Interm Setting Ideas (Don't worry, the Anachy Zones are comming...)

Getting the setting done right for Dead and Back is taking a bit longer than I had hoped. Despair not, for it will be done sometime between now and when the sun explodes - or your money back! And if you order now, you'll get a free... OK I don't have anything to offer other than this long list of possible places and settings for a Zombie Game.

Part One: The Past
There is a lot of technology, and many guns available today. That scratching noise in the dark isn’t so scary when you have $350 night vision goggles, and a semi-auto rifle that can perforate anything that comes this way at 200 meters thanks to the scopes and lasers on its pictacanny mounting rails.

The 1860s

• Most notably, cartridge based ammunition that contains the bullet and propellant in one metallic case is still quite rare. Most guns will be using percussion caps, black powder, and lead balls. This presents several major problems: The powder is anhydrous and thus is quite likely to become useless over night, it takes a good 20-30 seconds to load a rifle and 2-3 minutes to fill a revolver, and it takes careful measurement of the powder. In short, firearms are available, but rather impractical.
• Society wise, there is a general lack of fast transit and communication, which helps isolate players.

The 1950s and 60s

• In the US, the FBI and most police departments didn‘t switch from revolvers to semi-auto handguns until the early 70s. Furthermore, the assault rifle - the M-16 - was only being designed, and quite temperamental. M-14s would still be in army hands, and are nearly impossible to use for burst fire. You can forget about imported SKS and AKMs. Once again, firepower is limited by the technology
• Phones are still a bit of a novelty, and computers weigh multiple tons. The interstate highways are in their infancy, and cars are still deathtraps. (The famed “glass necklace“ due to laminated windshields. no seatbelts, unsophisticated crash testing if at all, few rules, a lack of crumple zones, and airbags are still a quarter century away) The likes of WalM--- are still unheard of, as are most large chain stores.

The 1990s

• While it feels a bit odd to call this the past it does offer some excellent advantages. Its enough like today that everything is rather familiar. Yet on the other hand, quite a few of the things that take away from the horror atmosphere, like cell phones and net access are quite a bit less common. A lot of old military surplus is still unavailable, as would be certain weapons due to the 1994 assault weapon ban (I will not comment on that)
• Presumably you know a bit about this. Dinosaurs and boy bands roamed the earth, which sat at the center of the universe and evolution was just a myth…

Part Two: Places

Soviet Russia

• Information is limited, guns are just about non-existent, everyone is paranoid due to the KGB.

• Depending on where you are, the architectural integrity of many buildings is probably insufficient to keep zombies out, at least not without constant maintenance.
• The weather is going to have a much greater affect when you stop and think about winter. Yes, not everywhere is artic tundra, and 1942 was unusually bad, still its worth noting there is porbably a shortage of heating fuel as well as everything else.

The Zone

• Maybe only a few places are over-run, or the infection is now contained. But there are still a few places where the wild things are. Places that also contain something valuable - weapons, vaccines, government information, a semi-trailer full of McGuffins.

• Its up to your paid/forced/idiotic soldiers/criminals/fedora wearing archeologists to go into the contaminated area, figure out what is going on, and retrieve the item.

A civil war

• Skip right to that break down of society step before the corpses even arrive! Sure, there might be more weapons lying about, but then again, at least some of them are pointed at you. Add unmarked minefields and artillery covering the roads, and evacuation just isn’t much of an option.

Admittedly, the dead might be a bit more mutilated, but mass graves are really going to come back to haunt you more than the UN ever will.

Just because the corpses keep on fighting, doesn't mean you have to stop.

Seemingly abandoned mansion in the middle of a forest built on top of a genetics research facility in the Midwestern US…

• I doubt anyone would have much interest in this, I’m just trying to be thorough A high energy physics lab in new Mexico would be equally unlikely.

Underwater habitat dome

• A chance to introduce unusual creatures to the scenario (mer-zombie? Undead octopus? “The Birds” redone with penguins?)

• Another case where guns are either nowhere to be found, or a superb example of a bad idea. OF course, there might be spear guns, diving knives, and all sorts of fun construction equipment. Torpedoes are a possibility depending on what you use as a background.
• Chances are, there will be a lot of confined hallways, and quite often only one path to get from point A to Point B. Of course, not even oxygen is guaranteed here, so sooner or later, confrontation is a must - regardless of any other reason (fellow survivors, important research, etc.)

Miscellaneous Places

• Air Port
• Transit Hub (i.e. Grand Central station)
• Research Lab (Physics, Genetics, Medical)
• Tourist trap (Corn maze, “haunted” house, Tarantula petting zoo…)
• Amusement park (So that’s why the mascots don’t speak…)
• College/High school
• Space Habitat
• Office complex
• NASA campus (Most hypergolic fuels make flesh combust…)
• Washington DC
• Zoo
• Cruise Ship
• Sears Tower
• Top secret Base

Part Three: Further Trouble

Complications:

• Approaching tornado
• Aftermath of hurricane or earthquake
• Firestorm (industrial explosion, air crash, A-bomb, all of the above)
• During a flood or blizzard
• While on a mission (assassinate a dictator, deliver a kidney, rescue a movie star)
• Potentially hostile humans (criminals, militia,Farmers infected with alien mind control virus by the Illuminati to fight the Bildenburg Group's attempt to use icecream laced with quantum particles to open a wormhole to the future so they can sell the Mortal Kthlulu game before it comes out...) (Its 2 am, what do you expect?)