The Home Stretch, Part Two

Hello everyone. Sorry I've been so late to getting this blog out. I'm not going to have much of an introduction, just jump to my thoughts on each of the Final Five. I'll start with the two people currently on Outcast Island.

Thrill: Thrill has been a really interesting presence this season. Most of the things he's memorable for have nothing to do with creative gameplay. He's been sent to Outcast Island twice, and he was also involved in the demise of early villain StarWarsGeek. He made a really good solo project last round, and is now competing against the most powerful person in the game for a chance to get into the Final Three. I hate to say it, but I really can't see how Thrill can survive this next round. Disneyson is just TOO good of a competitor, and he's been heavily researching Lost more than anyone this season. Sadly, I think Thrill will end up finishing in fifth place this season. Even at fifth place, that's still a pretty good standing for someone's first season against a ton of huge competitors. Thrill's a scrappy personality who I could definitely see having a more powerful game in a future season.

Disneyson: Disneyson is like the Brenchal of So, You Want to be an Imagineer (if anyone else is familiar with Big Brother) he's just a perfect storm of a player that the entire rest of the cast revolves their attention around. The moment that everyone was waiting to happen finally happened last project, and Disneyson was sent to Outcast Island when Futureimagineer, AdvBlueDude, and Imagineer teamed up to vote him out. Now that he's there, however, he actually has an easier road to get to the finals than he would have otherwise. It seems that every seemingly bad thing that's happened to Disneyson this season has ended up working towards his benefit. Team Davinson gets dissolved, and the end result is Disneyson getting his hands on the Golden Power of MVP, something that couldn't have happened had he been in his previous Team Leader position. The thing about Disneyson is that he's coasted to the finals...but has he really DONE anything? I mean, of course he's got a very good creative game, but as this season proves, this game is more than just being creative. I think after the Portal project, Disneyson tried his hardest to steer clear of his potential "Napoleon Complex", but even still, he WAS sent to Outcast Island, and when Adv and Imagineer came back, he was barely even in a Team Leader position. I think Disneyson winning or being a runner up depends on how good of an argument he can come up with for the components of his gameplay beyond just doing good projects.

And now I'll address the people still in the main game...

AdvBlueDude: No matter what happens this season, I think AdvBlueDude has earned his right as a "Superstar" of the game. If you throw him into a season, he WILL make the semi-finals. What can I say about him? He's just a really consistent, high quality player, who is as good with getting along with other players as he is with his own creative energy. The question of course is...will he finally make the finals this time, or will he suffer some absurd, Shakespearean bout of irony and get eliminated RIGHT before the finals for the third season in a row. Either way, he's a huge character in the game that has been built up over the past three seasons, and whatever result this season brings, I don't think he's going to go away any time soon. He's been through it all this season. He was the first victim of Outcast Island, got back into the main game, got sent back to Outcast Island almost immediately, and then finally got back into the main game for a second time. A lot of his gameplay this season has been him reacting to the twists more than anything else. Obviously he has a strong creative game going on, but given the circumstances I think he hasn't been able to use that nearly as much as he would have liked to. If he makes the Final Three, he's got a strong argument in his favor just because he's managed to navigate all these twists and still get to the end.

Hack2112: When it comes down to it, I think Hack is just about THE most interesting person to play this season. Everyone should know his story by now. He was eliminated in 8th place in Fans vs. Favorites only to come back into the game and get eliminated again by KingMickey, Trevor, and Mater. (And...rather or not that was a strategic move or not...STILL up for debate...) He could have been a major contender in Season Eight if not for a personal crisis, and now in Season Nine, while he hasn't really been what I would describe as a "power player", he's perhaps the most consistent player of the season. He's now the last man standing on Team Coats, who had the highest score at the end of the first round of team play. Throughout the season, he's managed to never get sent to Outcast Island (though he would have been sent there with Disneyson this past round had Futureimagineer not dropped out, which is why Future gets the title of the only person to never get sent to Outcast Island this season...) and he's been a consistently good team player. Having said that, the interesting thing about Hack is that he is definitely an opinionated player, and when those opinions don't jive with that of his team, he usually goes on the offense side of things. During the first project, he refused to participate in the giant mes of a brainstorming session. Similarly, during the movie project last time around, he stated his case against the Alien Encounter movie, but after it was shot down, he pretty much went into hiding. Hack is someone who plans out every action in this game, and for that reason I think that if he makes the Final Three he's going to be a VERY dangerous player. I think in terms of sheer creativity, Disneyson has him beat by a slim margin, but in terms of social and strategic dynamics, I'm pretty sure Hack can make better arguments for the way he played. Either way, Hack is a rebel of a contestant and I'm very much rooting for him.

Imagineer2017: Even outside of So, You Want to be an Imagineer, he's a great personality and I feel really lucky that he happened to stroll through our parts one day. Imagineer is like a new model of AdvBlueDude. Just a player who is REALLY consistent, both in terms of being a good (if outspoken) team player, and in terms of coming up with great ideas. Outside of that, he co-hosts the D-History Podcast with Strat, a partnership that also co-runs Festival of Imagination. In less than a year on the board, Imagineer has become one of So, You Want to be an Imagineer's most valued resources. Imagineer's storyline this season mostly revolves around how he was in a really good position before getting sent to Outcast Island. Well..he's STILL in a good position. The thing is, he's competing against Hack and AdvBlueDude, and both of these guys want to make the finals REALLY bad. I'm sure Imagineer wants to make the finals just as much, but the other two just have more motivation. I think Hack's really out to WIN this time around. (Remember back in my Cast Assessment..."no returning player has ever had more to prove than Hack does right here...right now."?) and I think AdvBlueDude wants to make the finals by any means necessary, perhaps more than anyone in the history of the semi-finals. What do I think will happen? Based on what Hack's already told me about his Lost project, I honestly think he has this one in the bag. This means, it's going to be a showdown between friends and game allies AdvBlueDude and Imagineer to get that last slot. One thing I know for sure is it's going to be a REALLY close call, and I'm going to seriously hate eliminating either one of them.

Well, that's it for now. I really think you guys when all is said and done, even though the format might be a bit controversial, will be rather pleased with what I'm asking for from the Final Project. There's going to be a creative element to it that's going to go a long way towards spicing up the overall material. There's also going to be an entirely new grading criteria strictly for the final project. Also, I know I haven't talked about it much on the blogs, but I REALLY hope you guys are all following Strat's Outcast Island audio series. I think Strat's come a long way with these things this season. They started out as just silly little vignettes, but now they've evolved to fully produced, well acted, fully scripted radio dramas. The addition of Raine as Alias I think REALLY gave the series an identity. The Alias character is going to be CRUCIAL to the rest of the So, You Want to be an Imagineer storyline. (As is Frankensmith and Duke Ellington...) The season finale, "A Tale of Three Cities" is an artistic endeavor that I'm REALLY plunging myself into. Either it's going to be a huge, bloated mess...or you guys are going to be completely blown away. As a teaser, here is the first part of the script, which is a flashback to Alias pre-Outcast Island...

Audio journal entry. May 23rd, 2010. Tonight...is the end. The end in a lot of different senses of the word. Lost is over. It's airing right now, as we speak. So why am I not in my room right now, nerding it up for those precious two and a half ours the series has left? Well...quiet frankly Season Six has been kind of a drag, and I've got more important things on my mind...believe it or not.

For the past six months, I've been investigating the legend of Mr. One Way. If there's one thing I love more than Lost, it's Disneyland, and if there's one thing I love more than Disneyland, it's ghost hunting. So naturally, the legend of Mr. One Way kind of fits hand in hand with my oh-so-eccentric personality. Now, if you don't know, Mr. One Way is supossedly the ghost who haunts Space Mountain. He's not just any ghost though. This is a ghost that will talk and interact with you. As a matter of fact, his whole act is that he bumps into you at the loading station, posing as a tourist. Bad Hawaiian shirt, balding scalp, beer gut, sunburn and all. He'll lure you into riding with him, that's why he only goes after single riders, and then, as the legend goes, he disappears from your car as soon as the flash picture is taken. I've been going to the park for months now investigating this. I've had many conversations with One Way. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I can call him One Way to his face, and he'll just smile knowingly. He KNOWS he's a ghost, and if people catch on to him, he'll congratulate them for being all the more clever. He told me to be on the last ride of the night tonight, so here I am. I'll save Lost for DVR, this is life...or...afterlife were talking about. It's not every night you get a personal meeting with a famous ghost.

I promise you, this finale will blow......MINDS!!! In the meantime, good luck to all people in the semi-finals and sorry again for taking so long with this blog.

The Home Stretch

Hello, all you armchair Imagineers out there. Season Nine really has been a roller coaster of a season, hasn't it? I mean be honest, yeah...there have been a bit too many post-merge drop outs (which are always a real drag) but in the end, that still doesn't change the fact at all that the end game for this season really is as competitive as it comes. Season Nine has been filled with players who really want to play the game, even the ones who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Every single person who played the game this time around really contributed something of interest, rather it was MickeyMania becoming a powerhouse and then being the first elimination, to Eskimokyle looking to be an early strong competitor and then vanishing into thin air. These players might not have lasted long, but they had an impact and a presence on the season all their own.

Now we come to five people. AdvBlueDude, Disneyson1, Hack2112, Imagineer2017, and Thrill. Two of them on Outcast Island, three of them in the main game. Imagineer and AdvBlueDude have worked together really well this season on a couple projects on Outcast Island, but other than that nobody in the three people left in the main game really has any sort of big interaction with each other. Hack is the last man standing on what once was Team Coats, and Imagineer and AdvBlueDude have spent a considerable chunk of their game time on Outcast Island. Now on Outcast Island, Disneyson and Thrill have worked closely together in the past, even so much as to me thinking in particular occasions that Disneyson was almost protecting Thrill. The two of them must now face off for a slot in the finals. It really is anyone's game. I'm going to split this blog into two sections. The first section will be my thoughts and scores from Project Nine, and the second part will be analyzing each member of the Final Five and weighing in on what their chances are and what they'll have to do to win...

I'll start with Thrill's solo project. Since I can't grade on Group Work, I'll just give him a grade out of 40...

Creativity: 9/10. I really like the idea of basing a whole land on a film series. If you guys would have gone with the Main Street musical, let me just say I would have LOOOVED that. Anyways, I've always thought Thunder Mesa was one of the best example of storytelling encompassing a land that has ever been attempted, so it's only a natural fit for a film franchise.

Realism: 9/10. I think the best part of your project was just how much sense it made to have a backstory filled movie and then a "Phantom Manor" movie. There's SO much backstory about Phantom Manor that I really feel like if you just jumped into that with the first film, people would be lost. Plus, you KNOW Phantom Manor would definitely be a sequel people would WANT to go see.

Detail: 7/10. You had a lot of detail for the set-up, but seemed to kind of rush it a bit with the description of the Phantom film.

Presentation: 8/10. Basic, but very effective.

Total: 33/40

Comments: This was a really good idea. I'll admit that from the get-go with this project, I was hoping someone would do Thunder Mountain. While you didn't exactly do that, you did something that was even more creative and original. I'd like to have seen a bit more detail on what you planned to do with the Phantom movie, and possible sequels beyond that, but overall I thought this was really strong, especially for a solo project. Nice work!

And now for the final project from Team Davis...

Creativity: 7/10. I kind of agree with Hack on this one. "Company scandal" isn't exactly an original premise these days. It seems like every other TV show that comes out is about that to some extent or another.

Realism: 8/10. I REALLY like the titles Alien Encounter: Corruption and Alien Encounter: Chaos. Seem like two perfect films. I mean, I didn't really like the whole corruption thing to begin with, but this storyline was handled really well overall. Alien Encounter is DEFINITELY a franchise I could see Disney looking into.

Detail: 9/10. Nice work as always. All the necessary elements are there and then some.

Presentation: 6/10. You guys got sloppy here. First of all there's no title or team name which is always a bad thing. Secondly, you named your main character but then forgot to go back and take out all the times he's refereed to as just (character).

Group Work: 7/10. Personally, I think Hack had some VERY valid points that were kind of just glossed over. I understand you guys were already working on Alien Encounter...but it was only the SECOND day of the project and you had over a week. I definitely think there should have been stronger communication here instead of just writing Hack off. I understand that might not have been your intentions, but in doing so you guys essentially alienated an entire fifth of your team.

Total: 37/50

I know this isn't as good of as score as you guys hoped to get. Just know for next season, the opinion from EVERYONE on your team matters. I think this project was fine, but I also thought it was a bit predictable, kind of bent my rules since Alien Encounter isn't even there anymore (though out of all the Yesterland attractions, I could easily see AE having the greatest chance at a "re-boot".) and like I said, the whole "oh my god, it's a big corporation, and it's...CORRUPT." Just had me face-palming. I DID like the casting of Andrew Garfield as your main character.

That concludes the first half of this blog. The second half I'll take an individual look at the Final Five and analyze how they got this far in the first place and what their chances are to take the whole thing. Look for that some time this weekend.

Turning Points

Hey guys. I'm really sorry I've taken this blog into a state of near neglect again. It's been one hell of a busy summer for me, between running this game and making leaps and bounds in my social life, not to mention my insane desire to go up and meditate on a hill every freaking day these days, means that getting the commentaries up really fell by the wayside. Now that we've really reached the final home-stretch of the season, I feel there's more than enough material for me to come out of my Big Brother live feeds induced hibernation for a bit of a rundown of what's been going on.

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...)