Tyler Andersen was zombified on the opening day of the Nerf-tag Humans vs. Zombies by the “Original Zombie” in the game during fall semester.
“I thought it was a smart idea to go zombie hunting, which is where you take some friends and you go and try to shoot zombies,” Andersen said. “It’s really fun — it’s the worst thing you can do.”
Zombie players come out of hiding and can catch human players off-guard, he said.
“That’s how I died,” Andersen said. “Some pretty cute little girl comes up – tagged me. (I’m) never falling for the cute trick again.”
This game, Andersen said he intends to stay in groups of human players and avoid going after zombie players.
The spring 2012 game, sponsored by InterVarsity, will run for six days from Monday to Sunday. Today is the last day to register at vandals.zombiesource.org.
Jacob Bow, a game moderator, said they decided to shorten the game because after 10 days, both the players and moderators were exhausted.
“We felt we could keep the game going at a faster pace and a more entertaining pace if we shortened it down a bit,” Bow said. “Hopefully that way everyone could keep their energy up better, and it’s not interfering with school for as long.”
The human missions will also be smaller and less vital for human players to win.
“I believe we have something for the humans to do every day except Monday,” Bow said. “Some of them are kind of organized missions, and some of them are smaller things.”
Only two missions will be required, so human players will have more freedom with their time.
“And those things aren’t big or super difficult things,” Bow said.
Some weaponry will also be different. In the fall game human players were allowed to use marshmallows, but after University of Idaho Facilities Services said they didn’t want the sticky treats scattered across campus, marshmallows will not be returning. Instead, melee weapons and sword boffers will be allowed.
William Reynolds, a moderator, said the melee weapons must be of the pool noodle over PVC pipe variety, and swords made by Nerf will not be allowed.
“Nerf weapons break,” Reynolds said. “Right on Nerf melee weapons they specifically say, ‘Do not use to strike humans or animals.'”
Some boffers made for the medieval combat society Belegarth — of which Reynolds is a member — will be allowed, he said.
“It’s going to be a somewhat liberating thing for me to be able to, when a zombie gets close, just smack ‘em,” Reynolds said. “I’m gonna be using my gun primarily, but when they close range (I’ll) bring out a melee weapon.”
Each boffer will have to be checked by Reynolds or another moderator involved with Belegarth.
Bow said the general safety of players will be made more of an issue with the possibility of icy conditions. About 30 moderators will ensure no-play zones are strictly observed, and door zones have been increased to a 15-foot radius.
Players will also be given the contact numbers for campus security and the campus division of the Moscow Police Department, Bow said.
Reynolds said slick sidewalks should be more of an issue for zombie players because they will have to use direct touch to tag humans, while human players will be armed with Nerf guns or foam missiles.
Even so, human players who stuck together in the last game survived the longest, he said.
“A lot of people wanted to go for the light, maneuverable route,” Reynolds said. “And it worked for some people, but after a point there just got to be too many zombies that if you went by yourself you were done for.”
Groups of three to five humans are the best, Reynolds said.
In his bid to survive as a human beyond day one, Andersen said he will use the new disk shooters Nerf has released.
“I’m going to run around with a pump-action one with a 10- or 20-shot clip, and a side arm that shoots as fast as I can cock it back,” Andersen said. “They’re both very accurate.”
He has been using them for target practice.
“You are going to laugh at me, but yeah, I have,” Andersen said. “At my fraternity, we built this giant snow fort, and I would pick out spots on it from 10 to 20 feet away and try to shoot them.”
Reynolds said the game can become intense.
“When it really gets down to it, it can get really stressful if you are not ready for it,” Reynolds said. “Eventually it really does become an ‘us-versus-them,’ and people get a little bit crazy.”
Players need to be carful to keep the game in perspective and not take it too seriously, he said.
“But at the end of the day, it’s worth it,” Reynolds said. “It really is.”