Nuclear Plants?

[Jebus_H_Cripes]

I'm a little confused about Nuclear plants now in Civ4.

First, all the description says is that it supplies power to the city. What the hell does that mean? Is it adding some kind of production increase? Or is it just supplying that electricity icon thing which I still haven't figured out what it actually means as well?

Second, the description (and interestingly enough identically in the civlopedia) indicates there's a 'small chance' of a meltdown. How small is 'small'? And what affects/triggers this? Unhappiness? I say unhappiness because there doesn't appear to be open rioting anymore where the entire city shuts down (ala Civ3), but rather progressive degredation in productivity, which makes me wonder if there's an increasing chance as productivity/unhappiness drops/rises.

So my questions are basically, what the hell does the nuclear plant do, is it worth it, and when/why does it go boom?

Jebus

 

[GoldenAge]

Bump - I was wondering the EXACT same thing. What's the point of providing power? Best I could guess is that it increased the effectiveness of your factory... but I might be making that up

 

[LordRahl]

I think you need power in order to get some other improvement to work?

 

[kromm20]

Bump - I was wondering the EXACT same thing. What's the point of providing power? Best I could guess is that it increased the effectiveness of your factory... but I might be making that up

Nope, you're not making it up. It further increases the factories base production increase. How much I'm not sure. 25% to 50% maybe?

 

[kucing]

If you have a nuclear power plant, you will receive power (just like what you said). The power will increase your factory building output by an extra 50% (so it becomes 75%, up from 25%).

 

[fastspawn]

is it cumulative with the coal and hydro?

It wasn't in the previous one's, but now it seems as though you can build all 3 without problems.

 

[holodmer]

is it cumulative with the coal and hydro?

It wasn't in the previous one's, but now it seems as though you can build all 3 without problems.

no, once you have power in a city you dont need another power source, every building that requires power receives it

 

[cocco78]

so, why i must construct a nuclear plant in place of solar plat, when the energy is the same and the nuclar plat is dangerous? a nuclar plat must have bonus!!! or not?

 

[azurefx]

Would love you to tell me where the solar plant is in the game

There're four types of power plant in the game; the coal plant, which requires coal and generates +2 sickness; the nuclear plant, which requires Uranium and has a small chance of melting down; and the hydroelectric plant, which needs a river. The fourth is the Three Gorges wonder, which produces hydroelectric power for all cities on the continent.

EDIT: The nuclear plant *always* has a chance of melting down.

Power is used to boost a factory's output. A factory on its own increases the production of its city by 25%. With power, the % increase is 50% instead of 25%.

 

[CitizenCain]

is it cumulative with the coal and hydro?

It wasn't in the previous one's, but now it seems as though you can build all 3 without problems.

Only the negative effects are cumulaitve. :/ So if you build all three types, what you really have is a +50% production city that's sick and may or may not explode, but has two backup power plants if there's a meltdown and the city becomes radioactive.

And contrary to what one of the other poster said, the power increases the factory bonus TO +50%, *not* BY +50%.

 

[ritterpa]

Anyone ever had a nuke plant meltdown?

 

[cocco78]

oh pardon not solar plat, but idro plant, so if i construct all power plant can i destroy nuclear and coal and why the game permit to contruct all plant, if need only one?

 

[Mewtarthio]

oh pardon not solar plat, but idro plant, so if i construct all power plant can i destroy nuclear and coal and why the game permit to contruct all plant, if need only one?

You need a river for a hydro plant. If you have no river, you must choose between disease or the risk of a meltdown. Of course, if you don't have one of the two resources (coal or uranium), your choice becomes much easier.

 

[azurefx]

Anyone ever had a nuke plant meltdown?

Yep. That's how I know they can happen at any time.

 

[GoldenAge]

Anyone ever had a nuke plant meltdown?

Yes. In my last game I built one nuclear power plant, trying to figure out what it does. It melted down about 10-20 turns later. Thankfully I had an army of idle workers at the ready. I wasn't paying close enough attention to tell you how much population I lost, if any, but I think I lost a couple of people. I was down to a size 8 and I could have sworn I was at least a size 10 prior. But maybe i was mixing up my cities...

 

[cocco78]

but is possible to destroy buildings?

 

[Jperkinson]

Anyone ever had a nuke plant meltdown?

May capital city no less! I think the population got cut in half. Prior had been around 16, and after down to 8. Couldn't tell if anything else happened (regarding buildings)