I think they started one of the seasons this way...worked for awhile.

Also give them guns with live ammo. A wheelbarrow full of sharp knives would provide immense amusement and would induce people like me actually to watch this garbage!

YES!YES!YES! (raises his hands in the air) that would perfect. That would make the pre-merge challenges much more exciting to watch, and leave more room for twists and tribal interaction. It won't be just an I like you, I hate you mindset, but more of a but out of YOU, who do I hate MORE? situation. The post-merge will be the best part. Each week, the 3 alliances will flip-flopping to make sure the other 2 even out, having to make deals but still paranoid that the other 2 will turn on them! It would put more pressure on those that fly-under-the-radar, and make it more of a democracy and less of a hierarchy. Immunities will be all the more important. One word of advice, though, is that they SHOULDN'T do like they did on Survivor: All-Stars which is a) make lop-sided tribes and b)DON'T MONKEY DISSOLVE A TRIBE!!! That was the worst decision ever by MB. What was he thinking! He had the best idea going for him, and he blew it. Instead of splitting one up 50/50, split each in 2 and have one half from each one merge! So let's say if there are 12 people, 4 from each side (XXXX OOOO ####), 2 would go to each new tribe to make 2 tribes of 3 pairs (XXOO## XXOO##), thus prematurely creating the merging situation. Much fun = higher ratings!

Forget it! There's too much bitchin' and moanin' amongst the two tribes enough as it is.

This might be a good idea when it comes time to switch people up, but to start this way is just not possible.

That would be pretty drastic. It was cause havoc for the editors, it would be hard to keep up with in the early episodes, and the game would have to start off with either 15 or 18 players instead of 16. However, it's such a novel idea, I can't help but be interested how it could turn out.

I guess some people just can't do math. You need 18 people for this, other wise you have one tribe shorthanded two people

It would help to add something new.

The reason I think this would work and also be more benficial to the players is that alliances would be less powerful in the merge. Right now, as it appears, Kucha will come into the merger stronger and vote off all Ogakor. Last season the same thing happened in the merger and that's why good people like Colleen and the doctor were voted off. You could have 3 tribes with 7 people per team. That way if alliances are formed (and of course they will be), when tribes merge, there will be three alliances instead of one powerful one to decide the fate of the rest of the members. That way, maybe there will be more fair competition during the merge.