Nightcrawler
Member
Many of our veterans from TFL will remember the thread I started there after a long night of too much sugar and caffiene. But, it's a new forum. We need to set forth a base of memorable threads that we can all look back on later and laugh (or not).
In any case, the scenario is simple. If you've ever seen The Night of the Living Dead (for God sakes don't get the 30th Anniversary DVD edition...they butchered it!), Dawn of the Dead, or the recent Resident Evil, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Your town (or possibly the whole world) is suffering from a zombie plague. Zombies are reanimated corpses (or are transformed people) that prowl around and hunt the living. They feed off of living tissue to keep what few motor mechanisms they have left going.
There are many kinds of zombies. For our little scenario, we'll go with the mutant/science gone wrong theory of zombification. Your neighbors are getting infected with the zombie virus, usually from being bitten by a zombie. Once bitten, they begin their transformation.
The zombie, once transformed, is hardly nature's ultimate predator. Remember, they're a product of man, not nature. They can't see well, and they're usually pretty slow. Most are fairly weak, though if they're mutated enough they might grow claws or talons ala the They Hunger mod for Half-Life. Usually, whatever mutuation reanimates them doesn't require use of the heart and lungs, though, so in most cases shooting them in the chest won't do much, unless you hit the spine or damage enough muscle so as to immoblize them. The surest way of putting them down is to destroy the brain.
They mostly skulk around in large groups and hunt humans and other mammals. Sometimes they have a good sense of smell or some other means of detecting their prey, and will follow you around relentlessly. They can't be reasoned with, frightened, or intimidated, though they will usually avoid fire, water, and cliffs and such (base-level human instict...brain stem stuff). Sometimes they'll avoid direct sunlight, depending on which genre you're dealing with.
Individually, and out in the open, they're not much of a threat, so long as you're mobile and have the IQ of a small domestic animal. It's when they surround and mob you, or catch you in close quarters that they cause trouble. If they don't kill you and eat you after biting you, usually you'll turn into a zombie anyway (if the bite breaks the skin). There's not always a vaccine, either, so watch out for that.
Also, oftentimes zombies aren't the only threat involved in a general attack of the undead. Often the unnatural science or unholy processes that cause the dead to rise also bring about other unpleasant creatures and/or mutants, which often pose a much greater threat than the zombies themselves. Resident Evil's mutant bugs, spiders, and "Project Nemesis" are all good examples of this.
So, with that in mind, what would you prefer to have with you if the zombie plague hit your town? Remember, you dont' want to hole up someplace. Mobility is the advantage you have over the undead; they don't get tired, they don't get thirsty, and they don't have to go to the bathroom. They can surround you and wait you out if you lock yourself up someplace, and the authorities might not get their act together to combat the undead menace for quite a while.
So, what weapons would you choose? Remember, you don't want to be running around fighting the undead hoardes alone, so bring some friends. For my team, I think it'd be best if most of the shooters had shotguns, with one or two having rifles for longer ranged use. The shotguns make headshots much easier under stress at close ranges. The rifles would allow the team to keep the undead at bay and at a distance. Also, each team member should carry a good chopping blade, like a Kukri or a short sword.
Yeah, I know, I should be sleeping right now.
In any case, the scenario is simple. If you've ever seen The Night of the Living Dead (for God sakes don't get the 30th Anniversary DVD edition...they butchered it!), Dawn of the Dead, or the recent Resident Evil, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Your town (or possibly the whole world) is suffering from a zombie plague. Zombies are reanimated corpses (or are transformed people) that prowl around and hunt the living. They feed off of living tissue to keep what few motor mechanisms they have left going.
There are many kinds of zombies. For our little scenario, we'll go with the mutant/science gone wrong theory of zombification. Your neighbors are getting infected with the zombie virus, usually from being bitten by a zombie. Once bitten, they begin their transformation.
The zombie, once transformed, is hardly nature's ultimate predator. Remember, they're a product of man, not nature. They can't see well, and they're usually pretty slow. Most are fairly weak, though if they're mutated enough they might grow claws or talons ala the They Hunger mod for Half-Life. Usually, whatever mutuation reanimates them doesn't require use of the heart and lungs, though, so in most cases shooting them in the chest won't do much, unless you hit the spine or damage enough muscle so as to immoblize them. The surest way of putting them down is to destroy the brain.
They mostly skulk around in large groups and hunt humans and other mammals. Sometimes they have a good sense of smell or some other means of detecting their prey, and will follow you around relentlessly. They can't be reasoned with, frightened, or intimidated, though they will usually avoid fire, water, and cliffs and such (base-level human instict...brain stem stuff). Sometimes they'll avoid direct sunlight, depending on which genre you're dealing with.
Individually, and out in the open, they're not much of a threat, so long as you're mobile and have the IQ of a small domestic animal. It's when they surround and mob you, or catch you in close quarters that they cause trouble. If they don't kill you and eat you after biting you, usually you'll turn into a zombie anyway (if the bite breaks the skin). There's not always a vaccine, either, so watch out for that.
Also, oftentimes zombies aren't the only threat involved in a general attack of the undead. Often the unnatural science or unholy processes that cause the dead to rise also bring about other unpleasant creatures and/or mutants, which often pose a much greater threat than the zombies themselves. Resident Evil's mutant bugs, spiders, and "Project Nemesis" are all good examples of this.
So, with that in mind, what would you prefer to have with you if the zombie plague hit your town? Remember, you dont' want to hole up someplace. Mobility is the advantage you have over the undead; they don't get tired, they don't get thirsty, and they don't have to go to the bathroom. They can surround you and wait you out if you lock yourself up someplace, and the authorities might not get their act together to combat the undead menace for quite a while.
So, what weapons would you choose? Remember, you don't want to be running around fighting the undead hoardes alone, so bring some friends. For my team, I think it'd be best if most of the shooters had shotguns, with one or two having rifles for longer ranged use. The shotguns make headshots much easier under stress at close ranges. The rifles would allow the team to keep the undead at bay and at a distance. Also, each team member should carry a good chopping blade, like a Kukri or a short sword.
Yeah, I know, I should be sleeping right now.
