Idea Thread - For Everyone!

[Exatreides]

Well in a hope to jump start the fiction section, and because I wouldn't mind some advice myself. I think that a general Idea/brainstorming thread is a good idea.

If you have a idea, regardless of Horror/Scifi/ Living dead/ OR general fiction post it here. It can be as detailed as 10 pages of or a simple line or two.



RULES
Just a couple of rules that need to be fallowed to keep this thread from turning into a huge gun debate, or a OMGZ democratz are teh homo or vise versa thread.

1. NO POLITICS, unless it directly involves the idea. This will not be for political debate unless it is directly related to the idea.
2. Keep the - The blowback operated .22 caliber pistol was operated by a the firing spring hitting the - Stuff down.
3. Keep the internal feuding to as little as possible.

So if you have a idea, shoot it off!.




(It merged my posts, I don't like that)




Since this is my thread.. I think I will start it off.

Okay first is my idea for a Living dead fic.

It's sorta a different take on the whole living dead virus.


The Virus

The virus operates differently then the Romero style infection, it is viral based, and is related to the Marburg and Ebola hemmoragic fever virus in it's basic shape. The Virus kills you, and can turn you into a Shambler (80% of the time) a Runner (19% of the time) Or a Overlord(1% or less) of the time.

The Shamblers and runners act in the traditional Romero fashion. The really big change is that the Overlords which are less then 1% of the undead population can control the shamblers and runners through a telepathic link.

Since people are different, the strength of overlord control is different. Some overlords can only control a few of the shamblers or runners. However a few of them can control large amounts of the Underlings(Shamblers, runners)

Control is limited to simple commands and maybe basic tasks(No operating heavy machines or driving APCS)


Overlords

Overlord power is gained through the comsumption of human flesh, if overlords don't consume human flesh at regular intervals they lose their ability to control the underlings, and slowly become one them selves.

This creates humans as a almost cattle like form of food. Captive humans are kept in pens, in horrible conditions and only kept alive long enough to feed the overlords.



Story

The story is basicly this
1. The life of a Overlord in Arizona and his Empire.
2. The Last human strong hold in Colorado
2A. The president of the United States as he tries to handle whats left of America
2B. A Special Mlitary team known as S.T.U.D (Special Tactical undead Disposal) And their atempts to fight the overlords
3. A Captive human in a holding pen
4. The story of a Human with a strange gift in the woods of Michigan.

[Arcades057]

Though I have to admit I hated it at first, the idea of certain zombies having more mobility or intelligence than the rest has taken hold with me. It opens up a lot of new ideas and directions in which to go. And yes, I do have some ideas...

I want to mix two of my favorite things, Star Wars and Tom Clancy, for one idea. The story goes like this... It's 25 years after Return of the Jedi and the Empire has become more like the Rebel Alliance in its day. It's only a few star systems big, but it's been recognized by the New Republic as a soveriegn entity. There has been peace for a little while but it's a shaky peace, as warlords flying the colors of empire attack NR shipping at every chance. The new Imperial leader claims to want peace, but secretly he plans for war. The Empire has spent five years and countless credits to manufacture the ultimate in warship: A Super Star Destroyer equipped with true-cloaking. The last "good" Admiral of the Empire is given charge of the ship... and promptly dissappears with it. The Republic thinks he's going to attack, the Empire thinks he's going to defect. Only the Admiral knows what he's thinking... And me. :D

The other idea is, of course, finishing up my Days of the Dead series. Haven't gotten very far in it, and I don't really know where it's going, but it's working.

That's what I've got.

[rightwing401]

Well, here's what I have. Starting with my living dead tales.

1. Let's Do Lunch- I have an alien that's passing by earth when it notices that the planet is strangely quiet. It decides to investigate further, and encounters something that it has never before seen on the dozens of worlds it has explored. (Note: This alien is not 'Close Encounters' kind, It's more like a cousin of the incredible hulk.)

2. Last Night- A vampire in the living dead world that saves a little girl on the first night of the rising. He looks after her as the dead consume the world and eventually dominate it. Their bond continues to grow and change over time, but he remains the same, while she continues to age...
I also introduced a new aspect in this tale. Other vampires that have been bitten by the dead undergo a transformation themselves. They become more dead than alive. At first, they revert to almost child like mentalities, but as time goes on, they regain all of their lost knowledge. Plus, many of them see this change as a blessing, since many of their weaknesses die with their rebirth.

3. We're them and They're us- Probably the last zombie story that I'll be doing for a long time. (Sorry, but I'm completely burned out.) A guy that rounds up zombies from the wild and brings them back to settlements so that people can use them for sport makes a shocking discovery. There is a group of people that skim a few zombies out of each batch that he and his crew bring in, and they use them for their own devices. Sadists and other such people act out their demented fantasies on the living dead, some even raping zombies that have been dead for less than a moth or so. In short, the man realizes that the living dead are nothing more than victims of the plague that makes them the way they are, and that humans are the real monsters.

Alright passing out of the realm of the living dead, I'll go on to my idea for a sci-fic thriller.

Don't have a working title for it but here's the general concept. You're introduced to an alien planet, one not that much different from our own. There are three superpowers on the planet, with dozens of satillite like smaller nations. The whole planet is in a state of cold war. Then, quite unexpectedly, they are attacked. Only this time, the invaders are mankind.
Now let me give a little back drop before anyone gets confused. This is not far into the future, this is only a few years from now. Humanity has already been conquered and sort of enslaved by an invading alien race. These aliens are in a centuries long war with another space faring empire, with both sides in a perpetual deadlock. Hoping to break the balance, the aliens began attacking backwater planets to strip them of their resources to further their war effort. Earth was their first target. Originally ment to be nothing more than workers, humans suprised the aliens by our ability to resist their attack. (Ex. Humans used abnormal methods of warfare and found ways to get around the protective shields of their attack vessels.) Once conquered, they decided that humans would be a perfect resource to use when they wanted to dominate other non-space faring worlds.
As such, humans are now on their first campaign of conquest, with both their alien overlords watching their progress closely and the fates of their loved ones back on Earth depending on their victory. In short, they must subjegate the planet, or die to the last trying.
I'd go into further details, but that would take too long and I don't want to give away everything.

[Exatreides]

Nice rightwin I had a simmiler idea to your sci fi one for a living dead story. Two alien empire's were fighting and started to take over more backwater worlds for resources ect.

However insted of a direct invasion the aliens released a chemical into the atmosphere which started the undead outbreak. Unknown to the aliens releasing the virus, a enemy agent was on board the ship, and released small amounts of a cure with the Virus(Enough for one person) This one person understood why Earth was being attacked, and that they had to send a messege to the other aliens to get help..

Only..Were the other Aliens saviours? Or another attempt for resources?


Arc that sounds like a great idea for a Star Wars fic. I don't know if it's been done before though, it sounds familler.

[Adrenochrome]

I'm working on one that deals with a "zombie epidemic" viewed from the eyes of a 5 year old boy. It's called When Daddy Turned Green.
It's not written like a "See Jack run." format...although, it is written very "childlike"...it's (trying to be written) from a little boy's point of view seeing the destruction all around him, starting out from the moment where he wakes up and hears "it" happening.
It's inspired from my first zombie experience.....I was about 5 when my dad introduced me to Night of the Living Dead. (back in 1972)

[Exatreides]

How strictly do you guys think people should fallow the "rules" of the Zombie?

I mean is it okay if you have fast zombies? Or do they have to be slow for your fiction?
Can they think? Command other zombies? Play Chess?
Do they all have to die by Headshot? why not heart? Or Kydnee?

If someone has something besides slow stupid zombies in the fiction, does it turn you off from reading more of the story?

[Arcades057]

The only zombies I don't like are the invulnerable Return of the Living Dead kind. Anything else is good man.

[Adrenochrome]

How strictly do you guys think people should fallow the "rules" of the Zombie?

I mean is it okay if you have fast zombies? Or do they have to be slow for your fiction?
Can they think? Command other zombies? Play Chess?
Do they all have to die by Headshot? why not heart? Or Kydnee?

If someone has something besides slow stupid zombies in the fiction, does it turn you off from reading more of the story?
I prefer the slow, lumbering zombies. To me it's creepier - the longer you have to let it all sink in adds to the horror; unlike turning a corner and having a "runner" slam into you and start tearing you apart like a ravenous boar.
But, this also depends on how the "lumberers" or the "runners" are written into the story.
For instance, in Snyder's remake, the Z's just start running and growling like rediculous zoo beasts from the get-go. In livingdeadboy's Z webisode, the Z's beg for help as if they're in an anxious horrific panic (if that makes sense at all)
I've been a GAR fan since I was 5 years old, but, I've often thought they should be killed with more than just a shot to the noggin. They may be zombies, but there is still "something" alive there to animate them; whether it's a virus or voo doo, something is there other than JUST the brain.

"Zombie leadership" should also be there - Hell, even in the original NOTLD, Bill Hinzman can be seen turning around as if beckoning the others to follow, then turning back toward the house. Stephen in Dawn, Bub in Day and the rediculous Big Daddy in Land were all "Leader Zombies". (I always like to use GAR as a base ref. for Z's)
That Zombies can still think really adds to the horror.

[Exatreides]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Another idea just shot to my brain, like a double shot of nyquil laced with oxycotton.

What about a cruise ship? Not a outbreak on the cruise ship, but being on one while the outbreak is happening? One of those massive 2,000 people plus carribean ships. Think of the panic, and the fear.

The ship being escourted by coast gaurd and Navy vessels. Maybe have the outbreak start on the ship at the end. Or maybe have the ship and another vessels as a Arc like thing, carrying humanity untill the dead fell to peices on their own. Or arm them all and start to retake islands.

or something.

Hey Arc? What about a living dead story set in the Star Wars universe? What would happen if a Jedi got infected and died? Zombies with the force? ;)

[raym]

A zombie-fied Star Wars??

That's awesome.

Maybe this can be a way to bring back Darth Maul ^_^

He was my fav!

[zombieparanoia]

I've been tossing around an idea that would be set at the beginning of the outbreak, where the main character would be in the process of stealing "the cure" from the lab facility that came up with the disease (I was thinking religious nutjobs like scientologists or some other well funded fringe group) almost simultaneously with the release of the disease into the population. So the group releases this disease thinking they have the cure and will be able to use the cure as a way to gain power and control, but after release they find out its gone.

heres where I think I've come up with something original: the thief is a ninja. I know, I know already you're saying "oh ****! Another ****ing "then he killed all the zombies with his katana until they were dead" story boooring" but I'm thinking the ninja is simply a thief, they don't know what they're stealing, they've simply been sent to obtain this information and sample and get it back to their employer. I want to make them a modern ninja like the guys in batman returns "the league of shadows" ninjas yes, but ninjas who aren't afraid of using modern technology and methods. I think a ninja would be an interesting character because of all their training in stealth and avoidance, they could probably do fairly well in a LD world.

I'm not sure how the story would end, either with the ninja returning with the cure to their clan/employer as the world starts to fall apart or if the ninja would somehow figure out what it was that they had and deliver it to whoever could make use of it, being a ninja and not that familiar with the workings of the government this is where I figure I could introduce the less lethal, more emotive character, who knows who to get it to but not how; that way the story is not just a killing machine ninja chopping down zombies(although it would have that)

I'm still working on it.

[kona843]

If your ever went on the old forums, you may remember me (DVL_888)

I came up with the idea of dead people being able to speak the last few words they may have said before they died.

Ive been working on the story, i think i should share a few of my ideas with you.

RULES FOR THE UNDEAD.

1. SPREADING OF INFECTION
The infection... well who knows what it is... is spread much like a common cold... the victim can catch it in their sleep, wake up early next morning only to kill everyone else still sleeping in the household. Also an open cut or a scratch near an infected person would cause contamination. To be honest... you dont know when your going to get infected.

2.THE VICTIM
Before the victim dies, he or she will suffer from strong paranoia, they will become violent and very protective of themselves. In an undead state, the victim will not eat flesh, instead he/she will kill living members.

3. THE ZOMBIE ''MANNERS''
As my zombies differ a little, i thought i would come up with the codeword ''Manners''. There are two types of zombies... Zombies with manners... will walk on the pavement... walk through doors, avoid obstacles, remember simple tasks... also these are the ones that are most likely to mumble a few words in their dead state, only a couple of words that have almost been imprinted in their brain before death. E.G... An old man shouts for help before being attacted... his corpse will go around for the next couple of days mumbling ''heeelpp meeee''.

Zombies without manners (about a third of the undead)... walk in the middle of the road, knock down bins, break through windows and doors, are a lot more uncoordinated and violent.

I dont know it was a little thing i came up with one day, a codeword for a man on the roof with binoculars describing the dead in the road over a walkie talkie.

4.ENDING THE DEAD
To put down a victim, a blow the back of the head is required, a specific part of the brain... A gunshot to the head may not always kill a zombie, Melee weapons actually stand a very low chance of putting a victim down.

MY STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS.
My main character is a guy called Steve, he lives in his apartment above a restaraunt with his flatmates. Steve has problems getting to sleep at night, so watches horror flicks until early morning. When he does get to sleep... he wakes up in the late afternoon.

Steve wakes up one morning when he is startled by the sound of a smashing plantpot. He goes to investigate... Looking out of the window he spots the postman lurking around on the stairway leading up to his front door.... Jeez... the postman sure is acting strange today... :D