Zombies! What are you going to do when...

[razark]

As much as I like the idea of taking and holding a castle against the rampaging hordes of zombies, I do see a problem with the idea. Castles were built as fortresses. They really weren't meant to be major population centers by themselves. Any castle would require a town to support and maintain the needs of the castle, as well as farmlands to supply food for the town and castle. During times of trouble, the people of the town and surrounding area could withdraw to the castle, but to keep it operational on a day to day basis, it needs more land.

For an initial, widespread outbreak of zombies, a castle would serve as an ideal base. However, food supplies are going to run low after some time. In the case of an ongoing zombie situation, you would need to start holding and protecting enough land around the castle to provide food for the population. The agricultural conditions will not be the modern tractor and fertilizer methods we are now using. We will need to revert to horse pulled ploughs, and massive amounts of labor to provide for the population. We would need a decent sized base of skilled labor to support the military and agricultural needs as well. Blacksmiths, potters, wheelwrights, coopers, carpenters, glassmakers, bakers, masons, weavers, etc. Basically going from a modern lifestyle straight back to at least semi-medieval living. And how many people do you know who have those kind of skills these days?

In the case of a quick zombie situation, with a massive die-off of the zombies not long after it begins, you are faced with many of the same problems. Civilization will be in chaos. Normal networks for food distribution will be gone. If you can't grow it, you won't be eating it. You will need to hold enough land to provide food for whatever size group you have, as well as the skilled labor to support them. Once again, you're back to a semi-medieval lifestyle.

In either case, as well as fending off zombies, you will need to deal with the marauding bands of humans, with their swords and shotguns, riding their horses or SUVs or whatever, looking only to steal whatever food supplies you've managed to provide for yourselves. If you're in a coastal area, you'll also need to worry about those folks landing their boats or sailing over from their oil rigs to pillage your holdings.


Either way, I predict a return to a feudal system, with roving bands of pillagers.