Zamanda was targeting you over me at F5 Jerri (at least according to Heather and what Zamanda seemed to be saying about your game play up until that point)

And tbf at F6 had Jeremiah and I trusted Erik and Heather more a split vote would have happened and it would have been you going probably after you tried saving Zamanda.

Amanda Kimmel @ 27/8/2015 23:20

Zamanda was targeting you over me at F5 Jerri (at least according to Heather and what Zamanda seemed to be saying about your game play up until that point) And tbf at F6 had Jeremiah and I trusted Erik and Heather more a split vote would have happened and it would have been you going probably after you tried saving Zamanda.

Final 6 is hard to argue cause I had the idol in hand. Zamanda told me she was targeting you still, she told you she was targeting me. If we were both vulnerable we'd know for sure what her real intent woulda been

I shouldnt comment but:

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Erik, you’re a great guy, a really nice and genuinely sweet guy. You’re getting a lot of shit for being a spineless goat and to be honest you were. But if anybody attacks you as a person or disagrees with who you are, they’re wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you on a more personal level in this game than I did when we played Twisted.

On one hand, thanks a lot for saying this. On the other hand, I certainly did have my moments of being spineless, and defin if Ely moments of being a goat. But to call myself, definitively, as a spineless goat, I disagree. Add together my premerge and my postmerge, and you have something that cancels each other out. My premerge was solid, my post merge was not. Also, I don't think I'm spineless. Whenever someone called me out for being spineless, I always stood up for myself. When Zmanda was giving Kmanda shit, k stood up for what I thought was right. Strategically spineless in the postmerge is a better way to classify myself, but I do agree that it doesn't have a specific ring to it.

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Now as far as gameplay, we have to be honest. You didn’t do much. Your first real decision of the game was to turn on four people who had your back and you made two enemies right off the bat in myself and Kmanda (three because Kim soon came back). You made a bad move and it almost fucked you over but Michelle pulled an idol out of her ass (another bad move that lost Heather as an ally and made her a target of mine but that’s a different story). So you survived on luck.

Well, in theory, I would have been in a great position on that initial tribe of five, being myself, Sierra, Zmanda, Dolly, and Kelly. It wasn't a bad move, it just appears bad because of a twist that ran a red light going 12 over and T-boned me. I mean, yeah, it pisses some people off, but I didn't think that I would be dealing with them for a while, and I thought people would gang up on the Twisted people, so you two might have been next to go anyways. If the next tribe swap hadn't happened, I would have been in a much better position as one of the forerunners of the tribe, rather than being under the heals of you, Kmanda, Kim, and Stephen, which is what I felt like. I thought you guys wouldn't have my back farther down the line, so why would I let two potential strong allies get voted off while two (based on appearance) people got to stay in and they would have dumped me whenever it was convienent for them? If you look at it from my point of view, it's pretty solid, I think. Yeah, the idol play was some insane luck, I'll give you that, but if the tribe's had stayed the same, I would have been set up well.

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Next, Jeremiah flipped and Yul went, leaving you flopping around in the minority like a fish when you by all rights should have been in the majority. You stayed because you weren’t a threat. Still, not really playing for yourself.

Yeah, I should have been in the majority. But I didn't know Jeremiah well, and I had to go on Yul's word, and he trusted Jeremiah, and we trusted Michelle and Sundra, and we had the vote doubler. If Jeremiah isn't a double agent, then everything works out fine. But there was no way to get out of that with Yul in tact anyways since Jeremiah was with you guys. If we all pile votes on Monica, you could have easily played the idol on her due to Jeremiah's intel, and Yul goes home. If Yul tells Jeremiah to vote with him for Eric, then he flips his vote for Monica, you play your idol on her, Yul goes home. There was always a way out with Jeremiah as your double agent and an idol in your pocket. We were set up to lose and we didn't even know it. That's not a fault of my game. It's an unfortunate circumstance and something I had to roll with. And then I steal the mariachi piñata and you say that I'm still not playing for myself at that point? Lol okay.

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At the merge, you became Zmanda’s bitch for a few rounds, getting her that piñata right before the merge and doing whatever she said to do in the Ronnie and Monica votes.

I was just trying to follow what the counter alliance was doing. If anything, I was their bitch, not just Zmanda's. Or even give Kim some credit here. But I didn't want Kim, Heather, Jerri, Sundra, Sierra, or Zmanda gone at the time, and you, Ronnie, and Monica were the main people who were being targeted, and I agreed with said targeting.

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Then, we have what should have been the turning point. You flipped. We had this great plan to vote for Jeremiah, my (and your tbh) biggest threat left but our plan got foiled. That was really awesome to watch because even if you were safe on the other side, you were finally going to start playing the game for yourself. But then two rounds later, you just go back to Zmanda because she idols you with the sole intention of putting me up. Forcing that tiebreaker after you promised Zmanda you wouldn’t would have been epic. Cold-blooded. The Heidik levels of gamplay that I try to reach every game. I could’ve possibly stayed and then you and I would’ve teamed up with Jerri and Heather to take out the two biggest threats in the game. You would have been the author. Instead, you just voted with Zmanda and let her be the author. To be honest, that’s the moment you lost the game.

By the point the deal had been made, I would have pissed off Zmanda, Kim, and Kmanda (had she stayed) and, even though they were threats, if I put my faith in you and vote Kmanda, I burn three jury votes automatically. I weighed out the numbers, and by voting you, I lose one jury vote, and only piss off one person. I wish I didn't make the deal so I didn't have to be put in that position, but after that deal, I was basically being held at gunpoint to vote for you. The deal I made was the mistake, not voting for you. I think a win was still salvageable from there had I taken control of the game from there.

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Then all of this other stuff with people deciding your vote every round, the self-voting, the throwing your vote away, etc. was just added fuel to the fire.

I think, objectively, that's where my game died. Sure, I lost my right wing on my metaphorical airplane, but I still could have managed a somewhat safe landing after your vote. But my subconscious mind thought that a nosedive directly into the Rocky Mountains was a better strategy.

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That having been said, I really did appreciate everything you said in Michelle’s thread and I absolutely see you as a friend. I also want to say that I think you’re genuinely having a great FTC so keep it up. You have the skills you need and I think you’ll win a game at some point (probably soon) but I don’t think this will be it.

Thanks man. I appreciate the criticism in this thread, but I think some of it was unfair, and I tried to address what was and wasn't unfair. I don't think I will win this FTC either, but you never know. Stranger things have happened in this game.

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1. What are three lessons that you’ve learned between this game and Twisted that you’ll implement in the future?

I have to be more patient and make more personal connections and talk less game. People will probably want to work with me more if I'm enjoyable to be around and can maintain an actual conversation, rather than just talking game and making alliances straight off the bat.
Also, I have to take things a bit more patiently. Sometimes, I rush to make moves and they end up being poorly executed and/or worse for my game. If I give things time and try to silently sit back and let the jugular be exposed first, I can be much more quiet, it's a lot less messy, and takes a lot less effort.
When to be straightforward and when to keep in information is another huge thing in this game that I haven't quite mastered yet. Telling people secrets can help build trust in relationships, but it can also weaken the relationships if you betray someone else's trust and tell a secret to the wrong person. I haven't fully been able to determine when to spill the beans and when to keep the can in the cupboard, but I think if I was able to master that, I could have an amazingy strong, subtle game.

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2. If you could replace the F3 with 3 people from the jury who would it be? I’d prefer if this was for totally personal reasons rather than based on gameplay.

Number one has to be Heather. I know a lot of people got pissed with her and how she almost never could be trusted, myself included. I think a lot of people were looking forward to being able to bitchoose her out at the final tribal, and as a jury, you guys were robbed. I'd rope her in just so I could be entertained, along with the jury. So that means Zmanda has to stay on the jury.
Number two... I'd probably go with Yul. Another entertaining person to see at the final tribal, where he could go down as Tony, who answered for his actions and took responsibility for all of his insane actions, or as Russell, someone who said he was all strategy and that the jury should respect only one aspect of a game that requires three aspects and vote for him. I'd love to find out which, and see how bitter of a jury there is.
Three... seeing Kim make the FTC would be a landslide win, but having her come back from Los Muertos after being voted out in a blindside and win the game would be an insanely interesting underdog story. If I was watching this season on television, I would probably consider it one of the best winners, and best seasons, ever.

Thanks. I really appreciate your responses and I agree with most of what you said. I also really appreciate you being able to admit that you need to work on social connections which everyone here knows I've struggled with as well lol. Thanks again for your answers and just answer that last one whenever you can. Good luck!

Also, I want to throw this out there, me and Heather were going for Jerri on the last round. We thought Kmanda had a better chance against Jerri in a challenge than Zmanda did, so even though Jerri says she was pushing for Zmanda, our minds were already made up. #thenIselfvotedlolwhoops

I would legit pay to see a Heather, Kim, Yul F3.

(Still writing, just wanted to put it out there)

Erik Reichenbach @ 27/8/2015 23:52

Also, I want to throw this out there, me and Heather were going for Jerri on the last round. We thought Kmanda had a better chance against Jerri in a challenge than Zmanda did, so even though Jerri says she was pushing for Zmanda, our minds were already made up. #thenIselfvotedlolwhoops

Yup, both amandas warned me about Heather even BEFORE the immunity results were up, before they knew I was safe. No one knew where you stood cause you were kinda MIA that round, ahhh that self vote :)

Hey Eric! Thanks for the kind words, like I've said its been a bit of a tough rode by I plan on fighting to the end! Something I was worried about coming into this FTC was pulling an ACTUAL Amanda Kimmel and not owning up to the moves I've made and being ingenuine and apologetic. I know that tends to be my problem in minis (which is why I'm the perfect F2 partner), so I've tried my best to avoid it here. I THINK I've been doing a pretty good job with that so far. While I KNOW this isn't the strongest game I've ever played, like I said before, this IS the game that got me to the FTC (and tbh I doubt many people care how I played this game in comparison to my past games, considering not everyone has played with me before). Winning Survivor (or BB) doesn't necessarily come down to playing the ultimate best controlling game out of everyone, it comes down to being able to beat the people you are sitting next to at the end. I'm a firm believer that the winner of a season is always the best player because well, they won! 

But with that I digress, time to get to your actual questions for me. 

1. So ngl I feel like I've answered this question a lot, to Kim individually, in this FTC, etc. However I'll try to put a more strategic and gamebotty spin on it (god knows I've been doing that in my head anyway)

Strategically there were a lot of factors that went into it, the most obvious one being how social and in control of the game Kim has been for pretty much it's entirety. There was no way I would be able to beat her in the end had we both made it here. The next big thing was the handling of the previous round with your boot. I wasn't happy with essentially being told that I had to join a F3, even though it was with people who I really liked, or be eliminated. It didn't seem like a great way to treat an ally. I just watched a close ally and friend be voted out for game reasons, and this vote was also going to be for game reasons even though it was for a close ally and friend. That was essentially my rationale. I was mad that I was essentially told "Eric is going and there is nothing you can do about it." That was the turning point in my game. 

^so that is the gamebot me. It's weird to look at and read over, but it got me here and I need to own up to it. 

2. Asking me to keep things short is like asking a cheetah to walk lol, but I'll do my best.

Shontayla: Davonne

Had potential but was really just taken out too soon. A drama stirrer and potential big threat taken out early.

Michelle: Jason

Very social and likable guy who ended up getting evicted essentially for being on the wrong side of the house.

Yul: James

Like James is very good in challenges, can be a prankster (and has a strange affinity for girls playing lol :P )

Ronnie: Jace

Ronnie is the better Jace, and basically the ultimate bro. Probably could have been a big threat later down the road and it just so happened that the ENTIRE house recognizes that day 1.

Sierra: Shelli

A powerplayer and someone who was an excellent competitor. Shelli won several HoHs and challenges and was control of a lot of the votes. She was taken out when everyone started to realize how much of a threat she was.

Eric: Johnny Mac

Tbh I mostly picked you as Johnny Mac to #pander (jk). In all seriousness Johnny Mac was often liked by a lot of people but was recognized as a threat later down the road. He played a lot of the game by himself as allies were being eliminated around him.

Kim: Becky

Super threat in pretty much every field. Has a lot of tenacity (Becky withstood a train to the face, Kim withstood 18 hours of endurance) and was known to be a pretty big challenge threat.

Jeremiah: Clay

Basically everyone loved the guy so he eventually got evicted. Jeremiah was well liked by a lot of people even though he was flipping on them. Also a pretty big challenge threat.

Zamanda: Vanessa

Somehow gets herself out of lots of sticky situations and is a huge player in the game, controlling who goes home almost every week. Eventually she was recognized as a threat and STILL found a way to survive until late due to some really good gameplay.

Heather: Meg

Someone who was pretty much just kinda there lol and didn't do an absolute ton in most challenges. However Meg and Heather were both underestimated and were able to make it deep because of it. I haven't forgotten who the other ambassador prize puzzle winner was (Heather).

Erik: Jeff

Didn't really get to do a ton in the game and was eliminated after putting his foot in his mouth. While Erik never got eliminated, there were certainly times where he has his foot in his mouth. 

Jerri: Austin

A great competitor but an overal emotional player. He will stay true to Liz and Julia until he dies and only considered flipping on allies who flipped on him. Also a strong challenge competitor.

Kamanda: Steve

Steve is basically me irl lol, as sad as that may be. While I was never truly alone in this game, like Steve was, he had his close allies who he tried to stay loyal to until they got eliminated and he had the people he wanted to get rid of and always tried to do what was best for his game. An underestimated player who booted players admitted played a better game than they initially thought ;)

I was really wanting to take out Kmanda at the final 5, Heather was just hellbent on Jerri going before the results were up. I know Jerri was a threat for the end game, however she was the only person who was giving me a chance in the game and even responded to any IM's.

I told people over and over and over and over and over and over not to take Kmanda to the end. To everyone's detriment they didn't listen to me. She is mopping the floor with these answers, TOLD YA SO. Im not just a crazy racist.

Lol

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I was really wanting to take out Kmanda at the final 5, Heather was just hellbent on Jerri going before the results were up. I know Jerri was a threat for the end game, however she was the only person who was giving me a chance in the game and even responded to any IM's. I told people over and over and over and over and over and over not to take Kmanda to the end. To everyone's detriment they didn't listen to me. She is mopping the floor with these answers, TOLD YA SO. Im not just a crazy racist.

Me against upu, I don't really have a case. You saved me twice. You pull that out, there's not much I can say. I can bring up your social game towards the end, but I don't think that would help me at all.

Plus I thought that I had a case against Kmanda. We were both on vacation, and while I was on vacation, I was able to write a decent fanfiction and still participate in challenges and vote, while she was dragged through premerge despite my attempts to throw her under the bus when we were on the same tribe.

I'd like to think my answers are pretty great. Going in here with seemingly no shot and being able to pull off answers that have gotten pretty decent praise? Not too fucking bad.

You will see in Ponderosa Erik :)

I'm looking forward to seeing how shitty of a player I am and how much I suck :)

Amanda Zuckerman @ 27/8/2015 22:25

Im not just a crazy racist.

True. You're also a funny racist.