The official Zombie Apocalypse Thread

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by mckerney

FREE PUBLIC TECH-DEMO RELEASED! | Project Zomboid

Demo of Project Zomboid released. It's an isometric game where you gather supplies and try to survive as long as your can. The demo is actually quite a bit better than I was expecting it to be at this stage.

I downloaded this and played some over the weekend...

This isn't "Left 4 Dead" or "Resident Evil." You play a guy, Bob Smith, who looks like a middle-aged desk jockey, bald spot and everything. The dead have risen in your town and you and your wife, Kate, are just trying to survive. The game opens with you and Kate in a new "safe house" (third one this week). Kate has suffered a severely broken leg while running away from a gang of marauding humans. You've managed to get her upstairs into a bedroom. From there, the tutorial starts. It's pretty basic. You walk around using the W,A,S,D keys and look inside various houses, bars, restaurants and other buildings for supplies. Your first task is to find things to stabelize Kate. Your second task is secure the "safe house." Third task is to find food. And so on and so forth.

This is a game of survival, not killing zombies. You have to move as quickly and quiety as you can to try and scavenge whatever supplies you can find. Your character needs to eat and sleep. And, if injured, to heal up. Those are the essentials. You can kill zombies. There are some weapons, a hammer, axe, baseball bat and shotgun. It's pretty easy to kill one zombie or two (or many if you have a shotgun, though that is loud and attracts a LOT of attention), but once you start attracting a horde, you're pretty much fucked. You can walk faster than zombies and when you run you blow by them, but you get tired and can only run so long. And running makes more sound, which attracts more zombies.

There is a basic crafting system. For example, you can make bandages out of torn up bedsheets. If you have a hammer, nails and some wood you can barricade the doors and windows. If you have an empty bottle, petrol, the torn up sheets and a lighter... molotov cocktail. And so on.

At this point, there really isn't too much more to the game than just seeing how long you can survive. The best strategy, is probably to stay in the safehouse as long as you can and only run out to gather food and supplies when absolutely necessary.

That game has good atmosphere. You can hear the zombies groaning when they see you or gathering outside your window. You can hear them slowly pounding at the door of your house. If you happen to stumble unexpectedly onto a zombie either in a room or around a corner the music shrieks and your guy can panic. The text dialogue between you and your wife is surprisingly touching. (To skip the tutorial, which you have to play through each time you start a new game, you can just smother her with a pillow. I eventually did that, since I had completed the tutorial so many times. It sucked.)

There are some frustrating things about the game. The most frustrating things are that I wasn't able to drop any items except for putting them in cabinets. This came back to kill me one time. I had a huge haul of goodies, including a shotgun, but was encumbered. Just walking with all that stuff made me tired and out of breath. I thought I could make it home, but I was wrong. And not being able to shed my heavy load led to my death. The isometric view can also be tricky for combat, since you think you have the zombie lined up with your axe, you swing and... not so much.

The game is certainly with a few play throughs, especially since it's free.

I did have to go online to see how to get past the end of the tutorial.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I downloaded this and played some over the weekend...

This isn't "Left 4 Dead" or "Resident Evil." You play a guy, Bob Smith, who looks like a middle-aged desk jockey, bald spot and everything. The dead have risen in your town and you and your wife, Kate, are just trying to survive. The game opens with you and Kate in a new "safe house" (third one this week). Kate has suffered a severely broken leg while running away from a gang of marauding humans. You've managed to get her upstairs into a bedroom. From there, the tutorial starts. It's pretty basic. You walk around using the W,A,S,D keys and look inside various houses, bars, restaurants and other buildings for supplies. Your first task is to find things to stabelize Kate. Your second task is secure the "safe house." Third task is to find food. And so on and so forth.

This is a game of survival, not killing zombies. You have to move as quickly and quiety as you can to try and scavenge whatever supplies you can find. Your character needs to eat and sleep. And, if injured, to heal up. Those are the essentials. You can kill zombies. There are some weapons, a hammer, axe, baseball bat and shotgun. It's pretty easy to kill one zombie or two (or many if you have a shotgun, though that is loud and attracts a LOT of attention), but once you start attracting a horde, you're pretty much fucked. You can walk faster than zombies and when you run you blow by them, but you get tired and can only run so long. And running makes more sound, which attracts more zombies.

There is a basic crafting system. For example, you can make bandages out of torn up bedsheets. If you have a hammer, nails and some wood you can barricade the doors and windows. If you have an empty bottle, petrol, the torn up sheets and a lighter... molotov cocktail. And so on.

At this point, there really isn't too much more to the game than just seeing how long you can survive. The best strategy, is probably to stay in the safehouse as long as you can and only run out to gather food and supplies when absolutely necessary.

That game has good atmosphere. You can hear the zombies groaning when they see you or gathering outside your window. You can hear them slowly pounding at the door of your house. If you happen to stumble unexpectedly onto a zombie either in a room or around a corner the music shrieks and your guy can panic. The text dialogue between you and your wife is surprisingly touching. (To skip the tutorial, which you have to play through each time you start a new game, you can just smother her with a pillow. I eventually did that, since I had completed the tutorial so many times. It sucked.)

There are some frustrating things about the game. The most frustrating things are that I wasn't able to drop any items except for putting them in cabinets. This came back to kill me one time. I had a huge haul of goodies, including a shotgun, but was encumbered. Just walking with all that stuff made me tired and out of breath. I thought I could make it home, but I was wrong. And not being able to shed my heavy load led to my death. The isometric view can also be tricky for combat, since you think you have the zombie lined up with your axe, you swing and... not so much.

The game is certainly with a few play throughs, especially since it's free.

I did have to go online to see how to get past the end of the tutorial.

It it pretty limited since it's just the demo to the alpha version of the game. Right now you can buy the game for €5 and the alpha should be online soon. It was up for a while, but there was a pirated version out that took up too much bandwidth because of how often it would download the game while checking for updates. As a result they took it down until they can prevent that sort of thing. Some of the things they'll include in their next update:

Character professions – Select your character’s pre-apocalypse job, which will grant them unique traits relating to their career to give them unique apocalypse survival skills. Make Bob a construction worker who’s barricading and crafting skills are second to none, or maybe a fire officer who can chop through zombies heads and doors with equal finesse.

Traits – You can give your character a combination of good / bad traits. You can trade for more points by giving Bob bad traits, perhaps making him a hypochondriac who develops zombification symptoms whether he has been infected by a scratch or not. With these points you can buy positive traits, making him brave and less prone to panic, or extra fit to make easy work of those long runs or frenzied weapon swinging.

Curtains! – ‘nuf said, we think!

Burglar alarms – Be afraid.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I know that the "World War Z" movie has been in the works for sometime now, but I didn't know that they'd actually begun filiming it already and that it's due out next year!

Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

[JediKooter]

Nice!

[Edward64]

Oct 8 is the day!

World Zombie Day To Bring Out The Living Dead | Fox News

This October flesh-eating corpses could be shambling the streets of a city near you. Oct. 8 has officially been coined World Zombie Day and events across the United States are searching for victims this month.

Zombie walks inspired by classic horror films like George A. Romero’s "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead" give people across the country and around the world a day of dead fun that’s inexpensive, and often gives back to charity.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I have been trying to get into some form of shape for a while now. And I think I've finally found something that could inspire me to do it:

5K Obstacle Course Zombie Race - Run For Your Lives

Thinking of the Indy date, unless there is one closer to the Detroit area or possible Chicago.

[Kodos]

hxxp://shop.cafepress.com/zombie

I like the "Does your family have a zombie infestation plan?" one.

[AlexB]

'Resident Evil 5' stage collapse sends 11 to hospital | Inside Movies | EW.com

I love the fact that 'Since the actors were reportedly dressed as zombies, paramedics could not tell at first which of them were actually injured...'

[Subby]

OH HAI!

World War Z trailer

[DataKing]

Fake.

[Subby]

Ah, so it is. Pretty well done though.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Subby

Ah, so it is. Pretty well done though.

I agree. It is pretty well done.

[SteveMax58]

I know this has been posted in a couple of other threads but this truly belongs here. Start getting your supplies in order.

The Zombie Apocalypse has begun!!!!

Miami Police Shoot, Kill Man Eating Another Man’s Face « CBS Miami

the officer saw what the man was doing, and ordered him to stop. He said the man growled at the officer, and then returned to his meal.

[Edward64]

For all you Walking Dead comic book fans, Brian Keene has started his own. Read them at B&N, I thought pretty good. Only 2 out so far.

Amazon.com: The Last Zombie: Dead New World (9780984487929): Brian Keene: Books

[Edward64]

I found the below forum. Its a prepper forum but they try to incorporate a zombie apocalypse (as well as other SHTF scenarios).

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/

[EagleFan]

Alexander Kinyua Ate Kujoe Agyei-Kodie's Brain, Heart In Maryland, Cops Say

Does this make it a trend?

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Alexander Kinyua Ate Kujoe Agyei-Kodie's Brain, Heart In Maryland, Cops Say

Does this make it a trend?

Great... Now all of the Zombies are gonna come out of the woods.

[SteveMax58]

New meaning to "you want a piece of me?". Felt appropriate for this thread as there is no confirmation that he was not a zombie.

New Jersey man throws intestines at cops after repeatedly stabbing himself | Fox News

[Honolulu_Blue]

"Dead State" has finally launched a Kickstarter.

Dead State is a game I've been tracking for a few years now. It's a zombie survival RPG. It's a turn-based game similar to, say, X-Com or Jagged Alliance. You have a character and your "base" is a school. You have to gather allies, get supplies, keep up morale, build up your base, etc.

Dead State: The Zombie Survival RPG by DoubleBear Productions — Kickstarter

Here's a bit more on it:

Overview

Dead State is a compelling, high-tension RPG set at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. As society is beginning to fall apart, the player must organize allies, fortify a shelter, scout for food and supplies, and make uncertain alliances, attempting to hold together a group as humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. And although the zombies lurk as an ever present threat, the biggest obstacle to the player may just be other humans with the same goal: survival at any cost.

Interact with dozens of characters in over 10,000 lines of branching dialogue that affect gameplay, story outcomes, and multiple endings. Explore multiple surrounding towns and areas to find supplies and recruit allies. Fight the living and the dead in strategic turn-based combat. Upgrade your shelter to provide new ways of keeping morale high, creating new weapons and armor, and keeping the dead out. Your leadership will mean life or undeath for the survivors of the zombie apocalypse.

Core Features

-A PC RPG with stats, skills, and perks that make a huge difference on your character’s abilities.

-Dozens of characters with branching, reactive dialogue, and randomized events that unfold over months of in-game time – player decisions and the death of loved ones can change relationships drastically.

-Turn-based combat where line-of-sight and noise affect whether you are spotted or not, making for extremely tense encounters.

-Base-building mechanics featuring multiple upgrades, NPC jobs, and item manufacturing.

-Scavenging mechanics that require players to find supplies, weapons, armor, and other items to keep their allies fed and alive.

-A morale system that factors in player success/failure, allies’ faith in the player, and the overall strength of the shelter.

-Crisis Event dialogues that factor in political maneuvering and making difficult choices that affect your whole shelter.

-Reactive AI that responds realistically to combat situations, player commands, and the state of panic from the presence of zombies.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by tyketime

Great... Now all of the Zombies are gonna come out of the woods.

Don't worry, Rick won't see them.

[Kodos]

Finally, serious academic inquiry is being made into zombies and their inherent tax implications.

Death and Taxes and Zombies by Adam Chodorow :: SSRN

[JediKooter]

I love this thread.

[tarcone]

There is an adults only Summer camp in NJ that might interest those of you that visit this thread

No kids allowed: coolest adults-only summer camps | Fox News"]No kids allowed: coolest adults-only summer camps | Fox News

[Lathum]

The city is shutting off all power to my building from 7 PM tonight until 6 AM tomorrow. Some people are pissed, I view it as an opportunity for a trial run for when the zombie apocalypse hits.

[JediKooter]

Nice!

[Kodos]

So the face chewer guy only had marijuana in his system? Guess he got the munchies.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Kodos

So the face chewer guy only had marijuana in his system? Guess he got the munchies.

Must be some strong stuff. I've never wanted to eat a guy's face.

[JediKooter]

Yeah, seems like that would be too much effort to eat someones face if you're a pothead.

[bulletsponge]

for the 1st time ever ive thrown a few bucks into a kickstarter. Deadstate is the type of game i like to play (like Jagged alliance with zombies!), they are currently over 198K with 6 days left. they might make it to their 210K stretch goal (which has a mall in it)

[Honolulu_Blue]

As good a use as any for all of this vacant urban land around here. I'd be all over this in a heart beat. Atlanta peoples, what's up with this "Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse" thing?

Idea for Detroit zombie theme park catches some attention | City of Detroit | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

[PilotMan]

5K Obstacle Course Zombie Race - Run For Your Lives

[tarcone]

Zombie proof homes

http://realestate.yahoo.com/news/anti-zombie-strongholds-for-sale.html"]Anti-zombie strongholds for sale - Yahoo! Homes

[Flasch186]

This guy mustve just turned because he went after the guy's stomach when we all know that the shoulders hands and neck are much easier targets for food.

Report: Naked man bit man's stomach during rampage | News - Home

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Kelvin Santos, Brazilian Boy Pronounced Dead, Briefly Resurrected To Ask For Water

Zombie babies!

[Lathum]

Thomas Family Farm | Nighttime Activities | Zombie Paintball Hayride

[tarcone]

What do zombies eat if there are no living humans to wat? And how long do they survive is there is no live humans to eat? Do they eat each other?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by tarcone

What do zombies eat if there are no living humans to eat?

Wander around and look for humans to eat (or, in some cases, may eat animals).

Originally Posted by tarcone

And how long do they survive is there is no live humans to eat?

Zombies do not die of starvation.

Originally Posted by tarcone

Do they eat each other?

No. They only feast on fresh meat.

[Kodos]

Yeah, zombies can't survive because they are already dead.

[Chief Rum]

Okay, so zombies do move. Moving requires energy. Energy doesn't come out of thin air--humans at least need to eat to acquire the energy to move and do anything, or they eventually die of starvation (basically they run out of energy).

So if zombies can't die of starvation, they either get their energy from somewhere else, or they actually violate the very laws of physics.

Are there any theories out there as to how this is?

[JediKooter]

I guess you could say, their bodies continue to decompose and from that decomposition, that's where they get their energy.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Okay, so zombies do move. Moving requires energy. Energy doesn't come out of thin air--humans at least need to eat to acquire the energy to move and do anything, or they eventually die of starvation (basically they run out of energy).

So if zombies can't die of starvation, they either get their energy from somewhere else, or they actually violate the very laws of physics.

Are there any theories out there as to how this is?

It's the virus. It fuels them. It animates their dead flesh and bodies and that's how they move. That's where they get their energy from.

Zombies don't burn calories. Zombies don't digest the meat they eat. They don't eat it for fuel. The meat zombies eat just sits in their stomachs or slides out.

Though, for the record, zombies don't just violate the very laws of physics, I am pretty sure they violate the very laws of reality.

However, it's EXACTLY this type of hubris, that we humans think we really understand how the universe works and what the "laws" of physics and reality actually are that leads us to create some virus or something the reanimates the dead and shows us that we really have no idea how things really work...

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Okay, so zombies do move. Moving requires energy. Energy doesn't come out of thin air--humans at least need to eat to acquire the energy to move and do anything, or they eventually die of starvation (basically they run out of energy).

So if zombies can't die of starvation, they either get their energy from somewhere else, or they actually violate the very laws of physics.

Are there any theories out there as to how this is?

Uh, yeah, well, whenever you notice something like that... a wizard did it.

[tarcone]

So this will be an altered reality for everyone. We will all be walking dead.
Will we just stumble around or will we evolve. Will aliens come down and put a monolith somewhere that a zombie will touch and that zombie will gain intelligence and understanding. Then there will be zombies that become smart.
Will there be any need for procreation? Will zombies (or us) need to breed?
After zombies touch the monlith will sex be something that zombies seek out?
What about technology? Will a zombie want an iPad after he/she touched the monolith?