Mutually Assured Destruction

[abenamer]

I owned the biggest continent in a monarch level game that I won by launching the Alpha Centauri ship.

Since I figured I'd basically won, what should I do with my 24 ICBMs?

Launch them of course.

I ended up receiving nearly 30. Lost my 110 shield city.

BTW, you can't nuke their nukes. Important lesson to learn.

 

[The_Clash]

Don't you just hate it when the computer does that!

 

[Anunikoba]

So, the nukes don't get nuked? Nice!

I was thinking this might be the case.

 

[Dearmad]

Such a simple and elegent solution from firaxis after all the convoluted ones we gave them...

 

[papajohns]

what happened to the anti nuke defense? or those doesnt always work...

 

[abenamer]

I didn't bother getting Strategic Defense.

Personally, I'm a little bothered by the lack of space-based combat. I wanna shoot down someone's orbital defense pods.

 

[papajohns]

i wanted spy satellites....or the ion cannon from c&c

 

[costanza]

Next time invest in the strategic defense. 25% will still get through; and MAD is a component of both the game and real life.

Unless of course you advanced fast enough to be the only one with a good number of nukes.

Try out the tactical nukes with some subs too. It's good clean fun.

 

[knowltok]

I haven't gotten there yet, so pardon my ignorance (I also don't have the game here at work) What does a tactical nuke have over an ICBM? I know it costs less, but is that it? Do you get them sooner? Do they have different abilities?

 

[costanza]

A tactical nuke is less expensive and can be transported on a nuclear sub. The range is less (because an ICBM can hit anything on the board, YES ANYTHING).

But the effects are still pretty devestating. I usually hit enemy naval units with the tactical nukes and cities with ICBMs.

It makes sense because the cities will suffer a lot with the big nuke; it takes out half the population and causes polution in every square touching the city.

The range on a baby nuke (props if anyone knows where that reference comes from) is less, so I use it on incoming navy; it also prevents polution because it's on water.

I must caution again, though, something I said in a post on another thread: Don't nuke something close to your own units, they WILL NOT glow in the dark!! they WILL be toasted!! and chances are, you had them in place for defense (on the ocean) or were about to try an invasion on a big city.

Sign on nuclear missle: Handle with care, open away from face.

 

[knowltok]

So other than the cost, what is the difference? If an ICBM can go anywhere, I don't need sub mounted nukes, right? Is there effect on units or cities different? Do they require different techs?

 

[Feh]

Originally posted by costanza

The range on a baby nuke (props if anyone knows where that reference comes from) is less, so I use it on incoming navy; it also prevents polution because it's on water.

Scorched Earth ref, perchance?

 

[costanza]

Feh: You get a gold star for remembering. Now THAT was a war game!! Remember to buy parachutes or you're screwed if the ground below you gets blasted out.

As for the question about the missles: Yeah, you get the tactical nukes earlier than the ICBMs. Meaning it also takes different tech and possibly another resource. The reason you might go with the smaller ones over the larger is for cost: the big ones require a lot more production. A lot.

By the time I start producing ICBMs, I usually decide to just buy some if I'm getting ready for the appropriate occasion.

Also I guess if you were in a pretty serious struggle, the ability to move your nuclear weapons around so they wouldn't get captured if you started losing cities is another reason to consider the small ones.

 

[Giorgicus]

I haven't gotten to nuclear weapons yet. But my question is: does the AI work with MAD assumptions on all levels of play (i.e., chieftain through deity)? Does the nationality of your opponents make any difference?

(Still remembering the Aztecs who used to nuke me just for the fun of it on Civ I).

 

[Giorgicus]

I haven't gotten to nuclear weapons yet. But my question is: does the AI work with MAD assumptions on all levels of play (i.e., chieftain through deity)? Does the nationality of your opponents make any difference?

(Still remembering the Aztecs who used to nuke me just for the fun of it on Civ I).

 

[Anunikoba]

Originally posted by Dearmad
Such a simple and elegent solution from firaxis after all the convoluted ones we gave them...

Yeah! Its like, "Why didn't I think of it?" :smacks forehead:

 

[Larry]

Scorch Earth was the Mother of All Games, after all... =)