#0 - Oct. 23, 2008, 4:53 p.m.
If You're a Zombie
1. The Zombies are much stronger than they appear, and they may increase in strength yet. They're already strong enough to take down a lot of people if they group up and use their abilities correctly... the sheer massive healing of a concentrated Retch! will keep up a horde all by itself very well. Even when facing a Ret pally, yes, although it's hard to pull off. Similarly, Lurch!ing is a very powerful ability when used properly.
2. You can convert someone as a Zombie horde without killing them. Every Zombie auto-hit will reduce the time to the infection "going off" (which starts at 120 seconds) by ten seconds. Thus, twelve hits from Zombies without disease removal will auto-Zombify someone. If you've got a group of, say, five Zombies, they don't stand a chance, and if they're good sports it'll only get worse. Mangle! also has this effect, which doubles a Zombie's burst effectiveness... er, infectiveness.
Edit: You're Infected! duration halved from ten minutes today, effectively doubling the power of the Zombies. The plague is obviously progressing over the course of this event.
Edit: You're Infected! duration reduced to 2 minutes in phase IV. Zombies definitely have the upper hand now. FLEE!
3. Further, this applies to hits from NPC Zombies too, so getting enough of them in one place will cause the plague to go critical. Every guard spawned will instantly increase the number of Zombies present, although the Zombies will die if not fed (Retch! is good for this). Proper Zombification of towns requires proper maintenance.
4. On the subject of large scale infection, several readers have noted that infecting a handful of NPC humanoids in range of non-infected humanoids will cause the infection to linger, as the spawned Zombies will spread the infection before dying and re-spawning as "clean" humanoids, only to be re-infected by their previous victims, and so on. While this isn't particularly dramatic to watch, it is a good example of how to avoid depleting your host resources as a contagion through a sufficiently long incubation period. Isn't science fun?
5. It's worth noting at this point that the evade mechanic doesn't clear the Zombie disease. This is also intentional. Go ahead, create an UnDeadmines instance.
6. Don't get angry at people cleansing the infection... it's getting progressively harder to cleanse over time (or, at least, this has been hinted at). This is intentional. The event, after all, has just started, and it will progress further. In the meantime, if everyone were a Zombie there'd be nobody to eat. If you want to be a Zombie, there are multiple easy ways to do it (cockroaches, crates, etc), but remember that a lone Zombie is nothing but a target.
7. If you get bugged so that you can't spread the infection through attacking (you'll also be able to run at full speed and won't lose health over time), please blow yourself up in an orderly manner, as it's the only way left you can spread the good filth. Thank you!
8. Even if you're a lowbie, your Retch! and Lurch! abilities can be a great benefit to the Zombie horde that infected you. Enjoy the chance to be a part of this.
9. Organize! An organized group of Zombies is a menace. A scattered group of Zombies is dead meat.
If You Hate Zombies
1. There's a bug in the Zombification that sometimes switches a Zombie's faction without making them lose health, reducing their speed or giving them the ability to convert others to Zombiehood. These "superZombies" are rather annoying, especially if someone who enjoys griefing manages to become one and starts going after lowbies from their own previous faction. Terminate with extreme prejudice, for the good of us all.
2. Don't be too put off by angry tells from angry Zombies who want to lurch around spreading the infection when you cure them or destroy them. Remind them that the event just started, and that they're the underdogs at the moment, and growing in strength. Also remind them that Zombies need to organize to hunt effectively, which they can even do across faction lines for once.
3. This event isn't going to last forever, so enjoy it! Organize anti-Zombie groups to take up the noble fight.
4. If you do become a Zombie (which, if you fight them regularly, you eventually will, unless you're very, very lucky), be aware that you're temporarily on the other team now, and use good sportsmanship. If you really, really hate being a Zombie, try to get in an area with a lot of people before you blow yourself up, at the very least, to spread the infection around.
General Notes for Everybody
1. Using an immunity to disease effect after becoming infected will auto-Zombify you (to prevent abusing the fact that the Zombie's only real weapon is its infection). If you're an anti-Zombie machine, make sure you immunize yourself before going in, or you'll be craving fresh brains in no time. If, on the other hand, you're a closet member of the Cult of the Damned, undeath is easier to achieve than it ever has been before.
2. The Argent Dawn Healers are death to Zombies and blessed life to everybody else. They'll cure your infection for you, presumably no matter how resistant it's become, or decimate any Zombies that get too close. On the other hand, rumor is that they're excessively easy to kill as a Zombie horde...
Edit: The Argent Dawn Healers have started coming under special NPC attack. Anti-Zombie crusaders may wish to defend their local healers if they want to reliably remove the foul plague before succumbing to it.
3. Zombies do not, to the best of my knowledge, gain useful amounts of experience, gain or lose reputation, or gain honor, and while they can gain quest objectives, they can't turn in quests ("Did you get my feathers?" "BRAINS."). They do, however, take durability damage when they're killed by NPC's. You've been warned.
4. Zombie stats are unaffected by gear, so take it all off to avoid the aforementioned durability damage. However, Zombies can still proc their talents, such as Second Wind and Nature's Guardian (Zombie healing), Eye for an Eye (sort of), Reckoning, Cheat Death and Frenzy (increased infection rate), and Blazing Speed (Speed). There are also reports that Prot warrior Zombies can Charge with Warbringer (stances use the same code as shapechanging), which is obviously very useful for a Zombie.
5. Please, everyone, have fun!
Edit: Capitalized a few missed "Zombie"s. Because I like uniformity.
Update: Adding general information as I become aware of it.
