Strategy Sermon
Tribal Decisions: Strength vs. Work Ethic
No one wants to go to Tribal Council, especially early on in the game. But the decision that many castaways face early on (especially at that first Tribal Council) is not who to vote off but rather what direction your tribe is going in, namely those with great physical (or mental) strength versus those who pull their weight at camp.
Obviously, both types of people have a lot to bring to making a tribe successful. Success in the challenges is just as important as maintaining a livable condition at camp. Just as obviously, those who are not physically fit and do nothing around camp (Guatemala’s Brianna, Pearl Islands’ Ryan S.) become quick targets early on in the game (as they should).
Looking at the game logically, strength at the challenges and camp work can reinforce the other aspect. That is to say you need strength at the challenges to have better camp life and vice versa. If you succeed at the challenges then you do not have to go to Tribal Council and thus have more people at camp to divide up the work. On the flip side if you lose a lot of people and the burden of the work load falls upon a few people who will then not have any energy for the challenges. Of course if no one is doing any work around camp or if only a few members are working then the tribe doesn’t have ample food or water and does not have the energy to be competitive in the challenges.
But in all honesty, most Survivors come into the game either physically strong or they make up for it by working their butt off at camp. Some (All-Stars/Pearl Islands’ Rupert, Exile Island’s Terry, Palau’s Tom) were great workers and huge physical assets (at least until the merge when they become liabilities) and were virtually never targets in their own tribe. But when it comes to decision time, you will usually have to choose between those who are pulling their weight at camp or those who will help your tribe in the challenges (Guatemala’s Morgan vs. Lydia, Exile Island’s Tina vs. Cirie).
Obviously the details of each scenario vary. Other more important factors can include how a tribe member contributes to tribe moral, an illness or injury (which hurts the tribe in both aspects) and playing abrasive personalities against each other. But in making this decision of these qualities in others, consider these aspects.
1) Physical strength is something that is ingrained whereas camp work is something that the other members of camp can pick up. (Advantage physical strength)
2) Not all challenges are based on brute strength. Many involve swimming, diving, fire-building and other mental challenges. (Advantage work ethic)
3) People with good work ethic usually have leverage when it comes to making alliances. (Advantage physical strength)
4) Those with great physical strength become easy targets to other members of your own and the opposite tribe after the merge. (Advantage physical strength)
In light of this information, physical strength can be considered to be a more important quality than work ethic. Obviously it is better for a Survivor to possess both of these traits and a tribe must ensure that is it neither a tribe of lazy muscle-heads nor a group of workaholic weaklings, but they must ensure that their tribe is strong enough to gain the numbers at the merge. Physically strong players also are usually not as adept at making alliances outside their own tribe (Panama’s Terry, Amazon’s Dave) because the other tribe is trying to vote them off. Also, it becomes easier to turn your own alliance against these strong players after the merge, for fear they might win the individual challenges.
Strong players are those that can get your tribe to the merge strong, but then are then discarded after the merge. The strong should ally together after the merge because usually the weak will group together and target them. While this may seem like a disadvantage to the stronger people, for weaker people they draw attention away from themselves when it comes to voting after the merge. Any weak players that make the merge should thank the strong ones whose strength the tribe recently lauded now becomes their Achilles Heel.
Tribal Decisions: Strength vs. Work Ethic
No one wants to go to Tribal Council, especially early on in the game. But the decision that many castaways face early on (especially at that first Tribal Council) is not who to vote off but rather what direction your tribe is going in, namely those with great physical (or mental) strength versus those who pull their weight at camp.
Obviously, both types of people have a lot to bring to making a tribe successful. Success in the challenges is just as important as maintaining a livable condition at camp. Just as obviously, those who are not physically fit and do nothing around camp (Guatemala’s Brianna, Pearl Islands’ Ryan S.) become quick targets early on in the game (as they should).
Looking at the game logically, strength at the challenges and camp work can reinforce the other aspect. That is to say you need strength at the challenges to have better camp life and vice versa. If you succeed at the challenges then you do not have to go to Tribal Council and thus have more people at camp to divide up the work. On the flip side if you lose a lot of people and the burden of the work load falls upon a few people who will then not have any energy for the challenges. Of course if no one is doing any work around camp or if only a few members are working then the tribe doesn’t have ample food or water and does not have the energy to be competitive in the challenges.
But in all honesty, most Survivors come into the game either physically strong or they make up for it by working their butt off at camp. Some (All-Stars/Pearl Islands’ Rupert, Exile Island’s Terry, Palau’s Tom) were great workers and huge physical assets (at least until the merge when they become liabilities) and were virtually never targets in their own tribe. But when it comes to decision time, you will usually have to choose between those who are pulling their weight at camp or those who will help your tribe in the challenges (Guatemala’s Morgan vs. Lydia, Exile Island’s Tina vs. Cirie).
Obviously the details of each scenario vary. Other more important factors can include how a tribe member contributes to tribe moral, an illness or injury (which hurts the tribe in both aspects) and playing abrasive personalities against each other. But in making this decision of these qualities in others, consider these aspects.
1) Physical strength is something that is ingrained whereas camp work is something that the other members of camp can pick up. (Advantage physical strength)
2) Not all challenges are based on brute strength. Many involve swimming, diving, fire-building and other mental challenges. (Advantage work ethic)
3) People with good work ethic usually have leverage when it comes to making alliances. (Advantage physical strength)
4) Those with great physical strength become easy targets to other members of your own and the opposite tribe after the merge. (Advantage physical strength)
In light of this information, physical strength can be considered to be a more important quality than work ethic. Obviously it is better for a Survivor to possess both of these traits and a tribe must ensure that is it neither a tribe of lazy muscle-heads nor a group of workaholic weaklings, but they must ensure that their tribe is strong enough to gain the numbers at the merge. Physically strong players also are usually not as adept at making alliances outside their own tribe (Panama’s Terry, Amazon’s Dave) because the other tribe is trying to vote them off. Also, it becomes easier to turn your own alliance against these strong players after the merge, for fear they might win the individual challenges.
Strong players are those that can get your tribe to the merge strong, but then are then discarded after the merge. The strong should ally together after the merge because usually the weak will group together and target them. While this may seem like a disadvantage to the stronger people, for weaker people they draw attention away from themselves when it comes to voting after the merge. Any weak players that make the merge should thank the strong ones whose strength the tribe recently lauded now becomes their Achilles Heel.
posted by The Jet at
5:52 PM
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