Poll: Stranded on a deserted island, which do you choose? + wild card round (page 5)

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Wild card bonus!

 

[Imrahil]

I miss an option in which I end up on the island with all my hobby stuff and nobody to disturb me

Gr, Imrahil

 

[Scalenex]

Can and I have the gold, the fishing gear and the dogs? I guess I'd rather have the fridge instead of the booze or pot though if the pot comes up with a bunch of zippos or matches, that would help from a survival perspective.

I'm not a great fisherman but I know the basics and would have lots of time to practice. Fishing is probably the best way to find food on a desert island.

I was able to start a fire without matches as a teenager (Eagle Scout), BUT I I was indoors used dryer lint as tinder and dry kindling. Dryer lint will light on fire with the tiniest spark. I'm not sure I could start a fire with no matches and even slightly damp wood.

Dogs don't demand a share of the gold, and I am a terrible marksman.


I believe choice A is dangerous. Two people don't like each are stuck together in a confined space. They have lots of alchohol, a loaded firearm, and $10 million worth of gold to share. That's a lot of motive and opportunity for murder.

 

[Aginor]

The thing about A is that you can start a fire with the gun powder and the alcohol, and keep it running until you figure out how to make it without it.

Alcohol is also pretty good for disinfecting wounds, or even food.
It also comes in bottles. Bottles are made of glass so there you have your hard, sharp material for tools, you have something to transport water in, to use as a magnifying glass (which helps making fire) and a few other things.

Three people also means that you can split work. Building a shelter is one of the highest priorities when trying to survive in the wild, and it will be hard to do that, and at the same time gather food to survive.

The first few days and weeks are the hardest. After that you will either be dead, or ready for basically any wild animals that might come.

The problem with A is the lack of a knife or other tools. But you might be able to use the gun as a tool. It is partly made of metal after all.

I think we can live with the lesbians just fine. This is about survival. We deal with people that have shitty personalities all day, it can work if your life depends on it.

As for the gold: I would give the lesbians all the gold if I survive that.
Besides that: Gold might be a soft metal, but it is still pretty useful. And you can rather easily shape it.



As for B:
The freezer sounds nice, but you are most likely going to eat everything the day you find it anyway.
The fishing equipment is nice, but you can build that rather easily anyway.
The mp3 thing is mostly useless, and dangerous. You won't hear predators coming if you listen to music.
If the "Hot Chick" is not only hot but actually useful for survival the option might still good, but overall I am pretty sure that A is better.


As for C:
It really depends on how well exactly those Rottweilers are trained.
The problem is that they need a lot of food. You have enough dog food for several years, but without being able to hunt they won't last very long after that.

The knives are nice and useful of course. If you are skilled in survival techniques they are almost everything you need.

The guitar... dunno. If you are alone you are most likely focused on survival. You simply don't have time or energy to play the guitar.
You can use the strings as fishing lines though.
The marijuana is dangerous. If you are high you are an easy prey. You also make mistakes and might hurt yourself. There are no medical supplies or help available.
The shelter is nice but since you need that shelter the marijuana will have to go outside and spoil. If you survive the marijuana (in contrast to the gold) might not be worth it either. Some of it will be spoilt or gone, depending on who you are from it is illegal anyway, and you most likely wont be able to take it with you anyway when you are rescued.

Option C is probably nice for people who don't want to survive. Just get high and play the guitar until you die.


I would most likely choose A. All options are risky, but even prepared mountain men with proper equipment have a hard time surviving alone because of the immense workload. A group of people has vastly better chances of survival.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

I'd be interested to see who the 3 people who chose C were - your dogs will only live for 5 years, and you've got another 7 to live for until you get that sailing boat into seaworthy shape.

As for me, I've chosen B. Firstly I'm assuming the girl will be different for everyone based upon what each one of us finds attractive, meaning that the particular instance of the girl in my case will have a lot of qualities I find attractive - principally kind, gentle, intelligent and rational. That suits me very well as she will be helpful, honest, hard working and knowledgeable. She'd be far easier to work with and more enjoyable to live with than the two lesbians in A, especially considering one of them will die in 3 years. Because you're going to be there for 20, you'll lose the advantage of having more people to collaborate with fairly quickly in the grand scheme of things - if you were there for 3 years or less, that advantage would be a lot more meaningful, but you're going to be there for over six times that amount. The other lesbian is evidently an unpleasant character that will be intolerable to live with, and she may be good at fishing, but that won't be any use if you don't have any fishing equipment, which is the case if you choose A. Furthermore, while it is possible to make fishing equipment yourself, there would need to be plants with the right quality materials for the job, and you may well need an axe, which you don't have if you take A. You could use a broken bottle, but it would still be difficult to work with.

By contrast if you choose B, you get all the fishing equipment provided, meaning that's food sorted. Fire is quite possible to start yourself (otherwise why would we be as advanced as we are?), and you get two poles that could be used as quarterstaffs - not as effective as a gun for repelling wild animals, but with a much greater reach than the combat knife. Indeed because you get loads of other equipment with the poles you could probably fix the fish hooks onto them to make them spears, making them even more useful. The MP3 player would risk your survival as @Aginor says if you use it in the conventional way, although it could be used as quite an effective missile to put off any predators alongside stones, and then if they're especially desperate, use the quarterstaffs/spears to protect yourselves. Alternatively if there's any really awful-sounding music, it could be played really loudly to scare predators off. The freezer may seem useless, but I say it's always a good idea to keep some food aside in case there's none left for any reason - the freezer will ensure this can be done. It can be carried between the two of us and can also be used to help cool us down so we don't die of heat exhaustion.

In terms of shelter, it depends on when we wake up - if it's at the beginning of the hot season, we've then got 9 months to work out how to get a shelter up and ready in time for the rainy season, while if we wake up and it's the beginning of the rainy season, we'd probably have to look for a natural shelter like a cave to live in until we can get our own shelter up.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Alcohol is also pretty good for disinfecting wounds, or even food.
It also comes in bottles. Bottles are made of glass so there you have your hard, sharp material for tools, you have something to transport water in, to use as a magnifying glass (which helps making fire) and a few other things.

All great points!

Three people also means that you can split work. Building a shelter is one of the highest priorities when trying to survive in the wild, and it will be hard to do that, and at the same time gather food to survive.

True, but mind you that option C includes a shelter that will be vastly better (judging by the picture) than anything you can construct on a deserted island.

The problem with A is the lack of a knife or other tools. But you might be able to use the gun as a tool. It is partly made of metal after all.

Using the gun as a tool is risky as you want it to be in peak operating condition. You have no materials to fix it if something goes wrong, and it is one of the best elements of option A.

I think we can live with the lesbians just fine. This is about survival. We deal with people that have shitty personalities all day, it can work if your life depends on it.

Yes, but remember that one of the lesbians dies early on, and you are left with lesbian with the shitty personality. I think @Scalenex makes a great point...

I believe choice A is dangerous. Two people don't like each are stuck together in a confined space. They have lots of alchohol, a loaded firearm, and $10 million worth of gold to share. That's a lot of motive and opportunity for murder.

As for the gold: I would give the lesbians all the gold if I survive that.

One lesbian dies in 3 years. So why not propose a 50/50 split?

As for B:
The freezer sounds nice, but you are most likely going to eat everything the day you find it anyway.
The fishing equipment is nice, but you can build that rather easily anyway.
The mp3 thing is mostly useless, and dangerous. You won't hear predators coming if you listen to music.
If the "Hot Chick" is not only hot but actually useful for survival the option might still good, but overall I am pretty sure that A is better.

All good points. Option B is my least favourite.

As for C:
It really depends on how well exactly those Rottweilers are trained.
The problem is that they need a lot of food. You have enough dog food for several years, but without being able to hunt they won't last very long after that.

As per the original post, they are well trained and loyal.

Remember that you can hunt. There are vicious wild animals on the island, so they can be hunted. The two dogs give you a tremendous advantage over the vicious animals. First off, the animals will have a hard time trying to sneak up on you with two dogs on the lookout. Second, you can use the dogs to hunt the animals. Two dogs and a human with a spear and (possibly a bow and arrow) are pretty formidable.

Alternatively, if you don't think you can gather enough food for all three of you, you could kill one of the dogs right from the onset (cruel, but this is survival). That way you have enough dog food for the remaining dog to last 10 of the 12 years you are on the island (also consider that the lifespan of a Rottweiler is 8-10 years). Assuming you are able to hunt some food within those 12 years, it is safe to assume that you can supplement and extend the dog's food supply to be sufficient for all the years you are on the island .

The knives are nice and useful of course. If you are skilled in survival techniques they are almost everything you need.

The knife is huge! You can make weapons, shelters, traps, etc.

The shelter is nice but since you need that shelter the marijuana will have to go outside and spoil. If you survive the marijuana (in contrast to the gold) might not be worth it either. Some of it will be spoilt or gone, depending on who you are from it is illegal anyway, and you most likely wont be able to take it with you anyway when you are rescued.

This is something I had to look into. I've never tried weed, so my knowledge is limited. At first I thought that maybe you could keep it for when you get off the island (to sell, if it is legal in your country), but apparently it won't keep that long. As a result, you could actually get rid of most of it, and keep a small portion of it in case you need pain relief, etc. That would free up most of the shelter!

Option C is probably nice for people who don't want to survive. Just get high and play the guitar until you die.

I disagree. I choose option C because I feel it gives you the greatest chance of survival...

• the dogs are great for protection and hunting
• the knife is one of the most critical survival tools and can help you create weapons, traps and shelters
• option c already includes a shelter (one which will be far better than anything you could hope to construct if you choose option A or B)
• you get to leave 8 years early!!!! That is 8 years for something to go wrong for anyone that choose A or B. 12 years on the island represents only 60% of what the other groups have to endure.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I'd be interested to see who the 3 people who chose C were - your dogs will only live for 5 years, and you've got another 7 to live for until you get that sailing boat into seaworthy shape.

I'd be one of those individuals.

If you read my post above, I've outlined two ways in which you could extend the dog's food supply.

As for me, I've chosen B.

Of course you did... option B is my least favourite, and we always choose opposites!!

Firstly I'm assuming the girl will be different for everyone based upon what each one of us finds attractive, meaning that the particular instance of the girl in my case will have a lot of qualities I find attractive - principally kind, gentle, intelligent and rational. That suits me very well as she will be helpful, honest, hard working and knowledgeable.

The outline didn't say she is a soul mate or perfect companion. You're only guaranteed that she is...

• hot (physically attractive)
• very sweet (kind personality)
• dtf (probably)

You can't really bet on anything beyond that. For instance, you couldn't claim that you only find girls with advanced survival skills to be hot. Same goes for intelligence, her intelligence is not specified.

Furthermore, while it is possible to make fishing equipment yourself, there would need to be plants with the right quality materials for the job, and you may well need an axe, which you don't have if you take A. You could use a broken bottle, but it would still be difficult to work with.

You could easily make a spear for spear fishing (especially using the knife from option C).

and you get two poles that could be used as quarterstaffs - not as effective as a gun for repelling wild animals, but with a much greater reach than the combat knife.

You don't really want to risk damaging your fishing poles unless it is the most dire of circumstances. With the knife you can very easily make spears and in time possibly even a bow and arrow. Plus you can make traps. Option C also has two loyal dogs for defense against wild animals (or to hunt said wild animals).

Indeed because you get loads of other equipment with the poles you could probably fix the fish hooks onto them to make them spears, making them even more useful.

Same as above. In a pinch you can use your poles as a spear, but you would want to eventually construct spears from wood/trees that you find on the island.

If you damage your poles, you lose your fishing advantage.

The freezer may seem useless, but I say it's always a good idea to keep some food aside in case there's none left for any reason - the freezer will ensure this can be done. It can be carried between the two of us and can also be used to help cool us down so we don't die of heat exhaustion.

The freezer is actually quite awesome. If you take down a large wild animal, you don't have to worry about preserving it via smoke or salt. That is a huge advantage. Not having food spoil when it is plentiful is great because you can store it away for when food becomes scarce.

In terms of shelter, it depends on when we wake up - if it's at the beginning of the hot season, we've then got 9 months to work out how to get a shelter up and ready in time for the rainy season, while if we wake up and it's the beginning of the rainy season, we'd probably have to look for a natural shelter like a cave to live in until we can get our own shelter up.

Option C already has a shelter!

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

P.S. I knew this would be a fun poll/topic and you fine folks have not disappointed! Interesting to hear all the different ideas and perspectives.


Let's keep it rolling... and hopefully even more people will chime in!

 

[Paradoxical Pacifism]

Option B is my least favourite.

Considering it's sunny 3/4 of the year, storing excess meat/food in a cold, dry freezer would be almost as paramount as having shelter. You would expend less energy, and food actually wouldn't be much of a concern compared to worrying about hunting on a daily basis if you have no reliable way of storing food.

Other than that, i do agree with all of your points concerning option C. I voted for C too. 3 tons of pot and an acoustic guitar reminds me so much of SLEEP

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

All great points!
Using the gun as a tool is risky as you want it to be in peak operating condition. You have no materials to fix it if something goes wrong, and it is one of the best elements of option A.

Makes sense - also a gun can only be really used to kill land animals - you can't use it to cut down trees or anything else.

Yes, but remember that one of the lesbians dies early on, and you are left with lesbian with the shitty personality. I think @Scalenex makes a great point...

Agreed - would rather have the nice girl than the nasty one, as at least then you're happy to live together and look out for each other.

As per the original post, they are well trained and loyal.

Remember that you can hunt. There are vicious wild animals on the island, so they can be hunted. The two dogs give you a tremendous advantage over the vicious animals. First off, the animals will have a hard time trying to sneak up on you with two dogs on the lookout. Second, you can use the dogs to hunt the animals. Two dogs and a human with a spear and (possibly a bow and arrow) are pretty formidable.

Alternatively, if you don't think you can gather enough food for all three of you, you could kill one of the dogs right from the onset (cruel, but this is survival). That way you have enough dog food for the remaining dog to last 10 of the 12 years you are on the island (also consider that the lifespan of a Rottweiler is 8-10 years). Assuming you are able to hunt some food within those 12 years, it is safe to assume that you can supplement and extend the dog's food supply to be sufficient for all the years you are on the island .

All good points, but I was concerned if, for any reason, somehow you were unable to feed the dogs for a long time, they might turn on you as the only source of food around or run away. Loyalty can last only to a certain point sometimes (to be fair though I'm not a dog owner so I'm not the most knowledgeable person around on the subject of dogs).

The knife is huge! You can make weapons, shelters, traps, etc.

Also you get a sharpening stone that can be used to make sparks to light fires. Makes sense.

This is something I had to look into. I've never tried weed, so my knowledge is limited. At first I thought that maybe you could keep it for when you get off the island (to sell, if it is legal in your country), but apparently it won't keep that long. As a result, you could actually get rid of most of it, and keep a small portion of it in case you need pain relief, etc. That would free up most of the shelter!

I would have just got rid of it all, regardless of worth or usage - don't do dangerous drugs, these drugs kill, either sooner or later.

I'd be one of those individuals.

If you read my post above, I've outlined two ways in which you could extend the dog's food supply.

Only just read it

The outline didn't say she is a soul mate or perfect companion. You're only guaranteed that she is...

• hot (physically attractive)
• very sweet (kind personality)
• dtf (probably)

You can't really bet on anything beyond that. For instance, you couldn't claim that you only find girls with advanced survival skills to be hot. Same goes for intelligence, her intelligence is not specified.

Still better companionship than the lesbian not confirmed to die in A.

You don't really want to risk damaging your fishing poles unless it is the most dire of circumstances. With the knife you can very easily make spears and in time possibly even a bow and arrow. Plus you can make traps. Option C also has two loyal dogs for defense against wild animals (or to hunt said wild animals).

Same as above. In a pinch you can use your poles as a spear, but you would want to eventually construct spears from wood/trees that you find on the island.

If you damage your poles, you lose your fishing advantage.

Not necessarily - remember that there is a net as well, so the poles can be deemed as superfluous. In addition, if you're able to make the poles into spears by tying fishing hooks onto them, you can still use them for spear fishing in conjunction with the net.

The freezer is actually quite awesome. If you take down a large wild animal, you don't have to worry about preserving it via smoke or salt. That is a huge advantage. Not having food spoil when it is plentiful is great because you can store it away for when food becomes scarce.

At least there's one thing we agree on!

 

[Aginor]

As per the original post, they are well trained and loyal.

That's not really the point. They are trained for which task, that's the problem. Dogs are no Jacks of all trades. If they are the most excellently trained drug sniffing dogs, then they are completely useless for almost everything else. And the same goes for Guard Dogs or Hunting dogs.
That's one reason why I instantly dismissed C as a good option. Rottweilers are good Guard Dogs, but they are not really good for anything else.
As for Guard Dogs, there is a problem: They usually only guard really well against a thing they are specifically trained for. On that island that might become a problem.

you can use the dogs to hunt the animals

No. Rottweilers are super bad for hunting. Borderline useless. That's one of the reasons why I think that option C is pretty bad.

As for the gun in option A:
People overestimate the usefulness of guns. Sure, it is nice for hunting, but unless you are used to hunting with a rifle you will not get very far with that ammo, and once you have spent the ammo you can only use the gun as a tool.
To be honest I would not use the gun for hunting anyway. If there are predatory animals around that means that there are enough other animals around they prey on. That means I can catch rabbits or agutis or whatever using a snare. That beats shooting them.
Hunting big animals is actually not that great of an idea to begin with, because you most likely lack the knowledge to conserve meat. Most of it will spoil.

So you don't use the gun to hunt. Only in emergencies.
Your food source most likely will be fish. Plants are dangerous to eat if you don't know them, and hunting with a rifle takes far too much energy and time. Fishing is rather easy since you can build everything you need in almost any climate zone. Building traps is also easier as it sounds, so that's probably the way you will hunt, if you choose to do so.
So you have the gun for the rare case you need it against an animal that - against all odds - will attack you.

But then:
For defense against wild animals you most likely don't need it either. It is not hard to defend against predatory animals. Most of them are scared to death by your pure presence and will try to avoid you.
The island is deserted so they are not used to humans being near.
You also have fire. Most animals are scared to death by fire. Making loud sounds also helps a lot.
Shooting a gun is not the only way to produce them.

Most predators will run for their lives and never come back when you have a stick, a torch, and are shouting like a madman.
Edit: oh, and they might attack you when you are alone, but they will be much more easily be repelled if you are not alone.

And one last thing about the predators, also related to the dogs above: they won't be as helpful in a fight as you think. Most animals that are big enough to pose a serious threat to you, and take the risk of attacking you, will neither be repelled nor defeated by dogs.
If an animal like a polar bear, grizzly, mountain lion, tiger, jaguar or something along those lines, or even a wild boar (funny because that isn't even a predator) is desperate enough to attack you, even though you have a stick and a torch, then those Rottweilers can do close to nothing to save you. They might slow the animal down, but they will die. So that works once.

As for the gold: the Lesbian with the shitty personality will most likely be more inclined to work with me for survival if I just give it to her in the first place.
I only need the gold for making survival items from the coins. After we are rescued she can have all of it. I'd rather tell my story in a book/film/talk show/whatever and make a living that way. The gold would be nice but - for me at least - the focus has to be survival.

Generally concerning the shitty personality: like with the hot chick that depends on what shitty means.
- rude? OK.
- selfish? She wants to survive. She will _very_ quickly learn why having as many reliable partners as possible is the #1 thing to keep her alive.
- big ego? Narcisst? control freak maybe? I let her lead and make the decisions. If she is clever enough she will do well.
If she isn't clever, then I can make her think she is the leader while I am actually in charge.
- messy? Well, I am going to do the cleaning I guess. Still better than doing _everything_ myself.
- lazy? She is good at fishing so she probably enjoys the combo of being lazy and still doing something. Inlet her fish all day if necessary. She wants to survive so her laziness will end once we are either attacked, or hungry.
- mass murderer? Well, if she is like Dexter or Manson or Hitler we will come along great.
- cannibalistic? Well, shit. But then: If I had been alone I would have died anyway.

I looked up articles about "shitty personalities" and most of them - while annoying - can be coped with. At some point instincts set in. We are in a life or death survival situation, even the dumbest person will very quickly learn why even the shittiest partner is better than none.

If the shelter from C looks like on the picture it is of mediocre use. You cannot make a fire in there, and it isn't mobile. If you have to rely on hunting like you suggest (I'd rather take the fish and not hunt) you have to build shelters anyway since you cannot take that one with you. You cannot move it into a strategically good position. If the door faces the wrong direction it might fill with water during rain season. It also stands on the ground, which might not be ideal. There is a good reason why so many 'primitive' huts are on poles.
That being said: if it happens to be in a good position then it is great. I am still not convinced that it is worth it, compared to A.

 

[Aginor]

Extra post for priorities:
- find water
- find shelter
- make fire
- find food

If you want to survive the first week (I am not even talking about years) you have to solve those problems. Quickly, as long as you are still healthy and well nourished. At this point you are in the best condition you will be until rescued.

That's also a thing that speaks for option A btw. You can can do those things a lot more efficiently while the third person is still around.
Plus: she mitigates the other lesbian's problems for three years, which should be enough to learn which personality problems that one has, and what to do with them.

 

[Scalenex]

It's the twenty year thing that bothers me. This questionaire assumes that you know it's going to take twenty years to be rescued.

If I was in any of these scenarios and I knew it would take twenty years to be rescued I would probably give. In any event, I'm 36. I'm pretty sure at some point between now and 56 I will have a medical affliction that only a hospital will be able to solve. And this is me in civilization which is pretty safe. If an animal bites me on this island, i am not qualified to suture a wound, a process which is even harder if you have to suture yourself.

Now lets go to option B. Assuming my dream mate was on the island eventually we'd make a baby. I'm pretty sure I'm not capable of delivering a baby safely in a pile of sand.

If I was in a survival situation, the only way I'd be able to cope is every day to tell myself that rescue is coming tommorow. That's half the point of a fire. Fires make it a lot easier for rescuers to spot you.

Usually survival guidelines have a fifth step.

- find water
- find shelter
- make fire
- find food
-Await rescue

A twenty year stay on an island goes beyond survival. You have to figure out a new way to live or you'll lose the will to live.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

All good points, but I was concerned if, for any reason, somehow you were unable to feed the dogs for a long time, they might turn on you as the only source of food around or run away. Loyalty can last only to a certain point sometimes (to be fair though I'm not a dog owner so I'm not the most knowledgeable person around on the subject of dogs).

I've thought of that too. I'm not a dog owner, so I don't know how far you can push that loyalty. If things are absolutely dire, you could preemptively kill the dog and eat it before it turns on you (gross... but survival situations aren't pretty). However, I think you could keep the dog feed.

I would have just got rid of it all, regardless of worth or usage - don't do dangerous drugs, these drugs kill, either sooner or later.

I don't do drugs either. But in such a survival situation you may come to a point where you need a pain reliever (which I am told weed provides). I'm just saying that it has medicinal properties that might come in handy. I'd keep a small quantity of it for those purposes, and hope that I never need to use it. Also, wrapped up like that it could be a good insulator, you could use it (along with other things you find) to create a makeshift bed.

Still better companionship than the lesbian not confirmed to die in A.

This is true.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Rottweilers are good Guard Dogs, but they are not really good for anything else.
As for Guard Dogs, there is a problem: They usually only guard really well against a thing they are specifically trained for. On that island that might become a problem.

I think you underestimate their usefulness. At the very least they have far better senses than a human has so it will help prevent vicious animals from sneaking up on you. Also the barking will help drive off a percentage of predators; not to mention that there are now 3 of you for the vicious animal to contend with.

For defense against wild animals you most likely don't need it either. It is not hard to defend against predatory animals. Most of them are scared to death by your pure presence and will try to avoid you.
The island is deserted so they are not used to humans being near.
You also have fire. Most animals are scared to death by fire. Making loud sounds also helps a lot.
Shooting a gun is not the only way to produce them.

The gun is far more effective than any of those other options.

Depending on the type of vicious animals, they might not be so easy to fend them off. The gun ensures that you are the most powerful creature on the island. Making noise and waving a stick around is built purely on the hope that the animal will choose not to engage you. You still have those options with the gun, but if the animal is determined to get you, you have the power to bring it down.

Animals are afraid of fire, but it is difficult to ensure you always have fire on hand as you explore the island, collect resources, etc. Constantly having a torch with you is not always feasible.

And one last thing about the predators, also related to the dogs above: they won't be as helpful in a fight as you think. Most animals that are big enough to pose a serious threat to you, and take the risk of attacking you, will neither be repelled nor defeated by dogs.
If an animal like a polar bear, grizzly, mountain lion, tiger, jaguar or something along those lines, or even a wild boar (funny because that isn't even a predator) is desperate enough to attack you, even though you have a stick and a torch, then those Rottweilers can do close to nothing to save you. They might slow the animal down, but they will die. So that works once.

You're right that there are many animals that can tank a dog's attack. However, they do need to be wary of the dog and that splits the animal's attention 3 ways. That is a huge advantage. The dogs don't necessarily have to bring the animal down, but they will provide distraction and dissuasion that increases your odds of survival greatly. Obviously the strategy will alter depending on which type of animal we are dealing with. But two dogs should not be underestimated.

As for the gold: the Lesbian with the shitty personality will most likely be more inclined to work with me for survival if I just give it to her in the first place.

I don't know about that. If someone offered me the entire share of the gold (gold which they found), I'd be expecting a double cross.

If the shelter from C looks like on the picture it is of mediocre use. You cannot make a fire in there, and it isn't mobile. If you have to rely on hunting like you suggest (I'd rather take the fish and not hunt) you have to build shelters anyway since you cannot take that one with you. You cannot move it into a strategically good position. If the door faces the wrong direction it might fill with water during rain season. It also stands on the ground, which might not be ideal. There is a good reason why so many 'primitive' huts are on poles

As the shelter is designed to safely store the weed, it is safe to assume that it is sufficient to protect against water and the elements. If it is in at least a decently strategic position, it is far better than anything you can construct.

I never said I would rely on hunting, only that it would be another viable option. The more tools you have at your disposal the better. Day in and day out you could judge your relative success with those options and alter your plan accordingly. Having the ability to hunt, does not prevent you from fishing.

Also, I'm assuming that the shelter is somewhat accessible and won't be miles away from the ocean (because someone would have constructed it with some sort of logic in mind). Since it is already on a deserted island, they don't need to go to great lengths to hide it away. As such, it would likely be at the very least somewhat within the reach of the ocean. Of course, if the shelter is in the worst of the worst locations then its usefulness diminishes. Although, even then, you could use it to ride out the worst of the storms

That being said: if it happens to be in a good position then it is great. I am still not convinced that it is worth it, compared to A.

I'm not really sure why you like A so much. I had a hard time deciding between A and C, but you don't seem to be very high on having the gun, and that is one of the best features of A. Also, you seem to have no interest in the gold. It seems like option B would be a better choice for you. You get a far better companion (less the fishing skill... which is mitigated by far better fishing equipment) and you have a freezer. The alcohol is great for the reasons you have listed, but I don't think it is better than the combination of a better companion, fishing gear and a freezer that always works.


Another thought about the freezer. Since it always works, it could be employed to capture water vaper in the air. An emergency source of water when all else fails.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Now lets go to option B. Assuming my dream mate was on the island eventually we'd make a baby. I'm pretty sure I'm not capable of delivering a baby safely in a pile of sand.

And even if you could... keeping that baby safe and healthy would be extremely difficult.

A twenty year stay on an island goes beyond survival. You have to figure out a new way to live or you'll lose the will to live.

Option C cuts down that time by 40%. Still a long period of time, but much more manageable.

 

[pendrake]

It's the twenty year thing that bothers me. This questionaire assumes that you know it's going to take twenty years to be rescued.

B

Is the obvious choice. B has a functioning freezer. “Nothing else is necessary for it to operate...?” The only way it can function is if it already has electricity. If there is electricity, there is some connection to civilization.

 

[Scolenex]

B

Is the obvious choice. B has a functioning freezer. “Nothing else is necessary for it to operate...?” The only way it can function is if it already has electricity. If there is electricity, there is some connection to civilization.

A functioning freezer that defies all logic. You just happen to be stranded on an island with a woman who on the surface appears to be your dream girl. The only explanation that makes any sense is that you are the subject of a Truman Show. Go out to sea in a suicidally underequipped raft. Christoff will be forced to let you out.

 

[Aginor]

I think you might have misunderstood my points about the gun and the gold:

The gun _is_ extremely useful. But the very limited ammo means that your strategy must not rely on it. So you should not use it for hunting and you should not use it for anything but the most dire situations when defending yourself.
Sure, the gun is better than the other things I mentioned, there is a good reason why bringing a gun with you is mandatory in some areas of the world (including parts of the Canadian wilderness IIRC). But that should not be the go to solution, far from it. You use it only when everything else fails.
And in most cases the other ones will do just fine. In earlier times (from ancient times until the 19th century) the standard defense of livestock (goats, sheep, cattle) against bears, wolves and the like was.... a boy with a stick. Because predators don't mess with a boy that carries a stick.
A good tactic against bears, wolves, mountain lions and the like that is recommended all over the world is: singing. Just walking around singing or talking loudly will most likely ensure that you will not see those animals.
Dogs can make encounters more likely and more dangerous, it can provoke a bear.
Same for mountain lions and other predators btw.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety/ours-humains-bears-people

https://www.mountainlion.org/portalprotectstaysafe.asp

(I had another cool site with tips against bears and wolves but it is in Norwegian so I posted an English one)

Now that I think about it: the guitar might be pretty good for repelling predators. Maybe better than the dogs...


As for the gold: I wouldn't just give it to them if they don't ask. But if one of the shitty character traits of my companion is greed, then I will happily give her a big part of the gold, even everything, if that buys her loyalty at least (meaning she will fish not only for herself but share it with me, don't kill me, and help me with daily tasks and so on) I would keep only the gold that I need to build something out of it. The gold is literally useless for me so I would explain her that if she values it then she can have it in exchange for being in my team (or me being in her team, if she is a narcisst).

I disagree with your judgement on C because I still think that having the Rottweilers for a few years is not worth it at all.
Even the shittiest human companion (short of someone who is actively trying to kill you) is far better than any two dogs in the world.


About the weed shelter:
For some reason I didn't make the assumption that I would just find the weed there stored on purpose, more that it would be stranded with me. That of course changes things. If someone stored weed on that island I would probably stay clear of the shelter, using it only in the most dire situations, like bad storms. Most likely that weed is illegal so someone (the owner) would kill me if they found me in their secret storage area.

It would make option C a bit better though.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I think you might have misunderstood my points about the gun and the gold:

The gun _is_ extremely useful. But the very limited ammo means that your strategy must not rely on it. So you should not use it for hunting and you should not use it for anything but the most dire situations when defending yourself.
Sure, the gun is better than the other things I mentioned, there is a good reason why bringing a gun with you is mandatory in some areas of the world (including parts of the Canadian wilderness IIRC). But that should not be the go to solution, far from it. You use it only when everything else fails.

Fair enough!

Dogs can make encounters more likely and more dangerous, it can provoke a bear.
Same for mountain lions and other predators btw.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety/ours-humains-bears-people

https://www.mountainlion.org/portalprotectstaysafe.asp

(I had another cool site with tips against bears and wolves but it is in Norwegian so I posted an English one)

Now that I think about it: the guitar might be pretty good for repelling predators. Maybe better than the dogs...

I think it depends on the situation and what animal you are dealing with. I see your point that sometimes the dogs could make things worse, but at the same time 3 targets are difficult for an animal to deal with. Also, the dogs senses are so much better than a human's, so it makes it much more unlikely that an animal gets a surprise jump on you. You could always use them more defensively in your makeshift base camp.

That said, if you feel that the dogs are more of a liability, you could slay both of them right at the onset. That gives you some food right away, and it also means that you have all that dog food as emergency rations. I'm not recommending that you rely on this food, but if you come across a time when the fishing/hunting fails you, at least you won't starve to death. Obviously in everyday life it is not recommended for humans to consume dog food, but in a life or death situation it will suffice.

As for the gold: I wouldn't just give it to them if they don't ask. But if one of the shitty character traits of my companion is greed, then I will happily give her a big part of the gold, even everything, if that buys her loyalty at least (meaning she will fish not only for herself but share it with me, don't kill me, and help me with daily tasks and so on) I would keep only the gold that I need to build something out of it. The gold is literally useless for me so I would explain her that if she values it then she can have it in exchange for being in my team (or me being in her team, if she is a narcisst).

I still think it is risky. 20 years is an awfully long time for a relationship to sour. I still agree with @Scalenex that gold + alcohol + loaded gun + shitty personality = a dangerous situation.

I disagree with your judgement on C because I still think that having the Rottweilers for a few years is not worth it at all.
Even the shittiest human companion (short of someone who is actively trying to kill you) is far better than any two dogs in the world.

Not necessarily. So many things can go wrong with a person who has a shitty personality (depending on how shitty it is). You might fundamentally disagree on how to proceed (where/how to build the shelter, decisions on hunting & resource gathering, allotment of duties, splitting of resources, etc.). Paranoia could creep in. Who has control of the gun?

Not to mention the psychological torment of having to put up with somebody like that for 20 years!!! Knowing my luck she would be a third-wave feminist constantly prattling on about how evil white men are in her best Jar Jar Binks voice. I can already picture her AoS and Force is Female tattoos. In a week I'd be on the island all by myself with only 299 rounds of ammo!

The point is, that such a person can be demoralizing across such a long period of time (you might not want to be alive by the end of it). A second person is not necessarily an asset and can very quickly turn into a liability. Having more people in a survival situation is often a huge benefit when trying to survive, but only if the group can effectively work together. I'm sure we've all had group projects that exemplify my point.

About the weed shelter:
For some reason I didn't make the assumption that I would just find the weed there stored on purpose, more that it would be stranded with me. That of course changes things. If someone stored weed on that island I would probably stay clear of the shelter, using it only in the most dire situations, like bad storms. Most likely that weed is illegal so someone (the owner) would kill me if they found me in their secret storage area.

In this case we know that no person will be coming to look for it because then the island would no longer be deserted. Plus that opens up too much room for speculation... are they able to kill you or can you get the jump on them and leave the island much earlier or secure key supplies? My fault for opening up such a line of thinking.

My point is, that it should be safe to assume that the shelter can protect against the elements and is located in at least a decent location. Just as I would assume that the gun is in working order even though it is not specified. I would assume that the alcohol is not contaminated. I would assume that the lesbians are not serial killers. I would assume that nobody is coming back for the gold coins. etc. etc.



Overall, I feel (but I could be wrong) that you are overly dismissive of C because of the dogs. The dogs are the least valuable off the four groups of assets that are included with C. If you don't want the dogs, take them out and use the dog food as emergency rations. However you are still left with...

The knives - probably the most basic and essential of survival tools. While not as powerful as the gun, it is far more versatile. The gun is a weapon only, while the knife is a weapon and a tool. The knife is a fundamental asset in the creation of traps, spears, bow/arrow, shelters, etc.

The shelter - it will be more secure and protective than what can be built from items found on the island. You can further fortify it by building spikes, traps, walls/fences around it using your knife. Shelter is a key priority in a survival situation (as you have mentioned) and option C comes stock with a superior one. Also, making adequate shelter using the tools provided in options A and B will be difficult as they don't have a great cutting tool (maybe the glass can be used from the booze bottles, but it is a far cry from a reliable knife).

The sailboat - cutting 8 years off your time is HUGE. That is 8 years where the other groups can have an accident or get sick. It also means you can be reunited with your friends and family 8 years sooner. Plus the psychological benefit of working on the boat and having hope that you can escape the island is paramount. It would also make for a nicer story once you get back to civilization! Just saying that the task of surviving on a deserted island for 20 years is much more daunting than having to endure it for "only" 12 years.


In a survival sense, the gold is largely useless (having the dog food around is probably more valuable). So that leaves us with this:
knife + escaping 8 years earlier + shelter > shitty personality lesbian + gun + booze


The weed also has limited uses. Pain relief, creating an insulated surface to sleep on and using the plastic wrapping to collect and store water (not as good as the booze bottles, but better than nothing). I can't play the guitar, but if you could that could help keep you sane. The strings would be useful.