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

The enduring legend of "Nuclear Gandhi" from the original Civilization game is a classic example of gaming folklore. But was this infamous bug real, or just a product of the community's imagination? Let's explore the history and truth behind this legendary glitch.

The Myth of Nuclear Gandhi:

The story goes that in the original Civilization, leaders had an aggression level (1-10, or sometimes 1-12), with 1 being pacifist and 10 being aggressive. Gandhi, known for his pacifism, started at 1. Upon adopting Democracy, his aggression supposedly decreased by 2, resulting in -1. The legend claims this caused an integer overflow in the 8-bit unsigned integer variable, flipping it to 255, making him incredibly aggressive and prone to nuclear attacks.

The Reality Check:

Sid Meier, the game's creator, debunked this in 2020. He stated that variables were signed, preventing the overflow. Furthermore, government type didn't affect aggression. Brian Reynolds, lead designer of Civilization II, corroborated this, explaining the original game's limited aggression levels. The myth simply wasn't supported by the game's code.

The Spread of the Myth:

The Nuclear Gandhi legend didn't gain traction until the mid-2010s, long after the original game's popularity waned. It likely originated from a user-submitted entry on TV Tropes in 2012, spreading rapidly through gaming publications and online communities.

A Twist of Fate: Nuclear Gandhi in Civilization V

Interestingly, while the original game lacked this bug, Civilization V featured a design choice where Gandhi's AI had a high preference for nuclear weapons, giving the legend a strange sort of retroactive validation.

The Legacy:

Despite being debunked, the Nuclear Gandhi myth persists. Civilization VI even acknowledged it, giving Gandhi a high chance of the "Nuke Happy" hidden agenda. However, with Gandhi's absence in Civilization VII, this legendary (and largely fictional) bug might finally be laid to rest.