Re: World War Z: The Struggle for Survival

[Kaito]

I know there's programs out there (I could make one in 10 seconds), but it lets the possibility open to cheat.

[Loki]

I know, but it would get messy otherwise. I'd rather go by the honor system since I would like to think anybody who filled out that monster of a CS would show this RP the respect it deserves. Plus if I get suspicious that somebody is cheating, I'll make things a lot more difficult for the entire party. If it is blatantly obvious that cheating is occurring then that player will be warned and if it persists they will simply be booted from the RP.

But we are all adults so I hope it won't be a problem. Even if your character becomes infected, you are certainly not out of the RP. You will be able to create another character and keep most of the stats you had before and I'll give you a list of things to chose from as far as starting equipment goes.

[Dio the Awesome]

Spoiler:

I admit, I don't know how to calculate the required roll. I'm used to a d20 system that DnD uses. So for, a 'to hit' for a touch attack like a shove would need a 10 or higher to hit, after applying penalties.

I'm would say I'm inexperienced with the weapon (unless you all want us to start at the lowest level), so I would be getting -1, but it says that my base is 5. I'm not sure how to calculate this. :/

And I do have a dice rolling program already downloaded, may I use that?


EDIT: Oh opps, I rolled with the forums dice as well, which gave me double ones. >.< I think I died.

[Game Master]

The member 'Diodri_Setera' has done the following action : Dice Roll

'10-Sided Dice' :

Result : 1, 1

[Loki]

[spoiler]
I admit, I don't know how to calculate the required roll. I'm used to a d20 system that DnD uses. So for, a 'to hit' for a touch attack like a shove would need a 10 or higher to hit, after applying penalties.

I'm would say I'm inexperienced with the weapon (unless you all want us to start at the lowest level), so I would be getting -1, but it says that my base is 5. I'm not sure how to calculate this. :/

And I do have a dice rolling program already downloaded, may I use that?


EDIT: Oh opps, I rolled with the forums dice as well, which gave me double ones. >.< I think I died.

Most of the math is already built into the character sheet, all you need to worry about is the perks labeled with an "*" or the weapon traits. Add or subtract that the specific value on the weapon table and that is the minimum role needed to score a kill. Seeing as they are zombies, they really don't have HP since you can resort their entire body to mush with your attacks, but as long as the brain is intact, it will still be alive.

Use whichever dice program you want and are most comfortable with. I would actually prefer you did that so that the OOC isn't overwhelmed by dice roll posts since people will most likely have multiple turns per post.

[Dio the Awesome]

Ohhhh. I understand now. Derp derp derp. I'm rolling again, so I'm sure I understand the system before we start.

Weapon: Cane
Target: Zombie
Attack Type: Shove
Range: Close
Required Roll: 12
Actual Roll:

2d10, 7+5 = 12
Inexperience gives me minus 1.
Result: 11

Prognosis: Fail

Zombie grabs me.

Weapon: Knife (Switching is a free action)
Target: Zombie
Attack Type: Kill
Range: Grabbed
Required Roll: 9
Actual Roll:

2d10, 3+7 = 10
Minus 1, inexperienced.

Result: Success

Prognosis: KILL!

(Zombies that advance after turn.)

[2401]

My head hurts.

[Loki]

Pretty close, but the inexperience is already factored into the weapon stats. Aside from that you got it.

My head hurts.

About the system? If you want I can walk you step by step through it, after a few attempts it'll be easy to grasp.

[Dio the Awesome]

Okay. So once I become familiar, all of my 'to hit' number will go down one?

Also, I noticed that on my sheet, you got some of the perks wrong.

Weak Willed* +1 penalty to area conditions (where applicable)
Team Player* -1 bonus when attacking enemies targeting other players
Infiltrator Can pick locks w/ proper tools
Mechanic Can repair all types of weapons and motors/engines
Unsure Footed Must remain stationary while swapping weapons and reloading
Fortunate Armor condition doesn't degrade


But my corresponding SPECIAL is:

S: 5 (Correct)
P: 6 (Correct)
E: 4 (Correct)
C: 4 (Incorrect, I should have loner.)
I: 9 (Correct)
A: 8 (Incorrect, I should have Quick Draw.)
L: 6 (Incorrect, I should have nothing.)

At least that is what I can gather from the perks.

[Loki]

Ooops, forgot to go back and check those. Good eye! Revisions underway.

*EDIT*

Fixes made and CS Re-uploaded.

[Kaito]

Started working on Judie's Charsheet. It will probably be finished by evening.

[Loki]

*IMPORTANT UPDATE*

There was an aspect from the original game that I meant to revise but forgot to. Do not list which zombies move at the end of your turn. Instead use that space to point out if you were grabbed (and where), if a zombie was stunned, and if a zombie was killed. It is important to do it this way because all zombies on the map will be moving regardless on if they are targeting you. The turn you just finished determines the number of spaces each zombie had moved, with the exception of zombies that have grabbed or been stunned by their target. I understand if this is a difficult concept to grasp and will be correcting any mistakes and clarifying any confusion along the way.

I am working on another example that shows what this means and will hopefully have it up by the end of the day. (Departure for my vacation has been postponed by a day).

[Kaito]

Judie's Character Sheet

[Loki]

Extremely unskilled at: (Nothing)

Wow, she's got skillz.

I'll assemble her CS when I get home from work.

[Kaito]

oh well I couldn't think of something so I skipped it and forgot it later.. but still, I dunno.. she's not very skilled at most things, as there's just no experience, yet. I couldn't think of "extremely" unskilled..

[Loki]

----------EXAMPLE 2----------

This example will emphasize team coordination, player movement, and the turn system. I will be using Joe Someguy and Billy Extra from the character sheet file. I hope that the symbols are self-explanatory; it is derived by the first letter of your character’s name followed by the first letter of the player’s name. In this example, JN is Joe (Joe, NPC) and BN is Billy (Billy NPC) and the green numbered squares represent zombies. Again, the description parts are going to lack in detail just for the sake of focusing on the system rather than the post.

It is important to note that with the exception of those enemies that grab, are killed, or are stunned, every zombie moves one space for every turn. Therefore, if you are on your 5th turn, every zombie on the map moved five spaces in the most direct route towards the player they are targeting. Also, the turns are there to help you coordinate your movements and actions. Even though they are posted at separate times, it should be viewed as though everybody’s Turn 1 is happening at the same time, as with Turn 2, etc. This is where you need to be careful with how many turns you use each post, because you won’t be able to help those that run into trouble if it occurs during a turn that you had already posted through. I.e. you won’t be able to help somebody who is in danger during turn 3 if you are currently on turn 5. Furthermore, you cannot see what events happen during the turns you haven’t used yet. I.e. you cannot watch somebody kill a zombie in turn 5 if you are on turn 3. If you are having difficulty grasping this concept, simply ask me to clarify it further and I will do so.

Combat Info Post

Combat Map
Area Conditions: None
Enemies:
Zombies [1-5] targeting Joe (Dual wielding pistol and hatchet)
Zombies [6-8] targeting Billy (Sledgehammer)

Joe’s Post

Turn 1
Ready for combat, Joe decides to take out two zombies at once. Raising his hatchet in one hand and aiming the pistol in the other, prepares to strike.

Spoiler:

The hatchet cuts cleanly through the zombie’s skull and takes but a moment to aim and fire the pistol, killing the second.

Turn 2
With his confidence boosted, he is ready for some more action. He pivots and takes a step towards the nearest zombie.

Spoiler:

As before, the hatchet cut cleanly through the zombie’s head, killing it instantly.

Turn 3
Glancing to his side, Joe noticed yet another target to take out.

Spoiler:

His confidence soared as he effectively dispatched 4 enemies without breaking a sweat.

Final Location: M14

Joe Ends Post

Combat Map as known by post.
This map is the hypothetical layout after Joe’s round, but isn’t what the map actually looks like real time. At this point Zombie 4 is on a separate timeline from Zombies 6-8, who haven’t moved yet. Don’t let this map confuse you, this is just the information that is known outside of the game and is mainly to demonstrate the player’s location whenever Billy gets to Turn 3. Since Billy hasn’t posted yet, he is still going off of the first map provided by this example since he is still on Turn 1. Now we can continue to Billy’s post.


Billy’s Post

Turn 1
Billy kept Joe’s movements in the corner of his eye, surprised he was reckless enough to run in head first and take on two zombies at once, hoping he doesn’t miss and get bitten. Raising the hammer high above his head, he arched it down to take out the closest zombie.

Spoiler:

The massive head of the hammer crushed the zombie’s skull, spiking it’s body to the ground. Glancing up, he noticed that despite Joe’s haphazard antics, he was quite successful of taking out two zombies nearly at the same time.

I used the descriptions in this turn to point out that everybody’s actions run parallel during each turn, give or take a few seconds. For instance, Billy could have seen Joe kill the first zombie before attacking his own. The point I am stressing is that by then end of Turn 1 both groupings of zombies were dead and they were ready to move on to the next target.

Turn 2
After such an impressive display, Billy no longer felt compelled to distract himself on Joe’s account, he seemed quite capable of handling himself. Instead, he pulled the hammer back to his side and swung it in a low sideways arc.

Spoiler:

This time the hammer impacted the zombie’s temple, causing massive brain damage and nearly knocking the head from the shoulders.

Turn 3

Glancing back at Joe, Billy became away that he was so caught up with the zombie in front of him that he might not notice the one approaching from behind him. Quickly, he slid the hammer in the gap between his bookbag and back and slung the rifle off his shoulder and took aim.

Weapon Equipped: Savage Model 111G

Note: The process of equipping a weapon costs a turn to perform.

Turn 4
Once Billy got a bead on the zombie, he pulled the trigger and fired.

Spoiler:

His round landed dead center of the zombie’s forehead, causing it to fall backwards with a dull thud. In Billy’s rush to help Joe, he hadn’t check his surroundings to make sure he was safe.

Final Location: Q10

Billy Ends Post

Combat Map by end of Turn 3

We will now start Joe from where his last post left off. Since it was the end of Turn 4 when Billy was grabbed, Joe has until the end of Turn 5 to kill the zombie. If he fails then it would be best if he ended his turn there so Billy can try to get the zombie off himself. Should they both fail by the end of their Turn 5, then the zombie would attempt a bite.

Start Joe’s Post

Turn 4
Suddenly Joe heard the moaning close behind him, instead of taking his chances of turning and letting the enemy take him by surprise, he decided to run towards Billy for support.

Very Important Note: When moving, you cannot enter the 1 square radius of a zombie without engaging them. In this example, Joe couldn’t move in tiles M13 or N13 without being forced to fight Zombie 4 because he is moving within its reach. In order to use his full 3 movement points while still heading towards Billy, he must move in this order: L13->M12->N11. This sequence of movements gets him the closest to Billy while not taking a step within the reach of Zombie 4.

Moved to:N11

While running, he heard the bang from Billy’s rifle and noticed that he was targeting the zombie behind him. At the same time, Joe seen the last zombie in the area reach out and grab Billy by the arm.

Turn 5
Planting his feet, Joe dropped the hatchet into his sheath and took aim.

Note: The act of putting a weapon doesn’t cost a turn, only retrieving one will do so.

Spoiler:

Joe’s aim was true and the round passed cleanly through the side of the zombie’s head, killing it instantly.

End of Joe’s post.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again, don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions about anything.

[Loki]

Alright everybody! I've got nearly everything wrapped up and we are about to get this thing moving.I have all the maps set up, the CS updated, and another combat example. I'll finish the narrative in the morning and allow you all to get this thing rolling.

Before you post, however, I strongly advise you cover where you want to go. I'll be providing these maps in the IC post also, but by giving them to you now hopefully it'll get those gears turning.

Perspective view of your location.

Combat Map
(Rotate the page so that you can read the text normally, North is the top of the page)

Let me know if you plan on attempting to fight your way through (very highly inadvisable). Just to give you an overview: The NPCs are in pedestrian gridlock, a horde is approaching from the North, West, and South along the bridge, and you essentially have those 5 buildings in which you can retreat to.

In order from left to right:
Harrisburg Apartments - 5 Story Apartment Complex
Duplex - 923 N Front St
Duplex - 909 N Front St
Duplex - 905 N Front St
Small Office Building

Let me know where you plan on going so that I can make up some quick floor plans. Again, before posting in the IC, consider your options and discuss your stronghold. You will be able to make it to any of those locations before the horde reaches you as long as you sprint the entire way and don't waste your time with combat. If you would like to wait until Sunday before posting in the IC, I will be happy to make any clarifications and give pointers as far as gameplay is concerned.

[2401]

Well... Let's get discussing! I say we make for the office building: less chance of occupants.

[Gabe]

An apartment complex would have more perishables to stock up on, but they are of course, just that. Shortly after the expiration date, most foods become poison. Sealed goods last quite a bit longer than the 'freshness' date, but you couldn't pay me to eat old eggs. If the group plans on getting holed up for the long haul and waiting this thing out, securing food will be important, as well as finding a way to preserve it. However, I agree with 2401, an office building will be less likely to have undead occupants, and more importantly, less likely to be defended. A home owner will defend what's his, but the employees of an office building are not likely to give a crap about 'company property'. If it were me, and we were going to hole up for a long haul, I'd take the office building. Block off or destroy any large entrances after clearing the main structure, then find subtle ways out of the building in case of emergency. Then, BEFORE supplies start to wear thin, plan a raid on the apartments. The office is bound to have a few snack/drink machines, possibly a few refrigerators packed with leftover Chinese food, etc...but these sorts of things will be eaten up quickly. Also worth noting is the availability of water. Any container that can hold water should be filled and stored. If this means flipping a file cabinet over and dumping the papers out to use the drawer as a water basin, so be it. Running water will eventually be an amenity of the past, and with no clear way to judge when it will disappear, ALL water containing vessels should be filled post haste! Use running water while you've got it, but be prepared to live extremely sparingly once it's gone, because whatever the group filled with water is all they're going to have immediately available to them.

(Anyway, about raiding)
If possible, case the potential raiding grounds before going in looking to loot materials. When deciding to go in for a raid, plan on making as few trips as possible, and bringing some way to communicate with the members who stay behind. Also, be sure to send the raiding party with food and any supplies they may need to build a hasty barrier in case they are cut off and are subdued from being able to return to 'base' quickly. For example, the raid team may make it to the apartments (or other raiding target area) but get cut off on their return. At that point, the group that stayed behind may be tasked with going to rescue the raiding team while they (raiders) hold out in a hastily built temporary safe zone. The group would do well to find themselves some sort of 2 way radio, as well as a way to recharge them without having to use up precious batteries. Many generic brand 'walky talky' radios have rechargeable batteries and even a nifty storage baseplate that acts as a charger. If the group hopes to make contact with the military or other agencies (police, etc) they will need to get their hands on the proper radio platform. 2 way radios that you can purchase at a general store run on FRS frequencies and won't work with military and police radios that operate on GMRS frequencies. GMRS radios can be converted to work on FRS frequencies, but not the other way around, so no matter how much you tweak that handheld radio, you won't be able to listen in on what the cops/military are up to.

I would plan raids sooner rather than later. Each day that passes means more people are turning, and our own supplies wear thinner day by day. Once a solid system is established, raids for other supplies can begin. Things like ammunition will eventually dwindle, and even the most well tempered blade will eventually grow dull and break. Finding a way to create and store electricity wouldn't be a bad idea either. A generator would be a godsend, but a dynamo would be more likely to find, not to mention easier to power. Capacitors could be found easily enough, and any dismantled bicycle would suffice to provide the rotational energy needed to power the dynamo. Actually applying the electricity to the building wouldn't be hard as long as access to the building's maintenance rooms was available. Of course, a VAST majority of the circuits would be bypassed so that the electricity isn't wasted on things like air conditioning or supplying power to floors that weren't being used. Electricity as a whole would be mainly for emergencies anyway since noise and light are not things that our survivors want to be making a lot of, especially during the night hours.

These are just a few thoughts, I hope everyone puts their two cents in! I've got thoughts about room clearing as well as a couple of other things, this was just a thrown-together brainstorm of a long haul 'stake out' survival scenario. If it turns out that we're gonna live on the run, fine...but I am more comfortable with trying to outlast the bastards.

[2401]

*points up*

Ayuh, what he said.

[Gabe]

Lol, I keep editing the post because I keep remembering a few key points and tidbits of info that I think would be useful. Check back frequently!

[2401]

Seriously, though, DeadEye makes a bunch of good points.

However, our characters won't have a lot of time to figure this situation out. We need to balance utility with reality.

For instance, my character - Ricky - is exhausted, scared, and processing the deaths of hundreds of people, as well as considering his own likely imminent demise. When he looks up and sees zombies coming from the north and east, with the south and west gridlocked and impassable, and realizes he may have seconds to live, he's not going to think

An apartment complex would have more perishables to stock up on, but they are of course, just that. Shortly after the expiration date, most foods become poison. Sealed goods last quite a bit longer than the 'freshness' date, but you couldn't pay me to eat old eggs. If the group plans on getting holed up for the long haul and waiting this thing out, securing food will be important, as well as finding a way to preserve it. However, I agree with 2401, an office building will be less likely to have undead occupants, and more importantly, less likely to be defended. A home owner will defend what's his, but the employees of an office building are not likely to give a crap about 'company property'. If it were me, and we were going to hole up for a long haul, I'd take the office building. Block off or destroy any large entrances after clearing the main structure, then find subtle ways out of the building in case of emergency. Then, BEFORE supplies start to wear thin, plan a raid on the apartments. The office is bound to have a few snack/drink machines, possibly a few refrigerators packed with leftover Chinese food, etc...but these sorts of things will be eaten up quickly. Also worth noting is the availability of water. Any container that can hold water should be filled and stored. If this means flipping a file cabinet over and dumping the papers out to use the drawer as a water basin, so be it. Running water will eventually be an amenity of the past, and with no clear way to judge when it will disappear, ALL water containing vessels should be filled post haste! Use running water while you've got it, but be prepared to live extremely sparingly once it's gone, because whatever the group filled with water is all they're going to have immediately available to them.

(Anyway, about raiding)
If possible, case the potential raiding grounds before going in looking to loot materials. When deciding to go in for a raid, plan on making as few trips as possible, and bringing some way to communicate with the members who stay behind. Also, be sure to send the raiding party with food and any supplies they may need to build a hasty barrier in case they are cut off and are subdued from being able to return to 'base' quickly. For example, the raid team may make it to the apartments (or other raiding target area) but get cut off on their return. At that point, the group that stayed behind may be tasked with going to rescue the raiding team while they (raiders) hold out in a hastily built temporary safe zone.

I would plan raids sooner rather than later. Each day that passes means more people are turning, and our own supplies wear thinner day by day. Once a solid system is established, raids for other supplies can begin. Things like ammunition will eventually dwindle, and even the most well tempered blade will eventually grow dull and break. Finding a way to create and store electricity wouldn't be a bad idea either. A generator would be a godsend, but a dynamo would be more likely to find, not to mention easier to power. Capacitors could be found easily enough, and any dismantled bicycle would suffice to provide the rotational energy needed to power the dynamo. Actually applying the electricity to the building wouldn't be hard as long as access to the building's maintenance rooms was available. Of course, a VAST majority of the circuits would be bypassed so that the electricity isn't wasted on things like air conditioning or supplying power to floors that weren't being used. Electricity as a whole would be mainly for emergencies anyway since noise and light are not things that our survivors want to be making a lot of, especially during the night hours.

These are just a few thoughts, I hope everyone puts their two cents in! I've got thoughts about room clearing as well as a couple of other things, this was just a thrown-together brainstorm of a long haul 'stake out' survival scenario. If it turns out that we're gonna live on the run, fine...but I am more comfortable with trying to outlast the bastards.

He's going to think

Zombies coming, need some place to hide before I die. Which building is closest? Which is biggest? Which looks the best?

Based on these criteria, the office building on the corner would be his most likely choice. The apartment looks the best and is the biggest, but it's also the closest to the zombies. A lifetime of morality has ingrained upon Ricky that breaking into houses is bad, so he'll probably skim right over those, even if there's no one in them. The office building is professional looking, accessible, and a place of authority. Plus, it's closer, and surrounded by people rather than zombies.

I agree with everything DeadEye says, but I just want to keep the balance between reality and utility in mind. Because a logical choice and a panicky person's idea of a logical choice are rarely the same.

[Gabe]

Heh, fair enough. I said myself that I thought of these things over the course of a few minutes, not just a snap decision, because well...that's how I am, and that's how my character operates as well. For a split second, the apartments would seem like a good idea because of the larger food supply, but as logic sinks in moments later, he'd reset his sights on the office building.
It makes me angry that I won't be around at the beginning of this thing, but maybe when I get back from Basic Training my character will be a bit more useful!

[Loki]

Also, if any of you would like me to set up a mock-combat here in the OOC just let me know. This will be a good way to get hands-on with the system and get acquainted with how it works. It'll also allow me to help point out errors by directly pointing them out and addressing them on the spot.

[Dio the Awesome]

Two things I wanna point out.

The office building is the closest to the masses of people. I wonder how many people will equate building with safe as well. Will we be fighting over space?

My character will also not wait somewhere just to be over whelmed and die. He'll probably try to get out of the city as quickly as possible. Remember, Harrisburg is about 50,000 people large, not counting the number of refugees. That's a lot of potential zombie to 'outlast'.

[Kaito]

Well guys, to be honest, I wouldn't stay in there, at all. o.O

let me elaborate what my instinctive action would be:

Run for the Duplex - 905 N Front St (The one building nearest to us) and break in forcefully. search a window to in the back of the building and see if there's an oppurtunity to escape BEHIND the zombies (get to the car and gtfo of harrisburg)
If there's too many of them back there, go up to the higher floor level and eventually climb out a window, there, and jump over onto the other building, and check the situation from there. Now then, either get down from there and escape or hole up in the roof part of the building, destroying/blocking the stairs up there. (And of course, don't attract much attention)
Only by then should the mass from the north arrive there.

Anyways, the office building would be a bad bet: it's where all the other fellow survivors will first head to; it's nearest to them. And the more people get crammed, the more chaotic it will get, and the more zombies will be attracted. better stay away from the masses.

So I'd either try the fleeing, or I'd go for the apartment complex: it's best defendable and has the best chance for escape (since it's the biggest building, it's the easiest to attract zombies to one side and escape from the other. There's also several floors to defend and fall back to; there should be enough furniture to barricade each floor... (I mean, throw five to ten couches down a stairway, and even a mass of zombies will have a hard time getting through there.. it'll buy a lot of time to build more permanent defenses)

So pretty much, I'm looking for a way to survive the moment, I'm not searching for a place to hole up in for weeks or more.


Oh, also,

Ricky is the only one who doesn't have the "Free Hand" Perk.

Also, I figured, since Judie took so many Aikido classes (none), she's better in unarmed combat than Gabe.

Well I imagined the bridge area to be more crammed with buildings, I'm too used to german architecture; we don't have very much space to waste. But there's like.. only some small houses around. Looks bad.



Edit:

darn you, Diodri! I started writing before you, it was MY point with the other survivors

[Dio the Awesome]

D: I'm sorry. But I actually like your idea about blocking the stairs via furniture.

I wonder how fast the river is moving. My best choice would be to swim across. But I don't want to risk drowning, or meeting a water zombie.

[Kaito]

Crossing the river is a no go, really. It's too dangerous, and even more so since I have Judie with me. What I did think briefly about is jumping into the water and letting yourself get washed away and get out further down the river, again. But you'd get everything wet, and that's going to be very tiresome; to swim, to walk, the water will drag you down a lot. Even more of a problem is being grabbed by some underwater zombie. They dont need to breathe and while they cannot swim, they can still grab you should they get flushed toward you by the river. Also, the river might always be just more aggressive than you might think and you might be in danger of drowning just naturally. Dont underestimate the weight of your clothes and gear under water.

[Gabe]

Also, I figured, since Judie took so many Aikido classes (none), she's better in unarmed combat than Gabe.

Whaaat?
I am NOT about to be beaten in hand-to-hand by a little girl! That would be hilarious, but I like to think I know my way around a fistfight, lol.

Anyway, on to serious business...
If you guys want to flee or go to a different building, that's fine with me. Gabe is a team player who doesn't mind going with the flow when someone else is 'in charge'. Besides that, with enough time to think, he can come up with 'battle plans' for most situations, so any building you guys decide to go into is fine with me. My only apprehension about breaking into apartments would be the people who locked themselves in and are trying to defend their homes against zombies and anyone else that may come through. I fear that a paranoid home owner will attack us if we break into his/her home. Granted, there's always the chance that the occupants will have fled the city, so it's a gamble either way.

About making barricades:
Depending on what the stairs are made of, it would be a good investment of our time to just destroy them altogether. Blocking them off with furniture will work in a pinch, but if we are going to be there for a long time, then we should consider breaking the staircase down completely. Obviously that won't work if the stairs are a cut chunk of concrete, but if they are made of wood, or if the frame is made of metal, the anchors could be broken off and the staircase would collapse, making it literally impossible for zombies to climb them, whereas they could possibly (after a period of time) climb around or over the furniture. We may also want to save the furniture for later. It could be disassembled for uses we may not think of immediately. For example, a leather sofa would be useful if you jammed it into a stairway, but it could also be used for something else. Suppose you strip the leather off of it. The leather itself could be made into makeshift armor, and the frame of the sofa could be used to bar doors, or even work as a bludgeoning weapon (if it were metal). The bedding could be stuffed under the frames of doors to help keep noise from getting out.
Of course, that's just an example. Almost everything can be used for something other than it was meant for, and the components of these things can be useful in just as many ways.

[Kaito]

yes.. yes.. yes..

Only that we a) don't have time to either think a battle plan or make any advanced barricades, and b) don't really want to stay there.

Throwing down some furniture was the first thing my mind screamed when I thought about the situation.

(If you need to stay for any longer, you can still advance to a higher floor and destroy the stairway. Only you can't dream of doing that when there's hundres of them coming for you...)

Anyways, Loki, have fun at your Z-Day resort and hopefully be back with awesome post-i-ness on monday :O

edit: also, don't worry. She's got a perk that gives her a -3 penalty to all combat roles. it makes you superior.

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