How often does nuclear plant melt down in Civ4?

[Veteranewbie]

I remembered that in Civ3, Nuclear Plant rarely, if ever, melt down. For all the years I 've been playing Civ3, I don't think I have seen 1 case of melt down
However, it seems that melt down in Civ4 is quite common. I once played a game when I started to build Nuclear Plants in all my cities, the first city that has completed the plant, after 2 or 3 turns, had a melt down which destroyed a whole lots of buildings and pop (and it is peace time so nothing much happens) I just refused to build another Nuclear Plant again after that
Is it just my luck that melt down happen so fast?

 

[salty mud]

Hmmm, I never knew meltdowns happened anyway! Thanks for the warning, I'll be careful!

 

[Veteranewbie]

Hmmm, I never knew meltdowns happened anyway! Thanks for the warning, I'll be careful!

...... *cough* ......

 

[balthamael]

It says that meltdowns happen when you roll ove the nuclear symbol.....never had it happen though

 

[Dark Helmet]

Since I began playing Civ4 in December, I have had 3 Nuclear Meltdowns. The chances of a meltdown are extremely low, and depending on what kind of game you play - you might not ever see one.

Large maps that allow civs to build more cities will raise that chance, as will playing longer games like marathon. A 20 city empire on marathon has a 15% chance or so of witnessing a meltdown before the game is done.

Sorry to hear about your meltdown...why I always play with "New Random Seed on Reload".

 

[Meffy]

I don't build nuclear reactors because I've seen how often they seem to melt down when neighboring civs build them. :-( Far more often than in real life, it's true, but they're that way for gameplay purposes -- a con to counterbalance the pro, so you have to make a decision.

In a game at Warlord level I sent a spy around England (eight or nine cities) every couple of turns. One city melted down two reactors and was starting another when I got bored of the game. One or two other English cities also went molten during that time.

 

[Glinka]

I've had two meltdowns, in separate games; I've played about a dozen. There doesn't seem to be any particular reason those particular cities were targeted, as there were others with fewer forests; but I've been told, without any corroborating proof, that this was a factor.

The problems in both cases were easily dealt with. By the time the meltdowns occurred, I was in the last quarter of each game, so I had plenty of free workers to repair the fallout. I also easily rebuilt the contaminated buildings. Overall, the value of nuclear power (in Civ4!) is easily worth the potential perils, as long as you don't over-industrialize everything.

 

[Bushface]

I thought that a reactor could melt down only once. It's a somewhat final event.
But the original question should have been "How often do meltdowns occur in Civ4 ?" to which the answer is "Too often". So, knowing my luck, I never build them.

 

[Glinka]

Yes, a meltdown can only occur once to a reactor. After that, you need to rebuild the reactor. What I meant, above, was that in 2 games, I've had one instance each of a nuclear meltdown.

 

[microbe]

I had the impression that it might melt down if the city is beyond health limit?

 

[Glinka]

Health has nothing to do with it. At least, none I've seen. My meltdowns occurred in two of my healthiest cities. Others with far worse health went untouched to the end of the game.

 

[SPQR300]

Why build nuclearn plants in healthy cities? ^^

 

[akots]

... why I always play with "New Random Seed on Reload".

You don't need nuclear plants with this setting. A single warrior or axemen would be enough to kill everyone on the map.

It seems that nuclear plants are somewhat broken. The relatively high chance of meltdown means that this improvement is pretty much useless. It also comes to mind another annoying feature is that buildings cannot be abandoned. Which means if you capture an AI city with nuclear plant in it, there is no way to prevent meltdown.

Have not built any and not planning to unless it is fixed.

 

[Thalassicus]

The chance for a nuclear plant to melt down in any turn is 1 in 2000. So with 20 plants you'll have a meltdown about once in 100 turns. Comparatively, there has been one reactor-breaching meltdown in real life in the past 50 years, so the timeframe is decently accurate.

IMO meltdowns should disappear after Fusion, though...

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I have had 3 melt downs in 5 reactors in about 80 turns. considering that there are hundreds of reactors in the world and only 1 has had a melt down I find it happens to often

 

[BadHorsie]

I've never built a nuclear plant ever. I'm not quite sure what the point is, because I have coal plants already or 3 Gorges Dam... I don't see what the benefit of a nuclear plant is over coal, when coal doesn't have meltdowns.

 

[IrishDragon]

Iv had 3 meltdowns in 1 game. It happens way too much. where do tou change how often it melts down

 

[Tony Montana]

I hate nuclear meltdowns.

HOW DO YOU DISABLE THEM?

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I've never built a nuclear plant ever. I'm not quite sure what the point is, because I have coal plants already or 3 Gorges Dam... I don't see what the benefit of a nuclear plant is over coal, when coal doesn't have meltdowns.

It's been a long time since I played Civ, but I think the advantage is a larger increase in production than a coal plant gives. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I had a meltdown once, surprised me as I've never had a meltdown in any other Civ.

 

[Stylesjl]

I hate meltdowns myself

But i find it easy to recover anyway