Endure: Rules and Regulations

Playing the Game

1.1 - All cast members were chosen with the expectation to actively participate and play the game every day for its entire duration. If you feel that you are not able to make this commitment, please notify a member of production immediately. An immense amount of time and effort has gone into the planning of this game, and production will be happy to replace anyone that feels they cannot contribute to the game. Should a player decide to quit while the game is in progress, that player will not be replaced and production will decide on their further contribution to the game.

1.2 - Endure is a fully interactive experience that maximizes the perception of reality television through the use of recorded video confessionals. Private journals will be given to each castaway, only view-able by a trusted group of Prediction Writers (See Prediction Writers below). Video confessionals are mandatory; however, castaways may also choose to post important conversations with other players, or post written confessionals in addition to videos to assist themselves or other viewers in navigating their confessional. Your confessional board is your safe haven, you should feel safe in this area, and should you not feel comfortable, inform production immediately. Your confessional can cover any thoughts, feelings, or experiences that you have had throughout the day or anything that you feel is worth documenting for the game.
(i) Confessionals will be used for the montage video after the season is over. Feel free to be creative and entertaining.
(ii) Each castaway is responsible for posting at least two video confessionals per round. Failure to do so will result in self-votes at tribal council. Ideally aim for a couple minute update a day; however, I do realize that is sometimes unreasonable, so a feat of two 3 minute confessionals, or a 7+ minute confessional covering the ENTIRE round in detail will probably please me. Don't fall behind.

1.3 - Challenges are an essential element to Survivor with varying styles and lengths. In order to accommodate everyone, some of our challenges will be 24 to 48 hours in length and will be non-live, but a majority will be live or semi-live. Production will inform you of upcoming challenges in order to ensure the players' ability to attend and participate. If a castaway is unable to attend a challenge, it is their responsibility to inform production at their earliest convenience - if production is not made aware of time conflicts, they reserve the right to carry on with challenges regardless.


Player Etiquette

2.1 - All castaways, Prediction Writers, and members of production are expected to behave and speak to one another appropriately. There is a zero-tolerance policy for personal threats, bullying, or general mistreatment towards anybody involved in the process of the game. Crossing this line or exhibiting inappropriate behaviour may result in production immediately removing said person from the game immediately and without question.
(i) Playing the game using viable strategies such as backstabbing, lying, etc. fall under the realm of "Appropriate Behavior" and will not be condemned.
(ii) Fights occur, this is understood, don't take it too far, don't be that guy - no one likes that guy.
(iii) Personal attacks against gender, race, sexuality, appearance, intelligence, etc will not be tolerated.
(iv) You may not block another player at any point while you are both still in the game.

2.2 - As a fully interactive experience, Endure relies on isolation in order to properly set the scene for the game. Therefore, Castaways are not permitted to speak with players on different tribes, or Prediction Writers, for the entire duration of the game. This is a crucial element to the game that every player must agree to, and prediction writer, in order to properly carry out the season. Even small bouts of interaction, regardless of whether it's about game or not, open the doorway to friendliness and unintentional revealing of information, keep the game as authentic as possible - it's ultimately more rewarding.
(i) Production will inform players of if and/or when they are able to communicate to people outside of their original tribe. Oh yes, there will come a time, just wait.
(ii) This season, snapchat will not be permitted between players at all, between players and viewers, and between players and production. This is to ensure that the communication rules are being completely followed. If we find that this rule is being broken, it will be punishable.

2.3 - A large production team has been set in place to assist all players to the best of their ability. That being sad, we are not one cohesive robot superhuman, sometimes information gets misconstrued, or rules may get confused. HOWEVER, any accusations of any or all members of production fixing the game or rigging elements of the game will not be tolerated without solid and specific evidence. If a castaway has a concern of this degree, please inform a trusted member of production as quickly as possible and we will come to the quickest solution possible.


Real Life

3.1 Many players will have jobs, families, and other outlying commitments to their personal lives - surprised? We were. Production respects and acknowledges this fact, but will have no tolerance for continued inactivity, if you must remove yourself from the game, do so. Remember, every player must agree to remain active for the entire duration of the game, and there will be no lowered expectations as the game progresses. Don't be the guy that drags everyone else down, no one likes that guy, we sure don't!

3.2 Please inform Production immediately of any real-life crises or conflicts that may arise. Specific details are not needed and may remain a part of the players' personal lives; Production needs as much notice as possible in order to accommodate any and all emergencies to the best of their ability. We are occasionally human, low functioning, but indeed, human!

3.3 If a player is unable to meet the journal requirements for the episode, they must inform Production in advance in order to avoid penalties. Continued exceptions will not be made. Remember to try and aim for a quick update per day, two 3 minute videos per round, this gets the widest coverage of events for us to hear from you!
(i) Several hours prior to the end of an episode is not an appropriate time to inform Production of a journal conflict. With a few days per episode, there is plenty of time to be proactive with journal entries. Again, we are human, we understand human needs.

3.4 Castaways who have planned vacations or time away will not be penalized by Production as long as they have given advanced notice. These are events that cannot be changed, and Production will honour those previous commitments. Don't be that guy who drops the bomb that they're headed to Paris in thirty minutes, no one likes that guy - neither should you!


Production & Further Amendments

4.1 The Production team, led by Sam, works as a solidified unit to ensure the game functions to the best of its ability. At any time, rules are subject to change without debate or question from the participants in the game, in order to increase the quality of the season.
(i) Rule changes will most often and may only appear during challenges in order to remedy a flaw or expedite mundane processes to save time. Players are expected to respect these decisions and carry on without complaint. These changes won't be made to hinder you, but to make things more fair for every participant.

4.2 Prior to any casting decisions, the Production team has planned every twist and theme for the season. No event in the game was designed in order to help or hinder any cast member or groups of cast members, and no such accusations will be tolerated. Though we would love Beyoncé to win every game, alas in the rules of fairness, this can't occur.

4.3 There is a zero tolerance policy for cheating. This includes for castaways and Prediction Writers. Failure to comply will result in the immediate expulsion from the game and quite likely the remainder of future seasons.
(i) Though clearly less severe, loopholes within their own right are cheating, play the game as it's meant to be, not seeking out loopholes to the faster solution. As Tina Loveridge once said, "Stop finding loopholes in your chores before I make a hole in you with this vacuum!" Live by it, learn it.
(ii) For the sake of integrity, cheating now also includes copy/pasting conversations, sharing screenshots of conversations, etc. No fabricated or genuine excerpts from talks with other players may be shared among the cast. While these may be viable strategies in other games, Endure seeks a realistic experience. On Survivor, nobody can copy/paste the strategy talk they had on the beach earlier that morning. Breaching this rule will result in a self-vote. No form of screensharing, screenshotting, or anything of the like is allowed whatsoever unless express permission has been provided from Production (i.e. for challenges). You must rely specifically on word of mouth to share information strategically in this game. This includes impersonations of Production members in any way, shape, or form. Any attempt to impersonate a member of Production, another member of the cast, or an attempt to access other player's confessionals or accounts is strictly prohibited and will be met with serious consequence.

4.4 Any player using "bots" or "post hacking" systems at any time, especially during posting challenges, will follow the same consequences for cheating. We have a specific posting regulation system in place that all players must abide by. Don't be a dick.

4.5 Production has the final say in all matters, including hard executive decisions that may come up throughout the game. Production will always be as fair as possible to as many players as possible, as often as possible. Not everyone can always be pleased, but players are expected to respect these tough decisions that fall on the shoulders of Production. This may, or may not, include fanning with large prop-like leaves, just part of the job.

4.6 A member of production will always provide challenge rules and results, as well as tribal council rules and results, in a timely manner for the players. All of these will be viewed in their proper and respective locations. If not, yell at Samm, it's a fun sport, according to everyone, including his mom. Do you feel bad now? Ashlee never does.

Contacting Production

5.1 If at any time a player needs to contact a member of Production, the following contact information will assist you. Please do not hesitate to ask any game-related questions that you may have.

Sam Loveridge: Skype - sam.spongieboy, Twitter - SammLoveridge, Email - samp.loveridge@gmail.com
Ashlee Smith: Skype- Ashleelin05, Twitter- Ashleelinsmith, Email- Ashleelinsmith@gmail.com
Stephen Loughridge: Skype - thisisnotstephen, Twitter- srloughridge, Email- 14srlough@gmail.com
RJ Sobczak: Skype - rj_diggity, Email- rj.diggity@gmail.com
Jen Crowther: Skype- jennabee917, Twitter- jenlovescats, Email- jcrow917@gmail.com


Tribal Council

6.1 Tribal Council is the highlight to the game of survivor, the culmination of a player's strategy and perception to the game around them. Tribal Councils can function in two formats in Endure: Live (Hosted on call with expected participation from all players on the losing tribe), or Non-Live (Twenty-four hours to submit a vote and proper reasoning in the journal).
(i) At any point a tribe can request a Live Tribal Council, if all members are available to attend. Clearly live is much more fun than a non-live one, but this will only occur if people are around. These are preferable, as they incite much more interaction and resonate much stronger for castaways, Prediction Writers, and in the montage created after the season. Please be ready and willing for as many live tribal councils to take place as possible this season that we can.

6.2 In non-live Tribal Councils, players will be asked questions to answer on their own time during the twenty-four hours provided. All players are expected to answer the mandatory question asked to them at Tribal Council in the provided time limit. If it is a non-live Tribal Council, your answer must be in video format. Failure to answer questions or submit votes on time may result in self-votes. Two or more failures to answer questions or submit votes in the timeline provided may result in removal from the game.
(i) Players should double check that they are posting the right video in the right thread. Don't air your private strategic confessionals in public Tribal Council by accident.

6.3 If all votes are in, Production reserves the right to post Tribal Council before the given result time. Once submitted, a vote can't be changed, therefore if a tribe wants to expedite the process, posting early votes, though not recommended, is a way to speed things up.

6.4 Players will refer to their Voting Thread posted in their journal for any questions they may have regarding the voting process.

6.5 A vote cannot be changed once it has been locked in and posted on the board. Do not try to tamper with your vote, delete it, edit who the vote is for, etc. This is considered cheating, and Production will be regularly checking the boards log to see all time stamps of edited or deleted posts.
(i) If a player is unable to properly vote by parchment in the time limit provided, please contact a member of Production via Facebook or Skype. We will solve this.

6.6 If a tie occurs, a re-vote will be immediately held among all players who did not tie for the highest amount of votes. Should the vote tie again, a "purple rock" drawing will take place. The castaway holding immunity, as well as anyone who tied for the highest amount of votes upon the re-vote, will be safe from elimination. The player who draws the purple rock will be voted out immediately. The drawing will be done live on a skype call, with all players involved there to ensure no funny business!

Hidden Immunity Idols

7.1 If an immunity idol is in play, further information about it will be announced by Production when appropriate. Most details involving this will be in the holder's journal.
(i) Any and all Idols involved in the game expressly state that the bearer of the Idol may not provide visual proof of the Idol to another player. This includes screenshares, screenshots, proof on camera, etc. This rule, therefore, will also extend to "Fake Idols" as well. No player, at any point in time, may provide photographic evidence of a Hidden Immunity Idol, be it real or fake.

Jury Duty and Endgame Scenario

8.1 If a castaway is part of the jury, they are expected to not only vote for the winner but participate in all further jury duties. This may include a "Jury Summit" several times throughout the season on one of our live broadcasts. Just because you're out doesn't mean you can't have fun! Probably.

8.2 As a member of the jury, the players will determine the winner of this season. They must agree to not discuss in-game events with those currently competing in the game. Jury members are unable to communicate with pre-jurors as well. In other words, stick to your sandbox: Pre-jurors with pre-jurors, jurors with jurors, active contestants with active contestants. Don't talk outside, we are segregating. Welcome to the old world!
(i) Any jury members found undermining this rule will lose their vote in the final tribal council.

8.3 The date and time for the Final Tribal Council will be arranged amongst the finalists and Production, should any juror not be able to make the LIVE final tribal council, they will have a pre-determined call with the finalists in order to ask their questions. We will try our best to accommodate everyone involved.


Prediction Writers

9.1 A trusted, fairly small group of Prediction Writers will be hand-selected by Production prior to the start of the season. What are Prediction Writers? You may ask. They are put in place to provide feedback about gameplay, theorize placements, and give the players something to look at once the season has ended. Prediction Writers are a crucial aspect of the game, helping to build a strong viewer community to carry into the future.

9.2 Because the ORG world has lots of intertwined paths, Production completely understands that there may be specific Prediction Writers that players will not want to access their confessionals. This is incredibly easy for Production to work around, and we can remove access for specific people from specific journals. Once a list of Prediction Writers has been posted, players must simply inform Production of whom they do not want viewing their journal.
(i) If a player does not inform Production of any conflicts of interest with Prediction Writers, there will be no restricted access among the Prediction Writers. It'll be a party in your confessional, with you hosting, with people you hate, no one wants that party.

9.3 Outside of the Prediction Writers and members of Production, nobody else in the game or viewing the board may see a player's journal aside from themselves. Don't worry, your secrets are safe with us.

9.4 Production may weigh in from time to time in the Prediction Writers Lounge and provide insights or personal thoughts about gameplay or how the season may go. This is done fully without bias to the production member's job. In other words, there may be favourites, but Production will never play favourites.

9.5 Any Prediction Writers caught providing information to any non-Prediction Writers/Production members (Players, viewers, etc.) will be expelled immediately and be stripped of all access and dignity and clothes and life and bagels, which is not something you want.

9.6 Prediction Writing is a privilege, and can be taken away for inactivity or failure to comply with rules. Should Production see fit, they reserve the right to shut down the Prediction Writers Lounge and remove all access from all participants for the remainder of the season should a crucial breach of the rules take place. With that being said, Production will not appoint anybody to the role of Prediction Writer that they do not all agree on and fully trust, and there are no expected violations.

In Conclusion

10.1 Rules are there for a reason, so please abide by them but have as much fun as possible while doing so!

10.2 Do your best to make your mark. This is the fifth season of a potentially very enduring series (hahahahahahaha), make the most of it! We're fun hip, and cool (except Ashlee, she's a grumpy old lady, not really, maybe).

10.3 Please approach Production with any other questions or concerns.

10.4 Hopefully you actually read these because breaches in the rules can result in being kicked out, he says hopefully.

10.5 If you have actually read up to this point please add the phrase "boom boom boom now lemme hear you say way-ho" to your acceptance of the rules and regulations. Or you can just say "I agree to follow all 9000000 rules"