Portable Protection!

[CorvusMacLeod]

With "armour" being right out the window in terms of realism, I've been thinking about how you could best protect yourself from pesky zomble bites ending your game early with the resources to hand. A cursory look around my own home to think about how I'd avoid such a fate in reality revealed something which is already in the game but has potential for use as protection:

 

Duct Tape.

 

Oh yes indeed, that glorious one-fits-all commodity. I don't know about you but have you ever tried biting through duct tape? It's pretty tough going, assuming our hypothetical zombles don't suddenly grow needle-sharp teeth. I've been thinking that, realistically, if you wanted to survive a real zomble invasion, your last line of defence is your clothes. So why not seal in those clothes by applied bands of duct tape to them? Not the joints, for flexibility's sake, but to the forearms, upper arms, thighs and shins.

 

Seeing as we already have the body-part-damage-system and per-part bandage application, applying duct tape could use this system to reduce the chance of bites and scratches getting through. Bites may still hurt but they probably wouldn't injure and certainly wouldn't draw blood, so long as the duct tape is fresh and not frayed from previous attacks, and scratches wouldn't be able to penetrate the tensile strength of the tape.

 

I'd suggest that one roll of duct tape could cover 2 regions of the body. Each limb application provides a layer of protection until it gets too worn to be of any use, but generally speaking unless you get stuck in the middle of a horde the scuffle probably won't phase you too much.

 

I don't know if this would make the game more easy but, seeing as it's the first course of action I'd take if I knew there was a fair chance of going toe to toe with someone that wants to chomp my arms, it seems a reasonable course of action for the character to be able to take too.

[silents429]

Pretty sure duct tape armor was a no from people.

Its not a popular idea and this has indeed been suggested before : P

[uberevan]

Duct tape was not the first thing that came to mind when you said portable protection...

[Wilson SDS]

on the first rain the duct tape loses its grip... and in summer, you will be toasted.

[Bioradical]

Considering a variety of better 'armor' types exist... denim, leather, some tougher pieces of polyester... no to duct tape.

[Suomiboi]

on the first rain the duct tape loses its grip... and in summer, you will be toasted.

 

I disagree! if well pasted, a duct tape will handle almost anything. Heck, they built a working boat from it in mythbusters. Although might not work on clothing as well... But I do agree on the toasted part. Also it's breathing abilities suck so in the winter it's going to be something like this: put the tape, get hot go outside, still hot, start sweating, sweat gets cold and so will you - colder.

[Wilson SDS]

I see...

 

[Wilson SDS]

Man, i was reading about it, damm, looks like a good idea. I liked.