I've been wanting to make this thread for a long time, but I could never be bothered until now. It's an idea I got from a forum I used to post at years ago (like even before I started playing WoW), and I thought it'd be fun and might give some of you bored office working CTSers something to read while slacking off. ;D
So, here are the rules:
It's a zombie 'apocalypse'!
The extent of the infection is isolated to your town: if you live in a little ten-person village, then I guess you'll find this easy.
You start the 'event' at home (the government has told you to remain indoors and 'await further instructions').
You'll discover that further instructions are not forthcoming when the power stops working.
All you have in your house is what you actually have in your house right now. That includes people and pets.
Any local military of law enforcement that falls within the boundaries of your town/city will have succumbed to the infection. Outside the infected zone they will be working to keep the infection contained.
Weapons, or anything you could use as a weapon are available only where you'd expect them to be. There won't be any sub-machine guns littering the streets.
The weather is as it is right now. So if it's raining and cold, (I'm guessing it is) then that's the weather you'll be surviving in. The weather doesn't effect zombies at all. Except if it's icy. Zombies On Ice™ is a great show for all the family!
Zombies can (and will) be anywhere you'd expect them to be. Secure shops and supermarkets (those with metal shutters and such) will be closed, and clear of zombies until you've opened them. Then of course anything can get in.
Zombies move no faster than a brisk walking pace. No offence, but I doubt any of us would survive if they ran like they do in Left 4 Dead.
Zombies are like animals – they live instinctively, and of course they're rather violent.
Zombies can see, hear and smell just the same as if they were alive.
Zombies won't attack each other. Pretending to be a zombie like in Shawn of the Dead won't help you. I don't know how they know the difference, they just do.
If there's a safe and secure place in your town that you can hide in, then I believe you, but it'd be nice if you explained why it's safe and secure.
If you can drive and have your own car, assume it was at the garage for repairs when this all started.
It's not guaranteed that anyone you know that lives in your town has survived. Finding out is of course very risky (but your choice to make).
Gas and running water has been cut off.
Zombies can climb a little bit. Not up walls like in L4D, but on cars, fences, scaffolding, ladders and other things of a similar nature.
Mobile phones have no signal. Land-line phones work, but are noisy and may attract unwanted attention.
Zombies will have just as much difficulty breaking down doors as you would, but will find it just as easy to break through glass as you would too.
I think that's probably more than enough rules. Anyway, the idea is you have to explain how you will escape or how you will survive long enough for a rescue (if one is coming, who knows), just the same as if it was really happening, right now. For fun if you prefer (and you're reading it from there), you can start your survival at work rather than at home, it's your call. Just try and be realistic! Imagine that you're really in this situation. You're gonna be scared for your life, worried about friends and family (or not). Will you take any risks, or are you likely to play it safe?
Well, let's count my dorm as 'home' (which it is 5 out of 7 days). It's located in Leuven, a fairly sizeable town, and though I live near the edge of it, making a break for it would not be a good option. You see, there is a hospital within a minute's walking distance, a sure hotspot for the infection. So, bunkering it is! My dorm has 2 points of entry, a door (easily barred with my desk) and a window; a huge rotten window that i'd be unable to block/barrickade. The window opens to a roof barely a few meters high,one that the zombies would undoubtably be able to climb. Which leaves me just one more option: a painless suicide...
I think Id choose to start at work.. but it would probably only work as well if the entire working population wasnt there.. food and drink would not be a problem (if there wasnt many of us), from where i am sitting I can see 100 bottles of wine for starters. The main problem would be securing the building with so many entrances... something in the region of 7.. but then you have the issue of how intelegent they are.. ie have they killed someone outside and stolen a swipe card (on second throughts how do swipe card doors work with power cuts?)...? And will they know to trigger the fire alarm to unlock all the fire doors and do they know how to get through rotating doors... If they are intelegent I am probably dead.. if not then I think I will have a good chance of surviving until I am rescued. I would probably take extra precausions like cramming the main stairwell with pcs for if they somehow manage to get into the ground floor. Then they only have the option of the lifts - which they couldnt use if the power was off and if it was on they would probably get trapped anyway. All other stairwells are secured by fat firedoors only openable when firealarm is going off - and imo would be hard to break down.. unless they manage to get a battering ram.. I am not sure about weapons to fight them back though..
Oh and if all the security doors are power cut sensitive then they are all being controlled by the back up generator.
Short term, take out the stairs in the house and fill the bath with Water for drinking. Although I suspose you specified utilities are out, which was pretty quick.
I suppose a raid on Morrisons (about 100 metres from my house) would be needed, probably in through one of the big windows into the cafe, and through that to the shop.
Long term, there is a Prison in Doncaster, so a fair few miles away from here (maybe 20?) but easily doable in 1 day. Travel on a bike, to avoid drawing zombies via noise and to easily bypass traffic jams (from stationary cars).
If it helps, I have the Zombie Survival guide on my bookcase...
If i've got to pick somewhere short term to hold out, I'd probably prefer starting at work, which is within a mile of Meadowhall (shopping centre) which i'm sure has several defensable places if making the entire centre can't be made defensable. I've always got my window breaking hammer on me anyway!
