First of all, let me talk about the projects this season. If any of you remember, one of my biggest selling points while marketing Season Nine, besides obviously the whole Outcast Island angle, was the fact that the projects this season were going to completely change the way you viewed the game. Well...in some cases, that was definitely a true statement, the projects just changed people's opinions of the game for the worst. Make no mistake, I absolutely PROMISE you that Season Ten will be a return to more traditionalist projects. Of course there will still be projects that step outside your comfort zone (after all, isn't that a big part of what it takes to be successful in this game in the first place?) but in general it won't be...like this. There won't be like eight off the wall projects with a couple normal ones. We were kind of aiming for the stratosphere a little bit...and we missed.
I think one of the biggest mistakes in NINE seasons running So, You Want to be an Imagineer that I ever made was going with that stupid Tourist Trap project RIGHT after the Chuck E. Cheese project. I mean...that's a real *facepalm* right there. We had both the Tourist Trap and the Alien Encounter project in the works, but due to scheduling conflicts could only do one or the other, and I went with Tourist Trap, resulting in probably THE least engaging project in the game's entire history. I have absolutely no hard feelings on you guys not completing that one. It was a total lame duck of a project and I should have just gone with Alien Encounter to begin with. Make no mistake, the Alien Encounter project will still resurface at some point.
So yeah, projects six and seven really weren't the game's shining moments. In fact, during this time period there was a lot of speculation that the game was taking a dive in quality...and then came Batman. It's always bugged me how there's no clear, definitive Batman ride. Sure, there's a bunch of off-the-shelf Six Flags coasters littered around the country, but in terms of any sort of full blown effects...I mean, how is it that as far as I know, there's not even a working Batman AA in existence? That just seems CRAZY to me, because of the character's huge, nearly mythological standing in pop culture.
The two rides created for the Batman project were really different, but each had its own unique traits. The Outcast project had a really good flow of villains, while Team Davis just boggled my mind with their complex (for a theme park attraction) plot, details, and great lines for Robin. The project Team Davis presented is just one of those projects where I just read along, nodding and smiling approvingly the whole way. Now that you guys are actually excited about the movie project (as I said, I was REALLY worried you guys were going to take it as yet another "off the wall" project that wasn't "real Imagineering"...which...technically, the project really ISN'T) I think this season is really saving itself.
In terms of events, twists, and overall tone-shifts, Season Nine has been quiet the roller coaster. Everything that's happened, in my opinion, happened very naturally. Who would have guessed that MickeyMania and Basketbuddy would be eliminated almost immediately, or that ManEatingWreath wouldn't even make the merge? So is the case with this unpredictable season. We've had some bold power moves this season, most notably I'd say DWorld sending Imagineer to Outcast Island as part of the Outsider's Ceremony (a move which I think single-handily got DWorld All Star status...) We've seen AdvBlueDude, one of the most charismatic and story-driven personalities the game has ever seen, get sent to Outcast Island on two consecutive occasions. We've seen Team Coats go from a powerhouse of a team to the underdog duo of Futureimagineer and Hack, who now are outnumbered within the final merge tribe. At the center of it all, we've seen Disneyson1 rule the game with an iron fist and not even come close to getting sent to Outcast Island. In terms of who is making the Final Three, the only person I would absolutely bet the bank on would be Disneyson. If he doesn't make it to the final project, I will be absolutely stunned. It seems like an inevitability at this point.
But the big question is, who else will make the Final Three, and will ANYONE be able to stop Disneyson from playing the single most dominate and "steam-roll"-y game in the game's history? I think if anyone's going to do it, it's either going to be AdvBlueDude and Imagineer2017, who both have resurfaced from Outcast Island after Monkey and CostaFreak consecutively dropped out. Imagineer2017 was in the single BEST position of anyone come the merge. He was a strong game-player who lead Team Baxter to an eventual victory after a lot of team shuffling. More importantly, he didn't have NEARLY the target on his back that Disneyson did. That all changed when DWorld made, perhaps the move that DEFINED the entire season in sending Imagineer to Outcast Island. Now that Imagineer is back in the main game, he's really gunning for this. Honestly out of everyone left in the cast, I'd have to say I'm rooting for him to win the most. Yes...I am sort of playing favorites. Hey, don't look at me. Probst is notorious for it. (*cue Jeff Probst calling Boston Rob the greatest Survivor ever*) I do think it's kind of funny that right now I'm rooting really hard for my "rival" from last season, but hey...the thing I love about So, You Want to be an Imagineer is that no matter what happens in the game, were all friends here and there's no ill feelings.
Hack is a REALLY interesting character. Well...I don't have to tell you that. Just look at how much of a (wait for it...) WILDCARD he is. Seriously though, Hack has had a long road this season. He was the secret weapon of Team Coats, but slid somewhat under-the-radar come merge. He's now emerged yet again as someone who is really vocal about brainstorming. Hack now faces a potentially game-ending cross-roads though, as he is opposed to the idea that literally everyone else on his team is running with. Hack really stood up for not going with an Alien Encounter movie, and sadly I think that's going to put a target on his back. I think this is going to be the first and only project where sheer amount of activity won't be the primary factor in sending someone to Outcast Island. I hope Hack can survive, and either way he's been a hell of a competitor and will still get one last chance on Outcast Island.
Futureimagineer. If you go through all my blogs this season, this kid really is the person I probably talk about the most out of anyone. I still think it's funny how I thought he had almost no shot of going far in this game, and what do you know, he's now holding the final PoMVP and will be in the main game come semi-finals. Do I think he can make the Final Three? That really depends on how strong he is on his own. The semi-finals are going to be the first time this season that each individual player will present their own project. Futureimagineer's great strength has been how good of a TEAM player he is. He's going to really have to knock one out of the park if he wants the slot in the final three NOT already reserved for Disneyson or an Outcast Island person. If I were to bet, I'd be kind of surprised to see him make it past the semi-finals, but hey, even making the semi-finals in the first place while NEVER being sent to Outcast Island is in my opinion a HUGE accomplishment for a first-time player, so wherever he ends up he should be super proud of himself for how he played the game this season.
And finally, there's AdvBlueDude. If there's one question mark in the cast, it's him. We've barely even see him play this season due to all the Outcast Island shenanigans. When he does get the chance to shine though, he certainly brings his all. The one thing that follows him around though, is the fact that he's never made the finals and always gotten eliminated at the last spot before the finals. Will this happen again? I certainly hope not, because I would feel horrible for him. Having said that, there is definitely the potential for that scenario to arise. Only two people from the Final Four will be advancing to Final Three (along with one person on Outcast Island) and Disneyson is practically guaranteed a slot. Assuming for a second that Hack gets sent to Outcast this round, that would mean that AdvBlueDude's main competition would be none other than Imagineer2017. Either way, SOMEBODY is not going to make the Final Three and will not be happy about it. That's sadly just the way the game works. I think every person in the Final Five deserves to be in the Final Three, but of course that just can't happen.
This season really has been a success, I think. If anything, it's better than Season Eight. The events have all been really unpredictable, everyone has been playing their own unique game (which will be really interesting to see where that goes come final project time...) and the quality of projects have dramatically increased the last few rounds. That, and in my opinion Outcast Island overall was a smashing success of a concept that will definitely be implemented again in the future. I'd like to thank all of you for participating and putting up with this season with all its various peaks and valleys. The game would be nothing without the people who compete in it, and really I have no idea how you guys do it. However you do it, you're doing a great job. Thanks for the wonderful season guys, and here's to many more. (Don't worry, this won't be the last blog post of the season...)
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