The zombie rules: let's finally establish them.

Jamboxdotcom

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TheIronRuler said:
Jamboxdotcom said:
I'm a firm believer in Max Brooks's rules as laid out in The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. But, that's just me. Some people would disagree (including many scientists).
I hold the same opinion.
BUT if it were to actually happen I would throw everything I knew about them out the window, because they're walking corpses, and if they don't play by natures' rules, why woud they play by Max Brooks's rules?
True. But most of the advice given in those books is pretty sound, and if anything, is more cautious than may be strictly necessary. Really, the only way things could be worse than he presented them would be for the virus to become airborne or to have fast and/or smart zombies. And let's face it, in those cases, it probably doesn't matter what you do, we all be screwed.
 

kittii-chan 300

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Feb 27, 2011
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The only way they can be killed is complete distruction of the brain. infection spread by mixing of zombie fluids with human fluids (saliva/blood. ewww/ewwwwwww!) can only run if in perfect corpse condition (no broken legs, rotting ext.) cannot drown, or swim. weak flesh and bones. cannot jump or climb (bouncing slightly is justified). cannot use any tools (no freaking RPG weilding majini!). will wander aimlessly until catching evidence of prey when they move in a bee-line (not sure why its called that cuz bees dont fly straight) to the prey. breakouts can only be caused by necromancy/ voodoo(?) magic or a left over zombie that wasnt removed in the last breakout.
 

HarmanSmith

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Aug 12, 2009
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Zombies are slow, while infected are fast.

That, in my opinion, is how the undead should be categorized.
 

Shock and Awe

Winter is Coming
Sep 6, 2008
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-Slow and stumbling due to decomposition

-After a certain amount time they drop re-dead due to their brain decomposing to a certain point.

-Massive radiation and freezing can kill a zombie but only if it significantly effects their brain cells.

-Headshots only

-Zombies cannot walk underwater because they would float
 

Aj Byrne

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Mar 24, 2011
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Does it matter? The Zombie genre of entertainment thrives on the fact that there are so many "rules" they can play by.
The rules set by Romero's first 3 "...of the dead" films I would qualify as the generally excepted rules and what Max Brooks bases his rules off of in his two books and the graphic novel. Romero and Brooks are the first stop for the newcomers to the genre.
 

Innegativeion

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Feb 18, 2011
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The setting defines the mythological/fantastical/sci-fi beast, in all cases, whatsoever. That's my philosophy.

At least, when it works. Invoke this rule as long as the creature makes sense in its environment. The most infamous example of when this doesn't work of course, being twilight.
 

LikeDustInTheWind

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aegix drakan said:
my zombie plan is to spot the warning signs relatively early, and high tail it up to Nunavut before the panic sets in.
I'll meet you there.

OT: They're stupid, slow, can spread their infection by biting, scratching, or getting some of their bodily fluids into you. They will decompose over a long enough time, but will not die of lack of food. They eat human flesh, preferably brains but not just brains, like you said the only way to get rid of them is to destroy the brain. If I'm missing anything feel free to contribute.
 

pearcinator

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These are my zombie rules:

1) If a zombie bites you, you die and reawaken as a zombie
2) Zombies can only be killed by destruction of the head or brain, removing the head doesn't kill the zombie but it cant roll its head after you.
3)Zombies are slow-moving and cannot run
4)Zombies can either start from;
[A]-an infection starting from 1 person and spreading or
-all dead people who are not decomposed come back to life
5)Zombies are dumb
 

Snake Plissken

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Jul 30, 2010
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When the fuck did Max Brooks become more important to the zombie genre than Romero?

Speaking of Romero, what gives anyone the idea that their rules hold more weight than Romero's?

Tell you what: Go *invent a genre. Set the rules for it. Until then, quit trying to fuck with someone else's shit.

*I fully understand that George A. Romero did not invent zombies. But, with their undoubted presence in the mainstream and pop-culture as well as everyone attributing EVERYTHING to him, he may as well fucking have.
 

Grospoliner

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Zombies would initially be fast (provided they are the standard Romero type). Until they under went rigor mortis some time after death.

Sadly however Romero zombies can't exist thanks to certain chemical exchanges within human organisms which are required for locomotion and are obtained via breathing. So zombies now have to breath.

This isn't too problematic as the majority of zombies are now popularized as infected individuals under the influence of some pathogen. Theoretically said virus could colonize in the brain and disrupt or destroy certain vital brain functions such as the limbic and neocortex.

What makes it harder to justify the zombie is post mortal functionality. In theory the vector could contain some sort of recombinant dna sequence that allowed it to highjack the body, though this would mean it would be more likely that the vector is a weaponized virus, which isn't outside the scope of probability, but unlikely with today's standards of biotechnology.

So the virus could take up position in the brain/stem, and using specialized rdna for the purpose of sending electrical impulses, gain control of a human body after destroying the reason center and or stimulating various other impulse centers compelling the infected person to feast on the flesh of others to simultaneously gain sustenance and spread further infection, until they ran out of people to eat and starved to death.

This could potentially work to keep the host alive. I'm not keen on all the nutritional values of human meat, but if it contains enough of the right nutrients then it could keep the infected going until other virus/bacteria entered the host and begin to damage the host cells. So the more successful a single infected person is, the faster they will self-destruct under a barrage of secondary infections/running out of food in a given area.

In short. Zombies can no longer be "undead".

Edit:

http://www.undeadreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/mr-t-knows-zombies.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate#Functions_in_cells
 

Anchupom

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Apr 15, 2009
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kittii-chan 300 said:
will wander aimlessly until catching evidence of prey when they move in a bee-line (not sure why its called that cuz bees dont fly straight)
So called as bees naturally know the shortest route between flowers (the travelling salesman problem).

OT: Zombies shouldn't be smart, shouldn't be athletic, and require either severe trauma to the head or complete seperation of the head and neck to be permanently disabled. Zombies on fire are just a moving fire hazard, as they don't feel pain and zombie flesh does not break down as easily as regular human flesh.
 

Anchupom

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Apr 15, 2009
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Grospoliner said:
I'm not keen on all the nutritional values of human meat, but if it contains enough of the right nutrients then it could keep the infected going until other virus/bacteria entered the host and begin to damage the host cells.
I think I read somewhere that canibalism results in an iodine sufficiency, resulting in lack of dexterity, liver failure, and eventual death (in humans, not sure about zombies though.)