Post-zombie organization

[WyvernLord]

This thread was started after I talked in the other zombie thread and thought so we know our roles in the short term but what kind of role will you take in the long term. Assume a defensible community with low bad quality food and shambler zombies. There are other near-by communities that have different views and distrust you but not enough to not trade. Zombies have no duration limit.
I would personally take a job as a building clearer for scavengers and to help expand.

[Traab]

This thread was started after I talked in the other zombie thread and thought so we know our roles in the short term but what kind of role will you take in the long term. Assume a defensible community with low bad quality food and shambler zombies. There are other near-by communities that have different views and distrust you but not enough to not trade. Zombies have no duration limit.
I would personally take a job as a building clearer for scavengers and to help expand.

Hmm, in this case, assuming a fairly high level of zombies, I would be the porter. I am the guy carrying the scavenged materials back to base. Why? Because that guy gets protected. You generally need that food, ammo, guns, medicine, whatever, that I am carrying, so the rest of the party is looking out for me and keeping me safe as im making it possible to transport this stuff that they couldnt carry as well as use a gun. Id rather trust a half dozen people to keep me alive, than just myself with my accuracy keeping me alive.

[Crow]

I'm the runner we send out to get word and news from other communities of survivors, and share any tidbits of intelligence we might have that can help them out.

The messenger I guess. Or the zombie apocalypse Hermod.

Don't shoot the messenger!

[Ricky S]

Dibs on being the guy that gets to carry a gun and shoots zombies. Think Jayne from firefly, except with more intelligience.

[ForzaFiori]

Dibs on being the guy that gets to carry a gun and shoots zombies. Think Jayne from firefly, except with more intelligience.

Ditto. You can always use two of those, right?

I'd also probably try to find someway to create a written record of what happened. As a historian, I know how completely annoying it is to have no written record of what happened in the past. I might even try to get others to do the same, since historians don't like only having one take on events.

[Traab]

Ditto. You can always use two of those, right?

I'd also probably try to find someway to create a written record of what happened. As a historian, I know how completely annoying it is to have no written record of what happened in the past. I might even try to get others to do the same, since historians don't like only having one take on events.

Just remember, history is written by the victor, so just in case humanity loses, write up a second version of events filled with nothing but "uuuuuuhhhhh braaaaiiiinss" so the zombies can have their version of events recorded too. /nod

[noparlpf]

Welp. I'm naturally pretty strong and fast with decent reflexes, and I get fit pretty quickly when I'm active. I'm fairly alert and perceptive, but my eyesight uncorrected is about a -4. I'm smart and decent with my hands, so I could help plan defenses and I would be able to help build shelter/fortifications. I'd be willing to go out if necessary. I have a bit of experience with melee skirmishing, and zombies aren't exactly the fastest or smartest of opponents. After my initial FREAKING THE **** OUT OH **** ZOMBIES, which would probably last a couple of hours, I'd keep a cool head. (We played a zombie-apocalypse game of Dread once. I was the nerd/geek, serious paranoia issues, carried one of those big trench knives with the brass knuckles, and took hardcore anxiety meds. I spent the first half hour of the game freaking the **** out and then I more or less calmed down and took control.)

[Tyndmyr]

This thread was started after I talked in the other zombie thread and thought so we know our roles in the short term but what kind of role will you take in the long term. Assume a defensible community with low bad quality food and shambler zombies. There are other near-by communities that have different views and distrust you but not enough to not trade. Zombies have no duration limit.
I would personally take a job as a building clearer for scavengers and to help expand.

I have considered this, and in the long term, would consider myself an organizer/leader. I'd be the person personally focused on expanding society and rebuilding it, and I'd definitely be getting my hands dirty doing so.

My society would be based very simply on a currency(whatever is common at the time, like .22 shells or whatever, may be used). Everyone in it is expected to contribute a certain amount for communal defense, either in hours worked guarding the wall, etc, or in resources/traded stuff from those who prefer to go on expeditions/hunting trips. Everyone need to contribute toward society, but not everyone is going to be good at every role, so I'd want to allow for people to specialize a lot.

[WyvernLord]

@^What would you be doing when not leading. There is no way a leader can do nothing but lead when it is this close to a second crisis situation after the zombie one. People would resent a guy who would just sit around telling people what to do.
Also I'm changing my vote with the amount of people saying kill zombies in various ways I'm going to become a farmer. Gotta keep the crops growing after all.
Also also we need an architect. Better walls would be good.

[noparlpf]

@^What would you be doing when not leading. There is no way a leader can do nothing but lead when it is this close to a second crisis situation after the zombie one. People would resent a guy who would just sit around telling people what to do.
Also I'm changing my vote with the amount of people saying kill zombies in various ways I'm going to become a farmer. Gotta keep the crops growing after all.

Actually, I'd kind of like to be a pioneer-type farmer. I guess I'd basically be up for anything that I could do that would be needed. I'm a team player.

[Tyndmyr]

@^What would you be doing when not leading. There is no way a leader can do nothing but lead when it is this close to a second crisis situation after the zombie one. People would resent a guy who would just sit around telling people what to do.
Also I'm changing my vote with the amount of people saying kill zombies in various ways I'm going to become a farmer. Gotta keep the crops growing after all.

Sanitizing areas. Clear them out, get the corpses disposed of, extend the wall of the safe zone. Messy job, but someone's got to do it.

[WyvernLord]

So another kill zombie dude then.:smallamused:

[Traab]

So another kill zombie dude then.:smallamused:

No, i think he means he would be the guy dragging the dead zombies off to the fire pit so they can be burned instead of being left to rot where they fall and spread disease. It IS a nasty job, but it is also very very necessary. Otherwise you end up with areas you cant safely pass through without risking picking up a variety of horrible afflictions.

[Happy Me]

This thread was started after I talked in the other zombie thread and thought so we know our roles in the short term but what kind of role will you take in the long term. Assume a defensible community with low bad quality food and shambler zombies. There are other near-by communities that have different views and distrust you but not enough to not trade. Zombies have no duration limit.


Since we have zombies that last for a very long time, I would be the mad scientist experimenting with ways (using humans or the illusion of humans as ‘bait’ to motivate zombies into motion) to utilize this novel source of power via zombie hamster-wheels, powering electrical generators via treadmills, breaking up wood, pulling plows, etc. Seems like zombies would be a cheap energy source (do they even need to ‘eat’ to maintain? If not, bonus!) if a little dangerous. I imagine a paradise of almost-free energy where all menial labor is done by the mindless zombies, and the humans are free to do whatever inspires them!

Or at least that is what I would tell the various ‘leader’ types.

My secret plan, depending on the resource level and technical skill available, would be to create a zombie army to dominate the local human population…then move on to world conquest! Mahahahahaha! :smallbiggrin:

[North_Ranger]

If our little postapocalyptic community has children, I would be more than happy to continue in my pre-apocalyptic profession - that is, as a teacher. ForzaFiori's written history won't be worth no more than the paper's usability as kindling and/or toilet paper unless there's going to be young 'uns who know how to read and write.

Besides that, I'd be more than willing to offer a hand in manual labor and/or standing guard on the walls. Having been through armed service, I'm a decent shot with an assault rifle. Especially if our zombies are shamblers... just let them stumble along our way, and I can pick them off at 100 yards, no sweat.

[CoffeeIncluded]

I'll be the medic! I'm going into veterinary medicine anyway; I can be a doctor for humans as well.

[Cobra_Ikari]

I'll be the medic! I'm going into veterinary medicine anyway; I can be a doctor for humans as well.

...wow. I'm a med student and the idea of being a medic didn't even occur to me. I was gonna volunteer for dangerous zombie-killing things, like clearing buildings so we can get supplies from them.


...man, am I a bad med kid or what? >.<

[thorgrim29]

I guess I'd make a decent scavenger and guard once I get rid of enough of my 70 or so extra pounds and learn how to shoot, I'm big, strong, and I have fairly keen senses. While at camp, I'd probably be the quartermaster, try to get some mileage out of my majors in accounting and the MBA I'm currently half through (also, having access to the scotch would be a plus, because any group I'm in will eventually be raiding liquor stores):smallbiggrin:. I could also manage projects that aren't related to construction (because I'd be hopeless at that)

[noparlpf]

...wow. I'm a med student and the idea of being a medic didn't even occur to me. I was gonna volunteer for dangerous zombie-killing things, like clearing buildings so we can get supplies from them.


...man, am I a bad med kid or what? >.<

Haha. I suppose killing zombies and being tough and manly does sound a bit more fun than splinting broken ankles and finding natural analgesics.

I'm a chem major, but I'm only in Orgo, and I haven't had much lab experience, so I wouldn't be much use as a chemist in this society.

[Asta Kask]

I'll be the medic! I'm going into veterinary medicine anyway; I can be a doctor for humans as well.

I can help. I'm a pharmacologist and if armed with the proper books can cook up a few things from natural products.

I can also hug people who need hugs.

[Cobra_Ikari]

Haha. I suppose killing zombies and being tough and manly does sound a bit more fun than splinting broken ankles and finding natural analgesics.

I'm a chem major, but I'm only in Orgo, and I haven't had much lab experience, so I wouldn't be much use as a chemist in this society.

Meh. It's not really about being tough/manly/having fun. It's more...I've been suicidal before, and while I'm not really at that point right now, I don't put much value on my life and don't really fear the idea of dying. So I would rather go in place of someone who cared more about surviving? I dunno.

[Karoht]

Ability to Craft Bow and Arrow? Check.
Ability to trade crafted objects? Check.
Ability to locate to the back country of the BC rocky mountains and head northward? Check.
Ability to live in the mountains, hunting and fishing, using standard Ranger tactics to fight off Zombies and non-infected raiders? Check.
Ability to chop down trees for structures and shelter and defenses? Check.


Ability to form the North West Canadian Lumberjack Rangers? Quintouple Check.

Ability to damn up the creeks and rivers and monopolize fresh water? Muhaaahahaha---I mean, check.

[Tyndmyr]

No, i think he means he would be the guy dragging the dead zombies off to the fire pit so they can be burned instead of being left to rot where they fall and spread disease. It IS a nasty job, but it is also very very necessary. Otherwise you end up with areas you cant safely pass through without risking picking up a variety of horrible afflictions.

Killing zombies would be part of securing areas, but it's frankly not that major of a part. More notable is cleaning up whatever mess is left over from bodies, chaos, and so on and making it safe. Lots of building defenses and the like.

The "kick in the door" part is probably both the easiest and most fun element of securing an area, but there'll be a lot of call for the other bits.

[Pokonic]

Hmm, well, it would depend if animals are immune to being zombified or not. Preferably, considering I have to work with a lot of dogs, I could round up a few of the big lugs and form my own little pack of search-and-distroy dogs. Like a fire-rescue dog, exept they run away when they see zombies to alert the guys with guns to start shooting. My dad works in a hospital, and as such I know a few things about stiching (Arg, the mental scaring), so I could presumably stich & sanitize cuts and stuff.

On the other hand, I agree with ForzaFiori that stuff needs to be protected, and as such would probably raid areas (like libraries) to get matirial to save. I mean, how else would the guys with the guns keep there minds sharp exept with a nice daylight reading session?

[ForzaFiori]

Also I'm changing my vote with the amount of people saying kill zombies in various ways I'm going to become a farmer. Gotta keep the crops growing after all.


I figured pretty much everyone will be doing some sort of farm-work. Without most of our tech (chemical fertilizers, any type of machinery, possible even draft animals if they can be infected), farmwork becomes EXTREMELY labor intensive. You might be a guard, or a teacher, or "mayor", whatever, but when it comes time to plant and harvest, everyone comes out to help (though u'd keep a weapon handy) except for a skeleton guard to give forwarning. When the enemy is slow moving zombies, this is even more possible, since nearly anyone can move faster than they can.

@North Ranger: Even if people forget how to write, people in the future, more stable society could eventually find it and read it, similar to hieroglyphics and cuneiform. I figure the bigger risk would be if it doesn't get recorded, when people try to later, their memories will have changed, and the stories will grow, and the next thing you know, the time after the apocalypse will seem like the settling of the wild west. Which would be cool, but inaccurate.

[Riverdance]

Definitely an organizer and fighter. I have great head for organization so I'd probably have some part in keeping supplies together and organized. I also swing a mean machete from chopping wood and I'm a pretty good shot with a smallish bore shotgun. I also know a fair bit about shelter building and fire making. I could navigate the group and help move into the wilderness far from zombies where we could survive on scavenged supplies. Oh right, I also love scavenging.

[Happy Me]

I figured pretty much everyone will be doing some sort of farm-work. Without most of our tech (chemical fertilizers, any type of machinery, possible even draft animals if they can be infected), farmwork becomes EXTREMELY labor intensive. You might be a guard, or a teacher, or "mayor", whatever, but when it comes time to plant and harvest, everyone comes out to help (though u'd keep a weapon handy) except for a skeleton guard to give forwarning. When the enemy is slow moving zombies, this is even more possible, since nearly anyone can move faster than they can.


This is where my plow-pulling zombies would come in handy! Just slap some blinders on them and have an active human walking in front of the zombie plow-team. The zombies pull the plow towards their target (the human) and turn a neat furrow with the plow.

Zombies on treadmills (with someone in front of them seated as motivated ‘bait’) could be used to rig up power for pulling heavy loads up into storage (e.g., hay bales etc.).

If the zombies cue in on their targets via visual stimuli why then we can get some of the artists to paint very realistic paintings of tasty humans to act as motivating bait! Imagine zombie plow-teams with pictures of humans in front of their eyes: One can rig a set of reins to switch out different pictures to make the team turn left/right or stop or whatever.

Yay Science! :smallbiggrin:

[North_Ranger]

@North Ranger: Even if people forget how to write, people in the future, more stable society could eventually find it and read it, similar to hieroglyphics and cuneiform. I figure the bigger risk would be if it doesn't get recorded, when people try to later, their memories will have changed, and the stories will grow, and the next thing you know, the time after the apocalypse will seem like the settling of the wild west. Which would be cool, but inaccurate.

I am still going to insist that we teach the children to read and write. Otherwise we'll be left with an illiterate society who, among other things...
...could stumble upon a nuclear silo and accidentally cause a detonation because nobody understands what the huge, red text above the big red button means.
... create a new set of religious warfare when the Followers of the Trek clash with the New New Jedi Order.
... misunderstand billboards and start worshipping Justin Bieber as their new god and saviour.

[Karoht]

...could stumble upon a nuclear silo and accidentally cause a detonation because nobody understands what the huge, red text above the big red button means.Not likely. Arming systems require quite a lot of encoded data, special keys, etc. Even if one could hotwire the system for launch, odds are they couldn't arm the bomb to actually go off, much less input targeting commands and the like.
Bigger danger is that people start tampering with a bomb, don't understand what the radioactive warning symbol is, and end up giving themselves radiation poisoning.
As luck would have it, the half life of most of the weapons grade material is actually very short.



I figured pretty much everyone will be doing some sort of farm-work. Without most of our tech (chemical fertilizers, any type of machinery, possible even draft animals if they can be infected), farmwork becomes EXTREMELY labor intensive.People are very likely to do this, if agricultural areas can be secured. However, sustainable aquaponics is actually a surprisingly low-tech series of systems, with nothing more complicated than a few pumps (which could be hand operated) to produce greens and proteins. Look it up on wiki. Heck, a 6 year old built one with tupperware containers.

[thubby]

from a defensible post with any amount of consistent resources zombies are a trivial problem.

exterminating the zombies is as easy as taking something heavy, tying a rope to it, and dropping it over the walls.
haul it back up and repeat until zombies are a chunky red mass

[WyvernLord]

At this point the zombies are a nuisance that can still kill you if you go beyond the walls. That is not the point. The point is what would you do to support the community that is sharing their defenses with you.

[Tyndmyr]

Not likely. Arming systems require quite a lot of encoded data, special keys, etc. Even if one could hotwire the system for launch, odds are they couldn't arm the bomb to actually go off, much less input targeting commands and the like.
Bigger danger is that people start tampering with a bomb, don't understand what the radioactive warning symbol is, and end up giving themselves radiation poisoning.
As luck would have it, the half life of most of the weapons grade material is actually very short.

I agree. The horror of a future Beiber-worshipping society is far more terrible.

[WyvernLord]

Zombie Justin Beiber, justified killing. :smalltongue:

[Objection]

Zombie Justin Beiber, justified killing. :smalltongue:

I imagine it would go something like that scene from an old Simpsons Treehouse of Horror.

"Wow Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
"He was a zombie?"

[Traab]

I imagine it would go something like that scene from an old Simpsons Treehouse of Horror.

"Wow Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
"He was a zombie?"

Here I was thinking more along the lines of the game they played in the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Where they had the gun and ammo shop guy snipe any zombie celebrity they spotted.

[thubby]

At this point the zombies are a nuisance that can still kill you if you go beyond the walls. That is not the point. The point is what would you do to support the community that is sharing their defenses with you.

"exterminate the thing that is keeping us stuck in here" seems like something good for the community.

[WyvernLord]

Yes but in the OP I said that we have low food and other groups to deal with. We don't have a lot of supplies. Those are the two big problems not the zombies. The zombies are shamblers no real threat at this point. You just have to avoid them since pretty much everyone who survived can kill a zombie solo. If your whole job is zombie killing then your job would be clearing out areas to expend into. Most of the zombies are dead, or scattered, or even trapped somewhere. If that wasn't clear I apologize.

[noparlpf]

Who's bringing the power tools and a generator? After spending HALF AN HOUR manually removing two screws from some...plaster? drywall? what the heck is this stuff and its crazy coefficient of friction? Anyway, power tools would be lovely. I assume we're near some source of running water? A watermill seems like the best way to get energy unless we try that zombies-on-treadmills idea.

[Hiro Protagonest]

I would be a builder and come up with ideas as well. Send the runners out to plant hand-crank radios beyond the walls for other survivors, raid the library to get books to improve morale or learn how to build things (like hand-crank radios), set up signs, build rope bridges across the rooftops, and if the zombies don't have very good control of the bodies (which that should be the case, since they're shamblers), nail boards into wooden walls for getting on and off the rooftops.

[WyvernLord]

Who's bringing the power tools and a generator? After spending HALF AN HOUR manually removing two screws from some...plaster? drywall? what the heck is this stuff and its crazy coefficient of friction? Anyway, power tools would be lovely. I assume we're near some source of running water? A watermill seems like the best way to get energy unless we try that zombies-on-treadmills idea.

I'm from Missouri less then a days walk to the river of the same name. I'll have running water.

[Happy Me]

A watermill seems like the best way to get energy unless we try that zombies-on-treadmills idea.

You can model the zombies as water that never freezes and moves at a constant predictable speed. Better than water wheels actually.

The zombies can be rigged to spin a shaft and even if there are no generators for electrical power (at least immediately), those shafts could be rigged with gears and belts to provide power for saws, drills, grain-grinders, etc.

Zombie power is risky but if they are slow (but powerful) and spread the infection via bite, the risk could be managed. Remove the jaws/teeth so if one does get loose it really can not bite a person, make sure the containment devices are stout and have backups, etc.

Besides, Zombie Power is Green Power! No burning wood or coal etc. to get your power and it never never needs to be replenished! Or even if one does wear out simply find a recent corpse, modify it, strap it in, and infect it!

Oh, I would have such fun as a mad scientist! Now all I need are some minions to handle the surgery, the lab equipment production, the ego-stroking…. :smallbiggrin:

[Murska]

I would probably be a trader and a diplomat, maintaining connections to other groups and trying to form a more coherent government.

[Pokonic]

Zombie Justin Beiber, justified killing. :smalltongue:

"Anyone up for a round of Celeb Zombie Pit Fights? Some guys just came back up from whats left of the Jersy Pier and has some new blood with them. Always wanted to see a bunch of fake italiens get chewed up by the cast of Rent."

"Dude, so going with Zombie Freeman this time. I mean, he utterly ripped apart the Olsens last week, and he was leathery before this crap happened."

"Nah, apperently someone stuck some knives into Beiber's eyes, and when he bites now they go right into whatever's he's chewing up. Apperently, he was almost pit-bull like when he got stuck in Lohans shoulder."

Ah, the time-tried tradition of stringing up meat-suits to zombies and having them rip each other to shreads.:smallbiggrin:

[dehro]

I fancy myself as being cautious and having a decent set of skills that would help me survive in most circumstances. I'm highly adaptable and a bit of a jack of all trades. I also have rather good diplomatic skills and an eye for finding common ground and practical solutions. I tend to be the voice of reason more often than not.
on the negative side, I have no specialized field of technical or educational expertise, in a know a bit of everything but not enough about anything way, so on that front I'm kinda expendable.
in that vein, I'd be the merchant/messenger guy who travels inbetween comunities and tries to rebuilt social bridges, ties, or at least stable comunication and trade routes. preferably getting around by horse, assuming that fuel would be an issue.

[Coidzor]

Depending upon the environment, I'd most likely end up being one of the more full-time farming types, taking care of such things as composting and probably being one of the people responsible for waste disposal, as well, depending upon whether we'd need to synthesize saltpetre for blackpowder production or if enough could be scavenged along with sulfur. In a more nomadic setup, I'd probably be part of a small group that goes off and prepares various smaller gardens along the route.

Though, I admit, there's enough gaps in my gardening knowledge that we'd likely have to make a raid on a library or outright seize one.


Meh. It's not really about being tough/manly/having fun. It's more...I've been suicidal before, and while I'm not really at that point right now, I don't put much value on my life and don't really fear the idea of dying. So I would rather go in place of someone who cared more about surviving? I dunno.

I imagine you'd probably have a newfound appreciation for life rather than being in the same sort of general emotional state if you managed to avoid buying the farm during the initial chaos and struggle for survival.

[Cobra_Ikari]

I imagine you'd probably have a newfound appreciation for life rather than being in the same sort of general emotional state if you managed to avoid buying the farm during the initial chaos and struggle for survival.

I'm afraid I don't follow this logic. The world's gone to ****, so suddenly I'll want to stick around in it MORE?

[Coidzor]

I'm afraid I don't follow this logic. The world's gone to ****, so suddenly I'll want to stick around in it MORE?

Something about having survived and having to keep surviving does that, from what I hear, yeah.

There'd have to be some kind of change, anyway, since being actively suicidally foolhardy would just have gotten a hypothetical person killed before they could be part of this tribe.

[Solaris]

I'd be supplying my one skill: Killing people (or zombies, whatever) and breaking things while keeping other people alive and other things not broken.
Oh, and I can train people to do that, too. Firearms, physical fitness, sports medicine, battlefield medicine, hand-to-hand combat, survival, escape and evasion, learning whole new definitions of 'edible', site security, you name it I've probably done it at one point or another. I'm by no means an expert, but I am good at what I do.