The colony

[azazel1024]

New season.

Lots of fun.

That is all.
-Matt

[Severus Snape]

DVR'ed the 1st episode on Tuesday and watched it last night. And I've got some comments about it.

Spoiler:

I realize that the premise is supposed to be post-apocalyptic after a global viral outbreak. And I realize that this is supposed to be an experiment/television show. But taking that into account, I have to say that the show isn't all that realistic. And here's why:

1. When the first group of people came in and they wanted food and water, the colonists immediately just gave stuff up. Um, no. In a real situation, the colonists wouldn't do that. There is no way they'd give up any of their own food and water (or, in this case, some water and whole milk) to another group of strangers that is just passing through. Wouldn't happen. They'd either be required to join up with the colony, or they would have been turned away. Survival situations make people greedy hoarders.

2. When the second group came in for the medical supplies, there is no way that people wouldn't have been seriously injured. When the fight broke out, one of the chicks used pepper spray. That chick would have gotten a beat down, and hard. Tripping people and just throwing them to the ground? No. Anybody that would have been thrown to the ground would have gotten a serious beat-down, to the tune of not being able to get back up for a long time. Death may even occur.

3. Also during the medical supplies raid, the group of 15 would have overpowered the smaller group easily, and they wouldn't have just taken some supplies. They would have taken them all. Everything the colonists had would have been taken in that situation.

There are some things that I saw on the show that I agree with. They are:

1. George and Deville going fishing and trying to use the net. A good idea, and one that they better get used to and hope they can do it right at some point.

2. Jim wanting to take the rotten pigs out of the back of the truck to use as bait or chum. You gotta use what you have, and although I'm sure they could dig up worms for fishing, worms won't attract the alligators.

3. Killing the snake was a good idea. They didn't know it wasn't venomous, so they had to do it. But they should have seen the snake as a food source. Snake meat isn't that bad from what I hear. And to kill the snake and not cook/eat it is just plain stupidity.

All in all, the show is entertaining if not believable. There are some things that will happen that are believable, and then there are some things that will happen that wouldn't happen in a real-life situation. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars just for the entertainment value alone.

[Gamer]

DVR'ed the 1st episode on Tuesday and watched it last night. And I've got some comments about it.

Spoiler:

I realize that the premise is supposed to be post-apocalyptic after a global viral outbreak. And I realize that this is supposed to be an experiment/television show. But taking that into account, I have to say that the show isn't all that realistic. And here's why:

1. When the first group of people came in and they wanted food and water, the colonists immediately just gave stuff up. Um, no. In a real situation, the colonists wouldn't do that. There is no way they'd give up any of their own food and water (or, in this case, some water and whole milk) to another group of strangers that is just passing through. Wouldn't happen. They'd either be required to join up with the colony, or they would have been turned away. Survival situations make people greedy hoarders.

2. When the second group came in for the medical supplies, there is no way that people wouldn't have been seriously injured. When the fight broke out, one of the chicks used pepper spray. That chick would have gotten a beat down, and hard. Tripping people and just throwing them to the ground? No. Anybody that would have been thrown to the ground would have gotten a serious beat-down, to the tune of not being able to get back up for a long time. Death may even occur.

3. Also during the medical supplies raid, the group of 15 would have overpowered the smaller group easily, and they wouldn't have just taken some supplies. They would have taken them all. Everything the colonists had would have been taken in that situation.

There are some things that I saw on the show that I agree with. They are:

1. George and Deville going fishing and trying to use the net. A good idea, and one that they better get used to and hope they can do it right at some point.

2. Jim wanting to take the rotten pigs out of the back of the truck to use as bait or chum. You gotta use what you have, and although I'm sure they could dig up worms for fishing, worms won't attract the alligators.

3. Killing the snake was a good idea. They didn't know it wasn't venomous, so they had to do it. But they should have seen the snake as a food source. Snake meat isn't that bad from what I hear. And to kill the snake and not cook/eat it is just plain stupidity.

All in all, the show is entertaining if not believable. There are some things that will happen that are believable, and then there are some things that will happen that wouldn't happen in a real-life situation. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars just for the entertainment value alone.

Anyone who thinks these "reality" T.V. shows have any semblance to "reality" is living in a fantasy world.
These shows are a joke, a slap in the face to intelligence.

[azazel1024]

I certainly agree.

Spoiler:

I don't really like the conflicts in either the first season or this one. I would consider giving very limited supplies to some people passing through, at least if they were willing to trade for it (information works). The moment they got pushy or upitty about it though and they wouldn't be walking away. Sorry, but end of the world, they are going to be thrown in to a ditch. I don't need them stiring up trouble.

For the large group, it probably would have overpowered the smaller group the way things were stacked, but from the outset I would have been going for broke or backed off as the smaller group. No pushing people around, I'd be swinging to cave skulls and break knees.

Of course for such a show it is a little hard to be that realistic.

For the fishing net, good idea, but I would have made it in to a dregging net to try to scoop up crabs and the like also. Put some weights, bricks or what not, along the bottom and drag it. It would also cover more of the river that way and sink faster increasing the odds of catching fish in it as well.

For the water collection, the roofs of those buildings don't look all that clean. I'd take some of the material from the tent/shelter and used that to make funnels to feed a couple of coolers with water. I'd also use the material to patch the roof of their building to make it more water tight.

At night since there are 8 of them I'd post guards. If someone has a watch have a person rotate every 2hrs. Stay awake in the building and periodically walk around the outside perimeter of it. Get up on the roof is even better if they could. You don't need a bunch of people sneaking up on them in the middle of the night.

I was talking about eating the snake as soon as I saw it.

That and Mr. Pansy I need a Nap artist/inventor guy I would have at least given a chance to get some of the tuna cakes. I wouldn't go out of my way much, but I would have at least yelled his name a couple of times and if he didn't bother waking up or couldn't here, that is his fault after he had been told dinner was going to be in an hour

-Matt

[Smlawrence8]

Ok as I posted in the just for fun section. It may be a bit more real than you would think. In addition the longer the "colonists" are in the situation the more real it becomes to their mind. Check out the links I post on the Sanford Prison Experiment and in that article there are links to others. Granted it is not true life. But there are many aspects of reality that exist and in addition it becomes more and more real the longer it goes on.

[Thinyser]

If it were real those encounters would have ended in death for at least a few of the attackers and/or defenders... i know i would defend my food and meds with deadly force since they could mean the difference between my life and death. If i were deep enough into the experiment i might have a hard time keeping my survival instincts in check.

i wonder what kind of waivers all those participants have to sign?

[Smlawrence8]

Well to be honest I have never heard it said that they colonists cannot use force. I know the actors that are set to be raiders are told not to physically hurt the colonists.. but the colonists are not supposed to know that. In addition I bet there was a bit of talking about not causing serious physical harm. They probably drilled this into them before the experiment started that way it would be stuck subconsciously in their mind the whole time.


Bottom line: it is totally real? NO
Does it have aspects that are realistic? Yes
Does it give good information about survival? Yes
Can it give certain ideas to people who have never had to think about them? YES

Overall it is entertaining and it gives some in-site and helps you think about things in a differing light.

Plus I just like it.. Kinda thought about seeing what the process of applying for this show would be like.

[Pepsi Jedi]

The show is manufactured for entertainment purposes. After the first season it came out that they were living on set, but were basicly actors adlibing in situations they were given. Each little 'Invention' or "idea" they came up with (( Past the common sense things)) were handed to them by the producers and told to try out.

"Ok today we want you to go scout for medical supplies. There's a hospital a few blocks over"

"Today we want you to daisy chain the batteries to make a power source"

"Today we want you to try and fortify your base"

They also stacked the deck first season huuuuuugely in the technical and science fields. Nurse. two or three engineers, construction workers, metal fabricators, electricians, self defense teachers. ect.

so basicly if you handed two or three engineers and construction workers, metal fabricators a plan, told them to make it and put them in a fabrication werehouse with tools and equipment.. you'll get more or less what you ask for.

I haven't caught the new season but yeah, I liked the first season a little (( it was funny if nothing else)) Till I found out each little 'invention' or 'Idea' was spoon fed to them.


As for the 'attacks" and violence" of course they're told they can't kill or seriously hurt anyone. There's people walking around with camera's the entire time. Producers there. Medics at every stage of it. The suspension of disbeleif can't really be acheived.

At most it's 'survivor urban'. They all know as soon as they want and at any time they can look to the nearest camera man and go "Get on your walkie talkie to the producers. I quit" and go home.

Can the "get into the scenes' sure.

at the end of the day, do they know in one month they go home with a fat paycheck? Yes. Do they know nothing's REALLY going to hurt them? yes. Do they think they're really going to die? No. It's an entertainment show.

Kinda like Bear Grylls got a bit of flack because his crew would set up situations. It's the same thing. It's survival-esk. But manufactured by the producers for entertainment value. It can still be fun to watch.

But in real situations like that. You MIGHT get one guy good with his hands. MIGHT get one nurse. but 8 out of 10 people are going to be service industry or office drones. Not engineers, marine biologists, inventors, carpenters, metal workers, ect. You're going to get someone that punches in records at an office. A guy that worked at walmart, his fat ass wite and 3 kids that couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map. A drunk, a druggie, and a few 20 something's who's greatist skill is waiting tables. Lol

[azazel1024]

Other than the survioresque nature of it, one of my biggest beefs is the mix of people they choose. This season it is a bit better mixed, but it still isn't "Taco bell cashier" along with a teacher, a walmart stock clerk, a good 'ole boy, a mid level manager, an EMT, a police officer, and an IT office worker.

Frankly, to toot my own horn, most of what I have seen them do on the show I could certainly manage with my jack-of-all-trade skills, inventiveness, engineering skills and general love for the outdoors. From my life experiences I've met in person maybe 1 or 2 people who I think could manage as well. I'd guess in a survival situation if I was in a group of 20 I might meet 1 other person who'd be as universally resourceful. Not 8 out of 10.
-Matt

[Thinyser]

Other than the survioresque nature of it, one of my biggest beefs is the mix of people they choose. This season it is a bit better mixed, but it still isn't "Taco bell cashier" along with a teacher, a walmart stock clerk, a good 'ole boy, a mid level manager, an EMT, a police officer, and an IT office worker.

Frankly, to toot my own horn, most of what I have seen them do on the show I could certainly manage with my jack-of-all-trade skills, inventiveness, engineering skills and general love for the outdoors. From my life experiences I've met in person maybe 1 or 2 people who I think could manage as well. I'd guess in a survival situation if I was in a group of 20 I might meet 1 other person who'd be as universally resourceful. Not 8 out of 10.
-Matt

Not too toot that same horn but I'd be the other 1 of 20 that knows how to survive and has the skills to do it. Especially in an urban gone to wild after the apocalypse setting that the show takes place in.

I AM an office worker but also have a jack-of-all-trades skill-set that ranges well beyond the norm when it comes to working with my hands and using my brain to think through a situation. About the only thing I would want to study before going into a situation like this would be some basic electronics so that I wouldn't fry whatever I was trying to rig up.

Other than that I can more than hold my own when it comes to carpentry, metal work, water and food procurement (including trapping, fishing, and hunting) and food preservation/storage, shelter (both situational and improvised), first aid, self defense (including man trapping), and have a good understanding of physics and chemistry. Also I have a degree in Psychology so would likely be able to use that to defuse hostility and boost moral amongst my group.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oh and for those watching this new season can anybody tell me why the hell haven't they set any small game traps in the bayou???

Its such a huge waste of energy and time to have 2-3 people walk 5 miles there and back, twice, spend several hours there each time, all for a couple of medium sized snakes and a smallish turtle!...

C'mon people!

After I have water, shelter (and it would be a hell of a lot better waterproofed and defensible than the one they have) and fire, the first thing I'm gonna do is set some snares, rig a few figure 4 dead falls, dig some bottle neck traps, weave some fish or crawdad traps, put up some bird and squirrel poles.

Then you can have one person go there each day to collect the bounty and reset/re-bait the traps. That way it takes 1 person 2-3 hours a day to go there get the food, reset the traps and come back.

[azazel1024]

I am exactly in the same boat...except I have an ongoing electronics/computer hobby

As for no traps, I suspect it is because no one in the group seems to have a hunting/survival background. They have got a fair amount of applicable knowledge, but I don't think any of them have outdoors skills really (even the lumberjack...after all that doesn't mean outdoor survival/hunting skills). Frankly that is one thing I'd fall down with also.

I've done a little hunting and tons of fishing, but I have never tried crafting any small game traps. I know the principal behind them and how some basic ones are done...but I suspect I'd probably be lucky to figure out how to make a decent one without spending a couple of days to practice at it.
-Matt

[Severus Snape]

I wonder something on this topic. We're talking about having like 8 out of 10 people in the colony have some type of construction or engineering background, and the fact that they all have these skills but aren't able to generate the ideas on their own.

What do you think would happen if you put a bunch of gamers in this situation? Do you think that you'd have a bunch of ideas and no skills to put them into action? I know that there are a few things I'd be able to do (the windmill and the forge/bellows, for example), but some of the other stuff is beyond me.

What do you all think?

[Pepsi Jedi]

I wonder something on this topic. We're talking about having like 8 out of 10 people in the colony have some type of construction or engineering background, and the fact that they all have these skills but aren't able to generate the ideas on their own.

What do you think would happen if you put a bunch of gamers in this situation? Do you think that you'd have a bunch of ideas and no skills to put them into action? I know that there are a few things I'd be able to do (the windmill and the forge/bellows, for example), but some of the other stuff is beyond me.

What do you all think?

I think most of them would die. By and large the people that love to play RPG's are the ones that don't go out and hunt and camp and do all the stuff we do sitting around a table, IRL. It's all well and good to talk a good game on the internet, but most of you have been to conventions. You've seen the RP'rs out there.

It's not a massive group of well built triathlon runners that can also shoot, and work with their hands and keep cool heads in battle or stressful situations.

There's a shape to most RPers... Pareshaped.. or round shaped. lol Not ALL are, but you don't see too many skinny athletic types.

And sure many of them. Mostly the males will tell you just how awesome they are with guns.. but 90% of them likely haven't shot one, or own one. Much less have better than average proficency with them.

We do this stuff with our heads. In our imaginations because we don't go out and do it IRL.

I've been to conventions. I've run security for RPG conventions. You wouldn't believe the level of whining and stuff that goes on. " What do you mean I have to go next door if I want hot food? It's like 100 yards!! It's SUMMER.. I want it HERE.. NOW" or "That guy tripped over my foot and hurt my toe. What sort of first aid workers do you have here?" "For a stubbed toe?" "yeah" ".... not much dude. Suck it up."

Just being honest... I think that if you took 20 random gamers that ___THINK___ They'd do well in these situations.. and PUT them in these situations.... You'd get about exactly the same ratio of those that thrive as any cross section of humanity. Sure we might have thought about this stuff more than your average guy on the street, but that's offset by the fact that as a demographic we're less in shape and much much more prone to thinking our way out of things vs DOING. I can think up alllllllll sorts of stuff I can't actually DO. And I think THAT percentage of our numbers would knock off any edge we might have over the 'common man' till we equaled out with them.

[azazel1024]

If you are talking general RPGers you might well be right.

At least for me though I do do all that stuff all the time (well most of it). I do survival training. I spend about 3 weeks a year backpacking pretty far out in the wilderness (sometime pretty primitive camping/backpacking).

Oh, and triathelete I am not, but I was/am a cross country runner, biker and mountain climber (okay, rock wall climber).

I build electronics from scratch, radios, basic circuits, that sort of thing (and tons of computer repair/modification). Batteries from scratch (and not just a potato, but lead acid batteries, the typical lemon juice ones, etc, etc). I've made carbon arc lights (okay, it didn't work out well, but it did work for a bit). Rendered tallow for candles and beeswax candles. Made water filters and water purification systems.

So on and so forth. For me it isn't all an academic exercise. My hobby is this kind of stuff. Just ask my wife, she'd be more than happy to tell you the kind of ess ayych eye tee that I waste my time with .
-Matt

[MaxxSterling]

Those people on that show blow goats. And as for the longer they are there, it becomes real in their minds... <-- let me comment on that by saying, "Never go full retard." I also noticed all the "colonists" are scrawny little wimps. Why didn't they let some bigger dudes on there? I'd love to see the producers try to have some clowns take down a 300lb. 6'7" dude. Ha. Aside from all that, yes I do watch it. I think it's a cool concept, but it's all stupid because in reality, people would make mad deadly weapons and murder. I'd eat the model first and then that metrosexual dude. No use for them other than food.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Well there's other uses for Models... and metrosexual dudes than food. "Moral"

[LJ]

There's a metrosexual dude?

[Smlawrence8]

There's a metrosexual dude?

Nope he is pretty much full on gay... but he made a bellows.... so ....

[MaxxSterling]

I didn't want to say he was gay, thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just a feminine man...

[sHaka]

I didn't want to say he was gay, thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just a feminine man...

I'm guessing you prefer your men more masculine?

[Lord_Dalgard]

~snrk~

[MaxxSterling]

Well, if you're going to do the bone dance with a man, why would you want a man that looks and acts like a woman. If I was going to take it, I'd want the real deal Lumberjack style. This is also why I never understood butch girls either...

[Thinyser]

Well, if you're going to do the bone dance with a man, why would you want a man that looks and acts like a woman. If I was going to take it, I'd want the real deal Lumberjack style. This is also why I never understood butch girls either...

...

[NMI]

Locked for obvious reasons.