

The last group of humans headed towards the final Summer 2012 Mission

In my two day long games at Camarillo (Day 3 Summer 2011, Summer 2012) I’ve had fun, made friends, and learned a bit more about Humans vs. Zombies. I’m here to import some of this knowledge to the newer players out there. It’s been about 5 weeks since the Summer 2012 game (July 20) so heres 5 Basic tips, or points of emphasis, that should help you stay alive as a human for as long as possible.

1. Nutrition/Energy are essential for good performance.



A decent breakfast, but it still wasn’t enough.

The above photo is what I ate for breakfast of the Summer 2012 game, and it still wasn’t enough. My usual peanut butter and banana sandwich plus an egg on the side filled me up, but by lunchtime it was gone. The mods ran us around the park while removing our safe zone. I felt very drained and on the hungry side. Always make sure your appropriately fueled for games and missions. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll be more aware, alert, and quicker to respond. I really don’t need to go into the benefits of proper nutrients during exercise and sporting event, since it’s a pretty common thing.

2. Prepare to run, stamina is important



TBH, not sure what everyone is running here for.

When you play HvZ, your probably gonna play with other people, and then eventually squads and teams will be formed. You gotta prepare to move faster then a simple walk, perhaps even job or run. What you should really be prepared to do is run for your life if you need to away from the Zombies. In both of my games, I had to run for my life and dodge zombies due to blaster feeding problems and running out of ammo. If I hadn’t been ready to go, then I wound have not lasted until the ends of each game. I had to book it in my first game, had to run and dodge in my second game, and I bet you I’ll have to do more running and dodging next game as well.

In the same idea, stamina is also important. You can run faster then the other person, but can you run faster then them in say about 15 seconds? Stamina is also important to keeping a high level of performance during the game and missions. Keep your stamina up in real life, and it’ll pay back in health and HvZ.

3. Get comfortable with your equipment, be practical, be efficient.



Guess who got nommed on early?

See the asian guy in the center with the tan pants? He seemed like the most HvZ ready, equipment wise, out of everyone. He had a painted, minimized, modded Stampede, with an extra one in the back pocket of his vest. His vest could carry 6 18 dart Stampede clips, and he hip MOLLE pouch carried 2 or 3 more. Dude even had hearing aids to help him hear zombies.

However, he later complained that his batteries weren’t working on his Stampede. About a quarter of the game through, and hes already a zombie. My friend to the right of the screen, the one with the glasses, pretty much survived until the end with just what you see on him. No shots at that Stampede guy, but he should have fixed whatever problems he had before he came to the game.

I’m not going to give out loadout tips or how to equip yourself during games, but just know that you should be comfortable and knowledgeable with your equipment. Can you fix a jam, how about under pressure, or while running away? Doing things like this make you proficient, which in turn makes you efficient. And trust me all these things factor in while your starting at a zombie and wondering if you can reload in time before he has a chance to know that your out of darts in your clip.

4. Be aware of your surroundings



OMG, zombies above!

Awareness will keep you alive in this game. Knowing the playing areas, knowing what & who is around you, and knowing yourself are just some of the big overalls that will keep you as part of the human side. If you know that an area is narrow, you’ll probably know not to go there since zombies have an advantage in close quarters. If you know that your teammate has your right side covered, then won’t have to worry about it too much and can watch the left side.

At the very least, keep your head on a swivel. Keep moving it from left to right, or right to left taking everything in. Try to not to keep your head static or fixed on one spot. This allows you to take everything in and keeps you aware of whats going on around you.

5. Good Leadership is vital



This 16 year old lead a group of about 15 survivors to the final mission.

In my second and latest game, a 16 year old girl joined our group, and took charge when she saw that we needed leadership. She didn’t stun a lot of zombies or have awesome equipment, but instead lead a group of about 15 survivors to the final mission. She figured out mission locations, guided us along the park play areas, and was confident in the group and what she did. They inspire confidence and moral into others. These are just some of things that leaders can do for both the human and zombie side. It’s things that can’t be measured in stats or numbers.

Learn more about the 16 year old MVP named Ferris here.

ESSENTIAL TIP #6: Have Fun! Meet others, make new friends, remember the experiences

Please remember to have fun when you play, and be sure to play safe. Games were invited for the primary purpose of fun, and if your not having fun, well then I would go as far to say as your not playing Humans vs. Zombies right. Some people have fun different ways, like trying extra hard or simply being a zombie. There’s nothing wrong with the different ways that people have fun. Just be sure it’s safe.

Part of the reason why I made this blog, write articles, and interview other Nerfers is to try and connect the Nerf universe closer together. That’s why when you go out to HvZ games, I encourage you to meet new people and make new friends. Don’t be afraid to talk about more then Nerf with others around you in the game. I love how HvZ connects people of different genders, ages, interests, and clicks. Also, try and make the HvZ game experience more memorable. Why charge the zombies head on, or give a inspiring speech to your fellow humans? Go ahead and volunteer for that crazy mission, because I guarantee you it’ll make the experience more memorable, and it will certainly be fun as well.