions you might have. Thank you.
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Tom Colicchio
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This thread is open for questions. It will remain open until 18:30 EDT tomorrow, Friday the 16th.
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JURY MEMBER: Matthew Van Melikian
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Alright, here's an icebreaker for y'all:

Unfortunately, there is one of you who I will NOT be voting for. Who is that person, and why not?
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JURY MEMBER: Chumlee
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Hey Jared, congratulations on reaching the final tribal council! My question for you is, how would your strategy have changed if Blue Tribe hadn't been advantaged by a medevac on Gold Tribe during the tribal phase?
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JURY MEMBER: Martin Melin
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I don't really have anything to ask you. That's a good opening speech and you played much better than I gave you credit for.
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JURY MEMBER: Jenn Lyon
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Same questions for all three of you (this is such a dumb way to do FTC):

1) If this game had ended as God and Mark Burnett intended, which is to say, with a final 2, which of the other two finalists would you have taken to the end and why?

2) What is the worst possible ending for this game?
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JURY MEMBER: Courtney Act
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My question is simple: Read all the jurors. In case you don't know what reading is, here's an example:

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JURY MEMBER: Peih Gee Law
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Hi Jared! I'm impressed with you, partially because of jury talk, and it's a safe assumption I'm going into the final tribal thinking of you as my vote. It's yours to lose.

Firstly, a question for the three of you. Where on an alignment chart like this would you place yourself and why? https://i.redd.it/qmcybi1y1q801.jpg

Secondly, i want to know how you thought you were perceived by everyone, and whether this factored into your gameplay.
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Jared Goldman
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Matthew Van Melikian
Mar 15 2018, 05:32 PM
Alright, here's an icebreaker for y'all:

Unfortunately, there is one of you who I will NOT be voting for. Who is that person, and why not?
Hello, Matthew. I think the answer to that, is either myself, or Paul. So, I will consider both options.

When you tried to oust Paul, it was fully deserved: he was a player that did not even respond to your PMs, for days at a time. The lack of interest in communicating with you, was obvious, but his overall activity was also lacking. Paul has said that he identified you, as someone that he could not trust. But, in my conversations with you, you had seemed willing and even interested in working with Paul, until he started being absent from the game, and unresponsive to your messages. I am not sure that someone as active and motivated, as yourself, would vote for Paul.

The second possibility for a ruled out player, would be myself. In my opening speech, I feel, I gave myself a pat on the back, for my betrayal of you, which may seem rather callous. But, having sought to minimize my threat level, I now could not be timid in claiming moves and proving little Jared, had a "killer instinct." Nevertheless, we had been so close, and I had confided so much game to you, that betraying you, without doubt, deserves a measure of resentment.

To that end, I wanted to note a couple of things, that I had failed to mention in my opening remarks:

1) I knew, I had to eliminate a bigger stature player in that round, and, there was a lot of heat on your name. So, I pulled the trigger, but, it was not an emotionless move. I felt at the time, that in a way, a game where we feel we must make these moves against friends, can be cruel. Yet, we love it, and we must trust that other players understand that the game, is the game.

2) I have had a strong game-life balance, throughout this contest. It has been clear to all, that I will log off at night, and return the next day, and that I will be less active on weekends. Thinking about Survivor, one can recollect many times where a player, will become attached to the allies that they live with day-by-day. Then, the family visit will occur, and their loved one will remind them, you are not playing for these other people, but for yourself. I think my experience, of semi-mandatory separation from the game during home hours, helped steel my resolve to make votes, that otherwise I would have been more reluctant to make.

I think the player you will not be voting for, is Paul.
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Jared Goldman
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Chumlee
Mar 15 2018, 06:24 PM
Hey Jared, congratulations on reaching the final tribal council! My question for you is, how would your strategy have changed if Blue Tribe hadn't been advantaged by a medevac on Gold Tribe during the tribal phase?
That is a very good question. Blue Tribe had good card strategy, but, when Paul auto-played his 20 and 15, we definitely would not have been able to regain the upper hand, without that medevac.

So, it would have been a totally different game. I think we would have entered the merge in, more or less, the position that the Gold tribe had entered it, and thus, faced many of your challenges.

"Blue Tribe strong," is fun and good, when it has the power to keep the tribe together, and the tribe has the power to enforce the first couple votes. However, not having that power, the motto would have had to be, somewhat the opposite. I would have had to make inroads with the Gold players. I would have had to stress, that there were players within my own tribe, that I was not greatly attached to, in the same sort of way that Martin had, talking to me.

Hopefully, I could continue to be underestimated, so that Gold players would believe, we can use this player, with no great threat to ourselves. Because the goal, in that position, would be to be find some Gold player, who would have me as their ward, and would choose to shield me in the opening post-merge votes. The threat would be, that some other Blue player would be adopted instead, and would sign off on my exit.

I think I could have survived, at least initially, because I do not think any other Blue players, would be eager to see my exit, and I do not think the Golds, would have seen me as too dangerous.

But, I cannot say for sure, because it would be a precarious spot, and, we saw what happened to Evan. Although, maybe you allowed that to happen yourself, after bonding with some strong Blue players.

If I survived those first few votes, I believe I would have had a similar approach, to what actually had ended up happening. It is possible that PG and I, would have began working together, in the exact same way as it happened this time, except from opposite sides, in this opposite reality.
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Jared Goldman
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Martin Melin
Mar 15 2018, 07:08 PM
I don't really have anything to ask you. That's a good opening speech and you played much better than I gave you credit for.
Thank you, Martin. I appreciate it.
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Jared Goldman
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Jenn Lyon
Mar 15 2018, 08:48 PM
Same questions for all three of you (this is such a dumb way to do FTC):

1) If this game had ended as God and Mark Burnett intended, which is to say, with a final 2, which of the other two finalists would you have taken to the end and why?

2) What is the worst possible ending for this game?
Hello Jenn,

1) I would have taken Paul, to the Final Two. But, I wish to say some good words about Paul. He was a fun, free-spirited presence in this game, to such an extent, that it could mask his potential for deception. He was very good at telling lies, and selling them, in a way that is impressive to me. But, he had simply been a smaller character than Gear. I feel, to some extent, he had been targeted less heavily, because others, such as myself, saw his lower activity as a flaw, that would give us the upper hand on him, in a FTC situation.

2) I enjoy both Paul, and Gear, but I still must say, the worst possible ending, to me, is any where I do not win. Specifically, however, I have had this nightmare, of Kat crashing through some wall, and barging into the jury room. She is wearing a long black robe, and white wig, the typical judge outfittings. From somewhere within the robe, she draws a gavel. Invisible rays of power emanate from it, such that all can feel its might. As the jurors stand by in awe, she exclaims, "Jared, I find you out of order!" And she strikes me in the head, with the gavel. My head explodes into dust, killing me instantly. I hate to imagine such a scenario!
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Jared Goldman
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Quote:
 
I'm looking for a serious answer to #2. Which of the three of you winning is the worst-case scenario and why?

I notice from scanning Gear's thread, you may want a single person's name. Paul, for the same reason mentioned in 1). Someone who failed to submit cards, multiple times, is not someone I would like to see win a game in which I have placed a serious mental and psychological investment.

I will break now for lunch, and be back soon.
Edited by Jared Goldman, Mar 16 2018, 12:29 PM.
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JURY MEMBER: Matthew Van Melikian
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Alright, here is the second question I have for you:

Out of the F6, who are part of your ideal F3? Why? And if it's not the current F3, then why aren't you sitting next to them right now?
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Jared Goldman
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Courtney Act
Mar 15 2018, 10:52 PM
My question is simple: Read all the jurors. In case you don't know what reading is, here's an example:

Martin Melin. Now that is a name I haven't heard in a long time. In fact, I think the last time I heard it, I was in my mother's womb.

PG, you know what they say, about Jody fans? "Don't forget to close your mouth, when you chew!"

I hear police found meth, marijuana, and large amounts of Xanax, at Chumlee's house in 2016. He must have been playing Survivor then, too.

Some people compare going on Survivor, to camping. But, I think Courtney just heard the word "camp," and signed right up!

Matthew, you told me playing this game, gave you a feeling of serenity. But, when I look at you, all I can think is, "Serenity now!"

I know they are currently airing Survivor: Ghost Island, but, Jenn, I think you misunderstood the premise!

-

I rather think, I should stick to reading to chickens.
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Jared Goldman
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Peih Gee Law
Mar 16 2018, 10:35 AM
Hi Jared! I'm impressed with you, partially because of jury talk, and it's a safe assumption I'm going into the final tribal thinking of you as my vote. It's yours to lose.

Firstly, a question for the three of you. Where on an alignment chart like this would you place yourself and why? https://i.redd.it/qmcybi1y1q801.jpg

Secondly, i want to know how you thought you were perceived by everyone, and whether this factored into your gameplay.
Good afternoon, PG. I am going to say, Lawful Neutral. I do not think Jared could ever be, anything but lawful. And, I was not sure, between Neutral or Evil, but, the Devon quote included, seems to fit in with my line of thinking. "Every decision I've made will stay the same: what's good for me." Additionally, I know Devon is someone that, players in the game had not realized, was thinking as much as he was! I made decisions to vote against people that I had liked, but the decisions were made from a neutral, logical perspective. If I were to be evil, or chaotic, I think I would have eliminated Gear there, at the end.

I think people saw me, as someone who could be strange, or awkward. I never played dumb, or tried to hide my intelligence, but, I did often write unusual messages. You should only see the sorts of bizarre tales with which I filled Gear's inbox!

But, I knew I could be perceived this way, and thought it would make me appear more, "innocent," and that I could use that mask of innocence, to my advantage. I think having the character, of an actual child, eating candy, also did not hurt! It gives me something of a goofball image, too.
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Jared Goldman
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Matthew Van Melikian
Mar 16 2018, 12:32 PM
Alright, here is the second question I have for you:

Out of the F6, who are part of your ideal F3? Why? And if it's not the current F3, then why aren't you sitting next to them right now?
At the F6, I had preferred to reach the end with Paul, and PG. Paul, because of the reasons mentioned, of not playing cards, or turning jurors off after ignoring them. PG, I had planned for, because when we first reached the merge, I felt she had been mentally placed in the "not threat" bucket, by the other players, much like myself. Of course, as I worked with her further, I found her to be a good player, who, if she reached the end as the sole Gold, could have been dangerous.

I am not with that F3, because Paul voted to keep Gear. We had talked previously, about sticking with PG to the end, but I think Paul, just wanted to keep the people he liked most. PG had targeted him, a few times, and he knew that, and saw an opportunity, for vengeance, and I think that had motivated him.

It is too bad, but we cannot all be sitting next to, Phillip Sheppard and Natalie Tenerelli, at the end of the game, and I do not think we had a Phillip or Natalie present in this game. But, some players, like Sandra, will be able to defeat even Parvati, or someone she had previously tried to vote out, like Russell. It is in that way, I hope to defeat Paul, and Gear.
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JURY MEMBER: Matthew Van Melikian
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Alright, I don't think I have any more questions for you. If I think of any, I'll ask them right away, but I think that's it.
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Tom Colicchio
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Thread closes in 40 minutes (18:30 EDT). Votes begin at this point.
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Jared Goldman
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In that case, thank you to everyone, for taking the time to read my opening statement, and for asking me some interesting questions. I have a few final elaborations, that I had thought to add.

I knew I would be safer in the game, if I stuck with Matthew and Chumlee, but that did not feel like a winning game. And, although that move did make the road to the end, stretch out longer and darker before me, I felt we could not let any more miles go by, without beginning to eliminate some threats.

When Paul voted out PG, it is true, I disagreed. I had thought it was a Catch-22 case, where the choice you make, empowers the player you keep. Gear's threat level had declined, and PG was an emerging threat, but, as I did write to Paul, I was concerned that once Gear was kept, by virtue of Paul's decision, Gear's threat level could possibly be restored. Of course, if PG had in fact been kept, it would have been her star, that was rising. It is a bit of a trap situation, I suppose.

I am very grateful to all the jurors, and especially to those that had helped confirmed some aspects of my game to others.

Good luck to Gear, and Paul. And, I had fun playing with you all.
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JURY MEMBER: Matthew Van Melikian
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