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Role Playing Survival
I guess this is as good a place as any to discuss that very thing.
Quick and Dirty survival tactics.
What WOULD you do in a real world, devastating blow to the planet, assuming you're one of the lucky survivors?
Anyone care to chime in or would you like me write the scenario first?
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Re: Check your Six - Quick and Dirty survival tactics
Define the parameters further.
How much population is left? Is any infrastructure still working? Is any gov't attemting to assert itself?
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Re: Check your Six - Quick and Dirty survival tactics
Alright....
In 2014 a nuclear war is initiated in the Middle East between Iran and it escalates.
Russia and eventually China get involved, in all-out nuclear war. Biological weapons hit the scene and roughly 60% of the human race is wiped out.
You are one of the survivors - and it's four years AFTER the last nuke went off.
How's that?
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Re: Check your Six - Quick and Dirty survival tactics
Two more questions...is ANYTHING working and probably tangent to that, any vestiges of the gov't(as we know it today) left...Fed/State/Local.
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Re: Check your Six - Quick and Dirty survival tactics
Government completely fell apart within a few days.
NO communications working, EMP took out the majority of anything electrical in the first few days.
And everyone, that means all of us here, can "play this game".
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Here's the "Game Rules"... simple.
1) Everyone can "play"
2) Every person can post their own opinions, what they would and wouldn't do.
3) I'll set the parameters as I have already done so above. I and I alone know the "background material" this is based on (I wrote it after all) and you can respond to the material any way you see fit.
4) You can and SHOULD ask questions to clarify anything you don't quite see or visualize for yourself.
5) You can interact with each other "out of character" but not "in character" because you're ALL mostly in different areas of the country.
6) For the time being you may consider yourselves "the only survivors" of this disastrous war in your particular area. ( I will tell you if this is NOT true based on your locations... and indeed this isn't something I'm making up off the top of my head, the "situation" is already known by me.
7) Your decisions on what you do might save you, keep you alive or you might die during this "exercise".
We're assuming you all "come to" after "four years". You might have wandered, a blithering idiot for four years eating bugs or dirt, but you survived and have suddenly and inexplicably become "aware" that something happened. You know only that a war started, nukes were thrown, and you're aware the Russians, Americans, Chinese and some ME countries were somehow involved.
You can NOW use your own real world knowledge of what ever you know how to do to continue to survive... or do SOMETHING.... to help yourself, or others (if you find them).
Ready?
GO
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Re: Role Playing Survival
All out nuclear war means bombs dropped on USA, right?
Biological means whatever it was, has already run its course but still pops up every once in a while.
If you are sticking to reality, I'm in the fallout zone so here's my answer:
" '
Right. Nothing cuz I'm dead.
I have to be in "survived it town USA"
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Re: Role Playing Survival
[quote=Malsua;40061]All out nuclear war means bombs dropped on USA, right?[/quote
Yes... but mostly it was the bio that got people. "Captain Tripps" type of virus.
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Biological means whatever it was, has already run its course but still pops up every once in a while.
LOTS of things might crop up.
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If you are sticking to reality, I'm in the fallout zone so here's my answer:
" '
Right. Nothing cuz I'm dead.
I have to be in "survived it town USA"
Sorry dude... you lived. You JUST happened to be "Out of Town" at the time and were on the highway. You "woke up" a few miles from home... mostly, it's still there. Mostly.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
So, it won't be near one of the major texas cities. I'm going to assume that heading towards the Texas valley is not going to be an option since EVERYONE in texas would do that for the agriculture there. Plus, you didn't say whether Mexico was involved and being that there is a HUGE mexican drug cartel that has military training basically controlling everything near the border, i would venture to guess that i would have somehow made the decision to get far away from the mexican border. In my case, i'd have to start traveling north, north west. we have plenty of rivers (colorado is the one i'd probably follow). i'd follow those north, surviving along the way. depending on the time of year though would be an issue. if it were the start of spring, i could probably make 30 miles a day for 5 days at a time. jesus. 150 miles a week. so that means durable comfortable shoes would be a commodity! but my point is i'd want to get to fertile land that is near water. there are a few natural spring rivers in central texas. but then again, a lot of us know this. i would be paranoid out the wazooo on who to trust (i already have trust issues).
so here i am being a geek breaking this down in my head. there's the basics of survival aspect: food, clothing, shelter. there's the longevity aspect of survival: fighting diseases, repairing wounds, preventive medicine (if any!). social aspect: finding a community i can trust and be a part of and contribute to, finding a skill that i can use to be part of that community, pro-creation. spiritual aspect: finding an acceptable balance of surviving versus breaking moral code, building spiritual bonds with other people.
with that in mind, i have no skills i could think of that would allow me to be the leader of any community. most of my skills are technology related (this is why i want to learn how to build things from the land, how to farm from the land, how to kill and skin animals and use ALL of their parts for something). i have good work ethic though. i can dig a ditch. i can cut down a tree. i can do anything if you show me. being that i'm 6'00" 160lbs and not much to look at, i would "most likely" not be a "favorite" for "rebuilding the gene pool". i'd probably have problems finding a partner if mine weren't with me. i'd pray, A LOT. i'd hug trustworthy people more than i do now. every glass of fresh water i get to drink would be preceded by a huge prayer lol. every freshly cooked meal would be preceded by a huge prayer. i'd have to find ways to defend myself that did not involve physical violence (unless the other guy is smaller than me, that's kind of rare lol).
I have questions that, if answered, would help. WHen a nuclear blast goes off, will ALL electronics (whether they are turned off or not) be disabled permanently? because if not, this is making me seriously consider buying a ham radio and finding some type of device that you would crank to charge it.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
I ahte where that damned edit button is. I accidently "edited" your post instead of answered it. I hope it back to normal.
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Originally Posted by
zenbudda
So, it won't be near one of the major texas cities. I'm going to assume that heading towards the Texas valley is not going to be an option since EVERYONE in texas would do that for the agriculture there. Plus, you didn't say whether Mexico was involved and being that there is a HUGE mexican drug cartel that has military training basically controlling everything near the border, i would venture to guess that i would have somehow made the decision to get far away from the mexican border. In my case, i'd have to start traveling north, north west. we have plenty of rivers (colorado is the one i'd probably follow). i'd follow those north, surviving along the way. depending on the time of year though would be an issue. if it were the start of spring, i could probably make 30 miles a day for 5 days at a time. jesus. 150 miles a week. so that means durable comfortable shoes would be a commodity! but my point is i'd want to get to fertile land that is near water. there are a few natural spring rivers in central texas. but then again, a lot of us know this. i would be paranoid out the wazooo on who to trust (i already have trust issues).
60% of the entire WORLD population was affected. That includes Mexico.
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so here i am being a geek breaking this down in my head. there's the basics of survival aspect: food, clothing, shelter. there's the longevity aspect of survival: fighting diseases, repairing wounds, preventive medicine (if any!). social aspect: finding a community i can trust and be a part of and contribute to, finding a skill that i can use to be part of that community, pro-creation. spiritual aspect: finding an acceptable balance of surviving versus breaking moral code, building spiritual bonds with other people.
These are EXACTLY the kinds of questions you have to ask yourself!
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with that in mind, i have no skills i could think of that would allow me to be the leader of any community.
Seriously? You think that? Everyone has skills that can make them leadership material in the right situation. In this case, you don't have to be a leader, or a follower, you just have to "BE". That is, survive. IF you find a community - THEN you can answer those questions.
Certainly you will eventually have to "fit in" if people survived. You don't know that for sure yet...
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most of my skills are technology related (this is why i want to learn how to build things from the land, how to farm from the land, how to kill and skin animals and use ALL of their parts for something). i have good work ethic though. i can dig a ditch. i can cut down a tree. i can do anything if you show me. being that i'm 6'00" 160lbs and not much to look at, i would "most likely" not be a "favorite" for "rebuilding the gene pool". i'd probably have problems finding a partner if mine weren't with me. i'd pray, A LOT. i'd hug trustworthy people more than i do now. every glass of fresh water i get to drink would be preceded by a huge prayer lol. every freshly cooked meal would be preceded by a huge prayer. i'd have to find ways to defend myself that did not involve physical violence (unless the other guy is smaller than me, that's kind of rare lol).
Favorite for rebuilding the genepool... ? Ok, that's funny. If 70% of the people that lived are women... you're gonna be in damned good shape if you walk into an enclave with 40 women and one man... the guys there, they are gonna love you man. LOL
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I have questions that, if answered, would help. WHen a nuclear blast goes off, will ALL electronics (whether they are turned off or not) be disabled permanently? because if not, this is making me seriously consider buying a ham radio and finding some type of device that you would crank to charge it.
Not all electronics will be fried. MANy will, anything that has semiconductors... especially certain types. Microchips, processors, anything with MOSFETs and similar types of circuitry... toast.
I wonder... how do vacuum tubes work? I wonder f they too would be fried? What about gear NOT connected to antennas? What about older cars and trucks, diesel engines? What about... well, the list continues.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Man, I'd really like to get in on this - but I just started the Gift Exchange I mentioned in the Mod area. I'm gonna be stretched for time.
So what I can do...
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Re: Role Playing Survival
yu can spend 10 minutes :)
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
yu can spend 10 minutes :)
Yeah...insomnia.
Does my truck start/run?
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Re: Role Playing Survival
It might, but do you have gasoline or is it a diesel?
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Re: Role Playing Survival
It might, as Mal said... but... you can't find "YOUR" truck.... lol
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Boom + 4years
1 am. Bob wakes me for my watch. Not sure what I’m watching for. I’m stiff, it’s cold and the date should be December 21, 2016. I don’t keep track of time or days any longer. My eco drive wristwatch made it though the EMP but I traded it for a couple cans of creamed corn and 20 .22 rimfire rounds last year in February. I could have gotten more but I was really hungry.
I shoulder my shotgun and head out to the house we use as an outpost closest to the road.
Light snow drifts down and it’s cold here. There’s a half moon out, and in the silvery light I can just make out the old van that we use for an outer gate.
Nothing is moving it’s just too cold. Maybe no one will notice if I doze off…
6 am. False dawn seems to be moving in. The sun won’t be up for another hour, so it has to be a false dawn, either that or the stupid wind up clock stopped again. No, the clock is working. I hate these nights. It reminds me of all that I’m missing. We’re so alone here.
There was a guy who stumbled in from about 100 miles south a month or so ago. No word ever comes from that way. Some how he managed to stay alive in a super hot zone for almost 4 years only to get here and croak after a week.
He was so hot when he came in we forced him to strip naked in 30 degree weather. We used to get those all the time. Not so much any more. The first two years really weeded them out.
8 am. Folks are up and moving around. I think we’re going to hit a neighborhood over the next mountain today. Most of those people were evacuated into a Fema camp. It was tempting as they were offering food and water. Every damn one of them that went died of radiation sickness. I refused to go and hid when they came to my house. Everyone here did the same. Everyone who left is dead.
I hope we don’t find any more rotters. The smell is mostly gone when we find them now but in the first year it was pretty bad. I can’t forget the image of the corpse of a woman, mouth agape like she’s laughing at me while I loot her kitchen. Many of these folks were caught in the traffic jams right after the bombs fell and managed to get home only to die in a week or two. I know now why she was laughing. The joke was on me.
9am: Captain Havel rang the bell so we all shuffled over to the command post. It was a good turn out. 15 people are going today. I always go. I get an extra bit here and there and give it to my chick when she’s not feeling up to it. Many people get the trots constantly and that cuts down on how much we can haul back. I’ve been really strict about boiling water, washing and cooking the food really well and those on my team are rarely sick. I hope we can score some coffee and booze today. It’s been a few weeks.
Those poor bastards that couldn’t be bothered to be careful are dead. I told ‘em but no one wanted to listen to me. Now they listen.
Noon: Taking a break from the walk. After the first 8 miles or so we’re past our normal areas and we have to be real careful. There are no marked paths here. Fallout is a weird thing. You can be standing in a clear spot, move 25 feet left and be getting 5 rads from radioactive mud. I was adamant that we had to map out our local surroundings. We got it pretty light in this area but there are still hot pockets to avoid. In the spring we go out and remark all the safe trails. We also have a few obvious trails that tempt you into town but really take you through the hottest spots in the area. After getting our supplies raided a few times and remarks that they would keep coming back monthly for a “donation” we cleared some paths for those guys, just like we promised. They don’t come any longer.
I’ve heard word there are some towns out west that are completely clean, no radiation at all. Early on those places filled up quick and emptied out just as quick when that many people got together and passed around Naz. Everyone here got Naz but we just got the sores that went away after a few weeks. Those poor bastards that get it bad turn to jelly inside and outside. We haven’t seen that since the first year. Everyone I have ever known got full Naz and died. I think if we ever get any children that live past their first birthday they’ll be somewhat immune to it.
Patient Zero was a goat herder named Nazeer. He was a walking talking carrier, having the disease for months and no obvious symptoms. After it had been tracked back to him, he was examined at length there were scientists who claimed that one gene most middle easterners have provided full immunity from Naz. Naz was widespread a week and mutated. Full immunity turned into almost full lethality over night. Folks in former first world nations fared better than most but it was only through organization and quarantine. I think the overall rate was around 85% that die within one week. A small percentage turn into walkers. These poor bastards get most of their higher brain rotted away so they turn feral. Their sores never stop running and blotches of skin get necrotic. A brain shot ends their story pretty quick.
The Epidemic was in full swing when the bombs fell. We still don't know who pushed the button...probably someone who saw their family turn to mush in front of them figured to just put us all out of our misery.
I pause for a moment and look out over the silent landscape and I feel the hard object in my pocket. I've been saving this can of tuna for this trip. I don’t know how much longer these canned things can stay good. We’re growing stuff now and we’ll probably slaughter a cow for the Christmas feast but without these things from the past I’m afraid we’re all going to starve.
4pm. We’ve hit a few houses and I didn’t get much but I found some Levis in my size. It took the end of the world for me to hit my target weight. There’s some irony in that.
I wouldn’t even recognize who I used to be. That person is from a whole different world.
I see a fire started a couple blocks over. Someone must have found some rotters. We don’t stick around those places. If you mess with dead things you end up dead now. There is life in fire, it warms and purifies. I may go over and get warmed up after it gets really going. I hope they got the houses next to it first. One kid burned down a whole neighborhood by accident in the first year. Who knows what we lost in those places.
It’ll be dark soon and I think I’ve spotted where we’re going to stay tonight. There’s a two story house that commands a view around it pretty good and it looks fairly intact. Captain Havel sees me and I point. He gives me thumbs up and they head over to the big house. We don’t expect to find anything moving. We never do any more.
This town has been picked over but not completely. It looks like we’ve scored some things. If nothing else there’s always bedding. I had found an old phonebook that indicates there’s a storage facility on the other side of town. With any luck it’s still mostly intact, that’s really why we came. We may spend a few days going through it, but for now I’m headed over to the fire to warm my bones then hole up for the night.
It’s just another day in paradise.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Mal,
Excellent narrative. Ever thought of writing for a living? I thought of posting a descriptive narrative along the lines of novel prose but you beat me to it. I'll submit my perspective at any rate, but probably with a bit less creativity.
MM
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Very good Mal..... very well done.
Survival mode my friends is, as we can see from Mal's very well thought out "diary" is precisely what you make of it.
Survival is above all, a "State of Mind".
That state of mind says "I am going to get through this, one week, one day, one hour or one minute at a time."
Sometimes it comes down to getting through the next 22 seconds, or 10 seconds.
In this diary we can that our Survivor, Malsua has resigned himself to day-to-day operations. In this case he has located or come upon a group of survivors. There's at least a "leader" in the group (he mentioned Captain Havel - obviously one of the survivors - and one can presume either a military person, police officer or fireman from his title of "Captain".) He could be the "leader" or simply another survivor (and Mal calls him Captain out of respect for his former position... at this point, we don't know).
Survival in this case is collecting items of use. The worst part is past though. Now it is simply "existing".
Things I learned from this.
1) Survivors have grouped together for mutual support.
2) Survivors are carrying weapons - most likely to defend themselves against other marauding survivors - those who would not feel welcomed with a group - or chose to remain alone, but dangerous.
3) People are trading items (obviously money is worthless now), like watches and bullets for food. makes sense.
4) People have lost weight.
5) Many people have traveled through "hot" areas - radioactive contamination, and biologically "hot" regions - lived and died. There is NO rhyme or reason why some people survive disease, and others die. You take your chances. Best to not catch something, but, if you do... you could die, or you might live.
6) The moon phase is right for that date (21 December 2016 will have a waning moon). So the survivor can, theoretically know the approximate date.
7) Areas have been "picked over" by survivors. Perhaps some people took things when they fled.
8) FEMA didn't help people. Everyone died. Why? Because the precautions taken were insufficient, the fema personnel (Not many trust me) were untrained - and mostly they were local "authorities" pressed into service at some point. FEMA, on the other hand would have been nearly non-existent the day after BOOM. I say this because for the most part, people are going home to their families when the SHTF. There will be some who remain for "duty" - but most will not. Command and Control will function for a few days after, perhaps weeks, but once the civil government ceases to function field commanders will be on their own to make decisions for their troops.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MinutemanCO
Mal,
Excellent narrative. Ever thought of writing for a living? I thought of posting a descriptive narrative along the lines of novel prose but you beat me to it. I'll submit my perspective at any rate, but probably with a bit less creativity.
MM
Do it anyway. When I get time, I'll do some copy/paste for the scenario (assuming I can find the whole thing in one place).
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Re: Role Playing Survival
While that was a completely original narrative, many of the ideas and things were from lots of different places, so it's a derivative work.
One thing that helps me write is music. I've been rejected by the best fiction houses. Somewhere I have all my rejection letters, heh.
I'll give you a link to the music I was listening to during this. Once you hear it, you'll see how it makes it easy to write depressing stuff :)
Here it is: http://thewellrats.com/malbor/fountain.zip
Most of the tracks are down right slit your wrists
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Gave it a shot. Not my best work. I think I probably could have written this story for days...
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“Damn it all!!” Briggs kicked the fender out of sheer aggravation. “Friggin’ thing’s never gonna work. What, was I asleep during autoshop?”
He climbed out of the engine compartment of the half ton Ford. Frustration turned to anger. He threw the 5/8 inch into the weeds. After stomping around the yard muttering obscenities, the thirty-nine year old man composed what was left of himself.
“Easy man. You’re losing it.” He watched the dust blowing through the burned out neighborhood. In the distance someone screamed. The sound of glass breaking echoed from a block or two away. Don't want nothin' to do with that.
“I gotta get out of here. I gotta stop talking to myself. Just who the hell am I supposed to talk to? Huh, you idiot? Molly and the kids ran to the shelter in Greeley. Everyone else disappeared or up and died on me. There’s nothing left.”
Matthew Briggs turned and walked the two miles back to his makeshift lean-to at the far end of the wheat field. His walk seemed to take on an air of confidence. He had decided.
The virus hit like a hurricane back in ’14. The missiles fell from the sky like rain a few months later. The flashes on the horizon were overwhelming, something out of a weird movie. Surreal even. Denver… gone. Colorado Springs… gone. Boulder… vaporized… friggin hippies. What do they think now of the global communist movement they loved so much?
Briggs hunkered down in situ for a long time. He tried to get Molly to stay. He succeeded for two years. One day, she just up and left. Said there had to be something better out there and that living in a shithole on the outskirts of Platteville, Colorado was making her crazy. Will and Sarah went with her. He would have had to kill Molly to keep her from taking the kids. He wasn’t that crazy… not yet. For a few weeks, it hurt. The pain came in waves – loneliness, followed by despair, chased by despondency. Briggs was one of the lucky ones. The deep depression didn’t crush him.
He remembered the guy down the street – what was his name? Doesn’t matter. His wife and kids died from the virus, the initial outbreak. He saw the poor dude walking the streets for a few days afterward. He looked like a zombie. After a week, Briggs found the guy in front of his house, splayed out on the front lawn amid a stain of dried blood. The self inflicted wound left him with a baseball-sized hole in the back of his head. Expediency dictated. He rolled the rotting corpse over and found the Beretta half buried in the dried grass. He popped the mag, tucked the gun into his belt and searched the house for supplies.
His stores were dwindling. He harvested the grain that had seeded itself in from the prior year back in September. It was holding up reasonably well, but everything else was bare bones. He had to get moving.
For years Briggs resisted the move to the mountains. The environment was harsh and unforgiving. His hope was that there’d still be an abundance of mule deer, elk, rabbit and trout up there. The summer homes of the more affluent would be open for habitation. At the upper end of Fourth of July Road was a series of well built cabins rarely occupied by the owners. He’d head for one of the more rugged structures he remembered near the treeline. Briggs knew from decades of hunting, fishing and camping how to survive in the alpine forests that dominated half of Colorado, but didn’t want to make the move until it was absolutely necessary.
He caught word from transients that the Chinese were moving in with a huge force from Canada. Venezuelans and Bolivians up from Mexico. They were certain to roll through north central Colorado between the serious hot zones. That would put the bastards right in his lap. Can’t have that.
Briggs packed his loose supplies into the metal frame ruck he’d kept for just such a purpose. He slung the old pack and attached two water bottles to his belt. Damn thing must weigh a hundred pounds. He holstered his sidearm and held onto his shotgun just in case. He already buried what was left of his stored goods. He’d try to come back for them before winter blew in for real.
His thoughts turned to the small church community up near Nederland he’d once been a part of eight or ten years ago. Those folks, the ones who weren’t killed by that stinkin’ virus, were well equipped to ride out a storm like the one that hit the US. He’d have to convince them to accept him into their little group. Might not be as easy as it sounded, even if they did remember him. He had a lot to offer, though – hunting skills, construction experience, survival and tactical abilities.
Briggs walked.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
MinutemanCO, that was pretty good. Don't you wish we could bring these stories to film? Heh.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Malsua
MinutemanCO, that was pretty good. Don't you wish we could bring these stories to film? Heh.
Thanks. That would be a blast. A more realistic version of Red Dawn, I suppose.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
One thing that's always stuck in my head is that you can't stock pile for the rest of your life. At some point you have to actively generate food. This is why I think 30 days supply is all you're going to need. If society breaks down completely, within 30 days everything is going to change. The strong and best armed will eat. Its no different than Somalia. Find the strongest guy you can stomach and join his gang. It'll be the best gig you can get.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
This is turning into a good brainstorming project, huh? :)
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Oh, I found it quite AMAZING you hit the "genetically altered virus that picks a certain group" and it "went haywire".
That's EXACTLY one of the things that is in the original manuscript I wrote. The storyline doesn't actually involve the survival of the people on the planet, only those who lived on a space station and decided to "go home" as the station's orbit was decaying, the fusion reactor was failing and the food sources were getting too weak to continue in a limited space environment.
Of course, the population didn't get any smaller on the station - and there were nearly 400 - 450 living people up there and less than ten of the shuttles left.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
I've always had these ideas and much more rattling around in my head for a long time. I've always wanted to make that movie. heh.
As to the Mutated virus, I didn't exactly invent that. It's been a fairly common theme in literature. As much as we hear about mutating viruses these days, how can you expect a tailored virus not to mutate?
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Re: Role Playing Survival
You can't. Which is exactly why it would.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
I would love to do a screenplay of all this but maybe we'll get some of this in the upcoming Shakey cam version of Red-Dawn.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
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Re: Role Playing Survival
This won't be as good as Mal's (GREAT JOB MAL!), but I threw something together:
I just did a bullit count. I only have 2000 rounds left. I have been eating good, but I am using up ammo in the process. Lots to eat around here though. I am going to have to use the crossbow more often and save my ammo for defense purposes.
Last night, I was starting a fire in my fire pit when I heard something behind me. I turned and saw a german shepard with two black labs. I thought to myself, looks like Chinese for dinner tonight. I had been wanting to take these dogs out. I imagine these are the dogs that have been hunting the deer in my area. I don't like compition. I wouldn't mind making a pet out of one of them so I could have a watch dog. But once they have a taste of deer blood, they will hunt them. I'll find a dog one day. I might sleep better knowing a dog is watching out for me.
The last humans I saw were three men who were rummaging through my AO about two and a half years ago. I could have announced myself to them, but they didn't look like the type of people I wanted to get close with. They saw my camp fire and clothes line, so they knew someone was around. Maybe they think I am not the kind of person they would like to get know. They looked around but didn't find anything and finally left the area. I wondered if they knew someone had them in their cross hair. I had already gone through everything and hid all the items that I can use. I hide almost everything, just for these kinds of occassions.
When the war started, the campground was putting in a few new sites. They had some large PVC pipe they were going to use for the sewer lines. I use the PVC pipe to hide ammo and other things in. I cap the ends off and bury the pipe. Speaking of digging, I have several foxholes dug and I am working on a bunker. I don't know if the commies or muzzies will come my way, but better to have them and not need them. The bunker is going to be well hidden when I am finished. I think the bunker will make good shelter.
Since my gasoline dried up, the only form of tranpartation I have is a horse I comendierd. There a plenty of places to let him graze. I think I can keep him well fed. Mostly, I use him to bring water up from the lake. The hill is pretty steep and it is nice to have a work horse around. Sometimes I go rummage through other areas. If I find a lot of stuff, I go back and hook a wagon up to Wyatt (that is what I named my horse).
Before the war, I was on this mountain top alone. So, I have faced the last four years without people around. I sometimes miss my family, but for the most part I am happy that all I have to worry about is me. I had learned that George Washington used to pray for one hour in the morning and one hour at night. I started this practice and this is about the only time I actually do any talking. I feel better after I pray. Knowing that the Lords walks with me takes my fears away. So, I lean on the Lord often.
Well, I have to go now. I gotta dig some worms. I am looking to have brim for dinner tonight.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MinutemanCO
Gave it a shot. Not my best work. I think I probably could have written this story for days...
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“Damn it all!!” Briggs kicked the fender out of sheer aggravation. “Friggin’ thing’s never gonna work. What, was I asleep during autoshop?”
He climbed out of the engine compartment of the half ton Ford. Frustration turned to anger. He threw the 5/8 inch into the weeds. After stomping around the yard muttering obscenities, the thirty-nine year old man composed what was left of himself.
“Easy man. You’re losing it.” He watched the dust blowing through the burned out neighborhood. In the distance someone screamed. The sound of glass breaking echoed from a block or two away. Don't want nothin' to do with that.
“I gotta get out of here. I gotta stop talking to myself. Just who the hell am I supposed to talk to? Huh, you idiot? Molly and the kids ran to the shelter in Greeley. Everyone else disappeared or up and died on me. There’s nothing left.”
Matthew Briggs turned and walked the two miles back to his makeshift lean-to at the far end of the wheat field. His walk seemed to take on an air of confidence. He had decided.
The virus hit like a hurricane back in ’14. The missiles fell from the sky like rain a few months later. The flashes on the horizon were overwhelming, something out of a weird movie. Surreal even. Denver… gone. Colorado Springs… gone. Boulder… vaporized… friggin hippies. What do they think now of the global communist movement they loved so much?
Briggs hunkered down in situ for a long time. He tried to get Molly to stay. He succeeded for two years. One day, she just up and left. Said there had to be something better out there and that living in a shithole on the outskirts of Platteville, Colorado was making her crazy. Will and Sarah went with her. He would have had to kill Molly to keep her from taking the kids. He wasn’t that crazy… not yet. For a few weeks, it hurt. The pain came in waves – loneliness, followed by despair, chased by despondency. Briggs was one of the lucky ones. The deep depression didn’t crush him.
He remembered the guy down the street – what was his name? Doesn’t matter. His wife and kids died from the virus, the initial outbreak. He saw the poor dude walking the streets for a few days afterward. He looked like a zombie. After a week, Briggs found the guy in front of his house, splayed out on the front lawn amid a stain of dried blood. The self inflicted wound left him with a baseball-sized hole in the back of his head. Expediency dictated. He rolled the rotting corpse over and found the Beretta half buried in the dried grass. He popped the mag, tucked the gun into his belt and searched the house for supplies.
His stores were dwindling. He harvested the grain that had seeded itself in from the prior year back in September. It was holding up reasonably well, but everything else was bare bones. He had to get moving.
For years Briggs resisted the move to the mountains. The environment was harsh and unforgiving. His hope was that there’d still be an abundance of mule deer, elk, rabbit and trout up there. The summer homes of the more affluent would be open for habitation. At the upper end of Fourth of July Road was a series of well built cabins rarely occupied by the owners. He’d head for one of the more rugged structures he remembered near the treeline. Briggs knew from decades of hunting, fishing and camping how to survive in the alpine forests that dominated half of Colorado, but didn’t want to make the move until it was absolutely necessary.
He caught word from transients that the Chinese were moving in with a huge force from Canada. Venezuelans and Bolivians up from Mexico. They were certain to roll through north central Colorado between the serious hot zones. That would put the bastards right in his lap. Can’t have that.
Briggs packed his loose supplies into the metal frame ruck he’d kept for just such a purpose. He slung the old pack and attached two water bottles to his belt. Damn thing must weigh a hundred pounds. He holstered his sidearm and held onto his shotgun just in case. He already buried what was left of his stored goods. He’d try to come back for them before winter blew in for real.
His thoughts turned to the small church community up near Nederland he’d once been a part of eight or ten years ago. Those folks, the ones who weren’t killed by that stinkin’ virus, were well equipped to ride out a storm like the one that hit the US. He’d have to convince them to accept him into their little group. Might not be as easy as it sounded, even if they did remember him. He had a lot to offer, though – hunting skills, construction experience, survival and tactical abilities.
Briggs walked.
GREAT WORK MMCO! You and Mal should write a book together! Good job fellows!
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Re: Role Playing Survival
More role playing:
I dug my third out house now. It is not covered, so you still go where God and everybody can see you. I do keep the hole covered though. I don' want flies getting in it and then landing on my food or something. I still have plenty of toilet paper. Every place I go rummage through, I nab all the TP I can. I store the roles in my PVC pipe. The PVC keeps my roles dry. (Hey Rick will PVC work as a storage unit? I think it will keep stuff dry.)
I finally took the wagan into town. I was thinking that I would be able to pick up some supplies there. I hadn't been to town in over four years. I don't know how long I should stay where I am before it is safe to go out. So, I have stayed away from town thinking the virus may be active there. But I need more tools and lumber to build my bunker with.
Well, the town is a ghost town and the shelves are emptied. So, I went from house to house for a while. I found some tin foil, plastic bags, trash bags, toilet paper, duct tape, wd40, books, some bandages and other first aid items, rope, chains, tools, axes, shovels, and some lumber to help build my bunker.
I found some clothes, sock hats, and blankets but I did not take them. I didn't know if someone had the virus and was using the blanket or clothes, if the virus would still be in the blanket. (Is this the right thing to do, or can you use these kinds of items? On a can of Lysol, it says it can be used on soft surfaces now. So, does that mean a blanket could hold a virus or germ? I don't know, and since I don't know I wouldn't gather items like clothes and blankets. I would mend my own. I think I would still use a bandage if it was wrapped in something and toilet paper and other items if it were wrapped. So, this little exercise is good because it may answer questions I have or correct me when I am wrong).
Well, on my way back to my camp, I took a different route. I knew of some Amish in the area. I wanted to go by there and see if they made it. I found them surviving just fine. I traded some items with them. I received some preserves and other edibles. I need to make good friends with them; and maybe I can learn some things that will help make life easier. I may go rummage through town with the wagon more often. Then I can go trade with the Amish. Maybe if I become good friends with them they will help me build my bunker. If the Amish help build my bunker, it will be safe. ;-)
(What do you think live stock would be worth in a trade at this time? If the Amish had it, I would want some chickens, sheep, pigs, cows and bulls, actually almost anything! What do you think one would have to trade for a rooster and a hen? And would this be legal in our survival role play here and would the Amish be survivors? IMHO, I think the Amish have the best chance at survival and they are around my area. So, I would try to look them up. If they didn't make it, they may have some tools and stuff I could scrounge.)
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Cloth materials can generally be used if they aren't visibly soiled(blood, pus, stains, etc). You're going to want to not wallow in them until you've had a chance to launder them and sun dry. Virus's in general aren't tough and just drying out kills them.(they're not really alive in the first place, but not going to go there right now).
As for the Amish, they would have suffered the same fate initially. I would think the death tolls would be about the same. The difference is +30 +90 + 1 year, etc. They will do much better. The Amish also depend on modern society. Don't be fooled. They buy gasoline, they use solar cells, they use phones and electrical equipment. They just cannot personally own it. They will simply be the easiest to adapt to an agrarian society.
As for livestock, it's hard to say what the Amish might trade you for. I'm wondering if you couldn't pledge to the Amish church and simply become Amish. You'd have to commit to it fully and that's no little thing. It really might become a glorious life however. It's hard work, but you gain a community, perhaps even a spouse, children and land. It might be better than the alternative.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Malsua
Cloth materials can generally be used if they aren't visibly soiled(blood, pus, stains, etc). You're going to want to not wallow in them until you've had a chance to launder them and sun dry. Virus's in general aren't tough and just drying out kills them.(they're not really alive in the first place, but not going to go there right now).
As for the Amish, they would have suffered the same fate initially. I would think the death tolls would be about the same. The difference is +30 +90 + 1 year, etc. They will do much better. The Amish also depend on modern society. Don't be fooled. They buy gasoline, they use solar cells, they use phones and electrical equipment. They just cannot personally own it. They will simply be the easiest to adapt to an agrarian society.
As for livestock, it's hard to say what the Amish might trade you for. I'm wondering if you couldn't pledge to the Amish church and simply become Amish. You'd have to commit to it fully and that's no little thing. It really might become a glorious life however. It's hard work, but you gain a community, perhaps even a spouse, children and land. It might be better than the alternative.
I thought about 'pledging' to their Church and becoming Amish, but I didn't know if they would even accept you. Or if they would even want to trade or have anything to do with you. I imagine they would trade, if you had something they really wanted.
That is good to know about cloth. I imagine going into a town years after something big like that happened that the place would be emptied of all the good goods. Gas, oil, things like that would be long gone.
Around here they have small oil pumps sitting out in fields. Sometimes I see one pumping, but for the most part they are not moving. I started wondering maybe I should learn how to pump oil out of the ground and then learn how to refine it. I wonder if you would be able to pull that off. You would want a loyal community because once you got it up and running, you would have to protect it. I saw Road Warrior today and it gave me the idear. You wouldn't have nothing but time to give it a try. You may die tryin though. :-)
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Re: Role Playing Survival
OK, so my truck in DNIF.
Seriously, I'd probably be dead within the first year.
If we get nuked AND invaded, which I believe is the correct scenario BTW, I'm packing my guns and heading for the front lines.
I know that sounds like a cop out for your thread, and sorry.
But that's exactly what I'd do.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Backstop
OK, so my truck in DNIF.
Seriously, I'd probably be dead within the first year.
If we get nuked AND invaded, which I believe is the correct scenario BTW, I'm packing my guns and heading for the front lines.
I know that sounds like a cop out for your thread, and sorry.
But that's exactly what I'd do.
Well, Mr. Backstop I have to remind you of General Patton's words:
No dumb bastard ever won a war by fighting and dieing for his Country. You fight and make the other dumb bastard die for his Country.
I'd pack my guns and go with you, but I couldn't carry all of them. Let alone the ammo. :D I am diggin in, set up some ambush positions. Look for opporunities for hit and run or snipe. Anything that will disrupt the enemy. I know they will out number me and I will eventually go down. I won't have anything better to do anyway, and I'll be happy to take some invaders with me.
Let's not run into the lion's den. I say we sneak our way in and fight to live another day and live to fight another day.
I don't know if you ever heard of an ol' boy named Carlos Hathcock? He was the best sniper in the business in Vietnam. He held down an entire Company of NVA for a couple days. Just him and his spoter. You might be surprised at what kind of trouble a couple or few people could cause the enemy.
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Those words of Patton's are grand.
:D
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Yes Patton was great. And may I thank God that there were men who were willing to fight for my freedom.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. - George S. Patton
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Re: Role Playing Survival
Quote:
I thought about 'pledging' to their Church and becoming Amish, but I didn't know if they would even accept you. Or if they would even want to trade or have anything to do with you. I imagine they would trade, if you had something they really wanted.
Being Amish isn't all about who birthed you although it goes a long way towards it. The Amish will accept Engishers into the Amish church. The issue is, it takes time and they have to get to know you. It may take many years before they'd accept you into the Amish church. Once they let you pledge however, you'd become a full member of their community and you'd be expected to act like Amish, completely. It is a difficult thing for me to think of a circumstance where I'd do such a thing, but my priorities would change drastically in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
Quote:
That is good to know about cloth. I imagine going into a town years after something big like that happened that the place would be emptied of all the good goods. Gas, oil, things like that would be long gone.
Cloth will still be around. One thing you do not want to do is to sleep on strange mattresses. Did you see that recent episode of Dirty Jobs? On average a 10 year old mattress weighs 20lbs more than the same mattress new. Yeech.
Quote:
Around here they have small oil pumps sitting out in fields. Sometimes I see one pumping, but for the most part they are not moving. I started wondering maybe I should learn how to pump oil out of the ground and then learn how to refine it. I wonder if you would be able to pull that off. You would want a loyal community because once you got it up and running, you would have to protect it. I saw Road Warrior today and it gave me the idear. You wouldn't have nothing but time to give it a try. You may die tryin though. :-)
I used to pump those oil jacks when I lived in Ohio. They are pretty basic. Many use a single cylinder engine with a large flywheel that runs off of natural gas. The natural gas is tapped right from the wellhead casing. The motors I'm familiar with are a 110/220 Model number(unrelated to electricity) and have a single large flywheel. They are probably a modified steam design. They are easy to maintain and will continue to run even after the bearings are shot.
The one thing to keep in mind about pumping an oil well is that you can easily pump it dry, specially old wells. This is normal but it must be watched for. The main parts are the outer casing, a 12 inch or so pipe called "The casing". The inner pipe called "The tubing" and inside the tubing is connecting rods down to the bottom of the well called "sucker rods" and at the bottom is the pump. The pump is attached to the sucker rods and moves up and down inside of the tubing. The pump is just a series of rubber cups that act as 1 way values. They collapse inward when pushed down and flip outward when lifted. This lifts the oil and water from the bottom of the well.
At the well head, there is a polished rod, called "the polish rod" (That's polish as in furnature polish, not the country). The polish rod sits inside a housing with some rubber seals so that when oil and water come up from the well it doesn't squirt out right at the top. This is the silvery looking thing you see when a pump jack is going up and down. The sucker rod runs through the polish rod, down into the well. Here's what happens when you pump the well. The oil is cold as it comes up. As you're pumping the well and oil starts to come out, the polish rod gets cold. When the well has pumped off the oil for the day(or whatever period), it starts pumping water. Every oil well has salt water in it, it's an issue of how much oil to water ratio. This is super saturated salt water. If you ever get a chance, taste it. It's amazingly salty.
Once the well starts to pump water, the lubrication on the polish rod goes away and it gets warm due to friction on the bushings. If you continue to pump it, the bushings can catch fire as you can pump all the water out and the bushing will over heat. You tend to learn over time how much a well can pump. When you first start with a well, you have to check it constantly. Even old old wells can usually run for at least 24 hours but you don't know that until you know it.
I would think that you could use the saltwater from the well for something. It has a strong petro chemical smell, but there must be a way to leech out the salts for preservatives or something. If nothing else, a dusty road covered with saltwater from a well will harden like pavement for a while. Re-apply as needed.
Well, enough about that. heh. I'm not sure who has made it all the way to the bottom here, but if you have any questions about oil wells I can probably answer them.