The need for continued conflict shows up in other choices the writers make. The various groups are, frankly, generally remarkably stupid and ineffective in their defenses. While it's granted that the extreme opposite (intelligence and competence) would result in a sort of Swiss-Family-Robinson-with-zombies, (or even worse, McGuyver-with-zombies) the failure of the groups to take fairly simple actions to protect themselves gets pretty wearing. No noise-makers as decoys, for instance. No masonry protection (the zombies can't use tools to break down a simple cinder-block wall, for instance, and it was demonstrated early in the first season that they can't climb). And ironically, considering the fact that a lot of the filming takes place at Ft. Benning, no raids on military bases for ammunition or heavy weapons. All of these things would contribute to the security of the survivors, and that, frankly, would be boring.