Heh WW Z had it right leave some people in place while you gather up your resources. Along with Sweden I’d write France off as well, but for an entirely different reason then Sweden: they be arguing right up until they got eaten how it’s the Americans fault
Emotional detachment is what’s required: I’d have no problem offing zombies of even my relatives, my kids would be another matter entirely. However if they became undead the’re gone too. Fortunately in most outbreaks dogs seem to be immune or at least zombies aren’t interested in them so my dog and I are good to go. Goldens are remarkably quiet dogs. Anyone with a little yappy dog is toast.
Another intresting point is weaponry. Many assume that a Hand weapon is ideal as it doesn’t run out of ammo. That’s true. It also means you’re perliously close to being eaten as well.
Emotional detachment is what's required: I'd have no problem offing zombies of even my relatives, my kids would be another matter entirely. However if they became undead the're gone too. Fortunately in most outbreaks dogs seem to be immune or at least zombies aren't interested in them so my dog and I are good to go. Goldens are remarkably quiet dogs. Anyone with a little yappy dog is toast.
Willmark
Definitely. That's where I'd be ace. Was watching "Shawn of the Dead" with a good friend. Turned to him and said "dude, you know I'm gonna bust your cap the minute you get Zombie bitten, right?".
Ah yes the pets. Let's just say I'm big ailurophile but I'm not making a mad dash through a Zombie horde to save a pet. Nor any human for that matter. There's not going to be any "oh my bother is 2 kms away, I must find him" BS.
Another intresting point is weaponry. Many assume that a Hand weapon is ideal as it doesn't run out of ammo. That's true. It also means you're perliously close to being eaten as well.
Willmark
Yeah you really do not want to be bashing in the brains of zombies if you can avoid it.
Guns are great but ammo is likely going to be a problem sooner or later. Sooner I'd say unless you are lucky to get stuck in a gun store... which I never understood in Dawn of the Dead, clearly they had LOADS of ammo and a proficient shooter. So shoot all the zombies. There wasn't an endless supply after all. Would have made hell of a difference.
I'm thinking the ideal would be the slingshot. Yes really. There's somekind of "professional" one, you should be able to use almost anything as ammo and it should easily be able to wreck the head.
I'm thinking as a siege weapon though. Not as "I'm running in streets fighting" because that's probably a death sentence right there.
Didn't the zombies in WWZ not be able to climb stairs even?
I've been considering the place where I live. Our "student village", lots of 4 story buildings, but they have "bridges" between them so you could I think get over most of the area (I think there's at least half a dozen buildings immediately accessible from my apartment building) without going down to the ground. Sure it needs a thorough sweep first but after that its a pretty darn good place to be I reckon.
BTW wouldn't WWZ make for a rockin' 3rd person shooter computer game? When I was reading the book it struck how excellent some of the environments described would be for levels in a game. Think about sweeping NY harbour, how creepy wouldn't that experience be?
One thing to consider: are we talking about the Romero style slow shuffling, moaning ones or the 28 Days Later uber Usain Bolt Olympic sprinter types? Seems to me that which style of Zed we are facing will make a difference here.
If its later I’m thinking it’s 99% population reduction.
Add to all of this the problem isn’t so much the Zeds, it’s the panicy remaining population and the other sinister elements that might survive.
I’m also thinking South Central and Compton would hold up well; lots of homies packing there! the Israelis will probably kick #ss too.
today I was talking to a friend of mine about zombies and he says that zombies could never take over. they would be eaten to death by flies and maggots, since maggots eat dead flesh. Maggots should do them in, in a matter of weeks. He went on to say that animals would easily take out zombies as well since zombies lack basic survival skills. they would most likely harass animals relentlessly until they attack back.
I then referred to 28 weeks later where the zombies were not actually living dead but were infected living people with a rage virus. He said those ones would die from lack of water in a few days since they also lack basic survival skills.
It depends really on what rules the virus/plague goes by. in most zombie movies except resident evil, non-humans cannot become zombies.
I think the only way we could have a zombie outbreak in real life would either be from biological warfare, similar to the rage virus, or some kind of alien germ.
Of course the whole fly/maggot premise is predicated on corpses reacting to real world stimulae as they might normally. Which is weird because zombies are nor reacting “normally” due to their being zombies…
today I was talking to a friend of mine about zombies and he says that zombies could never take over. they would be eaten to death by flies and maggots, since maggots eat dead flesh. Maggots should do them in, in a matter of weeks. He went on to say that animals would easily take out zombies as well since zombies lack basic survival skills. they would most likely harass animals relentlessly until they attack back.
I then referred to 28 weeks later where the zombies were not actually living dead but were infected living people with a rage virus. He said those ones would die from lack of water in a few days since they also lack basic survival skills.
Da Crusha
He must have read cracked.com 's 7 scientific reasons why a zombie apocalypse can't happem, or something liek that. They had 3-4 interesting zombie lsits.
I Am Legend also allows animals to turn and I thought they fairly frequently were able to in zombie-themed stuff. Something to be aware of anyway ;)
Hashut's Blessing
oh yea I forgot about that one
He must have read cracked.com 's 7 scientific reasons why a zombie apocalypse can't happem, or something liek that. They had 3-4 interesting zombie lsits.
The bigger problem is the people who aren’t Zeds (yet anyways). Real life proves that social order breaks down real quick, and that’s not counting flesh eating zombies on the prowl.
Real problem is a lack of electricity, water cleansing and food production, as well as a lack of communicability and information gathering (if you don’t live near a library).
Not sure I agree about the food. I posted this on a other forum a few weeks ago:
Another interesting point is being American, all jokes aside not EVERY American is morbidly obese like a good chunk of Europeans like to tell theselves. Having some extra weigh initially as long as it’s not excessive would be a benefit. Think about the hospital scenario and the early stages of movie 28 days later. Sleep and sustenance is going to be hard to come by initially. A minimal amount of fat (again as long as it’s not excessive) is a gold mine for the body for energy. This could be the difference between life and death, or a tastier snack for the Zeds.
Closing that thought: food would probably should be your last initial thought (water is far more important) and you can go far longer then you think with no food. No water on the hand will spell a death sentence rapidly or slow you down for the undead.
But seriously; of course I’ve discussed this with my gaming group. What self respecting geek wouldn’t? Between us, we’ve seen and read just about everything there is to be found on the subject and (no kidding), two of my buddies and myself were recently approached to act as advisors in a large scale zombie-based event project, scheduled for Halloween 2011. How cool, is that?
We’ve discussed the subject through and through and came to the conclusion that my house would be the safest location, even though it is on the outskirts of a moderately sized city. It, and its surroundings are easily defendable, as with the application of just a handful of 40" containers to fill the gaps inbetween several flats surrounding the house (ideally stacked two high), it would be transformed into an impenetrable fortess.
The containers were my idea; I work in logistical management and have news feeds on my PC all day. One suspect article is all it takes to have a mobile crane and a convoy of foodstuff filled highcube containers rerouted to my street…
Also, the house has its own powersupply by being fully solar powered (!) and the created compound would be sufficient to house and feed about 50 people; the group and their families. It sits comfortably near the edge of a protected water-win area, and being in the Netherlands means one doesn’t have to dig very deep to hit water, so a well can be arrange fairly easily. Weapons aplenty, as myself and several others are involved in Medieval European Martial arts (sword, maces, bows etc) and pending the permit (and saving the funds), fire-arms are on their way too, although those would require equipment to manufacture ammo on the long run (but being into metal miniatures, we’re no strangers to casting of course). Still; I’d prefer easily renewable ammo such as arrows and rocks. And there’s a reason the Priest in the party, who’s the rekilling-of-the-undead-specialist always carries a mace, right?
Oh and not unimportantly; there are enough Metal CD’s to keep headbanging all through the zombocalypse!
@ Willmark: about the overweighted in society; remember the age old adventurer’s addage: ‘You don’t need to be faster than the Dragon, you just have to outrun the Halfling…’
Oh no doubt but people assume from seeing fat American tourists that every American is morbidly obese. Simply put having some fat would be beneficial in the zombie outbreak scenario: you’re not going to have time to stop and eat initially and what you might gather up won’t be sufficient or too bulky to carry enough.
Still not buying the hand weapon argument. Hand weapons mean getting close to Zeds; getting close means infection possibilities. Shotguns and 9mm handguns arent ideal either but represent the most likely finds of ammo. Bows and x bows would be fine if you were holed up somewhere. On the go the road aiming sequence is too slow.
Oh no doubt but people assume from seeing fat American tourists that every American is morbidly obese. Simply put having some fat would be beneficial in the zombie outbreak scenario: you're not going to have time to stop and eat initially and what you might gather up won't be sufficient or too bulky to carry enough.
Willmark
I've been to the states and what did strike was that the proportion of obese people *was* rather impressive.
And we aren't exactly slim here either. Reminds me of my friend, who fills a XXXL t-shirt, when he visited the states for the Hillbilly in Little Rock, damned if I remember the year, but he noted happily when he came home that for once he wasn't the fattest guy around.
So yeah, we don't base that solely on fat american tourists. Who by the way rarely have the stamina to make it here anyway. :P
I would agree, however, in the basic premise that having a fat reserve can help in survival, that's why we have it after all. Note however that fat is among the last to "burn", even when starving. The issue here is that "fat american" usually doesn't mean a person with a couple of pounds of extra weight. "Fat american" would more likely be "too fat to run away from Zombies". Odds are the Zombies will outrun them. At least in the long run.