The zombie rules: let's finally establish them.

[Kalashnikov2092]

There are a lot of different ways zombies are portrayed in today's entertainment. One movie or game could have completely different zombies than another movie or game.

So I think it is high time we set some overall ground rules for zombie abilities and characteristics.

My contribution: headshots only. No other way to kill a zombie except for destruction of the brain. This means even a decapitated zombie is still dangerous, due to the head still being active and capable of biting.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

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).

 

[the spud]

I've always thought it was odd that BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIINS were so important to zombies.

I mean, really, they just stumble forward in a linear path, break through a window or two, and moan. nothing you need to be a world class intellect to do.

 

[Giest4life]

Did you know that even God could not come with a consistent code?

OT: Zombies are hive minded. They are not capable of individual thought and will only follow where the larger press is going.

 

[MFenix]

Besides from what The Zombie Survival Guide says I say we all follow the rules from Zombieland.

 

[legend of duty]

no running or intelligence

 

[artanis_neravar]

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 have not read those could you fill me in please?

 

[Spade Lead]

no running or intelligence

Yeah, they are mindless brutes that shuffle around and bite anything in front of them.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Only corpses raised through necromancy, possibly controlled by their necromancer.
No infected living people.

 

[Flippincrazy]

Besides from what The Zombie Survival Guide says I say we all follow the rules from Zombieland.

This. Remember kids, always wear seatbelts.

 

[thiosk]

Its already set, the zombie committee already met and canonized the zombie survival guide. Didn't you get the memo? Sheesh.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

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 go by those rules too.

And thus, my zombie plan is to spot the warning signs relatively early, and high tail it up to Nunavut before the panic sets in.

 

[WolfThomas]

Lets not establish rules, variety is the spice of life, there's a huge spectrum from the day of the dead slow zombies right up to pseudo zombies like Crossed or Blackgas infected. It fun to have different unpredictable zombies.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I would have thought that the fact that zombies DO NOT EXIST would be the perfect reason for game/movie devs and the like to actually experiment and add some variety born out of their own creativity, rather than establish a rulebook forcing all zombie related media down the same path which will only lead to stagnation and boredom at a genre full of tropes. Y'know, like we already had before some bright sparks had the great new idea to have great new ideas.

Why on Earth would you want to limit people creativity and independent thought by establishing 'rules' for the depiction of something that, I repeat, DOES NOT EXIST?

 

[Woodsey]

If you see it and think, "yeah, that's a zombie", its a fucking zombie. I don't care if it walks or runs, I don't care if a parasite reanimated it after it had died, or killed it and took control of its brain instantly. I don't care if you have to take them down with headshots or if body shots will also do the trick.

If you see it, you should know what its meant to be. If you don't then it has failed at being a zombie.

The closest I'd go to a defining "base rule" would that there'd be no intelligence beyond wanting to eat people/other living things.

 

[humpty334]

They are only capable of what the person was before they died and don't gain anything from becoming a zombie that they can not be killed unless it is by a headshot.

BOOM!! HEADSHOT!!

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

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 have not read those could you fill me in please?

Oh geez, where to start... (i may be a little fuzzy on the details, it's been a few years)
First of all, according to him, it's a virus that colonizes the brain stem. Thus, zombies have only basic motor functions and basic instincts. Virus kinda hot-wires and/or short-circuits the whole body, to the point where only the brain (and really only certain parts thereof) is necessary for the "survival" of the host. Even then, headshots and/or decapitation don't "kill" the host and the virus, but they do completely immobilize the host, thus essentially isolating the virus (the virus is not airborne). Only fire can completely and truly kill both the host and the virus.

Zombie flesh is toxic to everything, including virtually all insects and microorganisms. This is why they don't rot to immobile mounds of flesh, bone, and dust within a few days.

No one is immune to the virus (or if they are, it's such a staggeringly low percentage as to be inconsequential... maybe a handful of people in the entire world, which means they'd likely die by some other means anyway).

There's a lot more than that. I'd highly recommend those books, though. They're pretty much The Bible for zombie fans.

 

[DefunctTheory]

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 have not read those could you fill me in please?

Zombies are inferior in every way to human beings, due to CONSTANT degradation, though true decomposition does not occur. The longer a zombie lives, the worse it gets.

Zombies do not breath, nor do they have flowing blood. So they can survive underwater (Unknown how they resist salt corrosion in open sea) and can survive being frozen (Which is the most deadly type of zombie, as they last longer and are hard to find under ice and snow).

Because zombies have a rudimentary nervous system, and have very little fluid in their bodies, zombie can survive thermoberic and concussive forces with ease. It's mentioned that zombies who survive vacuum weapons are frequently seen to have their lungs handing out of their mouths.

Zombie infection passed on my virus. No known cure.

Zombies do not retain memories.

Headshots only.

Radiation proof.

Poor to no eye sight. Unable to smell or feel. Main source of sensation is sound, though its more likely they use bone vibration, rather then actual hearing.

Those are the basics.

Oh, and US rules by his account (Supposedly the only nation that suggested naked aggression against zombies, rather then containment).

 

[TheIronRuler]

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?

 

[x EvilErmine x]

No running. They can only manage walking pace at best.

Zombies that can run are terrifying. If they can run then there's no hope at all. Eventually your going to get tired and have to stop running, and somehow i don't think the zombies that have been chasing your ass for the last few miles will be feeling the need to take a little breather too. Nope it's game over man. See...terrifying.