Herds?

[Andy]

Id actually never thought about this before i read the walking dead, volume 9 if you guys follow it too, but what do you think of the herd theory? Basically the theory goes, everytime you make a sound or a noise, imagine a circle radiating out around you a certain distance, every single zombie in that radius hears that sound and begin mindlessly walking towards the source. Zombies by their nature are very dumb, and they dont get the direction of the sound right everytime, which results in zombies wondering mindlessly in the wrong direction. Other zombies who see a zombie wondering join it and start walking with it, and more join and more and more, and a thus a herd forms, very dangerous to anyone who encounters it. So what do you guys think? is this theory possible? Discuss..

[EvilNed]

Something similar is proposed in Zombie Survival Guide, if I'm not mistaken. Once you make a sound, a nearby zombie may hear it, and they give chase and let out a moan, which is then heard by zombies around it, and they also give chase, and so forth, and so forth.

[Andy]

Yeah ive read the zombie survival guide, i was getting more at a herd from the point of view that some zombies, through their own stupidity, will wonder in the wrong direction when they hear a noise and rather than a group heading towards you, which i think we can all agree is possible and happens in most zombie movies, you form a group simply by a zombie wondering the wrong way and more zombies seeing it and joining it instinctively, forming a herd of zombies all wondering aimlessly and following each other until they happen upon another living person.. who can consider himself very unlucky.

[EvilNed]

Definetly. Zombies aren't super smart, and apart from their instinctive knowledge that they know that "something is over there...", I don't think they're like guided missiles that know exactly where you are! Unless you make alot of noises all the time or they can actually see you. Once you get far enough away from them they'd probably still keep on walking in the direction they THINK you're going.

[SRP76]

Id actually never thought about this before i read the walking dead, volume 9 if you guys follow it too, but what do you think of the herd theory? Basically the theory goes, everytime you make a sound or a noise, imagine a circle radiating out around you a certain distance, every single zombie in that radius hears that sound and begin mindlessly walking towards the source. Zombies by their nature are very dumb, and they dont get the direction of the sound right everytime, which results in zombies wondering mindlessly in the wrong direction. Other zombies who see a zombie wondering join it and start walking with it, and more join and more and more, and a thus a herd forms, very dangerous to anyone who encounters it. So what do you guys think? is this theory possible? Discuss.. I wouldn't call that "theory" so much as "common sense". Zombies don't ignore the sound of food. So of course all the zombies that hear something all converge on the sound. And naturally whenever a straggler encounters a large group, it would join the group in going wherever they're going. Just like any other creature. Because at the end of the day, they're all pursuing the same food source.

[AcesandEights]

I think it makes sense within the context. Yes. I also really like the way it is explained in Walking Dead (further elaboration occurs after volume 9 in conversation between characters, but I'll leave those detail out for those who have not read that far).

[Andy]

I wouldn't call that "theory" so much as "common sense". Zombies don't ignore the sound of food. So of course all the zombies that hear something all converge on the sound. And naturally whenever a straggler encounters a large group, it would join the group in going wherever they're going. Just like any other creature. Because at the end of the day, they're all pursuing the same food source. No no again, you misunderstand me, im not talking about zombies converging on sound.. that is just common sense.. im talking about when zombies hear a sound but dont know which direction it came from or mistake it for different direction, the the group effect takes in and you get a herd of zombies randomly moving about, as far as im aware this has never crept up in a movie.. Someone who has read volume 9 of the walking dead help me out here!

[capncnut]

I think what Andrew is hinting at is that if one was to throw an empty can of coke in a random direction, the zombie(s) will detect the noise but may not know which direction the sound originated from. This would indeed lead to a herd of zombs bowling about aimlessly in different directions, bumping into each other and acting like a bunch of all-round f**k up's. I've not read issue nine, btw.

[AcesandEights]

im talking about when zombies hear a sound but dont know which direction it came from or mistake it for different direction, the the group effect takes in and you get a herd of zombies randomly moving about, as far as im aware this has never crept up in a movie.. This is the way I explain it (if I'm picking up on what you're looking to elaborate on): If you have one zombie notice something, or feel that it perceives something it considers of note (sound, movement, scent, a juicy living person sprinting away behind some bushes etc.), other zombies may notice the first zombie seems 'intent' (for a zombie) on something and follow that zombie, starting a cascade effect of zombies 'flocking' towards the same point, area or goal (i.e. get inside that farm house). Not all zombies would pick up on the cue (some would have their own cues they noticed pulling them in other directions), but some would and those would mean more would and then more till you have part of the original crowd of zombies moving in a herd-like fashion. If that's what you mean, Andy, then I agree that it would be a good example of herd-like behavior.

[Andy]

Your half onto it, what im trying to propose is that one zombie hears a noise in the distance, it gets up and starts walking.. might be the right direction might not... another zombie see's it and acting on instinct, it follows it. then another, and another, and another, eventually you have a 'herd' all moving together in one direction, just following each other, the memory of the noise that started it is forgotten now and the original zombie is just following the rest of the group. will the move endlessly or will they will dispearse eventually? Thats my question.. or as a example, when Miguel shouts on the bullhorn at the start of day, and then all the zombies flock towards him and they run to the helicopter and fly off back to safety, what do those zombies do then? do you beleive they just dispease again or do you think they endless keep walking in the direction the helicopter went?

[AcesandEights]

will they move endlessly or will they will dispearse eventually? Good question. I think it would be highly circumstantial. As time passed by and nothing of note happened it could be that numbers might start to peel off, distracted by things they sense and confuse as possible prey items. Add to that environmental factors that might act to separate or confuse the zombies as to the movement of such a herd (such as rough terrain, tight cityscapes packed w/ rubble, forest, fog and blinding rain) and you might see such a herd start to breakdown as individuals go off to 'pick their nose in the corner', as it were. It's all just guess work, but I think a herd-like behavior is feasible, just as factors that would act to break down a 'herd'.

[Trin]

In Night the zombies that were breaking into the farmhouse at some point must have dispersed or moved on. It might have been that they all stayed as a group banging on the cellar door until the noise outside drew them away, and then the sheriff and folks encountered them as a group. Dunno. In Day, we don't know what the zombies did after the helicopter left, but we know they were spread out and unorganized before it landed. In Land the zombies in Uniontown had dispersed and gotten back to what they were doing in their former lives. Also in Land the zombies moving into the city spread out like ants. They didn't all follow the lead of the guy in front of them. Of course, they were "thinking" zombies by that point. Slightly off topic, but if you've ever played LOTD:Road to Fiddler's Green computer game, the Last Man mod, you get to be a player zombie in that. Sometimes, when there is only one or two humans left, one player zombie sees another player zombie bashing at a door. Then the second player zombie (thinking the first one knows someone is behind it) starts bashing at the door too. Then someone else sees two player zombies bashing at a door. Pretty soon the whole thing snowballs into ALL the player zombies bashing at the same door. The door breaks down and it's an empty room. Hilarious. Proof once again that the zombies are us.

[SRP76]

The zombies at the mall showed no sign of moving on. They had already grouped at the mall before anybody even got there, and stayed. Unless something else comes along to get a zombie's attention, why would they disperse? They'd just keep on with what they're doing, endlessly.

[Thorn]

I think the herd behavior is highly likely in certain circumstances, a sound or action draws a zombies attention she picks up a following. The sound goes away some zombies continue in a group and move towards another sound, or idea following "each other" around. Still other zombies split off from the pack to return to where and what they were about before, while others continue on in septum towards the initial draw. I think all answers are possible and correct and can co-exist side by side with each other, and in fact I personally have ever reason to feel that they would based on human nature and retained memory.

[darth los]

I wish that a movie would get made tha finally adresses alot of the minutia we debate here instead rehashing the same old start of the outbreak/what the hell do we do now scenario. That's been done to death. I mean how many films do we need where the it takes the protagonists half the movie to figure out that it takes a shot in the head to kill them and whether or not bites bring you back? Can we get some new ground covered here please? With all the faults we find with Gar's latest works atleast he shows us what the world is like years into the outbreak and gives us insight into ghoul's behavior patterns.