Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site sdcc3.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdcc3!ewa From: ewa@sdcc3.UUCP (Eric Anderson) Newsgroups: net.games.emp Subject: Re: August Empire Bug Message-ID: <2983@sdcc3.UUCP> Date: Thu, 5-Sep-85 03:23:32 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcc3.2983 Posted: Thu Sep 5 03:23:32 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 8-Sep-85 16:12:29 EDT References: <148@polyof.UUCP> Reply-To: ewa@sdcc3.UUCP (Eric Anderson) Distribution: net Organization: The evil geniuses who play adventure on huge computers Lines: 40 Summary: Not a bug, a feature In article <148@polyof.UUCP> john@polyof.UUCP ( John Buck ) writes: > If you nuke an 'impossible' sector. ((x^y) & 01) != 0, > You get 4 wastelands out of it, instead of one. We call > this phenomenon "Diamond nuking" This is one of those rare cases where the phrase "That's not a bug, it's a feature" can be applied correctly. Since damage from a nuclear bomb is determined by distance from ground zero and megatonnage, it is perfectly valid to drop 'between' sectors. It's just like dropping a bomb on the Four Corners in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, it would still damage all four states. If you've never tried this, the blast pattern looks like this: 1 4 5 4 1 Where 0=100% damage, 8=80% damage, etc. Note that this 2 6 8 8 6 2 placement results in 2280 percentage points of sector 2 7 0 / 0 7 2 damage as opposed to 2000 for a drop on a valid x,y. 5 9 / / 9 5 (this is counting a wasteland as 100 points). A 2 megaton 2 7 0 / 0 7 2 nuke only does 2500 points when fired at a valid x,y, so 2 6 8 8 6 2 if your main goal is to optimize the kill/materials ratio, 1 4 5 4 1 the 1 megaton nuke is by far the best buy. If, however, your goal is to completely eliminate someone, this 1 megaton bombs complete destruction subpattern (the inner 8 sectors) will map nicely onto an area like so: In this illustration the numbers refer to seperate bombs, a total of eight were used to wipe 1 1 1 out 64 sectors. 32 will be wastelands and 32 will 1 1 2 2 2 be hit with 100% damage and revert to the diety. 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 obviously this pattern can be repeated forever to 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 cover any sized area. Just think, with only 512 4 4 6 6 6 3 3 3 5 5 one megaton bombs you could destroy every sector in 4 4 4 6 6 7 7 7 5 5 5 a 128x128 world (assuming 50% water). If you prefer 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 bigger bombs, keep in mind that a five megaton nuke 7 7 7 8 8 only does 3780 percentage points of damage, less 8 8 8 than the 4560 obtainable with two one megaton bombs. Happy nuking! Eric ("nuke 'em 'till they glow") Anderson UC San Diego ...ihnp4!ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcc3!ewa