Lord Emsworth
Emperor
Has anybody had one of these actually melt down? 
Nuclear Plants ...
- Thread starter Lord Emsworth
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Fiddlin Nero
Prince
Yep, I've had it happen several times, you have one turn to fix anarchy, the chances of meltdown are pretty significant after that.
scratchthepitch
King
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Anyone ever see the AI have a meltdown in one of their cities? They go into anarchy a lot. Gifting them nuke plants might not be such a bad strategy...
Verarde
Pondering Wearing A Hat
Never had it happened, but I try to avoid building them because of that.
On the topic of building them, why would you build one anyway? By the time they are available they seem like a luxury - you either have hoovers or a powerplant if you want/need it. Why spend the shields making the switch? I'm trying ot think of a situation where this would come into use. I suppose a nuke plant and a manufacturing plant would be a real powerhouse. Just seems that the combination is too late to matter.
Elephantium
Trampling the AI
You sound like vmxa, Raliuven! 
Lord Emsworth
Emperor
On the topic of building them, why would you build one anyway? By the time they are available they seem like a luxury - you either have hoovers or a powerplant if you want/need it. Why spend the shields making the switch? I'm trying ot think of a situation where this would come into use. I suppose a nuke plant and a manufacturing plant would be a real powerhouse. Just seems that the combination is too late to matter.
In a 20k game nuclear plant, offshore platform, and maybe even manufacturing plants can shave a few turns off the remaining wonders once and if you get to that stage of the game.
A meltdown would give a whole new meaning to the term "culture bomb" though.
In a 20k game nuclear plant, offshore platform, and maybe even manufacturing plants can shave a few turns off the remaining wonders once and if you get to that stage of the game.
A meltdown would give a whole new meaning to the term "culture bomb" though.
Ah, that makes sense. I suppose you could rush it with a MGL on top of that.
Elephantium: The builder at heart that I am, I've always wanted a reason to build one. I've built a few just to see, of course.
Same with Manufacturing Plants.On the topic of building them, why would you build one anyway? By the time they are available they seem like a luxury - you either have hoovers or a powerplant if you want/need it. Why spend the shields making the switch? I'm trying ot think of a situation where this would come into use. I suppose a nuke plant and a manufacturing plant would be a real powerhouse. Just seems that the combination is too late to matter.
In some space games they might make sense also. Same with manufacturing plants.
Fiddlin Nero
Prince
Agreed it's too late in the game to make much of a difference, but it's still cool, my favorite production town is the Iron Works with Manufacturing and Nuclear Plant.
scratchthepitch
King
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This article describes meltdowns in the game: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/power_plants.php
I had not realized that meltdowns had different effects from nuclear (ICBM) blasts and were not quite as destructive. It looks like there is around a 10-15% chance of a meltdown for a city in unrest. Easy odds for the AI beat, but still too large to chance it as a player.
I had not realized that meltdowns had different effects from nuclear (ICBM) blasts and were not quite as destructive. It looks like there is around a 10-15% chance of a meltdown for a city in unrest. Easy odds for the AI beat, but still too large to chance it as a player.
Usually I'm researching at 4t for all MA techs by this point. Do you really have time to throw up a nuke plant to build SS parts? Why not just prebuild them? The only one that is remotely a problem at this point is the casing at 640 shields and that is what I use the palace prebuild on.
I'm not trying to be obtuse; I just have a hard time thinking of why I would waste time on building the nuke plant rather than planning the prebuild, MGL aside.
With that said, I usually have to 4t my way through every tech in the IA so I have the time to build factories and power plants wherever I want them. I have yet to figure out how to get a single meaningful IA tech from the AI and only the rare few in the Middle Ages (aside from scientific AIs that can be fleeced of their free techs).
Iron Works + Nuke + MF is something I'd like to see!
I totally agree with Raliuven, but even more so.
When I experimented with his technique of fast-teching (see my Greek thread) the techs were going past so fast that it seemed pretty meaningless building anything.
I am even shyer of production enhancements because I hate civ3's relentless pollution system and I didn't even build any Factories nor take my cities past size 12, let alone Iron Works, Off-Shore Platforms, Power Stations etc etc etc.
And I still pre-built all the Space Race components and had the Spaceship launched on the turn after discovering the last vital tech.
And this was 1500ADish on Regent with techs still at 5/6 turns per tech, which is still vastly slower than Raliuven could achieve.
So, no, I've never experienced a Meltdown, nor am I ever likely to, lol.
When I experimented with his technique of fast-teching (see my Greek thread) the techs were going past so fast that it seemed pretty meaningless building anything.
I am even shyer of production enhancements because I hate civ3's relentless pollution system and I didn't even build any Factories nor take my cities past size 12, let alone Iron Works, Off-Shore Platforms, Power Stations etc etc etc.
And I still pre-built all the Space Race components and had the Spaceship launched on the turn after discovering the last vital tech.
And this was 1500ADish on Regent with techs still at 5/6 turns per tech, which is still vastly slower than Raliuven could achieve.
So, no, I've never experienced a Meltdown, nor am I ever likely to, lol.
The AIs can get you Replaceable Parts and Flight in the industrial ages with (as well as possibly without) gifting on higher levels (as well as Sanitation... which can give you more scientists everywhere). If you have say 6 turn research due to higher tech costs, and don't want to risk a war for some reason, you might have time for nuke plants, since the AIs come more likely to research things like Space Flight and Synthetic Fibers for you. Also, in an OCC space game a nuke plant can make sense, such as the one I played a while back.
Lord Emsworth
Emperor
The thing about the rioting probably explains why I have never seen a meltdown. I guess Nuclear Plants are perfectly save in a 20k city that has Shakes, MoM, Temple, Cath, Colloseum and whatnot.
I like the nuclear plants because they spare me from having to built lots and lots of the little plants. Sucks that only a few civs (Russia, etc) can use them, though.
Wait a tick...wrong game.
Nuclear plants are my preferred option if I don't get Hoover Dam. I think this stems more from my pro-nuclear stance in IRL than anything else. By the time that tech rolls around, I've acquired all the luxury resources I need to keep people happy.
Wait a tick...wrong game.Nuclear plants are my preferred option if I don't get Hoover Dam. I think this stems more from my pro-nuclear stance in IRL than anything else. By the time that tech rolls around, I've acquired all the luxury resources I need to keep people happy.
scratchthepitch
King
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I always skipped nuclear plants. Went for the Hoover wonder on the largest continent and filled in with coal and hydro in the rest of the cities. When solar became available, I replaced the coal plants with it. The extra amount of gain from nuclear wasn't enough to warrant replacing the others with. By the time it was available, my empire already had a large excess of production. Solar never melted down.
Pounder
Phaethon was here
I never build nuclear plants and get rid of them after I capture a city, because if I forget they almost always melt down in a captured city.
