What Regions would you ...

[Misfit KotLD]

I'd imagine the Mojave and Sahara (and other deserts0 are relatively safe. Some islands are probably ok as well. But if you're in a major metropolitan area, kiss your hiney goodbye.

[NMI]

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

That would be pretty could. It is similar to the movie 28 Days Later.

[CyCo]

Pretty much any place with a small population, such as extremely rural locales or deserts. I would imagine that some military installations would still be safe. As I have not seen the game yet I don't know details, but I would imagine that the Zombie Apocalypse spread from some point, thus giving people in other areas some time to prepare. So more remote locations could have survived intact.

See, it really depends on how it spreads. From what we've had described to us, it was like, near instantaneous, with the character waking up and going, hey, these dudes are dead, but they're walking!! Arrg!!!

But you don't have to go by that route. I remember reading how they theroised that a contagion, say like Bird Flu, or some bio-weapon, could be released and have circled the globe in 24 hours if the initial distribution was done correctly. 12 Monkeys anyone?

Actually, that would be a great movie to watch as a lead up for a Dead Reign, along with the obvious, I am Legend.

Anyway, if you were running the game, and you wanted the wave to be instantaneous, or to be somewhat slower, like several days. Or maybe it takes some months to spread across one continent. Depending on how fast it spreads will have an impact on how the game will run.

[Misfit KotLD]

I also recommend the Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price. It's based on the same story as I Am Legend.

[CyCo]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

There's a great novel out there called Roofworld, Christopher Fowler. Not a zombie novel in any way, shape or form, but it does concern itself with people who've had enough with society as they see it and make a move to live in the spaces we don't tend to use much, roof tops and the like. Have a very funky way of getting around town using fixed cables called 'runs', and other ways of passing from roof to roof using cable guns. Certainly worth the price of the book. I've often thought it would be a great basis of a game, or at least for one plot arc. But I never really though about how it would work in game, like the rest of the world. However, take out the element of the drudgery of modern living, and replace it with the world of Roofworld, and it could be a great basis for a large city living on after the 'wave' hits.

[CyCo]

12 Monkeys anyone?

Awesome flick!

Indeed it is. One of Bruce's best flicks in my thinking.

[Hound]

Honestly? Extremely cold climates would be the best. So- Northern Canada, Alaska, Scandanavia, etc. I don't care how magically animated a corpse is.. a body in sub-zero temperature will freeze very quickly. The cold also provides a barrier to the "2nd wave" plague that should sweep the globe following millions of rotting corpses being created.

Second best would be places of extreme humidity.. the more wet and humid the climate is.. the faster the dead will decompose- but you would need to protect against disease even more so there.

[CyCo]

I also recommend the Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price. It's based on the same story as I Am Legend.

I've seen both of those, and I do like Vincent Price. He had such a delivery. I've also seen Omega Man, but really, I don't remember much of it at all. I was thinking when I am Legend came out, that I wanted to watch the others again, and to read the book, which I never have.

[Misfit KotLD]

I also recommend the Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price. It's based on the same story as I Am Legend.

I've seen both of those, and I do like Vincent Price. He had such a delivery. I've also seen Omega Man, but really, I don't remember much of it at all. I was thinking when I am Legend came out, that I wanted to watch the others again, and to read the book, which I never have.

I haven't seen Omega Man, but I've been on an old zombie horror film kick lately. I think my all time favorite is White Zombie.

[tundro]

I think a whole new breed of mountain men would probably be spawned...I know that's the first place I would head is up in the mountains somewhere. Probably not a lot of mountain climber zombies, and there should be plenty of places you could build in and easily defend.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Honestly? Extremely cold climates would be the best. So- Northern Canada, Alaska, Scandanavia, etc. I don't care how magically animated a corpse is.. a body in sub-zero temperature will freeze very quickly. The cold also provides a barrier to the "2nd wave" plague that should sweep the globe following millions of rotting corpses being created.

Second best would be places of extreme humidity.. the more wet and humid the climate is.. the faster the dead will decompose- but you would need to protect against disease even more so there.

This is my thought too. Well above the freeze line. And in winter when the zombie hordes freeze solid you go out and hack off their frozen heads with axes and what not and burn them. The Rifter article DID say that freezing stopped them and they would stay there untill they thawed... So in the dead of winter you go out with corpse dogs and get as many heads as you can and do away with um. *nods* Just be careful... they might not be quite as frozen solid as YOU think they are. but it'd help alot.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Honestly? Extremely cold climates would be the best. So- Northern Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, etc. I don't care how magically animated a corpse is.. a body in sub-zero temperature will freeze very quickly. The cold also provides a barrier to the "2nd wave" plague that should sweep the globe following millions of rotting corpses being created.

Second best would be places of extreme humidity.. the more wet and humid the climate is.. the faster the dead will decompose- but you would need to protect against disease even more so there.

This is my thought too. Well above the freeze line. And in winter when the zombie hordes freeze solid you go out and hack off their frozen heads with axes and what not and burn them. The Rifter article DID say that freezing stopped them and they would stay there until they thawed... So in the dead of winter you go out with corpse dogs and get as many heads as you can and do away with um. *nods* Just be careful... they might not be quite as frozen solid as YOU think they are. but it'd help allot.

Of course then you have the threat of all of those survivors in historically resource poor regions.

"... I'll bash your heads in if you touch my can of beans!"

As my father who was special forces once told me. "Live people can always be made dead... it's a lil harder to make the dead alive again."

In the Rise, you just gotta kill um.... twice. *G* Home boy trys for my can of beans and he's gonna be meat for dinner with the beans.

[DtMK]

I think a whole new breed of mountain men would probably be spawned...I know that's the first place I would head is up in the mountains somewhere. Probably not a lot of mountain climber zombies, and there should be plenty of places you could build in and easily defend.

OOOOOO! Surprise the crap out of your players! They run into a Grizzly Adams type, only to discover he's a Werebear!

[Nxla666]

Arctic regions would be best for long term survival, espeacially the antarctic, limited population with there being only a few hundred scientists and military personnel there now AIRC, ready made shelters.

Only problem would be a steady supply of meat, though I hear penguin is tasty when done right, and most long term habitats have greenhouses to grow fresh vegies (blech).

[GreenGhost]

I generally base these types of games in the players' and my actual location (CO). This way they can picture, in their mind, what will work the best with the scenerio they're given. I have had players go around the town to find alley ways, back roads, sewer tunnels, creek paths, hiking trails, watch for police and security routines, etc. This is a great idea for helping themselves out. It forced me to do the same thing so that I can keep up with them and their characters.

Now this doesn't mean that it'd be the best place for a Dead Reign game, but they sure as hell know how to get around the town.

[Library Ogre]

If zombification can't spread to animals, then the swamp would be great. Water and general humidity make it difficult to pass, and quickly decay the zombies themselves.

[Ectoplasmic Bidet]

I'm not sure, but I think here in rural North Carolina wouldn't be a bad place to be. Lots of selling points; no real extremes of weather to make survival even more difficult once civilization has ground to a halt, seriously low population to begin with, a great deal of wild game, etc. I could go one, but the only real downside that comes immediately to mind is the other survivors.

[Pepsi Jedi]

I'm not sure, but I think here in rural North Carolina wouldn't be a bad place to be. Lots of selling points; no real extremes of weather to make survival even more difficult once civilization has ground to a halt, seriously low population to begin with, a great deal of wild game, etc. I could go one, but the only real downside that comes immediately to mind is the other survivors.

Having come from Rural NC... I can disagree with this.. the summer's there are 40 kinds of hell. Temps up to 100+ with humidity in 90+. The population isn't that low, there is good hunting, but no. The mountains might be better but even then, the NC mountains arn't like the rockies or anything. They're old old mountains and thusly pretty low. They don't sustain show caps or anything.

[gordyzx9r]

Comparing the creatures of I Am Legend to zombies is kinda moot since they had a weakness which afforded people the opportunity to maneuver. From the sounds of it, you're not going to have that in Dead Reign nor are you just saddled with the stereotypical stumbling zombie. You're gonna be a in a 24/7 fight, and even though you've barricaded yourself in some kind of impregnable fortress...you're probably going to have to come out at some point and I imagine the zombies will be waiting patiently.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Personally I like the "Sprinter" Zombies, like the Dawn of the Dead '04 version. THOSE are dangerous.

And in my Dead reign campain the frequency of "Sprinters" over "Shamblers is going to be much much higher than 5%

[Nxla666]

Some of you seem to have forgotten (or didn't know in the first place) that these zombies don't just prey on humans, they prey on all sources of PPE, which includes all those game animals you are talking about.

[Nightbreed]

Well in the game i'm running it's in Texas and the characters have been using the back roads trying to get to Ft Hood, thinking that they'll be saved......

I would imagine that some military installations would still be safe.

But NOT this one!

My plan is to have a nice army of zombies when they get there, then there are the live people to deal with and the big secret (if they just don't turn and run away like i expect them too) if they actually go further inwards.

Pepsi Jedi wrote:
Personally I like the "Sprinter" Zombies, like the Dawn of the Dead '04 version. THOSE are dangerous.

And in my Dead reign campain the frequency of "Sprinters" over "Shamblers is going to be much much higher than 5%


There is no telling if that number will remain in the book.

True as i am also upping the tempo with those current percentages. I'm also going to up the thinker ratio as well. Imagine getting ambushed by a sniper zombie.

[tundro]

I guess it's really going to come down to how much coherency and problem solving the walking dead still possess. If they're just automatons that stumble around and feed, with no real ability think around obstacles, survirors will have a much better chance (although being overwhelmed by sheer numbers will likely be a constant reality). If they ARE able to problem solve (or have one of these "thinkers" do it for them on a large scale), survivors are going to have to be a lot smarter and creative to stay alive. In the second instance, terrain might not help in the least, except for areas that are easily defended against. I'm looking forward to finding out more about them.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Ugg Underground is not for me.

Read one of the later chapters in WWZ for an insite on zombies underground.. it'll make you wanna live in trees like Ewoks.

[Nxla666]

Ugg Underground is not for me.

Read one of the later chapters in WWZ for an insite on zombies underground.. it'll make you wanna live in trees like Ewoks.

You don't like paris?

No, and that was before reading WWZ.

[gordyzx9r]

Some of you seem to have forgotten (or didn't know in the first place) that these zombies don't just prey on humans, they prey on all sources of PPE, which includes all those game animals you are talking about.

DING DING DING!!!

Wait...what? PPE? Oh c'mon...PPE? So, we're talking magic, alien intelligence's, and those dumb ass rifts again!?! Please tell me that's not the case as I was actually starting to think about buying it.

[Pepsi Jedi]

We're not sure how much it's been changed from the preview in the rifter. (( Might be considered spoilers.. not sure it's been out a year but if I don't put this here someone will cry. So if you don't wanna read, don't))

But in the rifter, yeah it was a demonic thingie in another dimension that's trying to re-enter ours and the zombie plague was brought around as a trigger to kill off enough humans at once to have a PPE serge big enough to bring him forth sorta deal.

[Nightbreed]

Wait...what? PPE? Oh c'mon...PPE? So, we're talking magic, alien intelligence's, and those dumb ass rifts again!?! Please tell me that's not the case as I was actually starting to think about buying it.

Actually IMHO this and the storyline behind it is what makes this game so interesting. I will definitely get this. As is One of my friends think i'm pulling a fast one as they tried to kill a zombie, but rolled under the AC so he kept wondering WTH was going on.

Taught him a valuable lession: Save all the ammo you got unless necessary!

[gordyzx9r]

Now it's starting to sound a bit like AFMBE with the supernatural feel.

[Rallan]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

The population would have to be very limited if they're going to grow enough food to be almost self-sufficient. All in all it'd be easier to set up a compound out in the boondocks somewhere. As long as zombies roam around more or less at random (ie they can't deliberately coordinate on a large scale, and they can't track you over long distances), even a place that's only forty or fifty miles from the nearest city or large town would be fairly safe, since all you'd have to worry about would be the occasional random wandering zombie that staggers out of the wilderness.

[Nxla666]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

The population would have to be very limited if they're going to grow enough food to be almost self-sufficient. All in all it'd be easier to set up a compound out in the boondocks somewhere. As long as zombies roam around more or less at random (ie they can't deliberately coordinate on a large scale, and they can't track you over long distances), even a place that's only forty or fifty miles from the nearest city or large town would be fairly safe, since all you'd have to worry about would be the occasional random wandering zombie that staggers out of the wilderness.

I take it you have not read the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks then.

[gordyzx9r]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

The population would have to be very limited if they're going to grow enough food to be almost self-sufficient. All in all it'd be easier to set up a compound out in the boondocks somewhere. As long as zombies roam around more or less at random (ie they can't deliberately coordinate on a large scale, and they can't track you over long distances), even a place that's only forty or fifty miles from the nearest city or large town would be fairly safe, since all you'd have to worry about would be the occasional random wandering zombie that staggers out of the wilderness.

It sounds like these zombies are somewhat organized, I thought I heard it mentioned somewhere here in a post that they put humans in pens and breed them like cattle.

[tundro]

Smart zombies...that'll certainly put a turd in your pudding.

[Rallan]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

The population would have to be very limited if they're going to grow enough food to be almost self-sufficient. All in all it'd be easier to set up a compound out in the boondocks somewhere. As long as zombies roam around more or less at random (ie they can't deliberately coordinate on a large scale, and they can't track you over long distances), even a place that's only forty or fifty miles from the nearest city or large town would be fairly safe, since all you'd have to worry about would be the occasional random wandering zombie that staggers out of the wilderness.

I take it you have not read the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks then.

Silly me. I forgot they passed a law saying that all zombie films, zombie novels, and zombie games have to use Brooks zombies. What on Earth was I thinking?

[Rallan]

also zombies are not completely stupid, if one zombie moans it could alert others that are not that far away. Imagine zombies from 20 miles away getting a relay of hundreds of other zombies moaning. Next thing ya know you got all the zombies from a 20 mile area all moving to your compound.

And thats not counting if they are only the shamblers, what if the death cult found your compound? You would be getting assualted by mercs and zombies now.

Zombies following interesting noises is all well and good, but hearing a moan from twenty miles away? That's pretty unlikely unless zombies have got hearing so good it's impossible to ever hide from them or sneak past them.

Personally I'd be less worried about dumb zombies moaning up a posse of reinforcements than these smart zombies they're talking about going into the wilds, scouting out human settlements, and then roaming up a herd of their intellectually challenged brethren and driving it towards the survivors.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

I take it you have not read the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks then.

why then you know how screwed you truely are then

[Nxla666]

I definitely want to see Louisville, Ky (my hometown) over run by Zombies.

I wonder if people living in high rise buildings could block themselves off and create a culture that never touches the ground? Surely someone could have devised ways to create paths between tall buildings located close together (some already exist) in the cities, given time. They would live in a very isolated, self sustaining world where food is grown on balconies, and they eat pigeons. They'd also have to set up systems for collecting rain water, which isn't that difficult and have raiding parties that could leave the building(s) to gather other supplies when needed.

The population would have to be very limited if they're going to grow enough food to be almost self-sufficient. All in all it'd be easier to set up a compound out in the boondocks somewhere. As long as zombies roam around more or less at random (ie they can't deliberately coordinate on a large scale, and they can't track you over long distances), even a place that's only forty or fifty miles from the nearest city or large town would be fairly safe, since all you'd have to worry about would be the occasional random wandering zombie that staggers out of the wilderness.

I take it you have not read the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks then.

Silly me. I forgot they passed a law saying that all zombie films, zombie novels, and zombie games have to use Brooks zombies. What on Earth was I thinking?

Um, sure what the **** ever .

[Nxla666]

So far everyone seems to be focusing on just one of the problems, the Stenches. What about the other possible enemy, other people. Roving gangs may decide you have something they can use, and aren't interested in asking nicely for it. How long can you hold out against a seige if you get attacked? Can you hold out against a seige at all? What directions can your enemy come at you from? How close can they get before you see them? How long can you stay locked in before supplies get scarce?

There are/were many other threats in the book.

Some of these other threats are the reason why you choose a weapon with burst capability. lol

[Pepsi Jedi]

Other threats...

Feral Animals... like.. packs of dogs that have gone feral.. tigers that have escaped zoos... Swarms of rats... even buffalo or the like.

Feral humans. Kids that got lost in the fleeing of zombies and have gone feral. Quick, slippery and surprisngly deadly.

Quislings; People who's mind just jumped right out of their skull and they flipped. Start acting like zombies and slouching around and eating flesh and what not. Sad psychologial trauma.

Last men on earth types. Like Smith in that movie that was too close to this book... Guys that build booby traps and what not and get a little too used to being the last guy alive and tryand take you out.

Worse... the above.. who's died, but who's traps are still there..

Conventional military stuff... the army retreating might have seeded 20 miles with mines, but were running too fast to mark them. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOM huh??? IS GOING ON? WHERE"S MY LEG??

Cannibals. I.E. not zombies. but peiople driven during the rise to eat one another to stay alive, and again. FLIP goes that mental breaker and they start CHOOSing to eat humans....

[Nxla666]

Also common illnesses like the flu, or broncitious (typo?). Heck even the common cold could kill you once meds start to run out.

One of the reasons in the game I played (based on the rifter), we would hit any and every pharmacy we came across and take all its meds we could find.

[GreenGhost]

Also common illnesses like the flu, or broncitious (typo?). Heck even the common cold could kill you once meds start to run out.

One of the reasons in the game I played (based on the rifter), we would hit any and every pharmacy we came across and take all its meds we could find.

Good call!

[Pepsi Jedi]

I agree about the walmart raid. The living people IN walmart will have first dibs. by the time you drive to the store there's going to be literal fighting amonst the living for the resources.. you'll be more likely to be shot by a live person.

[Nightbreed]

Bingo. The LAST place on earth you are going to want to be is in a populated shopping area, or the like. Stay away from hospitals, police stations, grocery stores, and especially gun shops. I hear alot of people say things like " I would just go to the sporting goods store and get some guns."

Guess what? The first person who gets there is likely to be the owner of the place, and the only thing you'll be helping yourself to is a lead sandwich. Guns are nice to have, but not worth getting shot to obtain.

Also, Military installations are going to be inherently UNsafe. This has nothing to do with zombies, but with other living people. As soon as something remotely catastrophic starts happening, those gates are going to seal and nothing will be getting on or off base. But people will still try and turn to the familiar entity they have come to view as their all-encompassing protection force, the military. Refugee camps (for lack of a better term) will spring up outside of the major bases, and with crowded situations like this you now have to worry about things like theft, violence, rape, sanitation - lets not forget about all of the regular diseases we have grown unaccustomed to living with. The dead won't be the only ones rising, you now have to worry about typhoid, dysentery, encephalitis, foot and mouth disease, malaria, staph infection, who knows what else.

Unless you are stationed there, I would stay away from the base.

If you have to loot, loot highway stores. Since I live in NJ, I see alot of stretched of highway that have outlet strip malls on either side for miles. I would find a nursery (who the hell is going to loot a garden supply store? Everyone is going to be fighting in Walmart) and look for things like seed packets to grow my own vegetables. Then get the hell out of dodge -- somewhere a bit more remote and elevated, like the poconos.

I agree and it's good to see another person from Jersey on these boards.

Only thing is as the poconos is kinda far and the highway will be one massive car wreck, i'm thinking some of the camps along the way. I'd probably walk the tracks west after hopefully getting some gear and supplies first.

[Nxla666]

The whole wallys (and face EVERY major store like that) being hit by the living and soon to be filled with undead is the reason for having all the things you'll need for short term survival (think 7 days) on hand.

Hell the ZSG is a decent disaster primer book even with out the zombies.