Okay, so we were told that the old zombie strains wouldn't be released. We were told this many, many times. Nothing that's told to players is meant to be trusted, though, so I'm not surprised that they're available again. However... dedicated zombies are also shut out of the zombie den during this time? What? The FAQ:

Q: If I become a 2009 zombie, will I receive access to the 2009 Zombie Den items? A: All Zombie Den items will be available to all members of the site later in the event (not just zombies!).

What about the people who aren't becoming these zombies and have been these zombies for 6 years? Shouldn't we at least be thrown the bone of being able to access the den?

I think the Den being closed to everyone is for a reason (plot? coding? we just don't know), not just to arbitrarily keep people out.

Besides, people who've been zombies for 6 years have had access to those same items for all those years. Why would they suddenly need special access right now to items that they've already had ample opportunity to buy?

We were thrown a massive bone, it is infinitely easier for us to get the "biter" achievement.

I got it in 24 hours.

^This. The Achievement even comes with a cool title, I think that's really a nice bone to throw. (:

You'll have all the items available at the end of the event though, so I don't think it changes much not being able to buy them now.

I AM NOT INFECTED YET

...but I chose a 2012 strain, sorry. And was def. too lazy to look for people to infect me.

But you're still useless to me! :C

I regret so bad not getting an old strain to have a better chance. It's like staff doesn't even think if some achievements will work or not lol

I have a hard time imagining these achievements will retire this year so maybe you'll be in a better position next year :)

How about the bone of having a bonus skin? I mean, people who were zombies in 09 will have that skin, but they can turn human and pick up a new infection and STILL have their old skin. I'm thinking it's even likely that we'll be able to cure again and get another skin. I'm kind of in to that.

How the HECK did you get all of your bites so soon? I struggled for a day, got 18 bites, and gave up. What infection were you?

Butterfly Bruise

I bite the same people over and over until we learned that they needed to be DIFFERENT people, so that boosted my numbers a bit, but that's still advice I'm giving. The achievement calculates ALL bites, not bites given to different people.

Ah, yeah I think that was one was more popular that boobitis. I tried biting the same person as much as a could, but they ended up getting infected before I got very far.

Oh well. Maybe someone wants to be a gross fungus .__.

Like I told Raichu, I see zero reasons not to bring this back next year.

The concept is good, the execution is good, it gets people into actually participating instead of refreshing 2 minutes in shadowglen, and it's a money sink. All of these are things Keith likes.

I'm getting the skeleton strain from 2012 because it looks fun to layer with things. :D

EDIT: See, Subeta agrees with me

You got a forum point while making a post! Check out the shop here!

Yeah, now that the strains aren't permanent, they can redo this type of thing without necessarily having to make new strains. I'd like to get the statue one, and I am REALLY curious to see how the angler turns out. Death slug looks like it's going to be pretty cool too.

I was originally a 2012 zombie and I was hesitant at first because I didn't like that newbies could get my strain when they weren't here for that at the time and I was.

But then I got over it. I've already accepted the fact that long ago Keith said that zombies would no longer have special privileges. Now I see it in play and I just don't care anymore. The zombies are now just skins to collect and nothing more. It's a shame, but it is what it is. Can't undo it now.

I really hope, it'd be stupid if it retires this year. But I had bad experiences thinking some achievements would be obtainable for more than a year, so I'm kinda iffy with this one too.

I'm never going to be 100% happy about them bringing back old viruses and opening Zombie Den to everyone, but I get the reasoning behind it.

[S]And yes I know it is completely selfish, but is what it is[/s]

I couldn't even get the long term infection thing cause I stupidly clicked on the get an infection thing before noticing that biting was back ;_;

I'm hella biased, having joined after Survival in 2012, but I'm really glad the skins are back. I understand people who are upset but I do really appreciate the opportunity to get a skin or two that I missed, and that new, permanent zombie skins are a thing again

I liked having a zombie skin that no one else would be able to obtain 'cause it was retired. But that's rather selfish, especially since it's not like it had any "worth" and I do love sP sinks so overall this is good with me.

There have been several recent changes to things that were said would never happen, and yet I don't see any bad from it. Sometimes things surely would not have worked before or in the then foreseeable future and yet, now they do. The game's not broken so it's all good to me :).

I'm actually pleased. I get to have my old skin back. I actually was among the first infected by the random event when this all started. Then it was just my luck that I cured and while waiting to be bit again the whole event was over. That is the main reason why in 2010 I kept my Freckle Fever no matter what. It doesn't bother me one bit that now anyone can get Freckle Fever.

If I had the ability all these past years to give someone my strain I would have gladly.

I got the biter achievement in like 12 hours. I didn't even know that a user had to be bit by more than one user. I kept biting until I got the "they're infected" message. It also helped a bit that there wasn't a time limit at first either. :x I racked up 30 before it was implemented. That's because I also didn't get at first who I was able to bite so I opened every bite link in a new tab to find someone.

I'll agree that I'm iffy on this. I'm a 2010 zombie so it already set things weird when the skin became a.. skin and it wasn't a constant thing you had to have. Cool, but weird; I kind of figured something like this would happen.

It is weird thinking youre not like special anymore because everyone can have it and (will) get the den items (that being said its not like the items were really pulling in much of a profit).

However I do like that I can actually participate in this and get a skin again. But again I wish there was some sort of differentiation between the original zombies and the new ones.