Civ 7 Won't Have Gandhi to Go Nuclear, But Did He Ever?

The "Nuclear Gandhi" myth: A Civilization legend debunked

The infamous "Nuclear Gandhi" bug from the original Civilization game is a well-known gaming legend. But was this tale of the peace-loving leader unleashing nuclear fire actually true? Let's explore the history and reality of this enduring myth.

The Legend:

The story goes that in the original Civilization, leaders had an aggression value (1-10 or 1-12). Gandhi, being a pacifist, started at 1. Adopting democracy reduced this by 2, resulting in -1. The legend claims this negative value, stored as an 8-bit unsigned integer, caused an overflow, maxing out his aggression at 255 – making him incredibly aggressive, especially once he acquired nuclear weapons.

The Reality:

Sid Meier, the game's creator, debunked this in 2020. He stated that:

1. Integer variables were signed, preventing the overflow.
2. Government type didn't affect aggression.

Brian Reynolds, lead designer of Civilization II, confirmed this, noting only three aggression levels existed in the original game. Even if an overflow occurred, there was no code to increase aggression beyond the maximum value.

The Spread of the Myth:

The legend didn't gain traction until the mid-2010s, long after the original game's popularity waned. Its spread was likely fueled by a combination of factors, including the inherent irony and the lack of easy verification.

A Twist:

While the original game didn't have a Nuclear Gandhi bug, Civilization V did! Its AI was intentionally coded to give Gandhi a high preference for nuclear weapons, despite his peaceful nature. This likely contributed to the myth's persistence.

Civilization VI and Beyond:

Civilization VI even referenced the joke, giving Gandhi a high chance of the "Nuke Happy" hidden agenda. However, Gandhi's absence in Civilization VII might finally lay this legend to rest.

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