Nukes - AI (lack of) usage

[HomeyLeDieu]

Greetings all. I was wondering if anyone has ever had the AI nuke them first. In my experience, the AI will only nuke you after you nuke them, even if they're being trounced in a conventional war.

It would seem that the SDI small wonder is therefore useless, unless you're playing other people or plan to use nukes yourself. For that matter, a nuke arsenal seems to be a waste to build if the AI will never use it to attack you.

In short, has anyone ever been the victim of a nuclear first-strike by the AI?

Thanks,

-=HLD

[Pheno]

On diety level I got completely wiped out by nukes after taking just two of the AI's cities. I didn't have nukes myself, so maybe if you do they act as a deterent...

[Aramis]

I've never seen the AI use nukes first. The rep hit would probably prevent that from being a viable AI strategy, but I've never played a game at Diety level that lasted long enough to reach the modern era.
I build nukes, and occasionally use them. Especially if it will start a nuclear exchange, which is a real blast.

[Solomwi]

Korea just shot their last ICBM at me in a first strike after I had nullified all their other silos in the war's opening turn (C3C 1.22), but the SMD caught it. I've also had Carthage hit me with a nuclear first strike in PTW. In both cases, I had a significant nuclear stockpile, which made such a strike suicidal, but they did it anyway.

In the Carthage example, the other nations opened up before my turn came back around, basically leveling the nation to the point that there was nothing for me to nuke except size 2 cities with no defenders.

[Aqualung71]

Yep, absolutely....and here's the proof.

Totally unprovoked attacked, won me the AU501 Purple Heart award!

[Aramis]

Good to know the AI will do a first strike. I've got to get a game to last long enough to have nukes again. I want to see it happen.

[Theseus]

Hasn't happened to me yet... but I pray for it!!

[Don Giovanni]

I've experienced it once on Deity (vanilla civ3) from an isolated start, which caused the game not to be decided before the second half of the modern era. As one of the AI civs dropped the first nuke on another AI, war was immediately declared on my behalf, and two of my cities were hit by ICBMs before I had any chance to respond.

When you attack a civ with a nuclear inventory, use a spy to check out the inventory (see how many ICBM /tactical nukes they've got), and investigate their citites to locate them (ICBM). Then target the cities with ICBMs and Uranium resources first. Also try to get access to several uranium resources yourself - nuclear wars can be very short because resources get disconnected by nuclear strikes.

[spader]

Hasn't happend to me yet... I go by the motto: "hit them first and they wont hit you first"

I always rush for the techs needed for ICBM's, build up an arsenal (of maybe 10-20), and then I nuke all the bad guys. And if anyone else has anything to complain about I nuke their capital :>

No but seriously, you should always investigate your enemy's (or even better, your Nemesis') cities and take out his/her high-productive ones.
I guess Im a bit crazy with the nukes, but thats me

/Spader

[Barington]

In my current game (Diety. vanilla III, 9 civs, huge map) I destroyed the Persians capital, with a 9 tenths complete spaceship, but they still did not use their 6 ICBM's and tac nukes. I am way behind in tech so have no missiles myself.
Had to leave off destroying the Persians (mistake) to sort other problems. (the Japanese). The Persians therefore build another spaceship. I again get them into a war and I get the second capital but this time they do use all their nukes against me. So yes the AI definitelly do nuke first.

I suspect the Persians reputation had gone down between war 1 and war 2. They were now at war with most of the other AI as well so I guess they had nothing much to lose from the rep hit. I had assumed that as they had not nuked me first time they would continue to show restraint.

Good news is their nukes are used up, the Persians are reduced to churning out cavalry. and in a week or two I may even win this one.

[Pizza]

Last game I played, I had a city at a choke point on the continent when the AI invaded placing a stack of 120 infantry to the west of the city, about 30 tanks to the east, about 20 assorted troops to the south. They also attacked directly with about 50 knights.

With the AI having about 200 troops in the area, I just couldn't resist. I nuked the stack. First I tried nuking the square beside the stack so as not to damage my city. That caused a lot of damage to the stack but still left most of the troops. So then I nuked the stack directly - then there were only 8 troops left with 1 health each.

I never used nukes before in a game....

[Tattila the Hun]

Is it then more effective to drop the bomb in the middle of the stack? In the few thermonuclear wars I've had, I've tried to hit troop stacks by water, trying not to create too much pollution. So, just the edge of the blast hits the troops.

[bobbo008]

i thought nuclear attacks (regardless of how they hit a unit), killed 1/2 the units, or was that city size?

[spader]

Originally posted by bobbo008
i thought nuclear attacks (regardless of how they hit a unit), killed 1/2 the units, or was that city size?

nah I believe nukes take out 66% of the city size unless the city is too small (a 2 city becomes a 1 city for example)

and the units killed, ain't it random?

/Spader

[Kuciwalker]

It's half the city size, and random units killed IIRC.