employing the A-bomb

[RenMan68]

Hi Community- please forgive this simplistic question but... I am playing US Pacific and have achieved atomic bomb capability. I have also purchased a B-29. I'm half-way through the Tokyo scenario in which I am supposed to capture the Imperial Palace. I cannot figure out how to use the atomic bomb. What do I have to do to use it? (e.g. buy one of these, then select a-bomb in the such-and-such menu, etc.)

[kondi754]

Hi Community- please forgive this simplistic question but... I am playing US Pacific and have achieved atomic bomb capability. I have also purchased a B-29. I'm half-way through the Tokyo scenario in which I am supposed to capture the Imperial Palace. I cannot figure out how to use the atomic bomb. What do I have to do to use it? (e.g. buy one of these, then select a-bomb in the such-and-such menu, etc.)

Do you really want to drop the atomic bomb?
Let the civilians live.

[RenMan68]

Well, the question certainly deserves discussion in the real world. However, for a computer simulation I'd like to have the option.

[bru888]

There are certain prerequisites. Some of them are provided by the campaign scenario that you are playing and whether you have advanced far enough and acquired a certain specialization. Then you need to purchase a certain type of bomber. I was able to reproduce all of this in a special test scenario. Click each image below.

First, the dates needs to be far enough advanced. (It does not have to be 1946, however; I just used that date arbitrarily. According to units.csv, the bomber involved becomes available in January 1945). Second, you need the Nuclear Fission Bomb specialization. I took care of those two things in my test scenario settings. Again, you may acquire these as you are playing the later scenarios of U.S. Pacific but this is how it works:

2017-07-26_10.jpg (528.87 KiB) Viewed 4058 times

Next, you need the B29 Nuclear Bomber, not the regular version. Here's one of each, side-by-side. Take a look at the relative strengths of the two planes. Guess which one is carrying the A-Bomb?

2017-07-26_11.jpg (1.16 MiB) Viewed 4058 times

Without the Nuclear Fission Bomb specialization, the B29 Nuclear Bomber is not available. If you do have it and do acquire this bomber, look at the damage it will do to any target. Total destruction (the regular bomber only forecasts 1+ damage). Damage occurs to surrounding hexes as well; I don't know how far and how much.

2017-07-26_13.jpg (1.15 MiB) Viewed 4058 times

Continued in next post.

[bru888]

Just go in like you would for a regular bombing run and let loose. The results are rather spectacular! Click each image.

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Screenshot 5.jpg (211.05 KiB) Viewed 4058 times

Here's something else remarkable. It looks like dropping the A-Bomb consumes the bomber itself. It's not like the plane was caught in the blast or something; it's more like the B29 Nuclear Bomber is a one-use-and-done unit. As you can see, it has disappeared from the map and no longer is listed on my force roster.

2017-07-26_15.jpg (1.08 MiB) Viewed 4058 times

Which kind of makes sense because it would be a bit ridiculous to use the same bomber repeatedly, one turn after another, to carpet a-bomb the whole map!

[RenMan68]

Great- thank you so much for figuring all of this out!

[kondi754]

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

[JohnMcCarthy1]

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

Wut

[kondi754]

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

Wut

Do not understand?
I believe that giving the possibility of using the atomic bomb in the game is bad idea.
Any game.

[bru888]

Great- thank you so much for figuring all of this out!

My pleasure. Note that I clarified something in my first post: The date does not have to be 1946; it can be as early as January 1945.

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

Wut

Do not understand?
I believe that giving the possibility of using the atomic bomb in the game is bad idea.
Any game.

You have a point, Kondi. I believe you have made it. Here's how I feel about it: Notice how I used a cargo truck as the target? I did not want to use an infantry unit for an a-bomb test. Silly, right?

So I happen to agree with you on 2):

1) I would not like the swastika in this game because it offends some people and my own sensibilities.
2) I would not use the atomic bomb in this game because historically it killed many thousands of civilians.

But I do simulate the deaths of many thousands of military men by playing these games; for one reason, the camera is far enough removed so that I don't have to see the ugly, grisly results of what actually happens to humans when an M67 Flame Thrower Zippo barbecues enemy bunkers.

Here's my point. We are all here as . . . what did GiveWarAchance say the other day? ". . . soft modern people [who] read about and wargame" in our armchairs. We do have to sacrifice some of our sensibilities just to be here and re-enact this stuff for enjoyment. For me, this is as close to combat as I want to come in a game; I certainly will not play any first-person shooter games.

So it's all subjective, you see. And no matter where we are on the scale of sensibility, we need to accept what Slitherine/Artistocrats decide in order to play OOB. For one reason or another, moral and/or legal, they will not allow the swastika in the game. I agree with that BUT if they decided tomorrow to put it in the game, I would grudgingly accept it because I would try to think like you do, that it's for historical verisimilitude.

But you know what? Remember that swastika mod that I mentioned a few days ago, the one that you can find if you search this forum? Well, I would be looking for the reverse of it or I would make it myself: The German Iron Cross icon. And I still would not use the A-Bomb in the game.

I rambled here, please excuse me. I hope, though, that I expressed a point or two adequately. You can continue to debate the swastika, Kondi; it's your right, of course.

[best75]

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

Aren't the the atomic bombs in this game used for military targets, not civilians?

[bru888]

Don't you think something is wrong?
On the one hand, you remove the swastika from the game (which is ridiculous and it is done ONLY for sales reasons), but on the other hand you are making a virtual psychopath, giving the player opportunity to sacrifice millions of people for nuclear holocaust.

Aren't the the atomic bombs in this game used for military targets, not civilians?

Yes of course. Bombers cannot attack and destroy city, town, and village hexes in the game. But it's the idea of, or memory of, the mass civilian casualties that occurred in real life when atomic bombs were used. I can understand what Kondi is saying: If you are going to take the swastika out of a strictly military/historical warfare context and attribute evil connotations to it, one may do the same with the atomic bomb.

[richfed]

Please! A wargame is a wargame. I get enough political correctness everywhere else in my life. When I play a WWII game - or any game - I do so not only for the fun, but for the escape. And, I want my wargame to accurately reflect the period it represents.

[bru888]

Please! A wargame is a wargame. I get enough political correctness everywhere else in my life. When I play a WWII game - or any game - I do so not only for the fun, but for the escape. And, I want my wargame to accurately reflect the period it represents.

Thinking about this and I find myself agreeing that this is the only safe and productive way to approach this issue. Game. History. Even if this included swastikas, although I might wince a bit (and seek/make a mod, as I said above).

On the other hand, I must respect Slitherine/Artistocrats decisions in this matter. I may question them but if I want to play OOB, I must accept the product as they make it. If they choose to ban the swastika for one reason and include the atomic bomb for another, that is up to them. I buy their product or not. (I buy.)

I will say that the quality of the product by far outweighs any concerns that I have along these lines. And I think richfed deserves the last word here. (Although I doubt it will be. )

[VPaulus]

Please guys, be civil. There's no need to start insulting each other.
We are all entitled to have different opinions.
This is a wargame. It has A-Bombs, so you can use them as they were used in the conflict.
Should an wargame reflect also the morals of the war?
Now that could be an interesting question, but I'm afraid as it was demonstrated in this thread, we wouldn't be able to debate it in this forum (and probably in most others) without starting a war between users.
Offending posts deleted and thread locked.