Zombies win, ZOMBIES WIINNNN

[ArlanKels]

Explain this to me.

Why is it that zombies almost always win whenever a zombie outbreak occurs? They either break containment or simply take over the entire planet.



Take Dawn of the Dead for example.
The zombie outbreak happens and it spreads everywhere instantly. No reason is given behind said outbreak.

The individuals in the movie gather in a giant mall, wherein they are now secure, they have nigh endless supplies(Including access to their own fertilizer/top soil and seeds I would think, otherwise what sort of mall is that?). Instead of staying there and making a life out of their new situation they instead go out into the millions of zombies. You can imagine how that ends.


I'm just wondering...why are mindless people-eating things winning all the time? They're brainless for christsakes, just a fortified position with enough ammunition would be enough to beat them.

[Bells]

that's to cause depression and awe fro mthe audience... it's also a critique as to how our lifestyle made us dumber than zombies...

But Yeah... I really would liek to see a good movie where the Humans defeat the "Outbreak Horde"

[grthwllms]

I give the following reasons.

Reason number one, You have limited ammo. Which is nowhere near the amount you'd need to kill all the stupid people who'd be zombies.

Reason number two. Limited stores of food and water. The problem with the people in the movie was they were running out of food if I remember right. It was make a break for it or starve to death.

Reason number three. You're eaten while you sleep. With no chance to reach a gun. You become a member of the zombie horde and go next door, rinse and repeat until humanity is wiped out.

[ArlanKels]

Fortified military positions wouldn't have issues with ammo, and due to being fortified with being eaten while they sleep.

Food supplies can be given readily via helicopter, or in the case of Dawn of the Dead they can just GROW their own food(I'm certain there's a pet store as well, as all malls have pet stores, so simply breed the hamsters/mice/rabbits for meat).

[CrazyBen]

The reason zombies always win in zombie outbreak scenarios is because very few people are mentally prepared for a zombie outbreak. I mean, anyone who's first response to seeing someone limping down the street is "ZOMG A ZOMBIE SHOOT IT DEAD!" would have been incarcerated or commited a long time ago. So, most people aren't going to believe its a zombie outbreak until the second or third time they see someone get devoured. Add in all the people who don't have the spine to kill some lurchers, and the ones who insist on trying to 'save' an infected friend or relative, and you have a pretty big infestation. Also, since noone wants to admit zeds exist, thats why they seem to overrun the world all at once- infected people flee the country, taking the zombie virus with them, and it becomes an epidemic before the government and media are willing to say "The infected attack mindlessly, aim for the head."

And the reason fortification doesn't work is the human element rather than the zombie element. Infected people are going to get into every major safety area- military bases or such- one way or the other. If biten people don't manage to get swept in with the crowd during the initial panic, some crazy mofo is gonna smuggle their infected granny in in the boot of their car, and then the whole place turns into a charnal house one way or the other. Also, there are gonna be plenty of people who see the Zombipocolypse as either an act of God (and an impetus to 'Redeem the sinners') or a chance to loot, rape, and destroy on a truely Viking-like scale. For example, in the original Dawn of the Dead, the reason the survivors had to flee the mall was because a biker gang broke in to loot, and let the undead in with them.

Also, not to be rude or anything, but its gonna take weeks or months to produce a crop from the supplies in a shopping mall.

[Demetrius]

Ha! People lose to zombies because they fall to the level of zombies. The only thing is that while a zombie can infect a normal person by biting them, a normal person cannot turn a zombie into one of them by biting them back.

[Toastburner B]

I'll give you the reason:

Somehow, the story isn't half as exciting when its "There was a zombie outbreak overnight, but the military sent in a bunch of sharpshooters, headshots abounded, and...well...that was pretty much it. In other news..."

[Aerozord]

well all soldiers are trained to fire at the center of the body, because its very unlikely to get a headshot. Not only does this mean they aren't trained for it, but that its hard to period.

As for why zombies overrun, well two reasons. One is that humans are stupid and often forget about one percaution or another. The other is the psychology. Can you imagine what it would be like, surrounded by the undead trapping you, after seeing your loved ones eaten alive, hearing that moaning constantly. Eventually, your average person will just snap

[Demetrius]

Yeah, snap and go Sean of the Dead. Of course if they were the fast zombies I'd be screwed, in fact fast zombies I could understand winning.

[Arlia Janet]

Three words, "Send more paramedics."

The remake of Dawn of the Dead is a piece of garbage. They took everything intelligent in the original and crapped all over it. The remake is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen because it is so ridiculously easy to make fun of it.
Zombie stories are a great way to comment on the nature of humanity- which the original night of the living dead and dawn of the dead did very well. As a storytelling element, the zombies have to win... to an extent. Shawn of the Dead- easily the best zombie movie out there- had a non-apocalyptic ending. Planet Terror, which also holds a special place in my heart, had an admittedly cheesy but different ending.

Best zombie scene ever (http://youtube.com/watch?v=u4MXHPfMYXg). NSFW

[Aerozord]

well ya if your smart enough to walk away. zombies are slower but dont tire. Run yourself into exhaustion and they will catch up. Remember humans are made more for long distance walking then running.

[Arlia Janet]

I take it back, the last two minutes of this Invader Zim episode (http://stage6.divx.com/Invader-Zim/video/1123157/Invader-Zim---FBI-Warning-of-Doom) is the best zombie scene ever.

Also, this article (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33350) really changed my point of view on zombies. I realized that I was a zombie bigot.

[Flarecobra]

I'm reminded of the movie Hocus Pocus, where the one zombie turns out to be quite a nice guy, helpful even.

[Azisien]

I think the zombies generally win because almost everyone is turned into a zombie. Humans tend to lose because there just aren't enough bodies to fight the good fight. There probably would be these fortified positions in a global zompocolypse, but not all the zombies are crowded around these locations.

Besides, malls make for more interesting locales.

[Demetrius]

I'd rather be stuck in a Costco/Gander Mountain amalgamated complex, that would be one of my ideal zombie fighting places.

[Darth SS]

Honestly, I may end up testing these zombie theorems rather shortly. There is a ludicrous number of flies around my house, a sure sign that dead flesh is near!

I arm myself with bludgeoning instruments and a huge ass truck in order to get away.





Something I never got...do zombies take the time to completely eat a person? If they do, how are new zombies ever made?

[Aerozord]

new ones are made from the survivors. Also depends on number of them. A horde will completely devour a human, but only one wont finish before he turns

[ArlanKels]

How do zombies know not to eat other zombies if they're mindless things bent on simply devouring all in their path?

[CrazyBen]

Zombies don't eat dead flesh, regardless of how it got that way.

Also, apparently other carnivores can 'smell' that something is a zombie and will avoid it, so maybe thats another reason zombies don't eat their own.

[ArlanKels]

But if they're mindless how do they know the flesh is dead?

Also, why is it that wild animals never seem to become zombies?
I think RE is the only one where you really see it a lot.

[Arhra]

Because it would be impossible to avoid getting bitten by all the zombie pidgeons and it would all be over rather depressingly fast.

Damn zombie pigeons.

[Ryu Van Burace]

Well certainly in most zombie films there's this sense of complete disbelief that it's happening and as a result, proper measures are not taken. Case in point, first RE movie right at the end Alice shows severe reluctance at pulling the trigger. Why? Because it was her friend.
So yeah, denial plays a big part in it.
Once you got past denial, there seems to be very little that kills a zombie. Ok, definite confirmed ones are obviously decapitation or head trauma. Other than that those guys take a licking and keep on ticking (literally in the case of RE Lickers). It's rather fortunate really that RE birds can be knifed real quick. As pointed out by others, soldiers aim for torso. That ain't gonna do much for your average undead. Now imagine that you're facing juju zombies (this is an apparent actual term for fast zombies). Yeah, try getting a headshot off when there's a mob of them running at you like hyped up speed heads. Exactly how long can a zombie do without food? No set time seems to be there...
Then there's the psychological aspect. In the one set in the military base the commanding soldiers inside (and some scientists) very clearly go batcrap insane.
It's a staple of most horror stories mind - isolation. You've got to be able to cut off your main characters from anything outside. So you create a hostile environment, The Thing was set in Antartica, Alien was set in space, Predator was in the Jungle and Zombie movies are set in the midst of a crapload of zombies.

[Bells]

Ok, so, lets agree that if a zombie outbreak ever occurs, someone here steals a boat, and goes by the coast line rescuing everyone of us, them we go to a deserted island and will live there as kings... killing anything that come ashore

[Ryu Van Burace]

way ahead of you man, I have a collection of swords (yay for no ammo problems) a cupboard full of tinned goods and I already know how to tke the bridge that connects the Isle of Wight to the mainland.
How you get there however is down to you.

[Sir Pinkleton]

I think it all depends on how the infection is spread. Is it through mucus membranes? It it skin-to-skin contact? Is it something in the food or water? Or is it air-born? Through the stereotype I'm guessing one or both of the first two, but because zombies are fiction as of now, it could be anything.

...If I wasn't so lazy, I'd write a short novel including zombies, but it'd go the way I wanted it, which is that zombies actually only live for so long.

[Bells]

way ahead of you man, I have a collection of swords (yay for no ammo problems) a cupboard full of tinned goods and I already know how to tke the bridge that connects the Isle of Wight to the mainland.
How you get there however is down to you.

Damn J00!!

I was going to suggest Alcatraz myself... they have their own energy supply, and its fortified, the only problem is that we would have to live of fish and peanuts grown in the island

the only problem is that i would probablu shoot in the head anyone that got "seasickness" while on the trip there... just in case

[ArlanKels]

I thought in the original RE movie they said that the zombies only lasted for so long?

[Bells]

i think that they only last for so long if they dont eat.. thus the primal urge to feed of the living

[Sir Pinkleton]

Well, I'm just not a zombie-movie buff. But as far as I've seen, and I think we can all agree that there have been many a zombie movie/game/anything, zombies tend to live either for a long time or they never die.

There was one movie in particular, I can't remember the name (28 days later maybe?) where some military guys in a mansion of sorts tied up a zombie to see how long it would take for it to die. I can't remember, but I think it was there for quite awhile, and it was just as hungry and mean as a zombie who's just eaten. That makes me think that either zombies take a long-ass time to starve or that, because they don't really have a digestion system anyway, never die of starvation.

[deadkoo]

umm.. ppl, 28 days later?!

the "zombies" LOSE there.. or at least, they don't win, and apparently are contained to england...

[Aerozord]

But if they're mindless how do they know the flesh is dead?

Also, why is it that wild animals never seem to become zombies?
I think RE is the only one where you really see it a lot.
most viruses are limited in the species they infect, some cant transfer at all. Thus only humans are infected, and even if not zombies will always go after a human before another source of meat.

I doubt zombies eat for sustanance. I do realize without it there is no reason to where they get there energy, but think about it. Zombies dont heal, they don't seem to poop, and I find it hard to believe something that doesn't have a working respitory or circulatory system as a working digestion system. Even if it did, without a beating heart those nutrients aren't going anywhere. And even if those things were, then shooting it in the heart would do more damage. Heck, the thing wouldn't even be considered dead in the first place.

I believe without any healing a zombie will be immobile in less then 5 years. Reason is without healing their joints, muscles, and connective tissue is slowly wearing down. Only a matter of time before they go past the breaking point

Now about the "knowing to eat fresh meat/humans" remember mindless just means blindly doing something, in this case following the instinct to consume fresh human meat.

[Rygar]

The 28 days later zombies aren't the same as usual zombies, they have a virus which makes them super-aggressive. So they can die without being shot in the head and starve after 5 weeks or so

[Melfice]

In Marvel Zombies, the zombies were also overcome by a virus.

They only went into berserk "must eat braaaaaaiiiiins"-mode when they hadn't fed.
Other than that, they were still the same, except they now savoured the taste of human flesh.

Having said that, all reasons sound... sound. >_>

Also, swords are inconvenient main weapons.
You will need to get in close to deal the lethal damage. If you get in close, you're most likely to get eaten by the swarm of other zombies.

A sword is a perfect side arm though, should your ammunition run out: You run out of shells for your shotgun, and a zombie shambles through the bottleneck you're in. You DID make sure to find a bottleneck with an exit, right? In any case, the bullets are out, and this zombie is shambling towards you. You stab the first, or decapitate it, or dismember it. Doesn't matter, as long as you make it immobile.

The other zombies will be unable to follow quickly, if they're the slow lumbering kind, because their "brother" or "sister" is blocking their path.

Giving you time to run away to your safehouse.

[Aerozord]

shotgun are worthless past about 50 years, and most swords wont do as much good as you think. Only a few types were designed to destroyed the head, most just stab organs or make large wounds to bleed out. Ideally you want the old world war I/II era close range weapons, the ones made not only for close quarters but also made to crack open the head or decapitate. I imagine a good smachet or trench spike would be great against the horde.

[Rygar]

Not to mention a sword would be liable to get stuck in a zombies head, leaving you at the mercy of the others. Really, blunt force trauma is the way to go.
When you don't have firearms or aren't at a safe distance to use them anyway.

[Darth SS]

Use a fucking crowbar! My god people, have you learned nothing from Half Life?

[Smarty McBarrelpants]

Ha! I live on an isolated island. Have fun with your zombie outbreaks suckers.
Also this is a good time to suggest the zombies boardgame- its super fun (there's about 5 of them now). And it shows how hard it is to fight zombies, they just keep coming! And you run out of bullets! Oh no!

[Darth SS]

I live next to a massive urban center, but it literally takes me about five minutes driving for Calgary to be completely invisible to me. After that, after I've grabbed my "zombie kit" that is a work in progress, I'm heading to Moose Jaw.

[Telephalsion]

Above examples are all disease-zombies, we also have the unholy zombies, the spawn of evil and such.
In that case, a good super soaker with holy water does the trick.

[Ryu Van Burace]

Yep, I have a large collection of tantos, wakizashi and katana length swords aswell as a machete used for gardening and a weapon that i'm unsure of the name of but is akin to say, a bladed shovel. Nice long reach, capable of decapitation at a distance. I'm covered, you poor guys aren't.
Good point about the close range thing though. It does seem in zombie movies that all zombies suddenly seem to develop extreme cunning either by possessing stealth capabilities on a par with Solid Snake whence they just...appear with no warning OR they stay stock still til an unwar main character passes them.
I don't consider 28 days lateras a zombie movie really. Hrd to put a finger on why not.

[ArlanKels]

That's another thing which I don't get..

Why is it that the zombies will somehow know how to hide perfectly in the shadows right up until someone gets into the most opportune position for them to ambush?
that does not seem mindless to meeee

[Demetrius]

I have a 3m Fullface Respirator, keeping gore out of my face orifaces is pretty high on the zombie fighting scale for me. As for swords I have several heavy ones, including a claymore and a heavy hand and a half longsword, among other random lighter swords.

[TheSaylesMan]

All of you people who want to use swords on zombies are crazy. Do you really want to get close enough to them in order to use it? I know I don't. A zombie hoard is a tidal wave unrelenting teeth, claws, and flesh. The sight of them would be enough to turn a persons stomach, let alone the smell. Have you ever gotten a whif of a dead body? I haven't, but I have had the pleasure of smelling weeks-old rotting meat. I wanted to puke right then and there and I'd bet a bunch of zombies would smell 10x worse.

I personally think that one of the best means of defense would be some really old-styled, full-body armor, right out of the Dark Ages. As long as it's properly fitted, a zombie couldn't get at any exposed flesh. Sure the stuff is pretty danm heavy, and you could still get blugeoned to death, but the pros outweigh the cons.

My personal weapon of choice, at least in a heavily urbanized area, is fire. I don't mean that I would try and use a flamethrower on a crowd of zombies. I mean that I would be hauling ass to some little town and lighting as many fires as I possibly can. I'd raze an entire city to the ground if I could.

Why? Because there are a lot of people in the city, thus a lot of zombies. And I run in the opposite direction of a lot of zombies. Eventually, they're going to run out of living flesh to consume and spread outwards. The moar zombies I can de-animate (term shamelessly lifted from Dr. McNinja) the better in the long run.

Will I kill other people who aren't zombified yet with my raging fires I've spread throughout the city? Probably. But if you stay in the city during a Zombie Apocolypse, you are going to die eventually. No questions.

[Magus]

Well, in the original Dawn of the Dead they had pretty much limitless food for the rest of their lives, but a roving biker gang breaks in and ruins their secure location so they have to leave. Then in Day of the Dead they are in a secure military base with the above mention of bringing food in by choppers, but eventually the zombies break in through a mine shaft and ruin their situation so the protagonists escape to a deserted island. Then in Land of the Dead, I forget exactly why but a "smart" zombie named Big Daddy figures out how to get past the fences in the isolated society in Pittsburgh, leading the sheer zombie numbers to bust through them. All in all, only Day of the Dead seemed a bit weak--in the others you had a biker gang of intelligent humans ruining the mall, and in the last you have an unexpected "smart" zombie forging the near limitless legion of undead into a hammer to strike at the fences.

Now, in the Dawn of the Dead redux, they had enough food forever, and probably enough video games to amuse themselves too, but like you said they ruin their crap and decide they just have to LEAVE. Cabin Fever if you will. And of course it went really bad.

So, you need a secure location and the will to stay there for the rest of your life, and food and resources. Fiddler's Green in Land of the Dead was pretty decent because they had enough room to move around, unfortunately, it was ruled by a dictator, and the unexpected "smart" zombie brought it all down, making the protagonists have to go on the run.

[Zilla]

You want shameless use of zombies that don't end up winning? TimeSplitters. I don't get it, but apparently there's zombies in Notre Dame around the early 1900's, as well as some outbreak of definately viral zombies in America in 1994. But they don't alter time or anything, there's still plenty of humans left for the robot wars in the 2200's, and the TimeSplitter wars in 2400.

Damn my brother making me play this game to know all this stuff.

[Ryu Van Burace]

Stuff

1. CQC with the undead:
True enough, I'd be using ranged weapons for as long as possible but guns aren't too easy to get here AND sooner or later, you're gonna run out of ammo. Couple that with the fact that necrosis usually makes them slower and have some severe muscle wastage going on. In theory, you should be able to overpower at least one. I mean you should be in better shape what with the shutdown of junk food places and the running ;)
I have smelt a dead body. If you can imagine really bad BBQ meat.

2.Body armour:
Again great idea provided you can also do something about the slots in the faceguard. Otherwise the rest of us are going to need to figure out a way to take down this armoured zombies that's appeared that tries to eat through the guard by just jamming it through the grill. (You got infected by blood in the eye)

3. Fire would be a nice idea but the undead know no fear of fire, nor do they feel pain and you've just started a force of nature that could bring up more enivronment troubles than its worth. However that being said, I agree with your point regarding city issues.

One point regarding zombie movies that's been referred to but not explicitly stated is that in most cases, they seem to be the background thing, not the big BAD thing. Those are usually the humans. *points at Resident Evil, Dead Rising*

And Timesplitters is awesome, it allows for ragdoll physics on zombies. That's just cool.

Ultimately your best bet for a safe location is somewhere surrounded by a big zombie proof barrier. Unfortunately this tends to mean somewhere human proof too. My best idea so far? Airship. You'd need scouting parties for food and the like but yeah, airship.

[Aerozord]

I personally think that one of the best means of defense would be some really old-styled, full-body armor, right out of the Dark Ages. As long as it's properly fitted, a zombie couldn't get at any exposed flesh. Sure the stuff is pretty danm heavy, and you could still get blugeoned to death, but the pros outweigh the cons.
no... no they dont. The cons of full body armor is the reduced mobility, your biggest strength against the zombies is now gone. Not to mention the fatigue, you will tire quickly and zombies dont. The zombies will eventually catch up, then your just canned food.

[Sir Pinkleton]

no... no they dont. The cons of full body armor is the reduced mobility, your biggest strength against the zombies is now gone. Not to mention the fatigue, you will tire quickly and zombies dont. The zombies will eventually catch up, then your just canned food.
Right, which is why it's probably better to wear some other type of full-body armor, like Kevlar or something. Heck, even regular but layered clothes could work as long as you covered everything well.

[Aerozord]

Right, which is why it's probably better to wear some other type of full-body armor, like Kevlar or something. Heck, even regular but layered clothes could work as long as you covered everything well.
Currently there is no full body kevlar besides kinda thing bomb-squads use which is also far too bulk to run in. Layered clothing might work but that wont stop them from grabbing it, pulling you in, then biting your face off. Not to mention the fact you will easily overheat which leads to the same tiring issue I mentioned before.

[Demetrius]

I'd take some football pads, rivet on a couple more pieces of high impact plastic and create my own version of post-modern plate. Heck, I'd use a football helmet and a cowboy collar for head/neck gear and with the 3m face shield, I'd be set.

[Aerozord]

ok you could do that and run the risk of being wrong, or just, you know, casually walk away from the horde

[Demetrius]

Come on man, are you saying you honestly would walk away from that? I'd be like, "Shit yeah, all my planning has paid off! Its time to smack some zombies around!"

Of course I'd hae my escape routes planned and supplies stashed, wouldn't go into inescapable situations, and I would remain ahead of the zombie lines. You know, common sense sort of things.

[Aerozord]

ok let me go the alternative
Your fully armored, with some nice hand to hand weapon. Horde reaches you, you smash one, two, three, but while your hitting the fourth another grabs your bulky armor and pulls you in. Do to your lack of mobility its not unrealistic for you to lose your balance and fall over. Zombies grab your plates, pulling and tugging until they give way and feast on the yummy meat inside. But even if this doesn't happen first time, it could happen second, third, or tenth time. Armor only helps if they have you in their grasp and are trying to bite you, and if they have you in their grasp, with all that bulky armor, your not getting away. In other words, best defence is to avoid getting caught and armor wont help that.

[ArlanKels]

Don't forget the ninja zombies who'll somehow be ahead of you even though you never saw them get there.

[Demetrius]

Have you ever worn football pads? Thy're light yet effective allowing for excellent movement.

[Aerozord]

I am just saying, if your in a situation where armor would help, your already screwed. Zombies dont attack face first, they grab, pull, then bite. If two or three have a hold of you, maybe it will take some time to peel off your armor, but its gonna happen. Just explain to me how armor will help you, if they are in a position where they can bite you they wont stop until you are dead one way or another.

[Smarty McBarrelpants]

All your swords are useless. Stick in the zombie... zombie eats you. You could try to lop off heads but that's difficult and requires a well balanced-sword and practice.
I have an array of cricket bats. Impact weapons are the way to go.
Not that I'll be fighting zombies in my tropical paradise. Just saying.

[Demetrius]

Again I have to reference the claymore and hand and a half longsword, these puppies aren't meant for stickin'. Using a gun actually requires more skill. With a weapon of insufficient calibur, you need to hit heads, lots of heads. With a sword you hack off bits and it slows 'em down, legs here, arms there... Its all good. A .22, 30.06, .45, 9mm means lots of dead on firing very rapidly with reloads under pressure.

Armor helps as a preventative measure from incidental bites/claws/spitting blood in your face for when you are actually out foraging or going for a fun zombie killing jaunt. Besides would you really like to be the guy that gets the one little bite or scratch and ends up killing everyone? That can be prevented by your friend, body armor.

[Aerozord]

Armor helps as a preventative measure from incidental bites/claws/spitting blood in your face for when you are actually out foraging or going for a fun zombie killing jaunt. Besides would you really like to be the guy that gets the one little bite or scratch and ends up killing everyone? That can be prevented by your friend, body armor.
Do you know what happens to blood without a heart beating? It congeals into a goo, zombies dont bleed. True that goo is an issue but it doesn't really splatter or run and rarely drips. As for biting, remember what I said about grabbing. And its easier to grab someone in armor.

[Demetrius]

No, it is easier to grap someone is layered clothing. The whole idea with the plating of armor is to not leave places to grab, it is a simple trick of overlapping correctly, it is also the reason why all of your pants and shirts button the same way.

[Aerozord]

well no point in arguing it at this point. But if we return to the original concept of this thread armor is mute. They dont have access to it

[Sir Pinkleton]

I realize that the threads gone a little off track, so I shouldn't say anything then, but Aerozord, since you've been so quick to shoot down absolutely everybody's ideas on how to live through a zombiepocolypse, what exactly would you do? because if armor isn't working, hand-to-hand is too dangerous, guns are to unreliable (ammo problems), then what exactly does work when fighting zombies?

By the way, I haven't actually voiced my opinion on what I'd do, despite my input, but I think it would be good to go to the coast. Zombies can't swim, right? And as long as I'm a good enough fisherman, I can get fish for meat, water from rain, and vegetables from various incursions inland. Good idea maybe?

[Aerozord]

Zombies cant really swim, but bloated ones can float, and unfloaty ones can walk of the bottom.

But me, in a likely situation like lets say, a mall and a large army of zombies. Then I would say best bet is to do absolutely nothing. Zombies out number you and are harder to kill. To try and assult them is suicide. You should work on creating a self sustaining system. Organizing recreation and teaching relaxation techniques such as meditation to avoid or atleast reduce the psychological problems caused by long term seiges. Storing alot of the water incase water ways break down and some waste removal system. Good leadership and study will be key to survival.

There is one possible way to fight them that I can think of in that situation but its only really viable if the above is already done and those attempting to get to you are all yu really have to worry about. You make your way to the roof. Then cover the horde in flammable material, and toss a maltov down there. In a few days they will all be burned up. But thats a judgement call, have to be sure your fort wont burn with them.

Without training average person wont beat a zombie, either run or fortify your position. Fighting them is illadvised

[mazx]

Ultimately your best bet for a safe location is somewhere surrounded by a big zombie proof barrier. Unfortunately this tends to mean somewhere human proof too. My best idea so far? Airship. You'd need scouting parties for food and the like but yeah, airship.

How would you sustain fuel for an airship?

[MuMu]

How would you sustain fuel for an airship?

A Zeppelin would probably be the best for this.

[TheSaylesMan]

Perhaps I should clarify what I meant by armor, as there are plenty of different types...

I meant chainmail. A chainmail shirt, and that headpiece that covers up the neck and ears so that only your face shows (I wonder if I could wear both that thing and a gasmask?) are the specific bits I'd want. Throw on a few layers of jeans, a heavy duty pair of boots and gloves, and that would be my prefered Zombie Apocolypse attire.

The problem is actually getting that stuff, but I do have a possible solution.Is anyone familiar with the suits that certain people use when diving with sharks? I believe that they are made of some sort of mail-like substance.

Well, if those suits can protect from shark bites, I'm sure they provide defense against zombie bites. I wonder how much they cost?

[Smarty McBarrelpants]

All we need is catapults and lots of them. I stand in the middle of the catapults all facing outwards. Zombies walk onto catapults. I fire catapults. No more zombies.

[Zilla]

As far as armor goes, I'd like Solid Snake's sneaking suit. Definately works for both covering your body from accidents, and doesn't restrict mobility. Your head is still vulnerable, but that could be fixed with the top bit of those scuba wetsuits and a gas mask. Really, a Haz-Mat suit is also pretty ideal.

For weapon, I'd like a sturdy shotgun that I can also use as a club. Shotguns are just totally killer for close range if you get the power you need, and they make escaping easier.

[Seil]

A quick, comedic look on the speed and intelligence of Zombies. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FQqK41lu_54)

[Ryu Van Burace]

A Zeppelin would probably be the best for this.
Precisely right, that was my intention, find an air museum and take one.

[Hawk]

I've said it before and I'll say it again; off-shore rig is the best place to hide. Surrounded by deep water so the zombies can't get you, plenty of fish for meat, enough space on the roof for growing vegetables and fruit and depending on the climate (I'm thinking specifically the north sea oil rig for myself) plenty of rain water to drink. Keep a couple of boats handy for escape or if there's ever the need to travel back to the mainland and plus all that oil for power and fuel for said boats and you could survive indefinately.

Obviously you would need to limit the numbers of people on the rig with you in order to conserve resources, yet also giving you enough bodies to actually survive without going mad from cabin fever. If you ever need anything you can send out scouting parties back to the mainland and raid it for whatever you may need (medicines, entertainment, etc). If other people also manage to survive the apocalypse you could ever possibly set yourselves up as a waystation and trading post for people passing by the waterways a la Waterworld.

Yep, an oil rig would be the safest place in my eyes.

[Sir Pinkleton]

See, that's what I've been thinking lately, except I considered using a boat. I only say a boat because I don't know the location of any oil rigs and I generally don't have any knowledge of them other than they're big. Although I guess it wouldn't take too long riding on the coast to spot one.