Random thought. People are easily taken advantage of. I could see groups of people rallying around a charismatic doomsayer. I bet small personal armies wouldn't be unheard of in a zombie apocalypse.
You could probably also conceive of cults being created. Many people will think that a zombie outbreak will be a punishment from God and many people will be willing to assume a leadership mantle on the basis of that.
As for power, it's not just that infrastructure is being destroyed (though that would be a big reason the power is gonna go out) but even just the source of fuel for a city that fails to be delivered. Right now, over half the U.S. cities are fueled by coal. Those coal plants are resupplied by a massive and intricate network of trains that are running round the clock to deliver the coal. When the outbreak occurs, I can't imagine anyone anyone wanting to run coal to an infested city, or a train engineer also wanting to ditch his job and go protect his family.
Quote from "NeoEpoch" »
The point that I was trying to make is that everybody in this thread DOES have a valid point, regardless of how far fetched it may seem. When it comes down to it, we're all trying to agree on a hypothetical situation based around a work of fiction.
When it comes down to it, Zombies (hopefully) are fictitious. I'd hate to see what would happen in a real-life Zombie outbreak, but we could all do ourselves a favor and be prepared (as this thread seems to havie been intended for).
I frequently acknowledge other people's points of view. Sometimes I disagree with them, other times I'm utterly in agreement with them.
And as (supposedly) fictitious as zombies may be, if you are in agreement on the nature of the zombie, and the likelihood that they could spread fast throughout a city, then everything else that's up for conjecture is not quite as fictional as you think. It would be similar to what you would plan if the government were to break down or if there would be mass rioting. I mean, as far as debating what makes a zombie or how best to kill it, sure, that's obviously much more fictitious. But I think common sense can still apply to survival situations on grand to apocalyptic scale. So ideas such as trying to get to sea, or trying to survive in a high rise building, surely you can clearly debate those points even without the fictional element of zombies, yes?
And as (supposedly) fictitious as zombies may be, if you are in agreement on the nature of the zombie, and the likelihood that they could spread fast throughout a city, then everything else that's up for conjecture is not quite as fictional as you think. It would be similar to what you would plan if the government were to break down or if there would be mass rioting. I mean, as far as debating what makes a zombie or how best to kill it, sure, that's obviously much more fictitious. But I think common sense can still apply to survival situations on grand to apocalyptic scale. So ideas such as trying to get to sea, or trying to survive in a high rise building, surely you can clearly debate those points even without the fictional element of zombies, yes?
Agreed. I was just making that same point with a co-worker yesterday - if total anarchy broke out and everybody was rioting, you could use a lot of the same tactics/ideas that you'd use for a zombie. However humans are much more resourceful and intelligent (obviously), but they die easier.
High rise buildings aren't... the worst idea, especially if you have the supplies. My office is in a 7-story building, which is quite handy - while surrounded by windows on all sides, there is a surprising amount of room (if you moved the cubicles around). All I'd need to do is barricade the stairwells, and entrance to the main room, assuming the elevators were in working condition. Going to the sea, now that's just silly. Everybody & their dog is going to head for water, but will have a hell of a time not starving or being dehydrated.
All in all, I concur!
@Zhar
Thanks! UrbanDead's a fun game. Starting as a Zombie or a Firefighter is pretty handy, as they have a decent chance to hit things & gain exp quickly. I think NecroTech employees are pretty useful too, but I haven't started as one, yet.
@Turmobil
Perhaps a sawn-off shotgun would suffice; while not as accurate, it'd be lighter and easier to carry on your person. And rigging chainsaws to a jeep would probably not be as easy as you'd think.
A Jeep would be the best since everyone knows you can attach chainsaws everywhere on them.
Meat Grinder on wheels anybody?
1: How would you lash the chainsaws so that they don't hurt you or fall off?
2: How would you refuel them, when surrounded by zombies?
On an note: Since Siaynoq and Epoch are basically our Zombie experts, If anybody has a problem with a Demon and/or spirit, ask me any questions you may have as the Paranormal is my area of expertise.
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Just as the Scorpion hunts...
Silently Lurking...
"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted." ~ Ezio Auditore de Firenze
You could probably weld them to the side of the jeep, or weld some kind of box to hold them if you don't have metal chainsaws, which come to think of it, don't exist :/.
Metal casing anyways.
And I guess you probably couldn't refuel them when surrounded by zombies...
Best thing to overcome this would be to somehow expand the fuel tanks on the chainsaws, not sure how you would go about this, but there has to be a way.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
Zhar, you need to get out more. I agree that about half the shit you see and hear about is just fake made up stuff. To find the real stuff, go places, talk to those who have paranormal experiences, search on Google, whatever you need to do to find it. Like I have stated previously, if you need me to answer/verify something, don't hesitate to ask.
There is a few shots here that are questionable, but the rest are genuine.
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Just as the Scorpion hunts...
Silently Lurking...
"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted." ~ Ezio Auditore de Firenze
Edited that part of my post out btw, thought it sounded too trolly.
But I've actually had paranormal experiences myself, still remember the night my neighbour died.
We were pretty close, he was kinda like a grandfather that I wasn't related to in any way.
Anywho, he got crushed by logs back in the forest, and that night I saw him sitting on the edge of my bed, then he just kinda faded away.
One of those experiences that stays with you, ya know ?
But anyways.
Wasn't insulting the thing that you said about demons and such, was just commenting on the zombies being imaginary.
I actually fully beleive in ghosts/spirits, sorry about that being misinterpreted :/.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
That's okay. In the video I posted, you do get a laugh out of a perverted poltergeist opening a drawer and looking at a woman's underwear. It's near the end. If using youtube to find vids. Always look at previous viewers comments, before watching the video.
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Just as the Scorpion hunts...
Silently Lurking...
"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted." ~ Ezio Auditore de Firenze
Haha, that vid actually looks pretty familiar, I'm sure I watched it over at a friends house.
There are quite a few out there that look pretty fake, but there are genuine videos out there. Just hard to find.
Ah, kk, will have to start doing that. Makes sense though lol, usually people show some pretty obvious outrage when a vid is obvious bullshit.. And pretty obvious amazement when it's real.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
To get back on topic (since I started it), why not try and hijack a tank to run the undead bastards over. Seal up the entrance to the tank from the inside so nothing can get in. You would still be able to get out. Just the gas issue is bad. Keep an eye on it and if getting low, go to a gas station and fill up (its diesel and free).
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Just as the Scorpion hunts...
Silently Lurking...
"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted." ~ Ezio Auditore de Firenze
Yeah, come to think of it a tank would probably be one of the safest places possible to be in.
Pretty sure most tanks also have a small viewing slit near the front, if you got a thin enough weapon (machete perhaps) or just used a gun, you could easily shoot/stab zombies outside of it if you ever stalled, or ran out of gas.
Then of course theres the fact that you can just run the bastards over ^^.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
To get back on topic (since I started it), why not try and hijack a tank to run the undead bastards over. Seal up the entrance to the tank from the inside so nothing can get in. You would still be able to get out. Just the gas issue is bad. Keep an eye on it and if getting low, go to a gas station and fill up (its diesel and free).
You need training to operate a tank. And why even bother with one? If your purpose is defense, I suppose you could lock yourself in one until you run out of air or starve to death. If zombies see you go in it, they're likely to wait outside banging on the hull while you go mad on the inside.
You need training for damn near everything, if you were desperate enough you could trail-and-error the tank. I doubt you would learn to operate the gun, but you could probably figure out how to drive it if you were under enough pressure. Necessity is the greatest motivator.
As for air, open the damn hatch. It's small enough so that only one zombie could look in/ attempt to get in at a time, so you could easily sit below it, and stab/shoot at any zombies that came near.
And again, if they're waiting outside, either figure out how to drive it (what do you have to lose at this point ?), or open up the hatch and take your chances with whittling down their numbers.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
Operating a tank would work if you knew how to survive in a tank. You're forgetting how dreadfully hot it can get in those things, and not to mention how much worse it is when you have your fellow mates with you inside. Another issue, as Siaynoq brought up - is how to keep yourself busy whilst in the tank. The first few days you'd be fine, but afterwards you'd probably start going mad (unless you had a large supply of books, and batteries + handheld systems and games).
Another issue is where you're going to get food and water from while hiding in a tank. If the zombies know you're in there, they'll just swarm it until they can feast on your flesh. SO getting our for doing stuff won';t be easy (and it isn't like the zombies will ever give up on you, because they won't unless another victim passes by).
Which brings up another question - will zombies give up on a victim if they are too difficult and they notice another victim walk by that would appear to be more easily caught?
And another question, is it only the "knowing" zombies (the ones that actually sensed you going into the tank) that will swarm you? Or will zombies that are walking by notice all the other zombies and go "Hey! My zombie brethren are swarming that tank, flesh must be there! Huzzah!" and go after the tank as well, or will they never clue in?
Man, I'd like to see what would actually happen. I suppose a lot of these questions we can't actually answer, not until we truthfully ever find out. Man, sometimes I wish a zombie apocolypse would just happen.
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One becomes strong when they are fighting to protect someone close to them... - Shiro Haku
As for keeping yourself busy, that problem could apply anywhere.
Whether you're in a bomb shelter, apartment building, or even the forest.
You wouldn't have to stay in the tank all day and night, you could screw off every now and then (if you had a way of keeping it locked up), and come back when you need shelter, or when you need to move to a new area.
And thats actually a pretty interesting question about the zombies lol, I never really thought of that.
Furthermore, do zombies have any reasoning ability ?
Like, for example, would they just stand outside a 20 inch thick metal door, bashing on it day and night because they saw a person go in ?
Or would they eventually figure out that metal > flesh, and just fuck off down the road ?
I think that they would go towards the nearest victim though, that just seems... zombie-ish.
LOL! I've done those things before, the most recent ne I got is 88%. So I'm confident, lmao.
And yeah it is, but I think a tank would be the worst because it is so small inside that you probably can't even busy yourself with exercises and the sort. Also, you can't leave the the tank so easily if zombies really are surrounding and mobbing it? And also, I thought machetes don't thurst, they slash?
And I don't *think* zombies have that sort of reason ability, that they would leave the person alone in such a case. If they don't know where any other flesh is, I'd suppose they would constantly bash at the tank until someone else goes by (and that is depending on whether or not they'll change their prey) or until they fully rot and their muscles don't function at all - which probably would happen a week or so after they "die" initially.
And that reminds me of another question. If their muscles are so weak that they can barely walk properly (and are incapable of any form of quick motion), then wouldn't they also lack any kind of faciakl strength to actual hurt someone through biting? Or what about grabbing someone's clothes and any such thing? Wouldn't they just snap in half if they tried using their limbs, since they'd be so weak?
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One becomes strong when they are fighting to protect someone close to them... - Shiro Haku
Yeah, come to think of it a tank would probably be one of the safest places possible to be in.
Pretty sure most tanks also have a small viewing slit near the front, if you got a thin enough weapon (machete perhaps) or just used a gun, you could easily shoot/stab zombies outside of it if you ever stalled, or ran out of gas.
Then of course there's the fact that you can just run the bastards over ^^.
Absolutely. But then let's take a few things into consideration.
The problems of using a Vehicle
Fuel.
I believe it was Lt Venom that mentioned Diesel fuel being free. That's all well & good, except for the who-knows-how-many people with the same idea. What happens when the gas-stations run dry? What happens when you run out of fuel while driving down a road with 30 zombies on your tank?
Noise.
The other problem with operating any vehicle is the noise it's going to make. Ideally, you're going to want to stay away from populated areas - this means avoiding paved roads. Off-roading with a tank won't do so well, but riding a horse or bicycle for example may go over better.
Mobility.
This is perhaps the most important factor to think of when choosing a vehicle. What are you going to do if you're forced off of a road? Or if you find a faster route to where you're headed, one that isn't paved? Or if you are surrounded by forest? Generally speaking, a horse, motorcycle (dirtbike?), or bicycle are preferred vehicles as they have the most mobility.
Protection.
A lot of vehicles will provide what seem to be "superior protection". However, what you're going to want to think of is whether your vehicle is protecting you, or serving as a mobile casket.
The idea of a tank is real great and all, but we need to remember this. One scratch, bite, or even a few drops of blood, could turn you into one of them. Imagine opening the hatch of your tank to a single zombie falling into it? This is why I suggest a horse, motorcycle or bicycle.
Space.
How often have you gone on a road trip with 4 people and found it's extremely cramped? How often have you rode your motorcycle to work and barely had enough room for your work-bag? There are obvious pros and cons to having more space than what a motorcycle would offer you. Saddlebags on a horse are pretty handy, and maybe a backpack on a bicycle would be handy too. Spacing is something that you're really going to need to plot out, if you're planning on traveling anywhere with a vehicle - it can really make or break the entire journey.
Maintenance.
Last, but not least, we have to make a conscious effort to maintain our modes of transportation both in our day-to-day living at the moment and during a zombie apocalypse. I can only imagine how beat-up many of the vehicles of this planet are going to get during the rioting and ensuing chaos of an outbreak, so constant maintenance will be required. The whole idea of using a horse is well & good, if you can first locate one, but you're also going to need to feed and provide proper care for that horse. Any vehicle, regardless of whether it's a tank, horse, helicopter, jet, bicycle or aircraft carrier, is going to requite proper care.
Whew. That about covers vehicles.
By the way, I apologize if I ever come off as a troll; I'm just trying to analyze things as best I can. Feel free to call me on anything if you disagree! After all, everything is up to personal preference, I only offer tips and counter-points.
Quote from "Ullion" »
And I don't *think* zombies have that sort of reason ability, that they would leave the person alone in such a case. If they don't know where any other flesh is, I'd suppose they would constantly bash at the tank until someone else goes by (and that is depending on whether or not they'll change their prey) or until they fully rot and their muscles don't function at all - which probably would happen a week or so after they "die" initially.
And that reminds me of another question. If their muscles are so weak that they can barely walk properly (and are incapable of any form of quick motion), then wouldn't they also lack any kind of faciakl strength to actual hurt someone through biting? Or what about grabbing someone's clothes and any such thing? Wouldn't they just snap in half if they tried using their limbs, since they'd be so weak?
Sorry for the double post again.
The fictional virus, Solanum, that Siaynoq was speaking of earlier in the thread is said to destroy the micro-organisms that cause a body to decompose. If we base things off of reality, then yes - it wouldn't take long for rigor mortis to set in or the body to decompose.
As for them being weak and not walking - I think that the general consensus is that they lack the coordination to walk properly, but maintain certain motor skills that even babies have. Flailing of arms, biting, etc.
[[If you have something to add to the conversation immediately after posting, just use the Edit function, which you can access via the button on the lower right-hand corner of all of your posts. I hope that helps!]]
As for fuel, use it while you have it, take advantage of what you can. You can still use a vehicle for a while until it runs out of fuel. You shouldn't be all "OH FUCK, I COULD RUN OUT OF FUEL, Screw cars, I'll walk the whole time".
The point is to get as much use out of what you can while you can.
As for noise, very good point, it could attract much unwanted attention. However, if you move fast enough, you can outrun said unwanted attention.
For mobility, again, get use out of the vehicle while you can, and ditch it when it's usefulness runs out. A zombie apocalypse won't be like the real world, it's not like you're paying insurance on that shit.
Good point about protection though, but then again, on a horse/bike they can just drag you off it, theres no metal plating keeping you from them. But yes, in some instances it would serve as a mobile casket :/. One option could be to attack bladed weapons to the tank's main gun, and swivel it around when you're planning on getting out. If it turns fast enough, instant decapitation.
Or, if you can somehow attatch chainsaws, even better.
And as for space, does this really matter when you've got being eaten alive to worry about ?
I'd take a leg cramp from an overstocked vehicle, than getting my insides torn out, thank you very much.
And maintenance, use it while you can, ditch it when you have to. Keep it running as long as possible, but if things take a turn for the worst, then simply ditch the vehicle and save what you can.
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Quote from "Sixen" »
"One in every 10 million people can potentially have a headache from this pill." God forbid she is the 0.000000001% of having a headache.
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As for power, it's not just that infrastructure is being destroyed (though that would be a big reason the power is gonna go out) but even just the source of fuel for a city that fails to be delivered. Right now, over half the U.S. cities are fueled by coal. Those coal plants are resupplied by a massive and intricate network of trains that are running round the clock to deliver the coal. When the outbreak occurs, I can't imagine anyone anyone wanting to run coal to an infested city, or a train engineer also wanting to ditch his job and go protect his family.
I frequently acknowledge other people's points of view. Sometimes I disagree with them, other times I'm utterly in agreement with them.
And as (supposedly) fictitious as zombies may be, if you are in agreement on the nature of the zombie, and the likelihood that they could spread fast throughout a city, then everything else that's up for conjecture is not quite as fictional as you think. It would be similar to what you would plan if the government were to break down or if there would be mass rioting. I mean, as far as debating what makes a zombie or how best to kill it, sure, that's obviously much more fictitious. But I think common sense can still apply to survival situations on grand to apocalyptic scale. So ideas such as trying to get to sea, or trying to survive in a high rise building, surely you can clearly debate those points even without the fictional element of zombies, yes?
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Agreed. I was just making that same point with a co-worker yesterday - if total anarchy broke out and everybody was rioting, you could use a lot of the same tactics/ideas that you'd use for a zombie. However humans are much more resourceful and intelligent (obviously), but they die easier.
High rise buildings aren't... the worst idea, especially if you have the supplies. My office is in a 7-story building, which is quite handy - while surrounded by windows on all sides, there is a surprising amount of room (if you moved the cubicles around). All I'd need to do is barricade the stairwells, and entrance to the main room, assuming the elevators were in working condition. Going to the sea, now that's just silly. Everybody & their dog is going to head for water, but will have a hell of a time not starving or being dehydrated.
All in all, I concur!
@Zhar
Thanks! UrbanDead's a fun game. Starting as a Zombie or a Firefighter is pretty handy, as they have a decent chance to hit things & gain exp quickly. I think NecroTech employees are pretty useful too, but I haven't started as one, yet.
@Turmobil
Perhaps a sawn-off shotgun would suffice; while not as accurate, it'd be lighter and easier to carry on your person. And rigging chainsaws to a jeep would probably not be as easy as you'd think.
Experience, mon ami. Experience.
Meat Grinder on wheels anybody?
1: How would you lash the chainsaws so that they don't hurt you or fall off?
2: How would you refuel them, when surrounded by zombies?
On an note: Since Siaynoq and Epoch are basically our Zombie experts, If anybody has a problem with a Demon and/or spirit, ask me any questions you may have as the Paranormal is my area of expertise.
Metal casing anyways.
And I guess you probably couldn't refuel them when surrounded by zombies...
Best thing to overcome this would be to somehow expand the fuel tanks on the chainsaws, not sure how you would go about this, but there has to be a way.
There is a few shots here that are questionable, but the rest are genuine.
But I've actually had paranormal experiences myself, still remember the night my neighbour died.
We were pretty close, he was kinda like a grandfather that I wasn't related to in any way.
Anywho, he got crushed by logs back in the forest, and that night I saw him sitting on the edge of my bed, then he just kinda faded away.
One of those experiences that stays with you, ya know ?
But anyways.
Wasn't insulting the thing that you said about demons and such, was just commenting on the zombies being imaginary.
I actually fully beleive in ghosts/spirits, sorry about that being misinterpreted :/.
There are quite a few out there that look pretty fake, but there are genuine videos out there. Just hard to find.
Ah, kk, will have to start doing that. Makes sense though lol, usually people show some pretty obvious outrage when a vid is obvious bullshit.. And pretty obvious amazement when it's real.
Pretty sure most tanks also have a small viewing slit near the front, if you got a thin enough weapon (machete perhaps) or just used a gun, you could easily shoot/stab zombies outside of it if you ever stalled, or ran out of gas.
Then of course theres the fact that you can just run the bastards over ^^.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
As for air, open the damn hatch. It's small enough so that only one zombie could look in/ attempt to get in at a time, so you could easily sit below it, and stab/shoot at any zombies that came near.
And again, if they're waiting outside, either figure out how to drive it (what do you have to lose at this point ?), or open up the hatch and take your chances with whittling down their numbers.
But again, theres training involved in hot-wiring a tank. Not gonna be like your run of the mill car...
That is all.
Another issue is where you're going to get food and water from while hiding in a tank. If the zombies know you're in there, they'll just swarm it until they can feast on your flesh. SO getting our for doing stuff won';t be easy (and it isn't like the zombies will ever give up on you, because they won't unless another victim passes by).
Which brings up another question - will zombies give up on a victim if they are too difficult and they notice another victim walk by that would appear to be more easily caught?
And another question, is it only the "knowing" zombies (the ones that actually sensed you going into the tank) that will swarm you? Or will zombies that are walking by notice all the other zombies and go "Hey! My zombie brethren are swarming that tank, flesh must be there! Huzzah!" and go after the tank as well, or will they never clue in?
Man, I'd like to see what would actually happen. I suppose a lot of these questions we can't actually answer, not until we truthfully ever find out. Man, sometimes I wish a zombie apocolypse would just happen.
One becomes strong when they are fighting to protect someone close to them... - Shiro Haku
Whether you're in a bomb shelter, apartment building, or even the forest.
You wouldn't have to stay in the tank all day and night, you could screw off every now and then (if you had a way of keeping it locked up), and come back when you need shelter, or when you need to move to a new area.
And thats actually a pretty interesting question about the zombies lol, I never really thought of that.
Furthermore, do zombies have any reasoning ability ?
Like, for example, would they just stand outside a 20 inch thick metal door, bashing on it day and night because they saw a person go in ?
Or would they eventually figure out that metal > flesh, and just fuck off down the road ?
I think that they would go towards the nearest victim though, that just seems... zombie-ish.
edit: Well, if a zombie outbreak ever did happen, apparently I've got a 76% chance of survival :D.
http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/zombie
And yeah it is, but I think a tank would be the worst because it is so small inside that you probably can't even busy yourself with exercises and the sort. Also, you can't leave the the tank so easily if zombies really are surrounding and mobbing it? And also, I thought machetes don't thurst, they slash?
And I don't *think* zombies have that sort of reason ability, that they would leave the person alone in such a case. If they don't know where any other flesh is, I'd suppose they would constantly bash at the tank until someone else goes by (and that is depending on whether or not they'll change their prey) or until they fully rot and their muscles don't function at all - which probably would happen a week or so after they "die" initially.
And that reminds me of another question. If their muscles are so weak that they can barely walk properly (and are incapable of any form of quick motion), then wouldn't they also lack any kind of faciakl strength to actual hurt someone through biting? Or what about grabbing someone's clothes and any such thing? Wouldn't they just snap in half if they tried using their limbs, since they'd be so weak?
One becomes strong when they are fighting to protect someone close to them... - Shiro Haku
Absolutely. But then let's take a few things into consideration.
The problems of using a Vehicle
The idea of a tank is real great and all, but we need to remember this. One scratch, bite, or even a few drops of blood, could turn you into one of them. Imagine opening the hatch of your tank to a single zombie falling into it? This is why I suggest a horse, motorcycle or bicycle.
By the way, I apologize if I ever come off as a troll; I'm just trying to analyze things as best I can. Feel free to call me on anything if you disagree! After all, everything is up to personal preference, I only offer tips and counter-points.
Sorry for the double post again.
The fictional virus, Solanum, that Siaynoq was speaking of earlier in the thread is said to destroy the micro-organisms that cause a body to decompose. If we base things off of reality, then yes - it wouldn't take long for rigor mortis to set in or the body to decompose.
As for them being weak and not walking - I think that the general consensus is that they lack the coordination to walk properly, but maintain certain motor skills that even babies have. Flailing of arms, biting, etc.
The point is to get as much use out of what you can while you can.
As for noise, very good point, it could attract much unwanted attention. However, if you move fast enough, you can outrun said unwanted attention.
For mobility, again, get use out of the vehicle while you can, and ditch it when it's usefulness runs out. A zombie apocalypse won't be like the real world, it's not like you're paying insurance on that shit.
Good point about protection though, but then again, on a horse/bike they can just drag you off it, theres no metal plating keeping you from them. But yes, in some instances it would serve as a mobile casket :/. One option could be to attack bladed weapons to the tank's main gun, and swivel it around when you're planning on getting out. If it turns fast enough, instant decapitation.
Or, if you can somehow attatch chainsaws, even better.
And as for space, does this really matter when you've got being eaten alive to worry about ?
I'd take a leg cramp from an overstocked vehicle, than getting my insides torn out, thank you very much.
And maintenance, use it while you can, ditch it when you have to. Keep it running as long as possible, but if things take a turn for the worst, then simply ditch the vehicle and save what you can.