Quote:
Originally Posted by Olefin
So again 80-90 percent desertion rates when a) they are growing their own food and able to feed themselves and defend that food when going AWOL means you might starve and
|
How are they growing their own food? Where did they get seed stock? Where did they get fertilizer and top soil? Where did they get tools? Where did they get tractors? Where did they get the discs, harrows, plows, brush cutters, seed drillers and other equipment for the tractors? Where did they come up with the knowledge and experience? Where did they learn to dry, pickle, preserve, an, and bottle it all before it just rots? That is far too muh hand waving of the details. Growing food in a garden is a skill. Growing food for hundreds is a master class in industry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olefin
b) the areas around you are overrun with marauder and bandit and cannibal groups that love to pick off small encampments and family groups - which you would know after seeing that happen ever since 1999 - is definitely not realistic
|
Those groups are not realistically going to last. Defenders with preparation have the advantage, it take three to five attackers for each defender. an they siege you? Yes, probably. If those groups are starving as badly as you say they are; how long an they lay siege?
It takes an overwhelming number of attackers with their own large supply of food and everything else to take any kind of fortification. These marauders aren't going to be harvesting crops, the will want it piked and processed. That again lays the odds into the farmers favor. A simple five sided block house with rock infill, an be built in a few days. Built on opposing corners of homes and barns with food and water they an hold a homestead versus dozens of attackers. Look to frontier forts of the American expansion into the South West.
As for cannibals, simple disease will take are of them. That is one of those PAW memes that are made to mush of. Human flesh would have to be cooked very thoroughly do to infect anyone eating it.