...a zombie outbreak like in 28 days later? Probably this will be great to play in a game. But if the game is ment to be realistic, how realistic will a zombie outbreak be: what will really happen to the world if a deadly virus breaks out? Scientifically seen a deadly virus is one of the most high-placed end-of-mankind possibilities. If a virus like in 28 days later breaks lose, will everyone really be as surprised as in the movie? Or will there still be time to evacuate most of the people to strongholds (like in fallout 3)? Or will the police and maybe the army still be able to kill every infected before it lays waste to everyday life? I personally think it will be something like this: day 1 - someone gets infected in a random city - a bunch of people (probably around 15/20) are infected - police arrives at scene - police kills some of the infected but infection still spreads - infection spreads further (less than 50 people) - more police is being send to the scene but they can't stop the infection - infection spreads further (about 150 people) - normal life in district comes to a halt, people stay in there houses mostly, probably start arming themselves with guns, but mostly hand-to-hand weapons. - at the end of the day about 500 people are infected day 2 - infection starts spreading to other districts - normal life in city is coming to halt - army is being contacted - people start being evacuated from the city - at the end of day 2 a few thousand to then-thousand people will be infected day 3 - after the army suffers about 100 deaths they abort the operation - infection spreads to countryside and other towns/cities where everyday life soon comes to a halt as well - everyone in the nearby area is being evacuated and a defence perimeter is established. - 50,000 infected day 4 - army fights the infected but at about 2000 deaths they desert to protect their own families. - everyday life in country comes to a halt - >150,000 infected Any suggestions?

You mentioned a zombie outbreak, so does that mean your virus turns people into zombies? Or does it simply kill the infected? This could change everything about the outbreak.

If its a zombie outbreak, how fast does it work? Does it kill them within a few hours of infection, or does it kill in a few days? If it kills them within a few hours then it will slow down the virus as the infected won't be able to get on a plane and fly somewhere.

If its a virus that simply kills without turning people into zombies, then the police that arrive on the scene aren't likely to kill anyone. By the time they realize that there's an infection any number of people might have been exposed. Anyone who starts to feel sick will rush to the hospital. People are even paraniod enough that people who aren't sick would go to the hospital for tests.

The likelyhood of the human race being exterminated by a virus is unlikely in my opinion.

For example:

Quote: more police is being send to the scene but they can't stop the infection

After they realize there is an infection they start sending in medical staff.

All in all killing people to stop an infection is generally a last resort plan.

First post in a while and its probably stupid but whatever.

The virus turns them into zombies, it doesn't kill them, they 'transform'.

Probably you haven't seen 28 days later. But in this case zombies (or 'infected') are very agressive, powerfull humans which can't be cured. They are like that because they are infected with a virus. The virus is in their blood and saliva, which makes the virus very contagious. This means that once an infected bites a non-infected, the non-infected will turn into an infected.

This means the only way to end the outbreak is by killing all the infected.

(Eventually they will die of starvation, but the human body can last very long without food.)

You have to define the typical behaviour of the infection better. The most important question that you haven't addressed so far is the question of how long it takes for an infection in one person to become apparent.

The virus of 28 Days Later manifested itself within seconds. A virus like this has no chance of wiping out mankind because it will never spread far. Since carriers are easy to identify, it is also easy to isolate them, even if they turn into unnaturally strong monsters.

On the other hand, a virus with an incubation period of two or three days could easily reach all major population centers of the world.

Quote: Original post by Die Hard
...a zombie outbreak like in 28 days later?

World War Z

google it.

In my opinion the spreading of the virus is much to fast. So is th reaction of the humans, even in times of tv and internet. What do you think how many people will know about that virus within 24 Hours? I think it wont be so much. --> The life of an district wont come to halt within 24 hours.

I agree with Prefect that your virus is too easy to deal with.
I think you also underestimated the number of people that have guns,
and the number of people that could easily get guns.

Quote: after the army suffers about 100 deaths they abort the operation

I don't think this would happen. There are helicopters. Just spray the city with crop dusters and problem is solved (?)

Suppose your outbreak begins in an elevator in a high rise as people are leaving work at 5pm. There are 6 people in the elevator. One of the went zombie and all six are infected as the elevator reaches the 3rd floor to pick up more people for the ground floor. The 6 zombies attack the people waiting at the elevator and more people in the office. Now you have 30 zombies. Some of them get to the parking lot where people couldn't get out in time and you have a lot more because the streets are congested.

Suppose your outbreak begins inside a train and the people are getting infected because there is nowhere to hide. As the train reaches the next subway station, the zombies infect people on the platform and you get a jump start in zombie population. The train continues to the next station, and due to the way subway stations are designed, there are many exits and zombies spread pretty quickly on the onset.




[Edited by - Wai on February 28, 2009 6:17:35 PM]

Quote: Original post by MSW

Quote: Original post by Die Hard
...a zombie outbreak like in 28 days later?

World War Z

google it.

I concur. World War Z will give you plenty of ideas.

Quote:
28 days later

They're not zombies!

Quote: Original post by Wai
I agree with Prefect that your virus is too easy to deal with.
I think you also underestimated the number of people that have guns,
and the number of people that could easily get guns.

In America, yes. But I'm not from America lol, I'm European. And here it's probably a lot harder to get a gun. I know only a few people that have a gun and if I look around the only 'weapons' that I have are hand-to-hand weapons. Some bottles, darts, some kitchen knives but that's it: mostly improvised weapons.

Quote: Original post by Wai

Quote: after the army suffers about 100 deaths they abort the operation

I don't think this would happen. There are helicopters. Just spray the city with crop dusters and problem is solved (?)

If I follow my theory there will be at least a milion infected in a week, maybe even 2 milion. So probably that will cut off the helicopters supplylines. That means the helicopters get less fuel... so you will hardly see any helicopters after that time.

Quote: Original post by WaiSuppose your outbreak begins in an elevator in a high rise as people are leaving work at 5pm. There are 6 people in the elevator. One of the went zombie and all six are infected as the elevator reaches the 3rd floor to pick up more people for the ground floor. The 6 zombies attack the people waiting at the elevator and more people in the office. Now you have 30 zombies. Some of them get to the parking lot where people couldn't get out in time and you have a lot more because the streets are congested.

Suppose your outbreak begins inside a train and the people are getting infected because there is nowhere to hide. As the train reaches the next subway station, the zombies infect people on the platform and you get a jump start in zombie population. The train continues to the next station, and due to the way subway stations are designed, there are many exits and zombies spread pretty quickly on the onset.

Sounds very interesting to me. But how will, all the sudden, someone get infected in an elevator or train? The idea of a human getting infected by a monkey in a biological experiment sounds more logically then.