Now this is just a simple thread for pointing out what you believe to be cliches in our little rotten subsector of the fandom

1. Main protagonist wakes up from coma in zombie world
We can all thank the walking dead for this one and I know I'm guilty of it in the one that I'm currently working on (but not published)

2. Civilians getting ahold of military weapons at the beginning of the outbreak
I've only seen this once and it just bothered me. Unless equestria has pretty fking lax gun laws, civilian survivors would have to use things like melee weapons and semi automatic or bolt action rifles

3994711 Zombies almost always are slow
We need some speed shoes!

3994715

Well, do you expect a corpse to be able to run?

3994717 Yes, Dead Island can, L4D can, hell even Zombies mode in CoD can. So yes, I expect them to run.

3994723

Those are differnt types of undead than your classic ones

3994746 I want running zombies damn it!

3994837

I don't :/

3994839 okay :|

3994859

I like slow ones

3994861 But where's the fun? Knowing you'll die eventually, or knowing that you'll be eating right away

3994873

I'm not a fast guy

So they'd get me quick

1. Main protagonist wakes up from coma in zombie world We can all thank the walking dead for this one and I know I'm guilty of it in the one that I'm currently working on (but not published)

And 28 Days Later, as amazing as that film was, it kinda bugged me there too.

3994717 Some of them can run in my fic, but it makes sence when you consider there creation.

3994837 I have some in my story. Which I really need to post another chapter for soon.

3995039
It's just easier to explain what happeend that way because were learning alongside them I guess

What about Military style stuff? In my story (which I haven't released yet) the military takes action.

3996127

The militaries always get their asses kicked to the moon!

3996361 Mostly because of the "They-didnt-know-about-head shots" cliche (if it's even one)

3996411

Well the army is trained to go for center of mass shots

3996459 I mean It doesn't really take that much time to realize "Hey they won't die, let's use headshot!", but I guess the military could be overrun in some occasions

3996489

Well, think about hitting something the size of a cantaloupe from a 100 yards that is constantly moving and swaying

3996500 Isn't that why the Military have snipers/DMRs (Designated Marksman Rifles)?

3996516

Snipers are train to go for center of mass too

3996540 Neither the less, they'll find out about headshots

3996581
Eventually but the common GI would have a hard time shooting there

3996595 Say is this an undead type zombie thread or infected?

3996605

Undead

3994711 Why stop with these cliches, lets go through them all:
Zombies created by a science experiment gone wrong; bonus points if it original purpose was to cure cancer or AIDs
Characters not knowing what a zombie is
Characters never using the word zombie
Unlikeable protagonists (admittedly not exclusive to zombie fiction, this is a horror cliche in and of itself)
Contrived plot deaths I.E. the constantly groaning zombies are silent just long enough to sneak up on someone
Villainous characters resorting to cannibalism
Evil military with no value on human life taking control
Civilians being able to fire weapons with no training, never missing headshots
Character who thinks being famous before the outbreak means they deserve special treatment
Crazy character who purposefully lets the zombies into protagonists' hideout, getting people killed

As far as I'm concerned I'm keeping these cliches in particular as far away from my story as possible

3994837 Running zombies aren't scary. The whole idea is that the zombies are a looming threat on the horizon. The protagonists know this, and they know the zombies will find them. It's all a matter of finding a way to survive. If they run then there's no tension because the audience is laughing too hard at the sight of decaying bodies sprinting like a pro athlete.

3995039 As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather the story begin when the outbreak starts, not when our protagonist wakes up after civilization is already gone.

3996934

Civilians being able to fire weapons with no training, never missing headshots

Thank you! Someone sees my point!

I'd rather the story begin when the outbreak starts, not when our protagonist wakes up after civilization is already gone

I've had the idea where the protagonist has a broken leg and is in hospital when the infection starts. And ponies panic and run inside commencing a lockdown