#so unless my battery got cooked in some capacity during the freeze...

[kringelorde]

ouuuuhh I think the missus wants a new alternator...

[dogtagwindchimes]

Okay so I just heard about hvz and it sounds EPIC! I really wanna do it! I saw u had your plan of operation so any tips for newcomers?

1)The Asshole rule, if something you think of would be a dick move or even slightly dangerous DONT DO IT. this is a game, you can take it seriously but be respectful to other players. this is rule #1. keep in mind you are a representative of the game to your college so dont break the rules!! the mods word is law so if youre going to make any modifications to your blaster GET THEM CLEARED WITH THE MODS!!!!!

2) KNOW YOUR WEAPONS. Nerf gun selection is important if you want to survive, especially till late game. you can technichally survive til late game with a 1-3 shot derringer by turtling but you will not survive survive the boss with it. during the final fray you could be facing a veritable horde of zombies depending on how good the zombies are that year. you will not survive if you dont have a decent gun or at least a bag full of sock grenades, nor will you survive a trip to get a better gun. When it comes to HVZ its nerf or nothing, off brand guns will jam, and sometimes they wont even accept the same type of darts. make sure to select your weapon based off RELIABILITY, MAGAZINE CAPACITY, RATE OF FIRE AND RELOAD SPEED. below is a short guide to the weapon types that will save your bacon if you even survive the first day.a. sock grenades: buy a cheap bulk pack of generic sock and add some duck tape and you have the HVZ version of a shuriken. if you put anything else in it you will be banned forever. extremely handy in a pinch if you dont freeze up when your gun jams. keep a few in your belt loops. if you have a bag with shoulder loops put them in those or in some easy to reach location. this will save your ass if your gun jams, so practice throwing them from those spots. if youre going to practice, always throw with your off hand! you main hand will be holding a jammed gun so even if you have a sling you want to get good at throwing with your other hand. ususally you will be in very close quarters as they will rush you when you gun jams so accuracy is important but not incredibly so. do it mainly for the muscle memory as you know what to do without hesitation. keep in mind nerfs darts will count aswell but are not as easy to throw.b. the trusty revolver: will never jam unless you have somehow used all of your karma. cons: small magazine and long reload time. try and get a hammer action instead of a slide action if you are getting a one as you can use it if you dont have sling for your rifle in a pinch.c. mag fed nerf guns: you can lay down incredible fire power until your gun inevitably jams. doubly so for both if you have an automatic. keep you batteries fresh and only use stiff darts to cut down on the chance of a jam happening. they are also the slowest to fire as the fly wheels have to spin up. also the flywheels make noise that will give away your positon, so be careful of door dives. also keep in mind your ammo use as its to easy to just spray and pray so make sure to bring spare magazines if you can get them. smaller clips tend to jam less but leaves you having to reload more often. always pack a mag a few darts under capacity to prevent stovepipes happening. d. roto-rifles: god tier, very reliable and with a decent magazine capacity at the cost of incredibly long reloads. decent rate of fire depending on how dextrous you aree. mega darts are awesome: these huge darts are very accurate but their size reduces magazine capacity. the roto-fury is probably my favorite gun due to its accuracy and modest magazine capacity and it being a roto-rifle. keep in mind, as awesome as megadarts are you have less rounds and mega darts are not as common so you cant scrounge for ammo if you run lowf. exotic weapons are usually unreliable:keep away from enormous bullet hoses like the rhino or vulcan, they take forever to reload if you dont carry spare belts/mags and their complexity makes them jam easily. the flip guns such as the flip fury with multiple 6 round drums are not incredibly reliable and it takes practice to use them efficiently. they are fun though. keep in mind a fuck hueg gun will have to be hidden when youre indoorsg. the scatter gun: marshmellow blaster work like a shotgun and are very funonly downside is if a zombie catches one in their mouth you become stunned, and its difficult to store extra tubes h. buy some spare ammo no matter what. you will thank yourself later.

3) STOCK UP ON YOUR FAVOURITE FOODS AND KNOW YOUR SAFE ZONESthe dining halls are safe, but the surrounding area is not. expect a fight if you go there, even if its the first daytowards the late game one of the priviliges zombies get is eating at the cafeterias without having anything to lose. the second you leave the cafeteria you will get mobbed by zombies who were eating lunch when you walked in and are ready to get you once youve had your final meal. be prepared to spend time in your safe room waiting out the apocalypse. if possible cook and eat in your dorm and avoid the hassle.

4) get yourself a good squad. doing it solo is hell, but atleast if your squad gets turned you dont have to face your friends who all decide to door dive you or besiege you. if theyre good friends expect them to want to go after you and your squad specifically. 

5) know your routes and peak times when everyone is out. avoidance is the best policy if you want to survive. keep in mind zombies will often call other zombies to where you are and so you want to keep to odd routes and times. sometimes you may have to wake up early to catch a caravan or to avoid prime zombie hours. dont be afraid to stay in academic buildings as they are safe zones so you want to avoid the after class battle back to the dorms/parking lot. keep in mind this is still dangerous solo, but if your gun isnt great you may need to do this sometimes.

6) change your plan if it gets leaked to someone outside the squad or if a squad member gets turned. knowing where you are or where youre going to be is half the battle for zombies.

7) SOCK YOUR ALLIES. you dont know who Patient Zero so and theyre disguised as a human until theyre ousted hence why you throw a sock grenade or shoot every single human you meet. the carrier could be anyone, even one of your squaddies. have a 13-14 minute timer going and re-stun everyone. if you set a 15 minute timer you might get tagged as youre trying to stun them.

8) CONSTANT VIGILANCE, keep you eyes open for bandanas at ALL TIMES. if the bandana is worn in a questionable way or blends in with the clothes you can dispute the tag! also dont give up your humanity if you think a tag was illegal! if you have doubts call a mod, the second you give up your code the mods cant do shit for you! beware players who will try and blend into crowds! ive heard stories of humans walking to class unarmed due to an ankle bandana and keeping cool, and zombies that will spring out of crowds to get you. if you are off campus THE GAME IS NOT ON PAUSE make sure to atleast have some sock grenades. there is a famous story from goucher about a player who went to a baseball game and his friends tagged him AT THE GAME. you can also be tagged through open windows so be careful. 

9) be prepared for exercise! you are going to be running ALOT so NO JEANS! make sure your shoes are comfy to run in and if you bring a thermal make sure it is thin and VERY breathable! will keep you warm when youre not fighting/running and will the airflow when youre running will keep you from overheating. I highly recommend a thin fleece and shorts depending on the weather that week. if possible do some cardio training and quit smoking tobbacco/weed. one of my friends got tagged the first day while having a smoke. if you have a vape/patches/lozenges you will be far less likely to get tagged and will have a better lung capacity once the game starts.

10) Dont be afraid to improvise! make sure you have some spare supplies to fix your guns but more importantly you may want to make modifications/gear out of duct tape or whatever else. a short length of rope makes an excellent rifle sling because carrying a fuckhueg rifle gets tiresome. duct tape can be fashioned into a shoulder holster for your sidearm, avoid leg holsters due to the probability of your gun falling out when youre fleeing zombies. tape your socks up or you wont be able to throw them effectively. if you have multiple magazines you can duck tape them into double mags for convenience, if youre feeling really fancy you can build a speed loader for your revolver. such gear is handy for everyday use and in a pinch. 

11) BEWARE THE DOOR DIVE, if your roomates are playing you may want to arrange your furniture to deter door dives. one of my friends created a ring of desks and dressers around the door in order to safely shoot zombies. you are not safe within 10 feet of a door so be careful. 12) be lowkey at all costs, if you end up a high priority target you WILL be besieged and get turned. especially if you have good friends.

13) go to your missions!! they are fun and will effect the outcome of the game. however if you think a mod is making a poor call dont be afraid to go home if you think you might get hurt / turned

14) numbers mean safety and success, for humans AND zombies. Travel in caravans for better protection or hordes for a better chance of tagging someone. Stealth is always an option too but is very dangerous. dont be afraid to be patient and try and wait it out somewhere safe if its peak hours.

experience: 3 semesters of HVZ at goucher colllege, HVZs birthplace. I have played with and against the 6th ranked zombie in the world, Morgan Richter. I have also survived a grand total of 259 hours as a human. im super excited for you as HVZ is HELLAremember to be on your toes and most importantly HAVE FUN (and b urself lmao)i hope these tips help you survive and GOOD LUCK