Zombie Infection Simulation

[zakur]

http://kevan.org/proce55ing/zombies/

[Reginald]

Cool...look at em run!

Only thing is, which one is Charlton Heston? The last one I presume?

[jnelso99]

The next thing that needs to be added are armed humans, to see if they can kill all the zombies before the zombies get them. Shouldn't be too hard to add.

[evildave]

Then you'd need (generally expensive to model) pathfinding for the humans to retreat, go seek out zombies, patrol, do other stuff. Then graphics bigger and better than pink and (optionally) green dots. Weapon caches, ammunition, supplies, etc.

Once you figure in aggressive, smart humans with effective ranged weapons, the zombies are generally just hosed. All the humans have to do is cordon off the zombies so no motion triggers their advance, and they just clump together.

Then roll in some grenades from around the corner. All that's left is the clean-up.

[Reginald]

Originally posted by evildave
Then you'd need (generally expensive to model) pathfinding for the humans to retreat, go seek out zombies, patrol, do other stuff. Then graphics bigger and better than pink and (optionally) green dots. Weapon caches, ammunition, supplies, etc.

Once you figure in aggressive, smart humans with effective ranged weapons, the zombies are generally just hosed. All the humans have to do is cordon off the zombies so no motion triggers their advance, and they just clump together.

Then roll in some grenades from around the corner. All that's left is the clean-up.

Do you do zombie infestation forward planning for a job Dave?

:D

[jnelso99]

Originally posted by evildave
Then you'd need (generally expensive to model) pathfinding for the humans to retreat, go seek out zombies, patrol, do other stuff. Then graphics bigger and better than pink and (optionally) green dots. Weapon caches, ammunition, supplies, etc.

Once you figure in aggressive, smart humans with effective ranged weapons, the zombies are generally just hosed. All the humans have to do is cordon off the zombies so no motion triggers their advance, and they just clump together.

Then roll in some grenades from around the corner. All that's left is the clean-up.

It can be simpler than that. The current rules had things like "if a zombie saw something in front of them, they moved toward it". You can just do something like "if a shooter sees a zombie in front of him, he shoots it". Zombies could still get the shooters.

Might be an interesting project for the day. Can't use what they used for that applet yet, but it shouldn't be too hard to duplicate.

Edit: There are links at the bottom of that page to other versions of the zombie sim - one where the humans fight back, a 3D one, etc.

[evildave]

Nope: Game Programming. (Though I did a bit of Disaster Preparedness as an additional duty in the Air Force....)

Basically, what you'd want with a simulation that complex would be a Zombies vs Humans Real Time Strategy game.

Set up the defenses around your base to pick off any zombies that approach, collect/recruit humans as a resource, then finish off the enemy in such a way that your troops aren't converted. The humans would probably be stokaded in houses that both you and the zombies were trying to get them out of, rather than wandering randomy on the streets (on average).

Humans need only be killed, zombies must be utterly destroyed. Your casualties turn into zombies, if left intact. Zombies that are only "killed" will rise again and again if they're not dealt with.

Probably end the round by shelling cemeteries with heavy artillery or calling in an air strike to destroy the underground threat.

Play the "Good" side of Humans, or the "Bad" side of the Zombie Master.

1-8 players with dozens of levels, and user-definable levels. Mature ESRB rating. Blood, Gore, and lots of brain-eating and undead splattering action.

[Agammamon]

From observing several modeled scenariors it is plain that there is a critical delay between the appearance of the first zombie and total destruction of civilization as we know it. If we were to destroy the zombie during this initial time we can stop the infection before it spreads. That's why I am asking for $100,000US to set up and experimental zombie killing taskforce to study the effectiveness of this procedure real world conditions.

[Sindai]

Originally posted by jnelso99
The next thing that needs to be added are armed humans, to see if they can kill all the zombies before the zombies get them. Shouldn't be too hard to add.

That's actually been done in a very simple fashion. Things were simply changed so that a human can win a fight against a zombie, resulting in a dead zombie. This greatly slowed the rate of infection.

Things were also made so that the fewer humans were left, the higher their chances of winning fights. This meant it could take a long, long time for the last couple of humans to get infected.

Unfortunately, I can't find that version of the sim anymore. Oh well, I like the normal way better anyway.

[scribble]

I'd never seen this before and I wanted to play with it a little more, so I wrote BELIEVERS vs. SKEPTICS, basically the same game but if too many believers (zombies) get clustered up, they explode.

If anyone wants a copy to play with, I just need a webpage to put it on...

[Beleth]

I've always wanted to write a game that would simulate a cocktail party, with different personality types. I started it once, but I used curses (a Unix-based text graphics system, yuck) and didn't get very far.

There'd be personality types like:
- the Life of the Party, whom people without an overriding preference would want to hang around
- the Loner, who would want to be as far away from everyone else as possible
- the Glutton, who would hang out at the hors d'oeurve table (and yes, I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong, so sue me)
- the Wannabee, who would try to get as close to one particular person as possible
- the Nemesis, who would try to be as far away from one particular person as possible
- the Butterfly, who would want to get close to everyone for a short amount of time but then leave them

and so on.

Each person would have some sort of comfort level, and if someone was uncomfortable for too long, fights would break out. Imagine a Wannabee following a Loner or a Butterfly around, or two different Lifes of the Party who were each other's Nemesis. Eventually someone's comfort level would be uncomfortable for too long and they'd throw their drink in someone's face or something.

Everyone would need to take occasional trips to the hors d'oeurve table and the bar.

Anyway... just an idle thought.

[scribble]

Well, I've basically set up a little C++ testbed for running simple simulations like these. Unforutunately, it's not worth my time to codify it into something simpler and provide a scripting interface, but I'm playing with it.

It all reminds me of Conway's Life.

http://www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/

It's amazing some of the patterns that can come out of that simple, simple little algorythm... check the 'shooter' pattern on the page I linked to. Amazing!

[JimTheBrit]

Originally posted by zakur
http://kevan.org/proce55ing/zombies/

Heck, I love stuff like this. :D S'like the simple sims I used construct with agent s/w. I can watch these for hours.

[Martin]

Originally posted by Sindai
Unfortunately, I can't find that version of the sim anymore. Oh well, I like the normal way better anywayAt the bottom of the page zakur posted, there are links to three different versions: one where humans fight back with 50% chance of winning, a neat little 3D version, and a version where you can nuke large chunks of the city to stop the infestation.

[scribble]

I just wrote a 3d version that beats any I've seen - the particles (people) canmove in three dinmensions. It makes the outbreak a little more interesting...

[JimTheBrit]

Have you put it online, scribble? Link?

[scribble]

http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=40686\

I just posted a link to my 2d version there. I have the 3d version too but I don't think it's as fun as the 2d one. I can still share it if you'd like.