Other Humans

Other Humans

Friend or Foe?

Other humans can be just as much of a threat as Silvers. Unfortunately, com–petition for resources brings out the worst in people. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to distinguish between friendly and dangerous behavior.

Friends Pre-Pandemic

Any close friends you had before the pandemic are likely to remain that way, especially in these tough times. However, be–ware of people who you would have called friends, but did not consider yourself close with them. They may attempt to manipulate or use you for their gain. It is up to you whether you keep them around, but keep your guard up and remain cautious.

New Faces

If someone new approaches you, assume the worst. Keep your guard up and remain suspicious as they may have ulterior motives for approaching you. In any case, use your best judgement.If you approach someone new first, assume they have read this booklet. Therefore, they may be thinking the same things I’m teaching you right now.In either case, refer to the following two sections, How to Make Friends and How to Spot an Enemy, for advice on how to handle these situations.

How to Make Friends

Often, simply being yourself is a good way to make friends. However, considering the tense moment we find ourselves in, simply being yourself may not be the best strategy. Follow these tips to make new friends:

  • Be friendly. This may seem obvious, but having a positive, amicable attitude is one of the best ways to make a good impression on a potential ally.
  • Show strength. While maintaining your friendly attitude, don’t be afraid to show decisiveness and disagree with your potential ally. This will show them that they cannot take advantage of you and earn their respect.
  • Make sacrifices. To be clear: I don’t mean leave your friends behind for the sake of making a new ally. Instead, be prepared to yield to your potential ally to show them that you value their life.

How to Spot an Enemy

If you meet someone new, they may not be as friendly as they seem. Look for these signs of a potential enemy:

  • Constantly watching you and your friends. This could simply be out of caution, but if someone is constantly sizing you up, they may be looking for weaknesses to exploit.
  • Hesitation to follow your decisions. This is a sign of distrust. That said, don’t assume someone is an enemy based on this behavior alone.
  • Snooping around. Without a good reason, this behavior is highly suspicious. The potential enemy may be gathering information on you an your allies to relay to their allies.
  • Telling constant lies. This may be hard to pick up on without high emotion–al intelligence, but if you suspect that someone consistently lies to you, they may be a potential enemy.

Alliances and Working with Others

Making alliances in this new world can be paramount to survival. At this point, you already know how dangerous Silvers and unfriendly humans can be; there–fore, organizing strong alliances with your friends, old and new, will give you an edge in outlasting your enemies.

Forming an Alliance

Once you identify your friends using the tips you learned in the previous section, you can begin to form an alliance. This may simply be a group of people who survive together, or it could be a network of two or more groups who agree to help each other for mutual benefit. In either case, follow these tips to ensure a strong alliance:

  • Agree on goals. If your allies do not share the same vision as you, it may cause a rift in the future. Your goals could be simple or complex.
  • Share resources fairly. If one group hoards resources, it will create anger among other groups and may divide the alliance.
  • Communicate effectively. A breakdown in communication can lead to many other problems within the alliance.

Communication

Communication is key to survival. To maintain a strong alliance, it is important to be open with your friends about resources you know about and any intelligence you learn about your enemies. This section details long-range communication methods to share information with your friends and allies.

Radio

Radio is the obvious long-range communication device. Radio towers are likely to remain operational throughout the pandemic, so this is also a reliable way to communicate. To obtain radio sets, follow the instructions in the Looting Stores section, replacing food with radios.

Morse Code

This method of communication is significantly more advanced than radio use and requires a line of sight between the sender and recipient. However, it can be more covert than a radio since enemies are unlikely to understand the code. Use the code with flashlights or smoke signals, but beware that enemies may see the sender. See the following image for a Morse Code chart.