Dead State Design Update
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Honestly speaking - I think the second Brian and I decided where we were going to set the game in the US, we settled on a school as the player's Shelter. It wasn't really something we hemmed and hawed about, because it seemed a natural choice to us: as we mentioned in our grand reveal article in Rock, Paper, Shotgun, modern American schools (such as the ones Brian and I went to in Florida and Arizona, respectively) look a lot more like fortresses or prisons than the traditional concept of a school. The esteemed Vince was even a little curious about our choice, but when we sent him pictures of schools we'd found while researching the area, and detailed the various features of our own alma maters, he was stunned at the high levels of security of modern schools, and agreed that a school did indeed seem like a pretty good choice.
Another consideration we had that made the school a good solution is that in many areas of the United States, they're set as designated gathering areas in case of disasters. Their gyms are an excellent place to hold and house displaced residents, they have cooking facilities and basic medical supplies on hand, and while old schools (no joke) had bomb shelters, many newer ones - such as those in the tornado-struck region of Texas where Dead State is set - have underground severe weather shelters. Even if the area was evacuated, those residents either not willing or able to leave would justifiably gather in such a secure location.
