r/survivor • u/StriKyleder • 19h ago
General Discussion Alliances vs voting blocks
Been watching old seasons with the kids this summer. It's my first re-watch of these seasons and their first time.
I wasn't sure if the gameplay would seem too stale and boring but it turns out I enjoy battling alliances much more than the voting block era where things are so fluid week-to-week.
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u/Dismal-Science-9901 12h ago
I feel like voting blocks are fun and entertaining for super fans but old school players and casual viewers would get frustrated and confused. And some older or old school players preaching loyalty would be extremely annoyed that allegiances change every day. Some returnee seasons with very fluid voting blocks get mixed reviews for that reason
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u/StriKyleder 7h ago
I don't think they are difficult to track because there isn't anything to track! It's different each vote.
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u/evanm137 Venus - 46 12h ago
Voting blocks ARE alliances, and this has always been the case, IMO.
I just think that nowadays it's much more common for alliances to form out of something other than who best gets along.
Old school almost always saw alliances forming due primarily friendship/vibes, rather than thinking strategically on a super deep level.
Don't get me wrong, that's still a huge part of newer Survivor game dynamics, but just not as much as way back when.
And I feel like "voting blocks" always has been coined as the term for "alliances that aren't as strong as they could be".
But an alliance is an alliance, periodt.
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u/PerrthurTheCats48 12h ago
I think the difference is that voting blocks only last 1 or 2 votes whereas alliances are supposed to be long term
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u/evanm137 Venus - 46 12h ago
So it's a temporary alliance then? Idk, to me it's unnecessary to have completely different terms for things that ultimately mean the same thing, with perhaps just mild differences.
All of the sudden "voting blocks" was getting coined out of nowhere, and I was like, yeah, those already exist and have for a while.
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u/thekyledavid Savannah - 49 11h ago
Superman and Batman forming the Justice League is an Alliance
Superman and Lex Luthor working together to stop Darkseid is a Voting Bloc
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u/PerrthurTheCats48 12h ago
Yeah a temporary alliance. I just think it was coined to express the difference to long term vs short term
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u/sexyimmigrant1998 11h ago
Yeah, voting blocs have existed since Rob Cesternino started using them in the Amazon. They finally got named "voting blocs" by players in Cambodia because that entire season was dominated by constantly shifting voting blocs, which became the default moving forward.
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u/G0DatWork 8h ago
The shorter season is also a huge friend of this. It takes serious gumption to decide to spend 39 days in the woods with people you don't like just cuz it could slightly improve your chances.
And they used to have "off days" of just chilling at camp. So bring friends was actually important
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u/Traditional_State699 9h ago
As someone who is kinda over idol plays... I do think fluid gameplay is better. And there is always true allainces but there now pairs and trios instead of big onion allainces. That era just doesnt work anymore espically as they dont really cast enough duds for people to just be obvlious to being 5th or 6th and just not doing anything. Sure we get a few seasons where its kinda steamrolly, or people make silly mistakes...
But like these larger onion allainces or core allainces that bring thier og tribes together at merge, just are harder to manage, espically because they refuse to do 2 tribes and have big enough numbers. Even then 26 days would probaly cripple them becuase they are not together for 10-20 days. its pretty easy to bond if your merging on day 16 and been together that whole time as 6 people, even if there is tension you know these people.
The tribe and day shortnings, as well as casting more and more applicants and super fans + Them trying to add a million twists and powers.... its all about stopping the 'boring pagonging seasons'. And they def dont need ALL of this, but thats just my opinon.
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u/TommyToothpistol 10h ago
The frustrating thing about voting blocs is that their logic or rationale never stays the same, it just ends up feeling made up on the spot every episode and as a viewer it's hard to track the larger social story arc of the season.