文明 7 中甘地无法核爆，但事实如此吗？

The "Nuclear Gandhi" myth: A Civilization bug or community legend?

The infamous "Nuclear Gandhi" bug from the original Civilization game is a well-known gaming legend. But was it a real glitch, or a product of community imagination? This article explores the history and truth behind this enduring myth.

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The Nuclear Gandhi Legend: Fact or Fiction?

Gaming communities thrive on myths and legends, and Civilization is no exception. While modern gamers may be unfamiliar with the term, "Nuclear Gandhi" was once a prominent legend. The story claims that a bug in the original Civilization game transformed the peaceful Mahatma Gandhi into a nuclear-armed warmonger. But is there any truth to this tale?

The Legend's Origins

The legend centers around the AI's aggression parameter in the original Civilization game. This parameter, ranging from 1 (pacifist) to 10 (warmonger), was allegedly set to 1 for Gandhi. Upon adopting democracy, his aggression supposedly dropped by 2, resulting in a -1 value. This negative value, according to the myth, caused an integer overflow, making his aggression level jump to 255—making him incredibly aggressive. With access to nuclear weapons post-democracy, this resulted in Gandhi unleashing nuclear devastation.

The Legend's Spread

The "Nuclear Gandhi" story spread rapidly through the Civilization community and beyond. Interestingly, its peak popularity wasn't concurrent with the game's release in 1991, but rather in the mid-2010s. By then, verifying the original game's code was difficult, making the myth seem plausible.

Debunking the Myth

Sid Meier, the creator of Civilization, definitively stated in 2020 that "Nuclear Gandhi" was impossible. He explained that integer variables in the original game were signed, preventing the overflow. Furthermore, government type didn't affect aggression levels. Brian Reynolds, lead designer of Civilization II, corroborated this, stating the original game only had three aggression levels.

A Twist in the Tale

While the original Civilization didn't feature Nuclear Gandhi, Civilization V did! The game's AI explicitly coded Gandhi with a high preference for nuclear weapons, a decision confirmed by lead designer Jon Shafer. This intentional design element likely fueled the existing myth.

The legend's persistence highlights the power of community storytelling and the enduring appeal of ironic twists. Civilization VI even acknowledged the myth, giving Gandhi a high chance of a "Nuke Happy" hidden agenda. With Gandhi's absence in Civilization VII, the legend might finally be laid to rest.

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