Alright so I'm just going to talk about the two best and two worst initial players so far of the game on
each tribe. There are a lot of people here that are really starting to develop already, and it's crazy to see the arcs that could possibly form from this season solely based on these first three days. Tomorrow is the challenge, and we'll find out what team is going to end up going to tribal council and if I am right about any of these rankings. But I believe after reading the PMs that someone from the ~worst~ section will be going home on Monday. I'm loving this cast though already and think based on EVERYONE being active so quickly, things are bound to be good. Predictability will definitely happen I'm sure, but good stories and good relationships and risks are what makes Stranded what it is more so than just blindsides.
BRACARIRachel-Good-Alright, so I think that Rachel has COMPLETELY turned herself around after the first day fiasco where she tried way too hard to pull a schtick on people and be impressed with her. I'm reading through PMs and confessionals of everyone, and I feel as if she's going to be in a very good place to get to the Final 18 and beyond. She's not abrasive or static, and isn't someone that people would write off right away as someone they can not work with. Her style of gameplay hasn't been shown that much due to a lack of confessional update, but it'd be interesting to see what she brings to the table strategically if the time presents itself. Okay well she may be a little abbrasive and polarizing, but I think it's overshadowed by other players like Vytas who are doing the same thing but more heavy. She'll be fine for a while if she just stays active and doesn't start overplaying, and I think she could be a clear contender to make the merge.
Katie - Good-"Ignorant Katie" is no longer! I feel like she's finally started to impress me, and clearly "finally" isn't a good term since we've only been spectating her for around three solid days. Her being Vytas' number one right now is something that's going to help her more than she could ever know, since Vytas is definitely in the best place over at that tribe and her being close with him in turn makes HER the best on the tribe. If the alliance of them ever crumbles, Vytas would go down before Katie ever would since he is much more douchey and polarizing of a player. I'm going to go ahead and say that Katie is going to make the merge and is going to do splendid in this game, and will even say that she's a lock to get there as of right now. As long as she doesn't get too weird, I think we may be looking at a possible Final 2 right here. She's got the skills to get there, she just needs to make sure she doesn't slip back in to being a goat like she almost was.
Brad - Bad-To put things in to perspective on the amount of communication players are doing outside of PMs, Brad has 3 posts within three days of being in this game. I don't feel he really had it in him to do well here in the first place, but seeing him now just makes me feel upset that he was cast. i don't mean that in a rude way, but I see him as someone that is just going to be the inevitable first boot or pre-merge boot of the game. I did manage to read his one confessional post of the game (boy tedious that was) and I get the feeling that he is sort of naive in how he thinks he can play this game. He wants to be number 2 in an alliance yet still be calling the shot. Isn't that what EVERYONE wants to do really? In my opinion he's nothing more than fodder right now. I'd be pleased to see him prove me wrong, but I don't think it's happening at all right now.
Laura - Bad-
I don't know, you started out with such a grand pre-game assesment by all the hosts. You were glowing in our eyes and after coming in from a previous win, I thought you would kill it here. But something seems to be off with you, and I don't think that you can truly win this even if it has been three days. You've made too many remarks that nobody is taking nicely too at all, and you've also been making far too many comments about Caleb not being here. I don't know if you know this, but he did die and that isn't something that people want jokes about even if they never met him! You seem to be doing ~alright~ socially, but I put those tildes next to it since it hasn't helped you to get in peoples' good graces since you appear to be at the bottom of most rankings. This is a quote from Ciera that I feel describes you as a player in this pretty well
8. Laura: I hate people who play up their characters beyond a point and you've reached that point.
I don't want you to bitch at me after this game for hating on you, because I do think you can change your viewpoint from other people around completely but it will take a LOT of work.
LIMICIIbrehem - Good-Whenever someone starts off by saying that they are confident they can win, I get a good feeling about them. Many times players will undersell their ability to win so that if they do go out they end up looking less pathetic (I think everyone including myself has done this) but Ibe being cautiously confident is a good thing in my eyes. He's a player that doesn't need constant attention or a constant spotlight on him, and I think that's going to end up giving him an advantage in the game. If he uses his relationship with Becky correctly like he is doing right now, he will end up getting to the merge easily and could end up already swinging a majority. He's already in a six person alliance that as of right now is in tact, and that should carry him through the first boots. I've put Ibe on here because although he isn't the greatest strategist as of right now, that actually may end up helping him become one of the biggest UTR threats to win of the game.
Cochran - Good-Right now I think that Cochran is going to end up being a finalist. That's a bold statement clearly, but right now he's playing a flawless game in my opinion that can't backfire any time soon unless something wonky comes in to play. He's got his connections with Semhar and Ralph very much in tact. Sem may not like Ralph and Ralph could want Sem gone, but neither of those conflict with this guy. He's going to end up being someone that rides this game but doesn't float in it either. He's playing similar to how he did in Namibia right now, but he definitely is setting himself up with more connections that will help him from getting targeted so quickly like he did last season. The thing that is going to end up getting Cochran out is going to be his casualness about the game. I don't mean that he isn't excited, since clearly he is, but I do mean that I think him being an "easy boot" could be a possibility even in the merge stage of the game! He's doing great right now though, and my eyes are definitely on him to go far.
SkinRy - Bad - This guy feels like an early boot to me, and it's upsetting since I don't want him to be! I always had a crush on him when he was on Pearl Islands, and he's being so cute with his whole "wanting redemption" thing here that I can't help but root for him! Unfortunately, he isn't great with communication at all and people are noticing already. There are a very big group of possible "all-stars" on this tribe, and I don't think he's realizing that he could be out just as quick and that playing with former vets doesn't give him any lee way in the slightest. Him ranking Ralph as number one proves that him AND his allies are outside of a main alliance that is already being formed, and I just don't see how he can make it very far unless his teams do god-like in challenges.
Peter - Bad - I don't like Peter that much unfortunately right now
I couldn't stand him on Marquesas and it's not that I hate him here, it's just that I don't feel the desire to ROOT for him at all in here nor do I want him to get far compared to some of my other favorite players. Peter is not liked by Becky or Caryn, and I think in the end that may be his downfall if he goes out before the merge. I like how he is coming back with a lot of drive and a lot of ambition to do well in this game, but I don't feel like it's going to help him unfortunately. On day 1 in his confessional he laid out a solid plan for how he wants to run this game, but I don't feel like it will pan out for him.
Peter is horrible, as I've said
and I think his ranking may end up being horrible in this game as well. What he needs to do is start socializing and right his wrongs that he made on day one (when he got offended at the comments of him in his previous season). He has a chance to get to Final 18 for sure, but awareness and socialization needs to get in to his noggin' a bit more.
Within three minutes of being on the board she already hurls her first jab at me for POSSIBLY voting her out last season, and coincidentally within three minutes all eyes are on her to deliver. She will I think go far in this game as long as she keeps her activity up! If she doesn't she could end up going too soon before her time, and I definitely don't want that to happen. Socially she could be a threat if she expanded and opened up to a few more people, and strategically I think if she hides in the shadows a bit she'll be a grand force in here. Her allying with the other current trending man would be hot as hell!
