DEFCON (video Game) - Gameplay

Gameplay

Players are given a 1980s vector graphics computer-themed world map, a varied arsenal of nuclear and conventional weaponry, and a primary objective: destroy as much of the enemy's population as possible while having as little of one's own population destroyed as possible. A typical game will see civilian casualties numbering in the millions (megadeaths) while players try their hand at annihilating their opponents.

In most games, all sides take heavy losses, but the player with the highest score wins. Players' scores are determined according to one of three schemes: Default (gain 2 points for 1 megadeath caused, lose 1 point for 1 megadeath suffered), Survivor (gain 1 point per million survivors in your territory) or Genocide (gain 1 point for each megadeath caused); though functionally identical in a one-on-one conflict, each scoring scheme suggests large differences in strategy in larger multiplayer conflicts.

The Default scoring scheme is an average game where players can freely choose their own strategies and where the largest amount of variability could possibly be seen. It is a friendly balance of defence and offence. The Survivor scoring system tends to have players be more defensive and tactful in their exploits, as there are no points for kills, and sometimes drawing out games to many hours. Nuclear weapons are typically employed as a last resort, as it is possible to win the match using only the initial naval units. The Genocide scoring system is most akin to a "sudden death" match. All players tend to launch nukes very early on in the round, causing fast games with high death counts, and very limited strategies.

Gameplay time can be varied by configuring the speed at which events progress from real-time (1 second in-game:1 second out-of-game) to 20* real-time. Most games last 30 to 40 minutes while real-time gameplay can last more than eight hours, depending on the mode of scoring. There is also an "Office" mode of play in which the game is permanently real-timed and can be minimised to run in the background of other computer activities, allowing the player to check in only when important events take place, and only for so long as it is necessary to modify the standing orders of each of the player's assets.

The game offers six territories that may be selected by a player or assigned to an AI opponent. These include:

• North America: Includes all of the contiguous United States, Canada, and Alaska except Hawaii.
• Latin America: Includes Mexico, Central America, and all of South America.
• Europe: Includes all of Europe except Russia.
• Africa: Includes all of Africa.
• Russia: Includes all of contiguous Russia and much of the former Soviet Union.
• Asia: Includes all Asian countries except for Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and the southeast Asian islands.

All territories have a population of 100 million by default.