Theoretically, the game of Survivor offered on this site creates an interesting and unique opportunity - the idea of a powerful, unbeatable and eternal tribe. As long as that tribe can forge an unbreakable 6-player alliance, deal with outsiders so as not to create unwanted drama and consistently merge up, it is possible that such an eternal game could be maintained quite easily.
Let me explain - at the end of every Survivor game, the two tribes merge into a single tribe and face a new tribe, either of previous players or new ones. Therefore, a team that can fulfill the three requirements can be unstoppable. How does one do this? I'm glad you asked!
I referenced 3 major players to illustrate each of the different skills that are required for the alliance to work. For this to be effective, you first need a schemer - the classic Brian Heidik, Richard Hatch or Yau-Man. Essentially, this person will most likely be one of the first people to start the alliance - they will work slowly, building up a cadre of excellent players, until eventually they can take over. It would be foolish for them to start out going for that 6 person alliance, especially when the early votes may only require a bloc of 3-4 players. Instead, he also needs to be able to take time and evaluate each other player on his tribe for the strengths and weaknesses required for this to work.
Another major personality required is the Ethan - someone to deal with the outsiders and make sure that they don't cause too much trouble. Ethan was generally a quieter player, but he was excellent as an ambassador of sorts - the way that the Samburu tribe basically laid down and let themselves be axed week after week is a testament to the strength of the players in that game - in particular, I believe, Ethan.
Finally, at least one Terry is required in order to make this successful. In order to successfully and consistently merge up, the core 6 players need to be able to win more than half of the challenges presented to them in every single game. This is a daunting task, to be sure, but one that can be overcome with solid enough players. Luckily, it is this skill which is the most easily attained, and the longer that the team plays together, the more skill will be gained by the group.
However, it's important to note that while these are 3 excellent archetypes to consider in the game of Survivor, each major player needs to have at least a little bit of all 3. The Brian who can't deal with outsiders or win challenges will turn out to be useless once the alliance has been formed. The Ethan who can't form an alliance or win a challenge will generally not be picked up by an alliance and won't be able to carry their own weight. The Terry who can't form an alliance and is bad with people will find themselves on the outside of an early alliance and will probably be an early elimination.
Comments
Interesting read, +7! very well thought out, I liked it.
