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

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

The gaming world is rife with legends, and few are as enduring as the tale of "Nuclear Gandhi" from the original Civilization game. But was this infamous bug a reality, or a product of gamer lore? Let's delve into the history of this legendary glitch.

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The Infamous Nuclear Gandhi

The story goes that in the original Civilization, Gandhi, the famously peaceful leader of India, inexplicably transformed into a nuclear-armed warmonger. This seemingly absurd scenario became a cornerstone of Civilization folklore. But was there any truth to it?

The Legend Unpacked

The legend centers on an aggression parameter (reportedly 1-10 or 1-12) assigned to AI leaders. Gandhi, being a pacifist, started at 1. Upon adopting Democracy, his aggression supposedly decreased by 2, resulting in -1. The myth claims this negative value, stored as an 8-bit unsigned integer, caused an overflow, maxing out his aggression at 255, making him incredibly aggressive. Coupled with the availability of nuclear weapons after adopting Democracy, this led to Gandhi unleashing nuclear devastation.

The Myth's Spread

The Nuclear Gandhi story gained traction in the mid-2010s, long after the original Civilization's release. With limited access to the original game's code, verifying the claim proved difficult. However, the game's creator, Sid Meier, later debunked the legend.

Meier's Confirmation

In 2020, Meier declared Nuclear Gandhi "impossible." He cited two key reasons: integer variables were signed, preventing the overflow, and government types didn't influence aggression levels. Brian Reynolds, lead designer of Civilization II, corroborated this, stating the original game only had three aggression levels.

The Genesis of the Myth (and its Revival)

The myth's persistence likely stems from its inherent irony. While the original game lacked this bug, Civilization V intentionally gave Gandhi a high preference for nuclear weapons. This, combined with a 2012 TV Tropes entry, likely fueled the legend's spread.

Civilization VI even playfully acknowledged the myth. However, with Gandhi's absence in Civilization VII, the legend might finally rest.

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