So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season 19 - Madcap Circus [CONCLUDED]

[TheOriginalTiki]

Final Project Feedback

Spirit Hollow is a very interesting take on putting a lot of different IPs together which I appreciate as someone who's just a bit burned out on the IP-specific lands that I think were going to keep getting more and more of in the near future. The whole thing has a Discovery Bay vibe and makes use of some super interesting IP. I feel like from a realism point of view one of Halloween Town or Villain Valley should have went just for spacing reasons and the fact that they're very similar to each other aesthetically. Both work really well, but I would personally have cut Halloween Town as the IP and the family coaster element is a bit redundant to what else is currently at the park. Villain Valley sticks out for having a "Bucket List" E-Ticket concept that would really work with the themes and sensibilities of the area. The Strombolli drop tower was also really clever and called to mind the iconic lost Fantasmic set-piece.

Easily my favorite area here was Folktale Falls. This was a big homerun of IP that are obscure enough to be really deep cuts but relevant enough to really work in the context of the land. These shorts are some of my favorites in the Disney catalogue so bringing them to life in such a vivid way was truly a treat. Connected to Frontierland and with the more fantasy-focused IP of Villain Valley and Halloween Town mixed with the connective "folklore" tissue of Sleepy Hollow really makes this whole land flow together beautifully well. It's not the most realistic just in the sense that it actually feels like an old school Walt-designed land in how it all connects, but darn it if we don't need more of that kind of design philosophy in these dark Chapek-ian times.

Then we get to The Lost World. Holy cow, this was sort of incredible! The main reason I didn't want to give feedback before the jury vote was sealed is because Outbound really went above and beyond with this one delivering something that is truly his creation. I think this was a BIG part of his win, the fact that he was able to make his mark on the final project known in big bold letters while the contributions of the other two while great sort of faded into the background by comparison.

This definitely feels like an extension of the second gate developed during 1986 and I absolutely love this style of Imagineering. The three main areas blended together really well to create a cohesive whole that felt immersive and very much something that would put the park on the map and distinguish the "California" of it all in big bold letters while very much not going the cliche tourist/postcard route with it that DCA 1.0 strived for. I really, REALLY want a dinosaur safari ride now. All the attractions and areas really sang, but the safari was easily the big highlight and would once again give DCA that coveted AA-heavy E Ticket it so desperately needs.

Lastly I'll end on some thoughts on the Final Project concept as a whole. It's come to my attention over the past few seasons that by the time we actually get to the final project there's a sense of...I don't want to say burn-out, but definitely a "let's get on with it" sort of feeling when it comes to getting to the point of crowning the winner. At the point anyone gets to the final three, I think they've already put in a full season's worth of content enough to judge a winner vote on.

For the whole game the final project has served as a big last hurrah to the Imagineering side of the game, but as time goes on I wonder if it feels more like a final obligation than something people genuinely get stoked for. I'd like everyone's feedback in this. I'm undecided as of yet, but I'm leaning towards forgoing a "final project" in the future and letting the individual semi-finals round act as each player's final contribution to the game. I'm still very much weighing the options and obviously Season 20 is a LONG way off at this point, but I'd still appreciate some feedback. I just want to avoid a situation where players aren't motivated by the final prompt.​

 

[Mickeynerd17]

For the whole game the final project has served as a big last hurrah to the Imagineering side of the game, but as time goes on I wonder if it feels more like a final obligation than something people genuinely get stoked for. I'd like everyone's feedback in this. I'm undecided as of yet, but I'm leaning towards forgoing a "final project" in the future and letting the individual semi-finals round act as each player's final contribution to the game. I'm still very much weighing the options and obviously Season 20 is a LONG way off at this point, but I'd still appreciate some feedback. I just want to avoid a situation where players aren't motivated by the final prompt.

Honestly, after spending an entire week staying up to 1 AM working on my semifinals project, I really didn't have much energy for the final project. That coupled along with the start of my classes this year really took the wind out of my sails. Also, I have a harder time with prompts taking place outside of WDW (because that's what I'm most familiar with), so doing DL forward felt a bit like a drag for me.

I'd be 100% fine with forgoing a final project next year.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Honestly, after spending an entire week staying up to 1 AM working on my semifinals project, I really didn't have much energy for the final project. That coupled along with the start of my classes this year really took the wind out of my sails. Also, I have a harder time with prompts taking place outside of WDW (because that's what I'm most familiar with), so doing DL forward felt a bit like a drag for me.

I'd be 100% fine with forgoing a final project next year.

Yea, that's the general vibe I was getting. All three of you went out of your way for the semi-finals so the final project as good as it was felt more labor-inducing than fun to pull off.

 

[JokersWild]

I still vote for individual final projects that are taken into account when deciding the winner like we used to do. There's still incentive to finish it and it allows the finalists to shine rather than having to balance teamwork with creativity. I think that some of the original game has been lost in jury management and explaining yourself when the final project used to be about making the best project.

I get that it sets SYWTBAI apart from other comps, namely SA, but it might be worth going back to basics for a season and seeing how it works out.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

And he’s also a finalist in ICABW, so he could win that as well, as he continues slowly collecting all the Infinity Stones.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

For the whole game the final project has served as a big last hurrah to the Imagineering side of the game, but as time goes on I wonder if it feels more like a final obligation than something people genuinely get stoked for. I'd like everyone's feedback in this. I'm undecided as of yet, but I'm leaning towards forgoing a "final project" in the future and letting the individual semi-finals round act as each player's final contribution to the game. I'm still very much weighing the options and obviously Season 20 is a LONG way off at this point, but I'd still appreciate some feedback. I just want to avoid a situation where players aren't motivated by the final prompt.

Personally I think it’s a little clunky to go from team based game play the entire time, to individual projects for the semi finals just to revert back to a team project for the finals. I would recommend doing individual projects for the final round going forward. But you could also keep it interesting (and set it apart from other games) by doing something similar to what you did for the semi-finals by having a full menu of prompt options, allowing players to play to their own strengths OR challenge themselves with something outside of their comfort zone.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I think that some of the original game has been lost in jury management and explaining yourself when the final project used to be about making the best project.

I think the nature of the game, the way it functions at its core, that sort of lends itself to this type of strategic gameplay. But that sets SYW apart from other comps so it’s honestly kind of a good thing, albeit kinda stressful lol.

 

[JokersWild]

This review is going to be a bit brief, and I promise that I'll talk about it more whenever we end up doing the final recap.

In general, I loved pretty much everything in this project. You all were given ample opportunity to shine, admittedly some more than others, making for a really balanced final team effort.

The Disneyland expansion is a bit tricky for me. Separately, I really like everything, but as a whole it seems like a collection of somewhat disjointed sublands. It reminds me of 1986's Fantasyland, actually, though certainly better balanced. I think the odd one out is Villains Valley. Stromboli is a fantastic concept for a parachute, and Revenge of the Villains seems super unique, but it just doesn't mesh with the other two. Focusing on Folktale Town and Spirit Valley, you would have had a really cool colonial New England-y land that shifts into fall/ Halloween as guests venture further back towards Spirit Valley, but Villains Valley just takes me out of it. I dunno. I just think that this expansion was hurt by a lack of cohesiveness.

In terms of the other two sublands, Spirit's Hollow is a great take on a Halloween land. However, I think the real winner here is Folktale Town. There are some super interesting IPs being used here, and I really just love the general aesthetic. This would be a great counter to Liberty Square (aside from New Orleans Square, of course) and would even be an interesting way to finally bring Liberty Street to Disneyland.

Onto DCA, and Outbound has absolutely outdone himself. I got immediately excited when you started talking about Dinosaurs and you really came through with a concept that pushes the DCA theme in a unique and interesting way. All of you attractions are great, and I seriously love the little bit of native culture injected into this. It absolutely adds to the uniqueness of your land. I don't have too much to say. You just really knocked this one out of the park.

Onto the bridges. I was kind of disappointed that this was Mickeynerd's only contribution to the project, unless I've missed something. They're well-designed and act as great transitions, but I really would have liked to see something more out of you for finals, especially after such a strong effort during the semi-finals. In any event, I liked the bridges.

Again, congratulations to @Outbound for winning the game, and special shout outs to both @Sharon&Susan and @Mickeynerd17 for doing some really fantastic work this season. This has been a ton of fun to watch and judge, so thanks for sticking through the season.

 

[JokersWild]

I think the nature of the game, the way it functions at its core, that sort of lends itself to this type of strategic gameplay. But that sets SYW apart from other comps so it’s honestly kind of a good thing, albeit kinda stressful lol.

I mean, it is and it isn't. We got through last season with next to no strategy, and that was probably the strongest season of the WDWM seasons. I do agree that it sets it apart, and Tiki absolutely knows where I stand on strategy in SYWTBAI, but I've personally never thought of the game as a strategy game on par with 1986 or The Sole Imagineer. I dunno. I don't mean to be so vocally against strategy in this game. I've just seen it get way too intense way too fast before, and I honestly just kind of miss the days when there was maybe one or two powers and the focus was one off-the-wall unique prompts.

That being said, I do think that Season 19 struck a really good balance between strategy and creativity. There's just a few things that need to be taken into account for Season 20 to keep you clever children from breaking the game again.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

@TheOriginalTiki @JokersWild
Here’s a thought I had, and feel free to consider it or totally disregard it, as it’s your game.

Also maybe this is too similar to 1986, I wasn’t present for that game and I have only read through the thread once so forgive me.

Everyone plays as one team the whole game. Have the first competition of the game (project zero) be individual based, and the winner gets Project Leader for the first actual round. That person then has to nominate two people for eviction, but retain the caveat that that person is also eligible for elimination. So we have three people total who could be eliminated. Get rid of the PoMVP, and instead allow that the outgoing PM to name the subsequent PM. In fact don’t “allow it”, mandate it as part of the rules. But if the outgoing PM is the person who gets eliminated, Tiki can use his favorite friggin digital wheel of death to name the new PM, but it’s decided only between the two nominees. So half the wheel is one player and half the wheel is the other. This creates an interesting strategy mechanic where as PM you could potentially create an alliance and try to run the game, but if you’re eliminated, somebody you were targeting could now end up in the power position the following round and now your alliance could be in trouble. So there is some risk involved in playing the game that way. You could still have a couple “safety” gimmicks thrown in there. And you would probably wanna do something similar to the “no repeat PM until so and so” just so like, two people can’t team up and demolish the entire thing. This isn’t a flawless idea but it’s something I thought about and figured I’d present it.

I’m actually a big fan of old school Big Brother so like, I get the appeal of doing a game that mimics the CBS competition reality shows.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I honestly just kind of miss the days when there was maybe one or two powers and the focus was one off-the-wall unique prompts.

That being said, I do think that Season 19 struck a really good balance between strategy and creativity. There's just a few things that need to be taken into account for Season 20 to keep you clever children from breaking the game again.

I think you kinda answered it right there, IMO there were way too many OP gimmicks in play throughout the game that sort of took the game out of our hands in a way. Like, just from my own game experience, I was gonna pull that crap with Brer in the pre-merger but then Ace got a random MVP power for the week. (Granted at the end of the day I was actually kinda glad that happened, I think it worked out well for those of us who made it to merger). Also people who won the OP gimmicks in the preliminary round of the game got to hang onto them for almost the entire duration of the game. Maybe a more snug time limit could be in consideration if you wanna keep all the power shenanigans.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I think you kinda answered it right there, IMO there were way too many OP gimmicks in play throughout the game that sort of took the game out of our hands in a way. Like, just from my own game experience, I was gonna pull that crap with Brer in the pre-merger but then Ace got a random MVP power for the week. (Granted at the end of the day I was actually kinda glad that happened, I think it worked out well for those of us who made it to merger). Also people who won the OP gimmicks in the preliminary round of the game got to hang onto them for almost the entire duration of the game. Maybe a more snug time limit could be in consideration if you wanna keep all the power shenanigans.

Of course, this is coming from somebody who had their last run as PM overthrown by a power so take this however you wish to it’s okay lol.

 

[Outbound]

Congratulations, Outbound!!!

Fozzy Bear gets the last laugh

Congratulations to @Outbound for a very well deserved win. You absolutely had the most balanced game of the three finalists, and I think it paid off.

And serious congrats to @Sharon&Susan and @Mickeynerd17 as well for playing a stellar game all season. You guys should be seriously proud of what you’ve accomplished.

CLOSING STATEMENT

Well, it's finally over! 3rd place is truly something to be proud of, especially for my first-ever SYWTBAI!

To be honest, I am slightly disappointed only because I seriously thought I could get second place, which would've been even more impressive, but I understand that my strategic moves post-merge rubbed some people the wrong way. That was never my intention. I honestly didn't believe I had the creative capacity to compete with all you talented players without some kind of strategy, which has been more my forte. Those were my thoughts at the time I made those decisions, but now I think I have the creative capacity to fully compete with anyone on this forum with little to no strategy now. Perhaps I just need more experience, but that's ok. I'm willing to learn more and do more! I've accepted the results with enthusiasm and I'm really happy for Outbound and S&S! I hope my presence in this competition will be remembered as a positive influence on the events that have transpired these last four months, and I once again thank Tiki and Jokers for hosting this year!

I'm really excited for 2000, and I can't wait to see how I do there, but for now I'll focus on my school studies and my EPCOT project until that starts up.

Also, I'll definitely be back to attempt a win in SYWTBAI 20 next year!

View attachment 582853

Congratulations @Outbound !!!

Now a winner of SYWTBAI and SA! I believe you're the only person that can say that, and right before college too!

Good luck!!

And he’s also a finalist in ICABW, so he could win that as well, as he continues slowly collecting all the Infinity Stones.

Final Project Feedback

Spirit Hollow is a very interesting take on putting a lot of different IPs together which I appreciate as someone who's just a bit burned out on the IP-specific lands that I think were going to keep getting more and more of in the near future. The whole thing has a Discovery Bay vibe and makes use of some super interesting IP. I feel like from a realism point of view one of Halloween Town or Villain Valley should have went just for spacing reasons and the fact that they're very similar to each other aesthetically. Both work really well, but I would personally have cut Halloween Town as the IP and the family coaster element is a bit redundant to what else is currently at the park. Villain Valley sticks out for having a "Bucket List" E-Ticket concept that would really work with the themes and sensibilities of the area. The Strombolli drop tower was also really clever and called to mind the iconic lost Fantasmic set-piece.

Easily my favorite area here was Folktale Falls. This was a big homerun of IP that are obscure enough to be really deep cuts but relevant enough to really work in the context of the land. These shorts are some of my favorites in the Disney catalogue so bringing them to life in such a vivid way was truly a treat. Connected to Frontierland and with the more fantasy-focused IP of Villain Valley and Halloween Town mixed with the connective "folklore" tissue of Sleepy Hollow really makes this whole land flow together beautifully well. It's not the most realistic just in the sense that it actually feels like an old school Walt-designed land in how it all connects, but darn it if we don't need more of that kind of design philosophy in these dark Chapek-ian times.

Then we get to The Lost World. Holy cow, this was sort of incredible! The main reason I didn't want to give feedback before the jury vote was sealed is because Outbound really went above and beyond with this one delivering something that is truly his creation. I think this was a BIG part of his win, the fact that he was able to make his mark on the final project known in big bold letters while the contributions of the other two while great sort of faded into the background by comparison.

This definitely feels like an extension of the second gate developed during 1986 and I absolutely love this style of Imagineering. The three main areas blended together really well to create a cohesive whole that felt immersive and very much something that would put the park on the map and distinguish the "California" of it all in big bold letters while very much not going the cliche tourist/postcard route with it that DCA 1.0 strived for. I really, REALLY want a dinosaur safari ride now. All the attractions and areas really sang, but the safari was easily the big highlight and would once again give DCA that coveted AA-heavy E Ticket it so desperately needs.

Lastly I'll end on some thoughts on the Final Project concept as a whole. It's come to my attention over the past few seasons that by the time we actually get to the final project there's a sense of...I don't want to say burn-out, but definitely a "let's get on with it" sort of feeling when it comes to getting to the point of crowning the winner. At the point anyone gets to the final three, I think they've already put in a full season's worth of content enough to judge a winner vote on.

For the whole game the final project has served as a big last hurrah to the Imagineering side of the game, but as time goes on I wonder if it feels more like a final obligation than something people genuinely get stoked for. I'd like everyone's feedback in this. I'm undecided as of yet, but I'm leaning towards forgoing a "final project" in the future and letting the individual semi-finals round act as each player's final contribution to the game. I'm still very much weighing the options and obviously Season 20 is a LONG way off at this point, but I'd still appreciate some feedback. I just want to avoid a situation where players aren't motivated by the final prompt.​

This review is going to be a bit brief, and I promise that I'll talk about it more whenever we end up doing the final recap.

In general, I loved pretty much everything in this project. You all were given ample opportunity to shine, admittedly some more than others, making for a really balanced final team effort.

The Disneyland expansion is a bit tricky for me. Separately, I really like everything, but as a whole it seems like a collection of somewhat disjointed sublands. It reminds me of 1986's Fantasyland, actually, though certainly better balanced. I think the odd one out is Villains Valley. Stromboli is a fantastic concept for a parachute, and Revenge of the Villains seems super unique, but it just doesn't mesh with the other two. Focusing on Folktale Town and Spirit Valley, you would have had a really cool colonial New England-y land that shifts into fall/ Halloween as guests venture further back towards Spirit Valley, but Villains Valley just takes me out of it. I dunno. I just think that this expansion was hurt by a lack of cohesiveness.

In terms of the other two sublands, Spirit's Hollow is a great take on a Halloween land. However, I think the real winner here is Folktale Town. There are some super interesting IPs being used here, and I really just love the general aesthetic. This would be a great counter to Liberty Square (aside from New Orleans Square, of course) and would even be an interesting way to finally bring Liberty Street to Disneyland.

Onto DCA, and Outbound has absolutely outdone himself. I got immediately excited when you started talking about Dinosaurs and you really came through with a concept that pushes the DCA theme in a unique and interesting way. All of you attractions are great, and I seriously love the little bit of native culture injected into this. It absolutely adds to the uniqueness of your land. I don't have too much to say. You just really knocked this one out of the park.

Onto the bridges. I was kind of disappointed that this was Mickeynerd's only contribution to the project, unless I've missed something. They're well-designed and act as great transitions, but I really would have liked to see something more out of you for finals, especially after such a strong effort during the semi-finals. In any event, I liked the bridges.

Again, congratulations to @Outbound for winning the game, and special shout outs to both @Sharon&Susan and @Mickeynerd17 for doing some really fantastic work this season. This has been a ton of fun to watch and judge, so thanks for sticking through the season.

THANK YOU, everyone! I'm incredibly honored to have won such a competitive SYWBTAI season. Looking through the updated first post, there were so many amazing players and projects leading to this point. As always when these month-long competitions end, it's surreal to look back and see everything that has come to this point.

@TheOriginalTiki and @JokersWild did a fantastic job developing some super unique prompts and secret powers to set this season apart. Between the two back-to-back summer seasons, I'd say last season was a lot more "open-ended Imagineering" whereas this season brought lots of challenges but also opportunities through its unique outcomes. I'm super proud of the game I played, though I agree the strategic elements may need to be refined for future seasons.

I'm also incredibly pleased to see the positive feedback regarding the Lost World of California idea. It was a really off-the-wall pitch that I was worried would backfire for me, but I'm happy I took the risk! Hopefully, I can expand this idea with more detail in the future.

I'd also like to give a huge shout-out to everyone who participated in the game in some way, from the 21 cast members to the 7 jurors to even those just reading along, attending the podcasts, or writing guest reviews. These contributions made the game. And finally, a shout-out to @Sharon&Susan and @Mickeynerd17 , each should be proud for having absolutely fantastic games in their own right.

And finally, the jury's Mr. Toad Board Game gift is beyond words amazing. So thoughtful. Thank you so much! I'll make sure to send pictures and possibly videos once it arrives!

This season was an amazing experience... and although I won't be participating in the next competition -- @tcool123 's The Imaginarium -- I hope to remain active on the forum and hopefully serve as a guest judge there! So if you can, make sure to sign up!

 

[Outbound]

@TheOriginalTiki @JokersWild
Here’s a thought I had, and feel free to consider it or totally disregard it, as it’s your game.

Also maybe this is too similar to 1986, I wasn’t present for that game and I have only read through the thread once so forgive me.

Everyone plays as one team the whole game. Have the first competition of the game (project zero) be individual based, and the winner gets Project Leader for the first actual round. That person then has to nominate two people for eviction, but retain the caveat that that person is also eligible for elimination. So we have three people total who could be eliminated. Get rid of the PoMVP, and instead allow that the outgoing PM to name the subsequent PM. In fact don’t “allow it”, mandate it as part of the rules. But if the outgoing PM is the person who gets eliminated, Tiki can use his favorite friggin digital wheel of death to name the new PM, but it’s decided only between the two nominees. So half the wheel is one player and half the wheel is the other. This creates an interesting strategy mechanic where as PM you could potentially create an alliance and try to run the game, but if you’re eliminated, somebody you were targeting could now end up in the power position the following round and now your alliance could be in trouble. So there is some risk involved in playing the game that way. You could still have a couple “safety” gimmicks thrown in there. And you would probably wanna do something similar to the “no repeat PM until so and so” just so like, two people can’t team up and demolish the entire thing. This isn’t a flawless idea but it’s something I thought about and figured I’d present it.

I’m actually a big fan of old school Big Brother so like, I get the appeal of doing a game that mimics the CBS competition reality shows.

This is an interesting idea, but in my opinion, the biggest problem with this season was the OP nature of the Project Manager, who single-handily determines the nominees and by extent who is eliminated round by round.

This idea, while certainly interesting, I worry would result in the player winning Project Zero creating a single alliance and proceeding to dominate the game as long as they are safe enough to not nominate the season's overcat. The possibility of them losing and going to the wheel is interesting, but I don't think it would happen often enough to merit a significant impact on strategy.

Instead, here is what I propose:

• The Project Manager no longer single-handily determines the nominees. Instead, the position is purely a risk/reward position from an Imaingeering gameplay perspective:
  • Volunteer for the role during a prompt you're passionate about, but doing so automatically puts you on the elimination list, and if you mess this up you may be eliminated
  • Everyone has to be project manager at some point (no merge resets), so ideally do it before the endgame where being project manager is inherently riskier
• The Two Nominees are decided by a contestant-wide vote.
  • Every round, contestants post one vote in the private production booth for who they want to see nominated
  • The top two players nominated joins the project manager for elimination on the podcast
  • In a double round, contestants post two votes in the private production booth, and the top three are nominated
• Hosts still determination eliminations by Imagineering gameplay round by round.
  • This establishes a potentially strategic nominations process but maintains SYWTBAI's distinction from 1986 in that it always determines eliminations from the nominees fairly
• Hosts now grant the PoMVP Power - they do so fairly to whoever they feel deserves it from the last round
  • However, if volunteering for Project Manager, the PoMVP loses their invulnerability
• Walt's Vault is temporarily removed, at least until one season using this format is tried and tested

What this does is distribute the strategic elements of SYWTBAI from all in the Project Manager to the entire cast. This encourages social games where everyone is actively choosing to play strategically or fairly - the cast could decide to nominate purely on their opinions on who did the least amount of work, or complex alliances could form and communicate plans for nominees. Rather than a situation where four people make a PM and decide to hijack the Project Manager slot for complete control over the season's nominations. If you want to play a strategy-based game, you had better talk to everyone.

For instance, see how this season was a competition between the Outbound/Mickynerd/Priest/Goofy alliance and the Tegan/DisneyFan/Nate alliance. Because my alliance kept hogging the Project Manager and PoMVP post-merge, we were able to seize total control with no one to counter us. This led to situations like the PerGron elimination where most of the cast was shocked by what happened... contrast this with 1986's D Hulk elimination where everyone was "in the know" and it was more so a classic Survivor "blindside". Tegan's alliance tried but never could take control because we had a monopoly ever since Mickeynerd stepped up for Project Manager on all the seasons' advantages.

The one vote, two nominees rule also adds an element of competition to the nominations process, where two competing alliances (see this season) each nominate a member of their alliance (for ex: my alliance nominates Tegan with four votes, Tegan's alliance nominates me with three votes) and the judges now must decide between the two of us, creating a true survivor-like competition between the alliances. You always need to play your best because you never know when a rival alliance may target you, and you need to carefully access who to target on your rival alliance based on your own alliance's "weakest link" that week. OR, an alliance with complete control might "split the votes" to ensure their complete safety. The possibilities are endless and are exciting just to think about!

 

[Sharon&Susan]

My alliance was clearly the best. EveryONE in there made it to the finals.

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

This is an interesting idea, but in my opinion, the biggest problem with this season was the OP nature of the Project Manager, who single-handily determines the nominees and by extent who is eliminated round by round.

This idea, while certainly interesting, I worry would result in the player winning Project Zero creating a single alliance and proceeding to dominate the game as long as they are safe enough to not nominate the season's overcat. The possibility of them losing and going to the wheel is interesting, but I don't think it would happen often enough to merit a significant impact on strategy.

Instead, here is what I propose:

• The Project Manager no longer single-handily determines the nominees. Instead, the position is purely a risk/reward position from an Imaingeering gameplay perspective:
  • Volunteer for the role during a prompt you're passionate about, but doing so automatically puts you on the elimination list, and if you mess this up you may be eliminated
  • Everyone has to be project manager at some point (no merge resets), so ideally do it before the endgame where being project manager is inherently riskier
• The Two Nominees are decided by a contestant-wide vote.
  • Every round, contestants post one vote in the private production booth for who they want to see nominated
  • The top two players nominated joins the project manager for elimination on the podcast
  • In a double round, contestants post two votes in the private production booth, and the top three are nominated
• Hosts still determination eliminations by Imagineering gameplay round by round.
  • This establishes a potentially strategic nominations process but maintains SYWTBAI's distinction from 1986 in that it always determines eliminations from the nominees fairly
• Hosts now grant the PoMVP Power - they do so fairly to whoever they feel deserves it from the last round
  • However, if volunteering for Project Manager, the PoMVP loses their invulnerability
• Walt's Vault is temporarily removed, at least until one season using this format is tried and tested

What this does is distribute the strategic elements of SYWTBAI from all in the Project Manager to the entire cast. This encourages social games where everyone is actively choosing to play strategically or fairly - the cast could decide to nominate purely on their opinions on who did the least amount of work, or complex alliances could form and communicate plans for nominees. Rather than a situation where four people make a PM and decide to hijack the Project Manager slot for complete control over the season's nominations. If you want to play a strategy-based game, you had better talk to everyone.

For instance, see how this season was a competition between the Outbound/Mickynerd/Priest/Goofy alliance and the Tegan/DisneyFan/Nate alliance. Because my alliance kept hogging the Project Manager and PoMVP post-merge, we were able to seize total control with no one to counter us. This led to situations like the PerGron elimination where most of the cast was shocked by what happened... contrast this with 1986's D Hulk elimination where everyone was "in the know" and it was more so a classic Survivor "blindside". Tegan's alliance tried but never could take control because we had a monopoly ever since Mickeynerd stepped up for Project Manager on all the seasons' advantages.

The one vote, two nominees rule also adds an element of competition to the nominations process, where two competing alliances (see this season) each nominate a member of their alliance (for ex: my alliance nominates Tegan with four votes, Tegan's alliance nominates me with three votes) and the judges now must decide between the two of us, creating a true survivor-like competition between the alliances. You always need to play your best because you never know when a rival alliance may target you, and you need to carefully access who to target on your rival alliance based on your own alliance's "weakest link" that week. OR, an alliance with complete control might "split the votes" to ensure their complete safety. The possibilities are endless and are exciting just to think about!

I really like almost all of this!! I would wanna work on the MVP element though. Giving that to the judges as well as the decision for elimination might be a little too much taken out of the players’ hands. I think the format you outlined here would work really well even without the PoMVP altogether!

I like the risk/reward of being PM. In both your scenario and mine, the PM is automatically nominated so we were totally on the same wavelength there!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Can't stress enough how much ya'll need to check out this online reality series I'm involved in. The production values and editing are absolutely off the charts!
​

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

Can't stress enough how much ya'll need to check out this online reality series I'm involved in. The production values and editing are absolutely off the charts!
​

Pretty neat! I thought you were the podcast host for the show but they introduced you as “coming out of retirement!”

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Be sure to check out tonight's Nickelodeon themed debate, going live in about 15 minutes!
​

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Pretty neat! I thought you were the podcast host for the show but they introduced you as “coming out of retirement!”

On the show my occupation is "Podcast Host" the "coming out of retirement" thing refers to the fact that I used to play Survivor games over Facebook like a decade ago.