Da Crusha:
"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.Thats exactly what happened in "ZombieLand".
snowblizz
snowblizz:
Hey! No spoilers!
This message was automatically appended because it was too short.
Da Crusha:
Hey! No spoilers!spoiler alert!
snowblizz
well actually it is said in the first 5 minutes of the movie.
Willmark:
well think about it. Until maybe a hundred years (you can argue all day as to exact dates) or so ago food was not a given. With such in mind our bodies still think in starvation mode, hoarding all available energy it can for future use.
The question becomes not so much as are you fast enough to out run X zombies. The better tactic would be to avoid them. Fighting zombies is likely to bring more zombies…
snowblizz:
Yeah, it was mostly an ironic comment on my inability to actually watch movies. But you couldn't know that.:DHey! No spoilers!spoiler alert!
snowblizz
well actually it is said in the first 5 minutes of the movie.
Da Crusha
I had a friend who was also going for a PhD and we would watch movies on the week ends, but since he basically quit, or paused (depending on ig he ever finishes it), just before finishing the degree last year I haven't really seen much of the new stuff coming out. He moved back home at same time leaving me hanging here at Uni, the bastard. In fact the last time I actually got to see new movies was on the plane to Peru for a conference. I went through maybe 6-7 movies in total (there and back).
In fact it may be time I got hold of Zombieland.
well think about it. Until maybe a hundred years (you can argue all day as to exact dates) or so ago food was not a given. With such in mind our bodies still think in starvation mode, hoarding all available energy it can for future use.I'd even go so far and say not until after WW2, and then only in "developed nations". Ok see we don't need to get hung up on the too fat to move part. The thing is though that there's a difference between being fat and being faAat. It is not just positive. In fact be too fat, ie obese and you are also suffering from other health problems, which is not a good starting point for the apocalypse. The main issue I see with being a "american fat" is that your body (and brain!) is used to a large daily calorie intake and you are going to start having serious blood sugar issues most likely leading to irrational behaviour. Ie "I must go to the mall for some Snickers bars, zombies or no zombies". Saw a Dr Phil show on child obesity and those kids went nuts when cutting into their "sugar rush".
The question becomes not so much as are you fast enough to out run X zombies. The better tactic would be to avoid them. Fighting zombies is likely to bring more zombies...
Willmark
Interestingly then you have a situation where being more athletic would likely improve your chances of getting more food, but being fat would mean if you have the opportunity you do not need to scrounge for food as much.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this. Maybe the point I saying that because americans are generally fatter than many european countries it doesn't necessarily translate into better survival chances. Though I like to think I have hit a pretty sweet spot. *taps belly* :cheers
I must say though that on reflection the scariest part isn't necessary the zombies, it is what other people will turn into when society goes to hell. Especially all those fatties desperately looking for that Bic Mac fix.
Willmark:
I think everyone is still getting hung up on the word “fat”. I’m not arguing which culture is fat or fatter. My point is simply some reserves would be good, going along the lines of water first. You can go upwards of 30-60 days with no food, water not do much. Also there are plenty of things to eat assuming bugs and plants are not part of the zombie apocalypse. Again say maybe 5-10 lbs on person’s ideal weight. For my own part: Im good, minimal body fat and still losing weight.
Another interesting thought: Americans (large chunks of them) are going down/may get eaten due to weight, (real or perceived). Europeans are getting eaten due to lack of weaponry. Sure thre are exceptions, but largely Europe is a disarmed society. Anyone can grab a pipe, but as previously discussed it also means close proximity to being infected/eaten.
And Snow we are in agreement: zombies are a known quantity in this, surviving humans? Way too unpredictable.
nitroglysarine:
Well the UK is supposed to be the worst of obesity in Europe.
However I live in Wales, a chunk of Britain that rather dislikes to be called England.
Sorry back on topic, Wales is supposed to be the healthiest part of Britain, Huzzah!!
Willmark:
Yet another thought: Europe is also in trouble due to higher density of urban centers compared to the rest of the world. Certain places in Asia will have this same problem. The US has a large population comparatively speaking but is also spread out to a large degree.
Blind Berzerker:
Indeed; the Netherlands have the largest headcount per square kilometer of all countries in the world, which is why pro-active threat elimination is key. Cull 'em before they spread, or we’re gonna have to do it the Pooh way and nuke the site from orbit before you know it!
There are a lot of waterways here, both big and small, which could be useful in keeping outbreaks isolated though. But then, at least according to Brooks, deep water is not a Z deterrent and roamers are not stopped by any body of water, including oceans!
Which coincidentally make islands unsuspecting death traps. One day you’re lazing out in the sun on the beach of your isolated tropical island, the next a swarm/herd comes shambling out of the surf in its thousands, and you have nowhere to go but back into your little boat / floating coffin…
Nope; a sturdily walled fortress with a large enough enclosure to allow for ample agriculture to feed the inhabitants and freezing winters to slow/stop the undead and allow for culling and scavenging sorties. Keep that up for a couple of years, and it’s like playing ‘Sid Meyer’s Civilisation - The Real World’ as you slowly expand your empire…
Hashut’s Blessing:
America is perhaps one of the best countries in which to survive the zombalypse. Plenty of weaponry to hand, lots of uninhabited land, plenty of foodstocks and plenty of overweight people (although it’s only the 2nd or 3rd “fattest” in the wolrd) to outrun - a secondary bonus when the large ones become zombies: you can outrun the zombies thenm if it came to it.
However, the UK could be quite good as well because of its natural country defence system: being an island. We’re separated from the VAST majority of the population of Earth, so we deal with the internal problem first. If French zombies tried to cross the channel by walking, currents would help to thin them out. Sure, we may get some on ferries, but the Eurotunnel would likely be blocked quickly and ferries only steer themselves for so long (zombies likely can’t steer).
Lastly, I’m not too bad: I live in a village in Yorkshire. Plenty of agriculture and only 7,000 inhabitants to kill. Pre-emptively of course… What?
nitroglysarine:
We have an excellent building near my house, Its the national library of Wales, large well fortified building, lots of lockable layers.
Its would stand up well i’d say to a zombie attack, high windows, all security barred, multiple layers, magnetically lockable doors, basement layers with good humidity control for book storage, also areas in the basement that are according to a few who work there, some “forbidden texts” in the basement that aren’t allowed to be looked at without government approval.
Sounds like an awesome film plot to me!!
-> Yes a few of us really have thought this through seriously, there is also a cool building at the top of a cliff face only accessible by cablecar or a difficult walk.
So we are covered in West Wales! - provided we can get there!!
Anymore good buildings that are good local to anyone?
Hashut’s Blessing:
Sounds good, but the magnetically sealed doors and humidity control wouldn’t last long: if electricity goes (which it likely would), then they won’t work.
Also, always aim to be up, not down - if you need to escape through zombies, you get to hit their heads instead of their shins. As a wargamer, you should know high ground is an advantage
nitroglysarine:
Modded the thread with another option.
Also, the site runs on a back up generator, which would last a while, but agreed not forever, that all comes down to the type of zombie we are talking about, undead spirit, or alchemical or disease. If its alchemical or disease, then I think we could hold out for long enough.
Blind Berzerker:
It might even hold some arcane tomes on Necromancing, which might prove very useful…
One advantage of the Old World is of course our abundance of medieval (and both earlier and later periods) fortified buildings, all built with the sole purpose of withstanding CC attacks. From simple defendable dwellings, to completely fortified castles, keeps and cities (Carcassonne anyone?)
Then again; most sieges were not decided through combat, but through starvation or betrayal, both very real dangers in a post-zombocalypse world… (I’ve just finished ‘The Walking Dead’ Book 6, and I expect some in-fighting between the Governor and our trusty little group next installment…)
I still think strong, early actions to curb any outbreak would be the best approach. Scientists agree:
University of Ottawa Infectious Disease Modelling Research :cheers
nitroglysarine:
On a slight side note:- Pandemic
Great game for fun, I usually call my disease ‘Rage’ 
Blind Berzerker:
Damn you Nitro; that post of yours already now is costing me precious hours of my life, never to be recovered, and I fear for many more to follow. Must. Infect. World. Population. Gaaah!! 
nitroglysarine:
sorry, there is a ‘speed up’ option, so if you want to see how it pans out, you can find out in a jiffy.
but you NEVER get Madagasca!
sundrinker:
I think in a zombie apocalypse it would not be zombie’s but other humans you’d have to worry about. It would send us back to a very primal mentality; not only is their things that want to eat you but also people that may want your food, weapons and/or shelter.
Certainly where I live their are enough people that would eat me already without a zombie virus but it is terrifying what those people would do in the event of a zombie outbreak.
Also in the Max Brooks novel World war Z he talks about humans with some sort of mental condition that can’t deal with the stress and begin to act like or aid the zombies.
Blind Berzerker:
Yeah, but the real deal can tell, and eats them all the same…
Indeed; it would not be the Z’s as much as the other survivors that would eventually become the biggest danger. One could see the Z’s as a force of nature; strong and unstoppable, but ultimately predictable and therefore manageable.
However, survival is a key motivator for each and every one of us. Beneath the thinnest layer of civilisation lies the beast in each of us, which makes us unpredictable and thus dangerous.
Examples in pop-culture of this inner beast are plenty, think Mad Max 2, Escape from New York, Lord of the Flies or the Walking Dead series.
So; reserve your well laid out plans, high walls, maces and hammers for the Z’s and plenty of ammo, paranoia and channeled savagery for the other survivors…
nitroglysarine:
It would be interesting to see which countries survive,
I like the depth firefly looked at the culture of the future, everyone pretty much speaks English and Manderine (as those two cultures dominated in the plot line).
France might not last to long (No it really wouldn’t, landlocked lots of long borders)
Smaller islands would be a good point to go, UK - just the eurotunnel (easy to collapse in to block)