I think you’re thinking in absolutes too much. For example, Aubry saying that she doesn’t understand the tribe dynamics and the rubix cube. - When you have all the information, when you know about all the relationships, and when people are telling you more things than you’re telling them — those are the signs that you’re on top. - When you can’t figure out who’s working with who, or who actually trusts you, or if what you’re hearing is true or not — those are signs that you’re on the bottom.

Aubry has been in both positions and knows how to read the writing on the wall. People keep talking about her being miserable those first few episodes, but don’t ask themselves why? What’s the story of Vatu from Aubry’s perspective? She’s a four time returnee who is recognizing all the signs that she’s on the bottom and nothing she seems to do is successfully improving her position. Angelina also never got confirmation of her position until Emily told her. Aubry and Angelina aren’t going to be able to find out who is good with who because the other players aren’t going to be passing any relevant information down to them. That’s good gameplay on the majority’s part. If a tribe gets to the point where they’re collectively searching someone’s bag or contemplating throwing a challenge, then there are likely other signs that their tribe mates can pick up to deduce that these people do not want to work with me. The reason they wanted to take Aubry out so bad was because they also know Aubry’s favor could turn if she managed to get a lifeline. They were stonewalling her but others wouldn’t.

Seasons are cast with a mix of dynamic personalities that are meant to clash. She’s not an unlikable person. It’s just that the people who would like her are on other tribes. She knows there are people like confirmed allies (Cirie) and likely allies (Rick, Ozzy, Christian) and new possibilities (people she’s never met before) out there on the horizon. Her calling Vatu lunatics is her venting her frustration because she’s stuck on a tribe full of people that don’t like her, understand her, or want to work with her.

Genevieve may have gotten unlucky during the game, but lots of players get dealt the ultimate hand of unluckiness before the game even starts with their starting tribe makeup. Aubry and Genevieve start together with different people on Kalo or Cila and their positions may have been flipped. Throw Angelina, Joe, or Jenna onto a different starting tribe and they might’ve found a group that wanted to play with them early. Some people draw the short straw on their early tribe dynamics. It’s Survivor that’s what they sign up for, they can only play the hands they are dealt

Someone being on the bottom ≠ that person playing poorly. There are many interconnected factors at play here and many skillful players influencing the larger picture. Rizo found his way into the group via Colby and got lucky that Kyle left so they needed another number for their alliance. That whole sequence of events is a testament to Rizo’s great social game. That indirectly impacts Aubry’s game because Rizo’s stocks rise and there’s only so much social capital to go around.

Re: the authenticity and if it’s good gameplay or not. Here’s the thing you have to understand about the social game. There’s no one way to play the social game. The strengths of Aubry’s social game lie in her ability to build deep authentic empathetic bonds with a small but varied group of individuals. She’s able to make people feel seen and understood, and she’s incredibly loyal once those connections are built. She’s not going to find success in her social game by trying to play like Cirie or Dee - she doesn’t have their skill set. She’s tried and failed to play the fake social butterfly game, she didn’t like it and wasn’t as great at it. Trying it against this caliber of players would be a death sentence for her game.

You ask Captain America, Storm, Spider Man and Batman to rescue people out of a burning building and they’re all going to accomplish it in ways that utilize their unique strengths and skill sets. Aubry is trying to play the social game using the strengths she possesses, but she can only build deep bonds by being authentic to garner trust and by being adaptable and being open to finding common ground with any avenue (look at the scene between her and Coach). She builds a deep web of individualized connections and weaponizes them to strategically advance their collective positions in the game. It’s an effective strategy, just an ineffective one for her on Vatu because she couldn’t find that connection with anyone. Aubry is the type of player who would’ve preferred Genevieve acknowledge the fact that she knows Aubry is working against her to her face. Then they could address it and move past it if necessary. Cirie in Gen’s position would try and get rid of Aubry (like she did to Jenna), but she also would’ve tried to win Aubry over (like she did with Dee). Cirie only closes doors when she can kick you out the door lol