Pacing and DEFCON Levels
DEFCON is a streamlined real-time strategy game, with no unit production, resource collection, or technology tree upgrades. Players choose and position their forces at the beginning of the game. A countdown system prevents games from disintegrating prematurely. Gameplay begins at alert level DEFCON 5 and counts down to DEFCON 1 (the highest alert level). Each upgrade in alert level brings more possibilities.
| DEFCON level |
Status | Reached |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | No hostile action. Players may place units and fleets and units can move into international waters. | Game start |
| 4 | No hostile action. Radar coverage will provide information on units within range. Players may continue to place units and fleets and move units into international waters. | 6 min. |
| 3 | Conventional naval and airborne combat is authorized. Units and fleets can no longer be placed. | 12 min. |
| 2 |
No effective change from DEFCON 3. This is the final stage before nuclear weapons are available. According to the manual, combat becomes more aggressive. |
20 min. |
| 1 | The use of nuclear weapons is authorized. Intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine medium-range ballistic missiles, and bomber short-range ballistic missiles are available. | 30 min. |
Once DEFCON 1 is reached, the game proceeds until a certain percentage (80% by default) of the total number of nuclear missiles available to all players have been launched or destroyed. Once this occurs, a victory countdown begins (45 game minutes by default) and the final score is announced when this countdown runs out.
Read more about this topic: DEFCON (video Game), Gameplay
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