Will Wikle Weighs-In

[Will Wikle]

Hello Sheila & Nathan. Congratulations on final 2. I have to say, I'm genuinely impressed. I'll be honest – my vote is already leaning towards one of you – but your answer to my questions will either cement that vote, or sway it. I'm not set in stone quite yet. So I'm going to make you work a little for my vote.


Sheila – As we all comically know, I didn't win a single competition in this game, yet I made it all the way to the final 4. That's a whole lotta losses on my part. You might not believe this, but I'm usually one of the better challenge competitors in these games. I think most of my failure here was due to the difficult nature of these challenges (bravo to Chelsbot for that), but I also think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I was competing against you. You were an animal in these games. Someone else can do the research on this, but if I recall correctly, you were immune nearly every week of the game.

So my question to you is this: In your opening statements you said that you don't expect to get many votes due to your “actions”. Actions? What actions? What did you do in this game besides win a lot of challenges? No one was mad that you kept winning. It might have been frustrating, but not enough to withhold our votes from you now. So what “actions” are you talking about? What exactly were your “actions” in this game that you think make you so unworthy of our votes?

Also, at final 5, if it had been a tie vote that week between me and Natalie, who would you have chosen to evict?

Nathan – I do think you played a good game. I had you pegged as the most obvious winner since the very start of the game. Now, in your opening statement you said that you “did not rely on challenge wins”. This is clearly an underhanded jab at Sheila's gameplay. The problem with this is that you and Sheila made your final 2 alliance so obvious, that nearly everyone wanted to put you on the block together. So, if it weren't for the fact that Sheila was either HOH, veto winner, or both almost every week – I doubt you'd be sitting in the final 2. My point is, you DID rely on challenge wins. Just not your own. Let's face it: Sheila did all the hard work and heavy lifting that actually got you here.

So my question to you is this: Let's pretend that something wonderful happened, and Sheila had been evicted in the first week. What would your strategy have been? Who would you have alligned with? Who would you have stayed loyal to no matter what, and who would you have betrayed? I'm asking this because I'm sure you had a strategy – I just don't think you had to execute much of it since Sheila was always winning.

And lastly, I have two questions for both of you:

1)You both said you came into this game with many previous relationships. Do you think that's a help of a hindrance? Would you still be sitting in the final 2 if you had come into this game without knowing a single player?

2)As frequent ORG players, you know how it can sometimes be tough for a jury member to make a decision on how to vote. Some people vote based on gameplay. Some vote on friendship. Some let their hurt feelings decide. Hell, some pick a number. So I'm curious - when you are a potential juror, what are your final vote “deal breakers”? Please name THREE specific examples of something a player could do in a game that would absolutely cause them to lose your vote.

Once again, I think you both played a great game. My sincere congratulations to both of you, and good luck!

-Will

[Nathan Marlow]

Nathan – I do think you played a good game. I had you pegged as the most obvious winner since the very start of the game. Now, in your opening statement you said that you “did not rely on challenge wins”. This is clearly an underhanded jab at Sheila's gameplay.

I did not mean for it to be an underhanded jab at Sheila. I apologize to her if it came off that way. I have been a challenge whore before too and I have no disrespect for it. I was simply talking about my own game-play there.

The problem with this is that you and Sheila made your final 2 alliance so obvious, that nearly everyone wanted to put you on the block together. So, if it weren't for the fact that Sheila was either HOH, veto winner, or both almost every week – I doubt you'd be sitting in the final 2. My point is, you DID rely on challenge wins. Just not your own. Let's face it: Sheila did all the hard work and heavy lifting that actually got you here.

You bring up a good point. I was extremely lucky to have Sheila winning so many challenges and it absolutely did help me get here. The whole game though is really driven by challenges though. Other people won some, like Sarah down the stretch, and I was still okay. There were still a few opportunities for me to leave the game.

So my question to you is this: Let's pretend that something wonderful happened, and Sheila had been evicted in the first week. What would your strategy have been? Who would you have alligned with? Who would you have stayed loyal to no matter what, and who would you have betrayed? I'm asking this because I'm sure you had a strategy – I just don't think you had to execute much of it since Sheila was always winning.

It's kind of funny that you ask this, because the person at the beginning of the game who I wanted to stay loyal to no matter what was Lori, who was evicted in the first week of the game. Had Sheila been the one to go, I don't think I would have been that phased at the time. We were on good terms at the start, but I didn't really expect us to get so close. Her leaving obviously would have changed the game greatly though. I did have a lot of options after the first couple weeks of the game though and I think I would have been alright. If hypothetically Lori had survived, she would have been my go to person. And other than that, I did have an alliance with Eric and Parker that I definitely think could have worked out well had I not basically abandoned it for my alliance with Sheila and Sarah. I was good terms on plenty of other people too that I think would have been an asset to me in the game, you included, that could have been closer allies had I not already been with my alliance. Who would I have betrayed... well probably Natalie still, because I can't imagine things would have gone too much differently with us, possibly worse without Sheila around. I'm not sure if I would have betrayed Jun in this scenario though because up until about the merge I was actually working very well with her and things might have actually gone well from there on out. So basically to sum up your question, I think I did a good job of fielding lots of options at the beginning of the game, so had Sheila been voted out, I would have found some other way to survive, just like I did when Lori was voted out.

And lastly, I have two questions for both of you:

1)You both said you came into this game with many previous relationships. Do you think that's a help of a hindrance? Would you still be sitting in the final 2 if you had come into this game without knowing a single player?

I think it is a little of both. Of course it is easier to strike up an alliance with someone you already know because you can already have a level of trust and know a little bit about the person and how they play. Having people know that much about you can hurt though, because being viewed as a threat before the game even begins can get you a quick exit. It can be difficult as I said before to maintain all the relationships in the game when there are so many. You just can't be loyal to everyone, and this can make it tough to get down and play the game. Overall in the grand scheme of this game, it definitely was a help to me. Sheila knowing how I am and coming to me with the knowledge of the safes turned the game into what it became for me. Do I think I could be here if I had known nobody? That is really hard to say. It definitely would be possible, I think I do a good job of trying to get to know new people and making bonds that hopefully would help me in the game. It is pretty impossible to predict though how things would have gone. In past games I have done well without knowing anyone though so it definitely would be possible I'd say.

2)As frequent ORG players, you know how it can sometimes be tough for a jury member to make a decision on how to vote. Some people vote based on gameplay. Some vote on friendship. Some let their hurt feelings decide. Hell, some pick a number. So I'm curious - when you are a potential juror, what are your final vote “deal breakers”? Please name THREE specific examples of something a player could do in a game that would absolutely cause them to lose your vote.

1. I could not vote for someone who takes credit for things they didn't do. Whether it be because they are delusional, or a liar, or they just didn't have a clue what was happening, that is something that really irks me.

2. I could also not vote for someone who did nothing and can't even think of a thing to take credit for. I like people who play the game and try and make things happen, even if I don't like them, I always want someone who played hard to be the winner.

3. Last thing, would be someone who doesn't even seem like they care if they win. I want to see the fire in them, that they played the game with their heart and they feel they deserve to win the game. I saw this recently where I thought I was going to vote for this person, but in the questioning it took them forever to answer and they just didn't seem to put as much effort in, and in the end I just couldn't vote for them.

[Will Wikle]

Thanks, Nathan.

I have another question (like Sarah, I might be in and out for as long as this jury session lasts) that I would like both of you to answer.

Who on the jury was the easiest for you to manipulate in this game?
Who on the jury was the easiest for your final2 opponent to manipulate in this game?

You can give an explanation of your answers if you'd like, but that's up to you.

[Sheila Kennedy]

May 6, 2009 19:35:57 GMT -5 Will Wikle said:

So my question to you is this: In your opening statements you said that you don't expect to get many votes due to your “actions”. Actions? What actions? What did you do in this game besides win a lot of challenges? No one was mad that you kept winning. It might have been frustrating, but not enough to withhold our votes from you now. So what “actions” are you talking about? What exactly were your “actions” in this game that you think make you so unworthy of our votes?

Well I'm sure this will be brought up by Parker and Jun and anyone else that can't let it go, but the main action I'm referring to is going on Natalie's account that one time because she wanted me to see who she voted for. And contrary to popular belief, it did NOT effect the game AT ALL. In the end I did not help my game at all, it only hurt me. And it didn't hurt anyone else, despite what Jun thinks. I'm sure there are people that are going to hold it against me and the thought of voting for me won't even cross there mind, and to be honest I don't even care because I'm so over it. lol

Then there were some times when I was extremely pissed off and I chose to attack people like Sarah and Jun. I ended up letting my emotions get in the way, AS USUAL, and it might come back to bite me.

Also, at final 5, if it had been a tie vote that week between me and Natalie, who would you have chosen to evict?

Well I cast a vote in my confessional in case it was a tie, and it was to evict you.

I told Nathan and Sarah (and you? I don't remember if you asked or not) that I was evicting Natalie if they decided to tie it up, and I might have meant it at one point. But after putting up Natalie I felt like a piece of shit for some reason and I felt horrible and when it came down to it I just wasn't able to vote her out.

1)You both said you came into this game with many previous relationships. Do you think that's a help of a hindrance? Would you still be sitting in the final 2 if you had come into this game without knowing a single player?

For me it is usually a hindrance lol. I am not the nicest person to people most of the time and that comes back to bite me when I play with those people again. Then there's games like this where I somehow win a whole bunch of competitions, which will probably end up coming to bite me in the butt in some future game if I play with someone from this game because they'll just tell everyone how strong I can be or whatever. However it can also be a help too since there are some people I really do like so it really is helpful coming into the game with at least one strong ally. I don't really like a game where a bunch of previous relationships mess things up, but I really do prefer at least one person I know so I can at least get something solid going from the beginning instead of scrambling and hoping something will work out.

I do believe I'd still be sitting in the final 2 if I came into the game without knowing anyone. I would have just had to step up my social game a bit but I think with all the challenge wins I had, I'd still be able to make it to the end.

2)As frequent ORG players, you know how it can sometimes be tough for a jury member to make a decision on how to vote. Some people vote based on gameplay. Some vote on friendship. Some let their hurt feelings decide. Hell, some pick a number. So I'm curious - when you are a potential juror, what are your final vote “deal breakers”? Please name THREE specific examples of something a player could do in a game that would absolutely cause them to lose your vote.

1. If a player is UTR or a floater I cannot vote for them lol. I am just the complete polar opposite and I would have a really hard time voting for someone with that type of gameplay, unless if two floaters were in the finals. Ew then I would just quit.

2. Anyone that self-votes (unless there's a good reason), misses a confessional, doesn't do a lot of the challenges, etc. Basically someone that doesn't show interest because that'd be really unfair to the person sitting next to them. That is just so unfair to the person sitting next to them and I'd hate for someone like that to ever beat me, so I wouldn't be able to vote for them.

3. This one is gonna sound dumb but I seriously can't bring myself to vote for someone that I find boring. Like someone that never posts on the board, and when you talk to them on AIM you just get like 3 words answers and they show absolutely no personality. I really don't know why but I just can't.

[Sheila Kennedy]

Oh goody, more questions.

Who on the jury was the easiest for you to manipulate in this game?

She isn't going to like this, but I'm going to say Natalie. I didn't really try to manipulate her to do anything really since the only power she had in the game was just like with her votes or whatever, and from past experience I know it's pointless to try and control her votes. However, I was able to get her to pick a safe that Sarah has already picked so Nathan would be able to get the last one. Then like even as late in the game as F6, I convinced her I didn't have the second power and told her to post to 500 to see if she could figure it out, and next thing I know she's working her way up and was at 400 some. It was kinda funny but I felt bad. I think she just trusted me so much that she kind of just believed anything I said.

Who on the jury was the easiest for your final2 opponent to manipulate in this game?

I guess I'll go ahead and say Sarah since there has already been talk about that along those lines I think.

[Nathan Marlow]

Who on the jury was the easiest for you to manipulate in this game?

I feel like this is kind of a cop-out answer, but it's the truth. I would say Daniele. We all know she wasn't all that into the game so that changes things, but there was several occasions where I basically just told her who to vote for and she did. She didn't vote for Jun when I was HoH, but I never even talked to her about that, nor did I care if she did or not. Although limited, I talked to her probably more than most so there was good reason for me to leave her in the game for as long as possible. If you want me to pick a more active person, I can, let me know.

Who on the jury was the easiest for your final2 opponent to manipulate in this game?

I would say it was probably Natalie for Sheila. Natalie basically flocked to where ever the power was, and since Sheila had the power a hell of a lot of the time, Natalie was always there. She was HoH a lot and had the power from the basement, so Natalie basically had to stay on Sheila's good side.

[Will Wikle]

The easiest person for you to manipulate was Daniele? Impressive. You must have some mad skills! *note dripping sarcasm*

Thanks you two. And once again, good luck. You're a very deserving final 2.

[Sarah Hrejsa]

May 7, 2009 13:40:54 GMT -5 Nathan Marlow said:

Who on the jury was the easiest for you to manipulate in this game?

If you want me to pick a more active person, I can, let me know.

Will gave me permission to ask this in his thread. I would like you to pick a more active person, please.

[Nathan Marlow]

Well if you really want it, then here it is. It would have to be you, Sarah. I am not saying that that's all I did with you and my whole intention of my relationship with you, but considering the choices you fall best into this category. We did a lot of things very differently in the game, so it definitely is not a perfect fit, but there were times when I was able to get my way with you and that ended up being important. I don't consider myself a manipulator though and that isn't really my strategy in these games.

[Sarah Hrejsa]

Yep, that's what I wanted. Thanks