New Gandhi Details Emerge for Civilization VII

The "Nuclear Gandhi" Myth: Fact or Fiction in the World of Civilization?

The gaming world is rife with legends, and among the most enduring is the tale of "Nuclear Gandhi" from the original Civilization game. This article delves into the history of this infamous bug, separating fact from fiction.

The Legend: A Pacifist's Nuclear Arsenal

The story goes that in the original Civilization, leaders had an aggression rating (1-10, or in some accounts 1-12). Gandhi, being historically pacifist, started at 1. Upon adopting Democracy, his aggression supposedly dropped by 2, resulting in -1. The legend claims this negative value, stored as an 8-bit unsigned integer, caused an overflow, boosting his aggression to 255 – making him incredibly aggressive. Coupled with the availability of nukes after adopting Democracy, this led to Gandhi unleashing nuclear devastation.

The Reality Check: Debunking the Myth

Sid Meier himself, the creator of Civilization, confirmed in 2020 that Nuclear Gandhi, as described, was impossible. He cited two key reasons: integer variables were signed, preventing the overflow, and government type didn't influence aggression. Brian Reynolds, lead designer of Civilization II, corroborated this, stating the original game only had three aggression levels.

The Legend's Unexpected Life

Despite the debunking, the myth persisted, gaining traction in the mid-2010s. This timing coincides with a user adding the myth to TV Tropes in 2012, which then spread through gaming publications.

A Twist: Nuclear Gandhi in Civilization V

While the original Civilization didn't feature Nuclear Gandhi, Civilization V did! Jon Shafer, the lead designer, intentionally coded Gandhi with a high preference for nuclear weapons, despite his pacifist nature. This might explain the origin of the myth.

The Legacy

The irony of a pacifist leader becoming a nuclear warmonger was too compelling to ignore. Even Civilization VI acknowledged the legend. However, with Gandhi's absence in Civilization VII, the myth might finally rest.

The story of Nuclear Gandhi demonstrates how gaming legends are born, spread, and evolve, sometimes blending fact and fiction in unexpected ways.

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