We have discussed where we would personally hide if the dead began to walk, and why society and altruism fail when the event happens. Now, lets look at the flip side - how would you safeguard a few hundred to a few thousand people?
For the time being, we seem to have two choices: Land and Sea. A future setting where everyone escapes onto zeppelins/floating anti-gravity platforms might be an interesting dead world to flesh out, but for now, lets try for this reality.
A Nimitz class Aircraft Carrier is designed to support around 5,700 crew, but I have my doubts about getting our hands on one. A cruise ship might make for another nice large scale accommodation and are certainly more common than carriers - though still not so easy to come by. Modern mercantile vessels, though large, are designed around fairly few crew (between 8-30) - so extensive modification would be needed for people transit.
Availability of ships aside, their main problem is a lack of defensive depth. If an infected gets aboard, you have tight corridors, and close proximity. A naval vessel that can be locked down for general quarters might be easier to manage, but still...
28 weeks later provides an excellent example of how not to protect - the residents might have been safer in their apartments than locked in the safe area. The lock down of the Hive in the First Resident Evil might have been effective, if not breeched/reset.
I don't think a central fort would work all that well either. On one hand, this scheme presents the smallest perimeter to defend, and doesn't require transit between outlying sections. However, this is prone to a single point failure, and a question of what kind of terrain would be ideal for a single large unit. Playing off prisoner psychology/the general theme humanity is its own worst enemy - keeping everyone in a single compound may present other difficulties as well.
Perhaps a kind of "spider base" philosophy we see in a lot of RTS games. While there might be a central administration center, most of resources are spread out in smaller fire-bases/outposts. If one falls, you still have others, and know the direction of the threat, rather than all or nothing.
Well, thats my initial thoughts at least, more to come as I consider it.
For the time being, we seem to have two choices: Land and Sea. A future setting where everyone escapes onto zeppelins/floating anti-gravity platforms might be an interesting dead world to flesh out, but for now, lets try for this reality.
A Nimitz class Aircraft Carrier is designed to support around 5,700 crew, but I have my doubts about getting our hands on one. A cruise ship might make for another nice large scale accommodation and are certainly more common than carriers - though still not so easy to come by. Modern mercantile vessels, though large, are designed around fairly few crew (between 8-30) - so extensive modification would be needed for people transit.
Availability of ships aside, their main problem is a lack of defensive depth. If an infected gets aboard, you have tight corridors, and close proximity. A naval vessel that can be locked down for general quarters might be easier to manage, but still...
28 weeks later provides an excellent example of how not to protect - the residents might have been safer in their apartments than locked in the safe area. The lock down of the Hive in the First Resident Evil might have been effective, if not breeched/reset.
I don't think a central fort would work all that well either. On one hand, this scheme presents the smallest perimeter to defend, and doesn't require transit between outlying sections. However, this is prone to a single point failure, and a question of what kind of terrain would be ideal for a single large unit. Playing off prisoner psychology/the general theme humanity is its own worst enemy - keeping everyone in a single compound may present other difficulties as well.
Perhaps a kind of "spider base" philosophy we see in a lot of RTS games. While there might be a central administration center, most of resources are spread out in smaller fire-bases/outposts. If one falls, you still have others, and know the direction of the threat, rather than all or nothing.
Well, thats my initial thoughts at least, more to come as I consider it.
There is a fine line between hobby and obsession. I seem to have lost sight of it some time ago.
