Nuclear war tips?

Jaguar · September 10, 2002, 18:47

It looks like I'm heading into my first nuclear war, so some hints, please?

I'm in an emperor game with 4 civs, a large map, and modded less corruption so that we don't all hit the max# of cities. Its all the european civs. I'm England. Me, Germany, and Russia are much more powerful than France. Its a strangely historical game in that Germany went beserk, declaring war on all three of us, nailing France, and turning its army around to attack Russia. I saved France when they only had two cities left, and then Russia and I ate Germany. I gave France much of their land back.

After the war, the Manhatten Project was built by them. Now we've started an arms buildup. I have 3 ICBMs, and 5 Sub-Based Tac Nukes so far. They have the same (I've been copying them arms-wise.) Anyway, I think it would be cool to try a nuclear war, since I've never done one. Tech rate is slowing a lot, so I don't expect to see the SDI soon, but it is a possibility.

So anyway, I have some questions.

Are nukes capturable?
Do the AIs declare war on you when you nuke someone? (I heard this somewhere)
If I do a first-strike and hit all their cities with nukes, will that eliminate their ability to nuke me?
Is the AI competent with nukes?
How often will the AI do a first strike?

And anything else, too. Just ramble, please.

Uppercut · September 10, 2002, 18:52

Pick your target, point, and click. Not that many tactics related with nuclear war. i would have to say go to nuke their port cities in which they can build subs for tac nukes. they dont have the subs, they dont have that many nukes. if you're lucky they won't go for your capital or port cities either.

have fun

Jaguar · September 10, 2002, 19:01

So you would prefer attacking to hinder them, and then outproducing, as opposed to building up for a giant strike that wipes them out in a turn?

Inverse Icarus · September 10, 2002, 19:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaguar Warrior
So anyway, I have some questions.

Are nukes capturable?
Do the AIs declare war on you when you nuke someone? (I heard this somewhere)
If I do a first-strike and hit all their cities with nukes, will that eliminate their ability to nuke me?
Is the AI competent with nukes?
How often will the AI do a first strike?

And anything else, too. Just ramble, please.

nukes are destroyed like bombers (IIRC)

the AI will declare war on you if you nuke someone they're at oeace with. it seems that the first nuke takes a bigger reputation hit.

no. if you nuke them they can still nuke back.

the AI uses ICBMs well, tac nukes not so well.

i've seen germany do a first strike several times.

Lord Merciless · September 10, 2002, 20:26

I would rather carry out a ROP rape than to break out the nukes.

Jaguar · September 10, 2002, 21:08

ROP? With them? Hahaha that's a good one. They won't even exchange territory maps.

Lord Merciless · September 10, 2002, 21:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaguar Warrior
ROP? With them? Hahaha that's a good one. They won't even exchange territory maps.

Give some gifts to the Frenchies and try to get their attitudes improved. Since ROP rape is brutally effective, you should actually spend something to get it.

Carver · September 10, 2002, 23:57

It is sometimes worth stealing a troop locations map and nuking a huge stack of units - which they probably have if this is a land war.

vmxa1 · September 11, 2002, 00:17

I have not used nukes since Red Alert (not RA2).

Fighter · September 11, 2002, 02:05

In my experience the AI is moronic with nukes.

Also, yes even Ghandi will declare on you.

I loved my first nuke war, I threw 3 nukes and the threw 2 at me; both nukes aimed at piss-ant cities that werent producing everything. My second was even better, I had my invasion force keyed up on boats just off the Zulu continent, I nuked as I conquered. It was beautiful, every turn I would raze every city I could reach with my MA.

Dont go for the one huge strike idea, use the nukes right before you attack, they dont do enough damage to keap a city overly vulnerable for multiple turns.

Lastly, put serious thought into nuking resources, knock out their supply of oil, Aluminum or Uranium and youve got him pinned down for a while. Granted it can be a huge waste of a nuke but if hes only got one Uranium resource you can stop him from making any more Nukes for a while.

Nakar Gabab · September 12, 2002, 19:57

I was actually competently nuked once! The AI busted out an ICBM on my capital and IW city.

The retaliation was immense though (something like a dozen ICBMs), and two was apparently all the nukes they had. I then idled production to make enough ICBMs to blanket their entire continent with pollution.

dojoboy · September 12, 2002, 22:38

Build the SDI for the safety of your on people, MAN!

bbaws · October 9, 2002, 15:55

Nuke their capital once you have SDI. All their trade deals will lapse and with luck a lot of their empire will fall into disorder. If they nuke your capital set all your governors to manage mood and get a road back into the capital ASAP.

Jaybe · October 9, 2002, 17:51

JW,
See the thread
Civ3-General > Government Overthrown
for some nuc war consequences. Quite graphic, if I may say so myself.

Your results may vary of course, depending on the extent of your exchange.

T-hawk · October 10, 2002, 15:20

Tip: Make sure to have an airport (and a harbor if available) in your capital before getting into a nuclear war. That gives you at least a chance of not having your trade network disrupted by a capital nuke.

ManicStarSeed · October 10, 2002, 16:38

Quote:

Originally posted by bbaws
Nuke their capital once you have SDI. All their trade deals will lapse and with luck a lot of their empire will fall into disorder. If they nuke your capital set all your governors to manage mood and get a road back into the capital ASAP.

Yep... Get SDI ASAP you will be in good shape to fight a nuclear war. MAD is not so mutual then.

Nuking the capitol is certainly the easiest and quickest way to "capitol isolation".

Nuke strategic resources also are quite effective.

Mss

Datajack Franit · October 12, 2002, 11:47

Don't use too many ICBMs- I used 37 of them in my war against Greece/Egypt and the whole world is turning into desert

bbaws · November 1, 2002, 03:45

Not every AI will necessarily go to war with you. Depends how bad the victim is I think. In nuclear war it is a good idea to declare war first. Then attack with the majority of your conventional forces. Close to the end of that first turn of war, request alliances against the victim. This is a lot cheaper after you have pruned the victim empire. Then nuke. The AIs allied with you against the victim will love you for your boldness.