[quote=@Kuro]
Personally, I'd prefer if we could avoid certain "tropes", if you would call them that. Decked out military dudes, katana-wielding swordsmen, edgelord who talks in detail about how he'll kill or beat the shit out of someone, etc. Characters like these make me groan when it comes to survival horror stuff (unless I want to be Doom Guy and blast the shit out of some zombs, but even then sometimes they're just as bad). I'd also prefer if we stuck to traditional zombies--slow and rotting over mutated variations.
[/quote]

I think the best way to prevent this is to set the starting point where it's very unlikely for players to be gun-toting, katana-swinging badasses. Like say, a school or an office.

Then, if you don't want the players developing into AR-toting, katana-swinging badasses, the GM will need to restrict the loot they find in the zombie apocalypse so they can't train with them. Like, even if they enter a gun store or a weapon antique shop, they'll find that the place was already ransacked and maybe only has a pistol or an old ceremonial knife or something.