Nuclear War and You: How to destroy Planet in 200 years

[Nuke on a Stick]

I'm new to the boards, and thought I'd introduce myself with a touching story about shared love between 3 different factions.

It's around 2260-2275. I'm the fun-loving Hive, and I was spreading the gospel over to Brother Lal. A pretty meaningless war started over a little probing. Fighting had been going on for about 10 or so years, and I had taken 3 cities on one side of the world, while losing one on the other. I had begun to push for U.N. Headquarters, when the Gaians come and rain on my parade.

I had about 20-22 cities. Didi had about 18-20, while Lal was clutching at his 9 remaining bases. I really didn't want to bother with the greenpeace freaks, so I gassed a city or two, planted some garrisons there, hoping they would do something constructive while I finished off the Pk's. I can deal with them later.

13 Planet Busters later....

In the span of 2 bloody years, the "Peacekeepers" and the Gaians made potholes out of my main continent. That somewhat disrupts a war effort, even for a horrid tyrant. What's worse, the rest of the gang could have not cared less. The U.N. Charter was repealed a few years before...never mind who's idea that was.

Well, this story does have a happy ending, with me "cleansing" the world of such horrible people. Sure more planet busters were used(mostly by me, including a 23 city strike in one year), but has anyone ever seen the AI go nuts like that over 2 atrocities? I was being pretty nice that game, until the Greens and their third world buddies pushed the big red button. Needless to say, the landscape was "slightly" affected for the worse.

Fun way to end a quick Hivefest, eh?

[Kassiopeia]

You wouldn't have a gamesave would you?

[Nuke on a Stick]

No, I overwrote the save file. I am a genius.

Oh well, maybe this next one will be even more violent. Some more Hive fun on Transcend(The PB fest was on Thinker level). I just hope I can provoke the AI into a similar frenzy this time. It's amazing how a few rounds of "toss the nuke" raise the water level in the pool.

I just am amazed by how quick they turned from mildly irrational into psychotic nazi death machine. Nuke tossing is one thing, but this was the type of hell strike I pull off. I wish it would always be as mean as that.

Oh well, we'll see. Off to the battlefields. Cheers.

[Jeem]

Planet Bustering will end all contact with the recipient for the rest of the game, except in very unusual circumstances. Also, any atrocity commited against the AI will harden their hearts for the game duration, no matter how hard you try. Most won't even allow discussions after a single nerve gas event. Sunspot activity hides the atrotricity from all faction except the recipient also.

Although everyone declares war on you after a PB irregularity, you can eventually talk them round to peace again {exception :- the recipient}

Note - even getting atrocity prohibitions lifted via the council still makes the recipient hate you forever. Just one nerve gassing or base obliteration will ensure an enemy for the rest of the game. Don't nerve staple a conquered base either unless you mean to follow up with facticide. There are two levels of atrocity in SMAC, and they are :-

1) Atrocity that you are unlikely to be forgiven for.
2) Atrocity that you will never be forgiven for.

I think the word 'atrocity' says it all, although I admit that my first instinct is always to nerve staple any malcontents regardless of the penalties, especially as it halves the chance of enemy probe teams.

[T-hawk]

Sunspot activity hides the atrotricity from all faction except the recipient also.

NOW he tells me. I just got done with a gigantic war playing Yang against Lal that got ignited when I nerve gassed a few laser infantry. Most of the war was played under sunspot cover. You're telling me I could have been nerve gassing him all along? If sunspots hide atrocities from the other factions, do they hide them from Planet too?

Aside: Wars are very interesting when both factions have almost every tech you can get before Doctrine: Air Power. I got to use some very intricate combined-arms tactics between rovers, ground infantry, marine infantry, transports, and gunboats.

Don't nerve staple a conquered base either unless you mean to follow up with facticide

Yeah, but that's the only reason. As far as I can tell, there isn't any difference in atrocity penalties if you nerve staple (or obliterate) your own or a conquered base. The only difference is that the faction from which you conquered the base treats it as committed against them (they permanently go to vendetta.)

And if you're conquering a base, odds are pretty good you're aiming at facticide in the first place anyway

[Jeem]

T-Hawk, I dunno if sunspot activity prevents planet from finding out about nerve gassing but I'd imagine not. I'm not even sure as to how severe the penalties are for nerve gas concerning planet. You don't get any commerce sanctions against you for sure, and I'm fairly certain you don't get any of the 'bad behaviour' messages from your allies either.

You can also commit atrocities against aliens willy-nilly, and vice-versa. This of course, does not include PB's. Considering this, the Alien factions really should be tooling up with nerve gas pods because they can't lose out.

[Mr. President]

Funny. Playing as the Usurpers once I dropped a couple of nukes on Domai, but it didn't affect my standing with the other factions. I was already at war with them for different reasons; and the nuclear attacks didn't make them any more hostile towards me.

I usually try to avoid gassing aliens when I'm a human faction because the aliens are often quite strong, and I don't want to make them permanent enemies. In my current game I'm playing as the Gaians, and have made important gains in intermittent conflicts with the Usurpers by using only conventional and native weapons. The ability to call a truce has been useful, if only as a tactical intermission before the next push against the alien menace.

[Jaakko]

Jeem you cheesemaster, check you private messages!

It's Xerxes here!

[Earwicker]

Originally posted by T-hawk
And if you're conquering a base, odds are pretty good you're aiming at facticide in the first place anyway

Most of the time when i'm conquering a base, it's so the faction will eventualy surrender to me. If I commit atrocities against them, I know that will never be an option and I must therefore wipe them out entirely.

Surrender is my preferred outcome, since I then have that faction around for vast amounts of commerce income.