1. Alex Goodstein

   This game really annoys me. Let me explain. What really gets me is how the people who are playing this game do not pay attention to their surroundings while playing the game. And I do not mean this as they aren’t paying attention at all, but that they appear to ignore the people around them not in the game. Now I understand that this is an urban game and they always need to watch out for possible “zombies,” but it couldn’t hurt if there was a little more respect for those that are not playing. I agree that hiding on the porch in a residential area where people would not be familiar with this game is pushing it too far. I know that my parent probably would not have called the police, but certainly would have gone outside to start yelling at the kid. Along the same lines, I also hate when the people playing this game walk in the middle of the street or even run out into the street, especially while I am about to drive by that specific place they have just run into. Last weekend, I almost hit an entire group of what I assume were “zombies” because they walked right out into the street without looking.

   I know some people who play this game are probably reading this. I have no real problem with the game and think it is very creative. I just think people need to remember there is more going on around them beside the game.

   Apr 18th, 2008

2. Brian Reitz

   I was in this game during this semester and a key change from last semester’s rules was the elimination of a “battle space” and the inclusion of all of Centre County. This year, a tag was made inside the Wal*Mart on Vairo Blvd. I really don’t agree with the change, and I think it should be more of a set area for the game. This year has plenty of “missions” so that off-campus players come in and can risk getting tagged, and these are held usually between 6 and 8 at night when it won’t interfere with any classes. The missions are usually way more exciting as many more people congregate in one area.

   The fundamental rule in the game is to not be a dick. Too many players, though, forget that it applies to nonplayers as well: you’ve got to be respectful of the fact that nonplayers don’t want to be collateral damage in your “game”.

   Apr 18th, 2008

3. Caroline Furey

   Although not a participant, I completely support the Humans vs. Zombies game. It’s a completely harmless game that hundreds of students enjoy. As you can expect with a game of this size, there’s going to be a few students romping around to the annoyance of other people, giving the rest a bad rep. It’s a shame that just because of a few “lawless” zombies, you need to create boundary rules that limit the fun of the rest of the group.

   Apr 20th, 2008

4. Albert Chen

   I would be pretty ticked off too if I were you, Daehee. Some participants of HVZ take the game way, way too seriously. I have encountered a group of nerd-gunners sprinting across Burrowes St. and it struck me an odd experience. It is ridiculous to take the game to extreme levels such as disrupting peaceful families. I think the game is an interesting idea, and I can understand how it is competitive. There is actually a a HVZ mod for Half-Life 2 for HVZ fanatics to game online with others on the computer. Recently, I have been quite addicted to it. It is the same concept where humans are protecting themselves from a plague that the zombies try to spread. Guns are difficult to retrieve and human movement is slow, to make the game fair. All the zombies have is their hands to attack humans. They also have double the health of humans, and it recharges 7hp per second. If anyone out there has Half-Life 2, I would highly recommend this mod. It is free and can be downloaded at http://www.zombiepanic.org/site/index.php . This game is pretty graphically demanding, so you will need a powerful system to run the game. It tends to crash on my computer and has minor bugs that will be fixed when the game is updated.

   Apr 21st, 2008

5. Daehee Park

   @Albert Chen: “an odd experience” is a great way to describe the scene. Anyway, I don’t want to be a hater, I just agree with the other commenters that the HvZ guys should not bother others in the process.

   Apr 21st, 2008

6. Adam Tuckman

   I am a player of Humans vs. Zombies and was at the mission by the White Course apartments, and I don’t really see any problem with what happened other than the thump against your door. If our mere presence in your community bothers you that much, I’m sorry, but please try to understand that we don’t mean any harm, and try hard not to cause any. The person who knocked against your door should definitely have been more considerate, and I completely understand that that would bother you, so I’d like to apologize on that person’s behalf. I know and am friends with everybody who was there, and I know that none of them would intentionally bother you, so you can be sure that the apology is sincere.

   May 3rd, 2008

7. Ryan Misner (HvZ Coordinator)

   Hello everyone,

   I know many of you have been frustrated at the games we play (HvZ is not the only game), but I would like for you to at least take a chance to look at our side before making statements of hate.

   1. The mission in which we were at White Course apartments was not actually permitted by the President of the club, however our previous director had chosen to play there anyway. I apologize for this. But even with that said, the argument of a disrupted community doesn’t seem to hold water as I (having been there at the time) remember that not only were many of the people in White Course apartments accepting, but they told us where to go. Above that, the children that were so called disrupted were -actually playing with Nerf guns at the time themselves-. I would like to point out that we are trying to reach our inner child and play a nice game outside in the beautiful weather.

   2. We try to make it that our presence is no more disruptive than how the children were playing or someone playing a sport. I have had people complain that Nerf darts -could- hit them, however no one seems to respond to the fact that almost everyone has been hit by or almost hit by a Frisbee, foot ball, soccer ball, or any other sporting equipment. Obviously a foot ball hitting someone in the face is going to do a bit more damage than a small piece of foam.

   3. I know sometimes our players do not pay attention, and we do try our best to make sure everyone does pay attention to their surroundings and respect everyone. We have strict rules that we strongly enforce about respect of others property, safety, and privacy. We really want to be able to stay here at Penn State and have thus based our entire foundation upon the respect of others.

   4. As this is a post that will be seen by many, I would like to straighten this out.. Orange headband + green armband = Zombie = No Nerf guns. Just a green armband = Human which will more than likely have a Nerf gun. I’ve never seen a movie where Zombies have guns..

   5. Some argue that HvZ sounds great but shouldn’t be played on a campus. One of the highlights of coming to a campus to live here is the ability to be around everyone of your own age. To actually live with people around your own age. There is no other location other than a campus where everyone can play this game properly. Some say it can be played in a city, but it isn’t nearly as effective or fun.. and it still leaves room to argue the same points as a campus.

   6. Some people say that this is a waste of time and that our parents’ money is being wasted because of a game. As we live on campus, we have a lot of time. Much of this is free time. We can’t constantly be studying and working. This game takes our mind off of our work for a little while so we can all relax and just have fun.

   7. No one acknowledges the social connections in our club. I, personally, met my girlfriend through this game. I know many others who have as well. I know almost everyone in the game and I can vouch for others when I say that it is the only game where most of the players know almost all of the other players. It’s also extremely easy to get phone numbers as the game requires lots of teamwork. This can go well for a guy who finds a cute girl that’s playing, or vice versa. We are a tight-nit group and have made many many friends through this. I believe that this social stimulation improves our campus greatly and to think of people hating or attacking our group really does break my heart.

   It’s not just a game - it’s OUR group. It’s OUR game. And everyone is invited to play and join it. I will try to respect everyone and make sure other players do as well, but I ask of you to please respect us as well and try to be understanding.

   May 3rd, 2008

8. Ryan Misner (HvZ Coordinator)

   One more thing. I would also like to point out that not a single person has said anything about how we should leave while we are there. If you want us to leave, the best thing to do is to tell us to. We will leave. I have had some people ask us what we were doing and we immediately responded and asked them if they felt we should leave. No one has said we should yet.

   Don’t attack us before you even ask us to go away.

   May 3rd, 2008

9. Catherine Varner (UGC Rules Council Chairperson)

   As another member of the Urban Gaming Club and a participant in Humans v. Zombies, I would like to agree with my fellow players’ posts above. We really do not mean to intrude into anyone’s personal space with our game. We have strict rules and safety regulations against the involvement of non-players.

   Our game is not a waste of time or money. In fact, I find it a refreshing alternative to the very clique-ish atmosphere of PSU with its fraternities, sororities, and heavy drinking. With the Urban Gaming Club, I feel free to relax and challenge myself in areas other than my rigorous course schedule.

   As Ryan said, if our presence happens to bother you in any way, please ask the players to leave. I’m sure they would be happy to do so. Keep in mind that we are not violent and are doing everything in our power to present a non-threatening image to the public. This is a game of tag with Nerf guns, and we are all just kids at heart.

   If you would like to submit comments or complaints to the Urban Gaming Club directly, please e-mail me at cev5013@psu.edu. As the Rules Council Chairperson for the UGC, I will forward all of your feedback directly to the club. I would love to hear more input on this issue, as I sincerely want the game to grow and flourish in the coming years.

   May 3rd, 2008

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