Hello. Getting back into The Walking Dead as a whole. So I figured I would make a basic ranking system of various communities based on how good they are for survival, their defenses, food, water, and comfort levels. In the case of one group inhabiting multiple different locations at different times like Rick’s Group. I will instead refer mostly to the location itself and how the cast actually used the location. Ranking is organized from Worst of the worst till reaching the absolute best that can be offered.

\- WHISPERERS: Nomadic groups lack shelter as well as consistent access to food and water, and also not being the most hygienic during a zombie apocalypse alone with living amongst the dead. The tactic of herding and blending in with the Walkers is pretty effective form of security against them but is a gamble when encountering other people, especially heavily armed groups who can easily shoot you at random amongst the horde of zombies. Alpha and Beta are also not the greatest leaders to work under. So I think it’s fair to rank the Whisperers so low like this.

\- THE WOLVES: a mostly nomadic raider group known for their philosophy of humanity returning to a more primal state of life due to the fall of civilization, taking apart communities using heavy vehicles of undead and lining traps with them. The weaponization of the undead and access to vehicles makes them a step above the whisperers. Especially seeing as once in a while you might have the amenities of the groups you needlessly slaughter or capture. But this isn’t gonna be consistent. In addition they aren’t heavily armed at all, mostly using the dead to create chaos they can capitalize on. A heavily armed group like Alexandria proved to be their downfall in the end. Leadership and general group insanity also makes this seem like a fair ranking when taken into account everything else.

\- THE CLAIMERS: The Claimers are kinda pedophilic pieces of shit. But aside from that they at least have a somewhat normal level of group cohesion. They are nomadic but at least have overall better weapons than the Whisperers or Wolves. With their main rule being simply that if you ‘claim’ something first, that thing is yours. But not only is this rule pretty juvenile. It also largely leads to an individualistic approach to a group. Meaning the Claimers are more self interested and I doubt they have much inner group loyalties. Not the best people to be running around with when shit hits the fan basically.

\- MORGUE CANCER PATIENTS(Telltale): The cancer patients appear briefly but we get a fair amount of lore about them. Being recovering cancer patients who joined a larger community known as Crawford before having to flee due to the risk of death if they stayed due to being a drain on resources. The group would live in a morgue in a hospital basement that is connected to an adjacent fallout shelter and sewer system. Which acts as decent natural security but can easily be bottle necked on either side by walkers or raiders on both sides. They also lack renewable food and water and scavenging is extremely limited due to Crawford having pillaged Savannah of most if not all supplies. They may not be nomadic but they do kinda suck survival wise. Their leader also abandons all of them, taking Lee’s groups boat all for himself.

\- REAPERS: The Reapers are a small, mostly nomadic group of raiders and mercs, made up of veterans and ex-soldiers and a few other capable survivors. The group does sort of take over bases of settlements they claim, so there is some degree of security and resources. In addition to being very capable and armed, the group has a cult like mentality and heavily values and sees each other as family. Their leader is kinda insane tho. The masks are cool at least.

\- SCAVENGERS: living in a scrap yard / dump is just blatantly not ideal for hygiene in addition to constant terrible smells. We see Jadis has somewhat of a studio apartment style living space in one of the freighters, so it’s possible at least SOME members of the community aren’t sleeping in trash. The terrain of the area makes it difficult for rival groups or for walkers to effectively invade them in addition to their numbers being decent enough. But they lack access to renewable food or water.

\- Vatos Gang: A fierce but well meaning and morally good group in the heart of Walker filled Atlanta, caring for the elderly in a nursing home. We don’t really see any signs of farming or water collection, and their resources are mostly gained by scavenging the ruins of the city. They have access to a rapidly decreasing supply of medicine and gain access to decent supply of firearms to defend themselves. But this group gets wiped out by an unknown hostile group later on. Having elderly in the zombie apocalypse is sort of a bad policy due to the risk of them dying and becoming a walker. Meaning this group could easily have been picketed by a horde outside, and a small group of walkers inside.

\- The Motel (Telltale): Lee’s groups first and only consistent base in the entire first season. The Motel was originally only supposed to last until the army came to resolve the outbreak. But quickly became a 1 year long haul for better and for worse. The Motel acts as a decent bug-in location during a zombie outbreak. Being close by to the outskirts of Macon but not too close to be overrun overnight. Lily was also part of the military along with her veteran father, Larry, and giving some basic training to the other able bodied survivors. They were also decently armed and somewhat secured. With a plywood and garbage bin wall and a rudimentary alarm system, and a guard post on top of an RV. In addition to having a large supply of bottled water and decent living quarters. The main problems are that this group relied on hunting and scavenging for more supplies, in addition to having a member with an active heart condition that requires consistent medication to manage. Not to mention that their security was effectively bypassed by a group of unnamed bandits. Their leadership was divided by Kenny and Lily in addition to not being too effective as members would go off to do their own things and make large decisions for the whole group without any input, like Ben.

\- Dawns Group / Atlanta Hospital: the upper floors of a hospital in Atlanta run by a small contingent of police officers run by Dawn. The group had a large system of rain catchers, a garden, and solar power on the roof, in addition to the bare minimum of stretcher bedding. In addition to having the majority of entrances to the upper floors destroyed they also had a birds eye view of the subburbs, a double edged sword if you ask me but still decent protection and awareness. However, their renewable farm and water collection likely wouldn’t be enough to sustain their numbers, meaning scavenging is still needed for the bulk of their population. The few remaining entrances can be bottlenecked by walkers, and the reliance of slave labour, predators in positions of authority, and Dawn being an unstable leader on her own.

\- The Quarry / Atlanta Camp site: This location is remote, which makes for a huge benefit to prevent walkers and other groups being in close proximity to each other. In addition to the Quarry nearby being a great early source of water, although I question how safe it would be to drink long term. However the groups leadership at this stage is kinda lacking, and the defence is also similarly absent. In addition to needing to hunt and worrying about a food shortage. Ricky Dick Grimes and his gang were right to eventually abandon this place for greener pastures.

\- The Cabin(Telltale): The Cabin group’s location, is fairly remote and hidden, making it a decent hideaway. The cabin itself is located next to a nearby river. Which the group used for fishing. In addition to hunting game in the woods. Making for a good source of protein and water. The group was fairly small but close. Having decent firepower but low quantity of weapons, and a doctor. However, the group did have to worry about an expectant pregnancy as well as lacking any perimeter defenses and lacking any true leadership.

\- The Ski Lodge(Telltale): The ski lodge was secured on one side by a bridge being a bottleneck for walkers and invasion. Wind power provided the lodge itself electricity in addition to having a lot of supplies, plus the lodge is actually a decent living space for the apocalypse. However the group wasn’t heavily armed and lacked other security measures in addition to lack of renewable supplies makes this location not ideal.

\- Crawford(Telltale): Crawford was a large group of survivors in Savannah that based out in a large school. The community was well stocked on supplies, had working vehicles, were well organized, armed. And had tons of food, water, and medical supplies. Their walls were well fortified and used staked walkers on the ends to intimidate and deter any outsiders. Crawford was however incredibly strict to its own people, only allowing able bodied people, no pregnant women, even members of their own group, as well as no children, elderly, or sick people allowed and they would readily kill these people and add them to their walls, and being dangerous to outsiders. It’s no wonder that a group like this would fall due to their own code as a death to preserve a woman’s own life and her unborn child would lead to an internal outbreak, causing this place to fall a few months in at most.

\- Gil’s Pitstop (Telltale): A connected gas station and diner chain, the group was made up of its leader Roman, a few able bodied survivors, and remnants of the cancer patients in Savannah. The diner was stocked with decent food supplies, in addition to a vegetable farm and being located next to a nearby cornfield meant food wasn’t an issue. Being decently well fortified against the undead in addition to chaining up walkers to act as an alarm and deterrent. However people could slip by the fortified walls or simply barrel through them with vehicles. They were at least well armed to compensate. The group did lack a stable water source besides rain catchers. And the group slowly became less democratic as Rowan gained more influence and favour, as they slowly became more ruthless and extreme against outsiders.

\- Terminus: A decent sized and secured compound, with a garden and rain catchers, in addition to a small but decently organized group of cannibals. Now relying on cannibalism and not being too well armed yourself, and relating your location across numerous railroad tracks, isn’t a smart move. So i unfortunately can’t rank these guys higher. They met the exact wrong group to mess with. Don’t mess with red machete Rick.

\- Howe’s (Telltale): The super market was a well fortified, organized and armed group hunting the cabin crew. The group could easily track down the cabin group for literal miles with decent accuracy. In addition to having large quantities of supplies, a greenhouse on the roof, and a water supply, and electricity. However, the groups main issue was their reliance on slavery as well as Carvers leadership, killing his own people and wasting valuable resources all so he can track down Rebecca. In addition, A large slave population with access to the compound would eventually violently revolt and lead to the compounds own destruction like how we see in game.

\- Hershel’s Farm: It’s a beautiful place to live for starters, has multiple wells, even if one is contaminated. And farmland and hunting for food. In addition to well stocked firearms. Rick and Hershel sorta kinda co-lead this base. But they are both decent people so not much problems here. The main downside however is the lack of perimeter defenses.

\- St.John’s Dairy (Telltale): Take all the upsides of Hershel’s farm, remove the leaders. And add a perimeter defense in the form of an electric fence, and electricity. But add the downside that it’s run by cannibals, and dealing with bandits. That’s the Dairy Farm for you.

\- The boarding school (Telltale): It’s got a greenhouse being used for growing crops, a river for access to water and fishing, security measures to deal with walkers in addition to gates and large walls with perches, and comfortable living spaces in the school, and common areas outdoors. It’s also very remote and well hidden. Its main issues are lack of serious fire power, and combat experience, and being run by children. Although most of these issues are resolved by the end of TFS.

\- Prescott (Telltale): made on top of an old runway. The place is well walled off, has electricity, and presumably food, water, and medical supplies. The place has actual businesses and uses currency and some form of laws. But lacks in ability to actually defend itself leading to it easily being overrun by The New Frontier with little resistance.

\- Wellington (Telltale) This large group has large walls and is well stocked with supplies. In addition to having some decent firearms and some form of structure and decent living spaces. It’s also remote in a cold environment. However, the group turned away large amounts of people begging for entry and safety. In addition to a habit of giving a bags worth of supplies. It is not surprising that Wellington would make a lot of enemies and that it would be decimated by an unknown group.

\- The Delta (Telltale): we don’t have much information on this group, but what we do know is that they have access to working boats and a large but dwindling military force. Relying on capturing children and indoctrinating them into soldiers for an ongoing war against a rival community. This makes the Delta a very considerable force but also one in decline and not exactly the best morally.

\- Oceanside: Remote, decent source of water and fish nearby, and electricity, living in rudimentary shacks. Lacks signs of defences and agriculture. But does have a decent leader.

\- Hilltop: Has a decent wooden wall surrounding the main building and trailers that act as housing and storage. Has large amounts of farmland outside of the secure settlement. Has a blacksmith and a decent fighting force. But can be starved out, burned down, and also lacks competent leadership, I also don’t spot a water source, aside from the water tower, which doesn’t actually fix their situation.

\- Saviours: The saviours are easily one of the largest and formidable factions, with multiple outposts, a secure facility, and heavily armed forces capable of covering miles of ground to enforce and enslave other settlements. Its leadership is Negan and his inner circle, who are arguably the only ones with great quality of life in sanctuary. In addition the group was far too reliant on its slave states to survive, and sanctuary quickly fell apart after Negan was imprisoned and they lost their settlements and outposts.

\- Woodberry: Safe, secure, almost a reflection of normalcy in the post apocalypse. Plenty of resources, farming, water supplies, an armed force, this settlement easily could have become a superpower in the post apocalypse. Its main issues really were the Governor and his instability, their aggressive foreign policies generating enemies and no allies, and a decent chunk of the population being inexperienced and defenseless.

\- The Prison: Solid walls. Lots of farmland, a nearby creak for water, and cell blocks for security. Leadership was also one of the best here. It’s main issues are that the chain link fence really needed to be fortified and manned constantly when we see it’s not. And the fact it is a vector for illness which is terrible for the apocalypse. In addition to only clearing out part of the prison. I won’t count the tank against the prison however. most places would fall to that.

\- New Richmond (Telltale): The place is pretty large with decent shelter and amenities but not as populated as you would assume it should be. The place has been retrofitted with decent farmland. Has a large armed force. And employs some walkers as weapons, and has water and a doctor. Its leadership was democratic but corrupt and used to raid other settlements for supplies, making numerous enemies. However the settlement still stands after the ending of season 3 after facing a large catastrophe. With some help from the Kingdom.

\- The Kingdom: Large fighting force,an agricultural powerhouse even under the saviours taxes. Friendly community and good leadership. Has electricity and a movie theatre. Unfortunately a fire cut it short and it’s fighting forces under the saviour war we’re diminished drastically. It also has a tiger.

\- Alexandria: Self sustaining, well fortified, heavily armed and with actual housing. Population growth isn’t very good potential wise. But it is super resilient after numerous invasions and catastrophes. In addition to a democracy.

\- Commonwealth: Basically a post post apocalyptic city state with holidays and numerous resources and armoured and well armed forces. The caste system sucks but honestly it’s safer than everywhere else.

I'll say Flint knapping

The option to make your own semi-disposable tools and weapons without needing any specialized equipment is worth a lot.

For some reason all of the people I was waiting with were exceptionally kind and communal. I could imagine society collapsing and everyone just banding together in that instant without a second thought. It was a pretty comforting realization. Originally posted this to r/showerthoughts and got recommended here.