Rules for Humans vs Zombies Spring 2010, Version 3.5
These rules supercede any other written source (such as moderator handouts).
HvZ is a campus-wide game played 24/7 from April 12th at 6 AM until the evening of April 24th. The game has two teams: humans, who use Nerf blasters, koosh balls, and foam swords to fend off the undead, and zombies, who turn humans into more zombies in an effort to increase their numbers. The game culminates in a Final Scenario, wherein these two teams face off.
As a special rule for this spring, the game will not be played from 10 AM until 4 PM on April 24th, as a precaution against interfering with Maryland Day.
- Human Objective: Remain human for the entire game and win the Final Scenario.
- Zombie Objective: Turn all humans by the last day of play or win the Final Scenario.
- A brightly colored bandanda, preferably one of the free red ones distributed by moderators.
- A Nerf or Buzzbee blaster is recommended.
Safety: All safety rules are strictly enforced. Players violating these rules will be banned. If you see anyone breaking these rules, report it to in-game-moderators immediately.
- Do not involve (or intimidate) those not playing.
- Do not play outside campus limits or in safe zones.
- No realistic blasters or foam swords. Blasters have orange tips under Federal Law. Do not paint over these tips.
- Bandanas must be worn as described while playing. Any player not wearing a bandana is out of play (and thus not truly playing). Players should wear their bandanas as often as possible while outside safe zones, as the game is largely pointless otherwise. (Note: in-game moderators may at times wear their bandanas around their necks; this indicates that they are out of play, on moderator business.)
- Players are asked to wear clothing that contrasts their bandanas (and thus not to wear red shirts underneath red arm bandanas).
- No roughhousing. Tackling and wrestling are bannable offenses.
- No playing near traffic. Be aware of roads and crosswalks.
- Anyone on artificial propulsion (that is, anything other than one's own two feet, including but not limited to cars, buses, skateboards, bikes, rollerskates, and heelies) is out of play until ten seconds after removing/leaving this propulsion, and he/she may not affect gameplay or be affected by gameplay in any way until this time is up. This rule implies that the player may not attack or be attacked until this time has elapsed. Furthermore, for zombies, this timer is extended to sixty seconds.
- If a human leaving artificial propulsion fires a Nerf blaster or uses a foam sword before ten seconds have elapsed, that human immediately returns to play. Fired darts or used foam swords are counted.
- A player touching any part of a parked in-service bus or on board a bus is out of play until ten seconds after ending contact with said bus.
- Foam swords and other special equipment must be inspected and signed by an in-game moderator before use. Foam swords without moderator signatures will be removed from play. Please note that foam swords used in previous years are not necessarily approved for 2010. Even veteran foam swords must be signed.
- Exercise restraint with equipment. Do not swing foam swords with excessive force or aim for a person's head, face, or groin.
- Foam swords may not be thrown.
- A drop box will be available on campus during the game. Players who find stray darts and other projectiles are encouraged to deposit them there.
- Players may not block doorways with objects or their bodies, including when they are inside buildings.
- No player may assist players of the other team.
- No player may solicit help of any kind from non-players.
- A player may not wield a foam sword and a blaster in the same hand. Similarly, a player may not wield multiple swords in one hand.
- Staircases and stairwells are off-limits for any kind of physical contact. While players may fire blasters on staircases, zombies may not grab bandanas nor may humans use foam swords on stairwells. In addition, humans are asked not to "camp" stairwells.
Last, but not least:
- Use your common sense. Keep the NAS Mantra in mind, and engage in sportsman-like conduct.
Anyone in these locations/events is out of play. For the purposes of these rules, a player "inside" an area must have at least one foot touching the ground within said area. While in a safe zone, a zombie may not turn humans, and a human may not be turned. Foam swords, koosh balls, and blasters may not be used in safe zones, and, furthermore, players must put away blasters and may not display them while in academic safe zones.
- Inside the Stamp Student Union.
- Inside administration and academic buildings, including the academic sections of Queen Anne's and Mary-Mount Hall
- Classes, indoor or outdoor
- Inside dining halls
- Inside recreation centers
- Inside bathrooms (yes, port-a-potties count)
- At SGA-sanctioned events (both during them and during on-site preparation for them, such as at during marching-band practice or while setting up outdoor activities for an unrelated club)
- Anywhere, twenty minutes before and after athletic events
- Inside elevators
- Inside living areas (such as individual dorm rooms or apartments suites). Hallways are not included as safe zones. Also, please keep in mind that university policy forbids "tailgating" into dorms; zombies may not follow a human into a dorm in which they do not reside unless invited by someone who does.
If you would like to request a safe zone not listed here due to special or exceptional circumstance, please contact an in-game moderator with details.
Players "out of play" are, at least temporarily, non-players. They may neither turn humans, stun zombies, nor be stunned or turned. While the rules allow players to become out of play at their discretion, players interested in actually playing the game are advised not to abuse out of play rules.
- Nerf and Buzzbee brand dart blasters
- Unmodified Nerf or Buzzbee brand darts
- Thrown koosh balls
- Foam swords signed by in-game moderators
Using items from this list is a bannable offense. In-game mods will never approve any of these items for play.
- Fists, feet, elbows, knees, or any other part of your body used as a means of attack
- Unpadded foam swords
- Paintball guns and airsoft guns
- Bayonets
- Foam swords fixed to one's arm or body (thus excluding Wolverine claws)
- Armor and shields of any kind
- Unapproved modified Nerf or Buzzbee darts
- The Nerf Big Bad Titan, and unmodified Nerf swords, such as the Nerf N-Strike Sword, the Nerf Axe, or the Nerf Longsword.
Additionally, it is illegal to wield both a foam sword and the Nerf Vulcan at once (though a player may carry both at once).
All foam swords must comply with one of the following:
- The player wields only one sword, and the sword is an unmodified Buzzbee brand foam sword
- The sword is constructed with the following:
- The sword must have a handle of no more than six inches.
- The foam blade must be padded and between six and twenty-five inches.
- The sword must have at least three inches of padded pommel.
- Any foam sword with a core must have padding extending at least two inches past this core.
- In addition, if a player wields two foam swords, neither foam blade may exceed twelve inches. No player may wield more than two foam swords (though a player may carry any number).
Humans:
- Each human must wear a bandana on his/her upper arm (above the elbow).
- If an active zombie grabs or removes a human's bandana, that human has been "turned." Once turned, a player is out of play for twenty minutes and may not follow or move toward humans. During these twenty minutes, a player cannot act in favor of zombies, and he/she cannot communicate with zombies. At the conclusion of twenty minutes, a turned player becomes a zombie.
Zombies:
- Zombies must wear bandanas across their foreheads. They may not wear bandanas covering the tops of their heads or covered by hats/hoods. Please use free in-game moderator-distributed bandanas to reduce confusion.
- Apart from their bandanas, zombies may not carry visible HvZ equipment (such as foam swords or Nerf blasters) at any time. If you have been turned recently but have not had a chance to unequip yourself, conceal your equipment or temporarily remove yourself from play.
- Zombies are forbidden to hoard Human darts and projectiles. While all players are encouraged to return stray darts to the ammo drop box, collecting darts simply to keep them from humans is theft and will not be tolerated.
- If a zombie is struck by a legal projectile such as a Nerf dart or koosh ball, he/she becomes inactive for two minutes.
- If a zombie is struck by a foam sword such as a buzzbee sword, he/she becomes inactive for five seconds.
- If a zombie is already inactive when struck by a projectile or foam sword, the timers for inactivity are not additive; they overlap. Thus, if a zombie is hit with a foam sword and then struck by a projectile before five seconds is elapsed, the zombie will be inactive for two minutes starting from the moment the projectile struck the zombie.
- Zombies that have become inactive may not turn or pursue humans for as long as they are inactive. This means they may not follow humans or move toward them.
- Inactive zombies must indicate that they are inactive by holding their hands clasped above their heads (illustration forthcoming).
- Inactive zombies may not act as obstacles to other players or to projectiles. If a zombie becomes inactive in a crowd of players, he/she must leave the immediate area.
- Inactive zombies may not contact other zombies via any form of remote communications (i.e., cellphones, walkie-talkies, signal whistles, etc.).
In the event of serious player injury, yelling "Medic!" is a signal to players to halt gameplay in the immediate area. This rule is not to be taken lightly. When "Medic!" is called, gameplay should stop, and in-game-moderators should be contacted immediately. Players ignoring or abusing the "Medic!" rule will not be tolerated. Keep in mind, this is an emergency protocol; it should not be used frivolously.
The game will have "scenarios" throughout, of varying length and importance. The game culminates in the Final Scenario, which is the finale to the game (assuming zombies have not already turned all humans by this point). Scenarios will introduce new objectives but will not change game rules.
There are two types of scenarios: event scenarios and long-term scenarios. Event scenarios are generally fast-paced events that take place within a single day, whereas long-term scenarios set up objectives that may last an entire week.
General Scenario Rules:
- Do not attack Scenario NPCs--moderators or officers 'playing a part' for the sake of the scenario--unless specifically instructed to do so.
- For event scenarios, players of both teams are out of play for the twenty minutes prior to the event, as well as for the twenty minutes afterwards.
Players (zombies especially) are likely to find darts on the ground in play areas. Please return these darts to the marked box in 0207J in the Stamp Student Union in the student involvement suite. Those who have lost darts are invited to look for them there.
Rules for Capture the Flag
Please see this forum for the rules of the current CTF and CTF-style games of UMD NAS.
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