Why play HVZ?
“Humans Vs Zombies is essentially a game of tag”…Keyword: GAME. HvZ is not a competition or sport (at least not yet). It is a game that derives from the archaic play of young children running around tagging one another and the imaginations of a few college dudes from Goucher. The point is to have fun. For one person, fun might mean stocking up on cheap microwavables to avoid traversing out to the dining halls and risking being tagged. For another, having fun could mean risking your life time after time cause you’re so busy protecting the girls down the hall while they do laundry or escorting that one kid who has to pick up a package and is only armed with a Maverick…believe me, I’ve been there. But remember, its a game. So make some friends, join a group, start a group, make a speech, save a bodacious babe, go down in a blaze of glory, eat your neighbors, etc. Just make sure to have some fun while you’re at it.
- Taylor Smith
2012 Media Coordinator/President
2011 Wolfpack member and Gameplay Committee member
2010 – Died on Day 1
My thoughts about being OZ? Well, true story here; I never actually meant to be in the pool to begin with. In the end, I’d say it was probably the best accident to happen to me. Being OZ is pretty awesome, with a bit of nervousness mixed in. You’re about to be the greatest antagonist to a newly formed club with hundreds of members with a thirst for pew pews and brains.
The most important aspect to being such a leader in the game was and forever will be making sure that all the players–human and zombie alike–were having the best damn time. Now, that’s a big responsibility to hold as you can’t always guarantee that, but I tried to do what I can. If it meant leading a group into battle and taking the hit from the darts so a first year could sneak in for a kill? So be it. I made sure I had ties with all the Coordinators and my minions to make sure all issues were resolved as quickly as possible, while still teaching the new kids a few killing moves.
Strategy and teamwork was probably the next best idea for me. Instead of being the go-to guy, I spread the leadership amongst my close friends. We broke down into specific groups that people could distribute themselves in, and teach them how to accomplish the goal of Total Human Death. Also, sharing the leadership meant that if I wasn’t available due to homework or something else, another zombie could handle the work and still keep the infection moving. Do I honestly feel I did a great job? Sure I met a lot of people and saw a lot of people having fun, despite the craziness of the game. Do I think I’m the best OZ? That’s totally subjective to other players and as it should be. To be the greatest is not and never was my goal. It was to have fun, share fun, and destroy humans.
Advice I could give to future OZs, or maybe other players in general. First off, just have some damn fun. Go out, have a laugh, make an epic kill, and meet people! As a freshman, this is probably THE greatest way to meet people that you’d might not later. When you choose to be in the pool, take some time until the game to maybe consider how you want an outcome to unfold. Every OZ will be different, and in the end even if you just want to be sneaky like Elizabeth in 2009 , ragefest like JT in 2010, do as I did in 2011, or be like Jade in 2012; do what you do best and that’s human destruction.
- Jason Montanez
2011 Original Zombie
-More to come!-