Nuclear Destruction

{{Infobox game

| name = Nuclear Destruction

| image = File:Image_of_a_nuclear_explosion_over_a_city_with_the_text_"Nuclear_Destruction"_in_the_sky_at_the_top_of_the_image_in_orange_letters.jpg

| caption = Cover image.

| designer = Rick Loomis

| publisher = Flying Buffalo Inc.

| date = {{Start date and age|df=50|1970}}

| genre = Role-playing

| language = English

| system = Play-by-mail

| players = 10 to 30

| skills = Critical thinking, diplomacy

| website = {{url|http://rickloomispbm.com/}}

| footnotes =

}}

Nuclear Destruction is a play-by-mail (PBM) game. It was published by Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo Inc. in 1970. As the first professional PBM game, it started the commercial PBM industry. Offered by postal mail initially, the game is available by email as well in the 21st century. Active for 53 years, as of October 2021, Rick Loomis PBM Games publishes the game. Players use strategic missiles, factories, money, and other elements of gameplay with a focus on diplomacy to win by becoming the sole survivor.

Development

Nuclear Destruction was the first game offered by Flying Buffalo Inc., and started the professional PBM industry.Townsend 1988. p. 20. It was the first professional PBM game.Mclain 1993. Flying Buffalo Inc. offered the game through mail initially, but it is a play-by-email (PBEM) game in the 21st century as well.Mosteller 2014. p. 21. As of October 2021, Rick Loomis PBM Games publishes the game.Spencer 2021. Nuclear Destruction has been active since 1970.Loomis 1981. p. 3.

Gameplay

According to reviewer Charles Mosteller, editor in chief of Suspense and Decision, the modern PBM magazine, Nuclear Destruction is a "Strategic missile game with emphasis on diplomacy". The object is to be the sole survivor at the end of the game, by arranging for the other players to be destroyed with nuclear missiles.Lindahl 2020. Player tools include missiles, "anti-missiles", factories, and money for influencing other players.

Flying Buffalo ran multiple versions of Nuclear Destruction. In 1973 there was a "Ladies ND" as well as a two-player version where, in the latter case, the players were USSR and China.Loomis 1973. p. 2.{{efn|In the May 1973 edition of The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine, Loomis noted that there were four players waiting for the Ladies version to begin.}} Also in 1973, groups of four to six players could play against each other in "Gang-War ND", and "Private ND" games were available for play with friends. In 1979, there was a "Partners ND" where two friends could play together; "Blitz ND", a costlier game with shorter turnaround times and priority mailing; and "Bribery ND" where players did not pay turn fees but could purchase extra resources (e.g., missiles and spies).Loomis 1979. p. 12.

Reception

{{Quote box

| quote = "I fired a hundred into the air. Where were they going? I knew where. Ah, but I wasn't to last the turn, ya' see, [f]or someone fired back at me!"

| source = — Kevin Joyce.{{cite magazine |last=Joyce|first= Kevin |title= |magazine= The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine|publisher= Flying Buffalo Inc.|issue= 12|page= 5|date= May 1973}}

| width = 27%

| align = right| style = padding:8px;

}}

In Issue 9 of Command, Dennis Agosta admired Nuclear Destruction for the lack of any random factor. "It's intellect against intellect, where the outcome of the game is determined by how you and your allies (if any) make your moves." He concluded, "The excitement level of PBM Nuclear Destruction is very high, especially when the game is run on one or two week deadlines."Agosta 1976.

In Issue 8 of Perfidious Albion, Andy Holt commented, "The game is most interesting if communication is maintained with as many other players as possible, and very careful accounting kept of all information received, as with care, much of the situation can be deduced."{{cite magazine|last1=Holt|first1=Andy|date=August 1976 |title= Further Comment on the Computer Games|magazine=Perfidious Albion| issue=8|pages=11}}

Notes

References

Bibliography

{{cite magazine |last=Agosta |first=Dennis |date=September 1976|title=Game Review: Nuclear Destruction |magazine=Command|issue=9|ref=Ago76}}
{{Cite web |last=Lindahl |first=Greg |title=Nuclear Destruction |url=https://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm_list/descriptions/nuclear_destruction.html |website=PBM List |ref=Lin20 |accessdate=May 30, 2020}}
{{cite magazine |last=Loomis|first=Rick |authorlink=Rick Loomis|title= Editorial|magazine= The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine|publisher= Flying Buffalo Inc.|issue= 12|page= 2|date= May 1973|ref=Loo73}}
{{cite magazine |last= Loomis|first=Rick|date= June 1979|title= A List of the Games We Run|magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|page=12|number=39|ref=Loo79 }}
{{cite web |last=Loomis|first=Richard F.|url= http://www.rickloomispbm.com/download/ndrls.pdf|title= Rules for Nuclear Destruction |date= 1981 |publisher= Rick Loomis PBM Games|accessdate= March 27, 2022|ref=Loo81}}
{{Cite web |last=McLain |first=Bob |date=August 1, 1993 |title=Play By Mail: The Infancy of Cyberspace |url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=363 |website=Pyramid |publisher=sjgames.com |ref=Mcl93 |number=2 |accessdate=May 5, 2020}}
{{Cite magazine |last=Mosteller |first=Charles |date=June 2014 |title=Nuclear Destruction: ND-842/Turn # 1 |url=http://playbymail.net/SuspenseAndDecision/Issue-8-Suspense&Decision-PBM-Magazine.pdf |magazine=Suspense and Decision |issue=8 |pages=21–28 |ref=Mos14 |accessdate=May 30, 2020}}
{{Cite magazine|last=Spencer|first=David|date=October 7, 2021 |title=PBM's Newest Company: Rick Loomis PBM Games|magazine=Suspense & Decision|url=https://suspense-and-decision.com/2021/10/07/pbms-newest-company-rick-loomis-pbm-games/|access-date=October 24, 2021 |ref=Spe21}}
{{Cite magazine |last=Townsend |first=Jim |date=1988 |title=The PBM Corner |magazine=White Wolf Magazine |publisher=White Wolf Publishing |issue=11 |page=20 |ref=Tow88}}