PRE-GAME PARTY

[Stephen]

This will be a pre-game celebration for being casted as a HERO! Thank you guys for this opportunity. I am really honored and proud to be here, and I'm going to give this my all. Here, I'll talk about what's on my mind entering the game, and I'll let you know some secrets about my strategy this time. But, first, Coors Light all around! (As in, you 2 and me.) Cheers! =P

[Corey]

i hate beer

[Stephen]

Way to ruin it. I'll just chug twice... it's cool.

[Stephen]

And Corey, thanks for posting so now I have to scroll down FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES to make my next post!

[Stephen]

Well, I think it's time to write all about my strategy. I plan on making video confessionals as much as possible, but I'm a little bit shy talking to the camera when friends/roomates are around, so today, for example, it will be in writing.

At first, I had this weird feeling that Erin would not get casted with me. Obviously I was wrong, but that's ok! I am happy to see Erin in the cast. I love playing with Erin, and as you guys know, we are best friends. I look forward to having her by my side for this adventure! The one downfall is that having Erin with me in this game, on the same tribe, is going to be more challenging strategically. We come into this game marked as a threat for being friends in real life. The good news is, there are MANY other friendships in this All-Stars cast, and Allan/Ashley also know each other in real life... there could be more I don't even know about! One thing I can guarantee is that I will never write Erin's name down in this game. I don't necessarily know if we are going to make a Final 2 alliance, but I refuse to put her down on my parchment. If that makes me a weak player, then so be it... but it's just not something I will do. I do plan to work with Erin, and I hope we both go very far! It would be foolish to sit and try to convince everyone we aren't together, because there isn't a chance in hell anyone will buy that. If I am approached about how close I am with her in this game, I will tell that person I plan on working with Erin if it is my best move. No one can blame me for that answer... and I sure won't be going out of my way to bring me/Erin up to others on this tribe.

Looking at this Heroes tribe, I am stoked at the level of talent we have for challenges. Also, I see a competitive fire in us, and I believe we can dominate this challenges if we each put forth our best effort. The people on this tribe seem very nice and approachable. In my mind, the longer we can avoid starting to "play" the game, the better it will be for our performance in challenges and tribal unity. I don't want to talk about specific people yet... I'll save that for Episode 1.

The last thing I want to do here is explain my strategy entering this game. I recognize that I am from the most recent season, so I don't know many of these people as well as they know each other. Also, it's hard to know who to trust or not trust with information. I tried to learn as much as I could about the previous seasons before we started, but it was really difficult to find the facts. Being a newer player to the series can have both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, some players may have old grudges and rivalries, which would keep someone like me out of the warzone. But, being new could also make me an easy or "fair" first boot. It's hard to guess what will happen, but I have to focus on things I can control. My plan is to just be nice and friendly to each person on the tribe. I want to find a place in an alliance, but I won't force something to happen unless it's the right time. In Bermuda, I think I did an excellent job staying under the radar during those first several boots, and it would be huge if I could pull that off again. This game is filled with the best of the best, so it will be harder than last time, but I am up for the challenge. I am known for being a player who sticks to my original alliance. The only person I ever truly gave all my loyalty to was Erin last season. This time, surrounded by people who are labeled as heroes, I feel like I can give loyalty to more than just one person. If I can maintain good relations with each individual on this tribe, no one will have any reason to bring me up for a vote. I think I can be an asset in the challenges as well. I plan on laying in that "middle ground" position among the tribe for now. Later in the game, I will make it mission to be involved in significant, game-changing moves so that I can justify myself as a deserving winner at the end of the game.

I have very high hopes! I played a different All-Stars game recently and had HORRIBLE luck with the tribes. It ended up getting me 19th place out of 24 players. I am motivated and fired up to redeem myself, and really, to redeem the "Hero" type players in all of Survivor after they faced a beating by the villains on the real show. Good conquers evil, and it's time to prove that!