# Make mininukes actually powerful enough to blow a small house like they promise

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [June 7, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420 "2014-06-07T07:44:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/murphy/32/2371_2.png) [@Murphy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murphy)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/1 "2014-06-07T07:44:24Z")

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I was soooo disappointed when I found out the explosion was only 15x15.  
Since tiles are 24x24, it’s kinda a stretch… I expected the blast radius to be at least twice of what it is.

Don’t wanna sound like Tim Taylor, but I definitely want a bigger nuke avaliable, even if it takes more plutonium to craft them.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/2 "2014-06-07T23:08:47Z")

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Yea, mininukes are pretty weak. Will get on that soon-ish.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/3 "2014-06-07T23:24:34Z")

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> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> Yea, mininukes are pretty weak. Will get on that soon-ish.

Yay, just looted a lab full of them earlier.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/1X/21b5d044e8473b25d0bf905d60477e25f6fbe0cf.png) [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/4 "2014-06-08T00:36:27Z")

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One firecracker isn’t deadly, but use enough of them.

The same applies to mininukes.

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**Author:** ![Rivet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/rivet/32/11_2.png) [@Rivet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Rivet)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/5 "2014-06-08T00:48:08Z")

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If we boost the size of the explosion we’ll need to boost the range on the PIAT-style mortar-thing that the player can use to launch them. As it stands it fires them about two or three tiles farther than the blast reaches.

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**Author:** ![RAM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@RAM](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/RAM)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/6 "2014-06-08T02:16:14Z")

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Or just wear more armour…

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**Author:** ![Womble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Womble](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Womble)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/7 "2014-06-09T01:46:21Z")

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> [@Rivet](#):
>
> If we boost the size of the explosion we’ll need to boost the range on the PIAT-style mortar-thing that the player can use to launch them.

It’s more dystopian if you don’t.

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**Author:** ![Rivet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/rivet/32/11_2.png) [@Rivet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Rivet)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/8 "2014-06-09T01:53:43Z")

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[Bang.](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/7908)

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**Author:** ![Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/murphy/32/2371_2.png) [@Murphy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murphy)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/9 "2014-06-09T02:37:26Z")

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Yay!

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**Author:** ![EditorRUS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@EditorRUS](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EditorRUS)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/10 "2014-06-09T13:13:16Z")

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You can’t use mininukes to destroy a house, but you can do that by means of a metal tank full of gasoline!

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/11 "2014-06-09T19:30:54Z")

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I’m guessing the main reason was because originally there was no timer you could set, so it was made so that the player could just barely escape the radius if they threw it and started running.

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**Author:** ![Slax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/slax/32/5385_2.png) [@Slax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Slax)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/12 "2014-06-09T19:39:19Z")

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2-stage the suckers. First an explosion, then a large shockwave.

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**Author:** ![VampyreLord](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/vampyrelord/32/197_2.png) [@VampyreLord](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/VampyreLord)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/13 "2014-06-09T20:32:16Z")

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Simply because mini-nukes are not nukes. If you look at the Fallout 3 weapon “Fat-Man” the blast is not that huge.

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**Author:** ![EditorRUS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@EditorRUS](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EditorRUS)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/14 "2014-06-11T00:06:14Z")

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Well, taking in mind how crude mininuke is created (you will get nothing, but radioactive crap thrown everywhere if you just explode a grenade in a bottle full of plutonium ) they are pretty balanced in this case. True mininuke should be rare and almost impossible to create (tons of plutonium, few C4’s, reinforced shell at least).

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**Author:** ![RAM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@RAM](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/RAM)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/15 "2014-06-11T18:47:19Z")

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I could be wrong, maybe there are ways to concentrate the reaction or materials with a lower threshold or something, but I suspect that there may be a minimum potency for a true nuke. Although, saying that, a nuke at ground-level has less spread as most of the blast is deflected upwards…

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/1X/21b5d044e8473b25d0bf905d60477e25f6fbe0cf.png) [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/16 "2014-06-12T03:25:54Z")

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That’s why nukes have those rods out the front, so it detonates off the ground and doesn’t lose the power into the ground.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/17 "2014-06-12T04:47:04Z")

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> [@gtaguy](#):
>
> That’s why nukes have those rods out the front, so it detonates off the ground and doesn’t lose the power into the ground.

What the hell? No, they never reach the ground, any rods sticking out the front are probably pitot tubes, used for measuring airspeed.  
They generally use radar altimeters to detonate a fixed distance above the ground based on device yield, the airspeed sensor is a safety device to only arm them once they’re in freefall.

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**Author:** ![Funk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d07c76/32.png) [@Funk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Funk)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/18 "2014-06-17T21:46:08Z")

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> [@Rivet](#):
>
> If we boost the size of the explosion we’ll need to boost the range on the PIAT-style mortar-thing that the player can use to launch them. As it stands it fires them about two or three tiles farther than the blast reaches.

Mininukes are based on the old Davy Crockett weapons and they had a really short range only a few miles in RL  
and Mininukes luncher look like this  
 ![](http://www.guntruck.com/Resources/W54davy1.jpg)

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/19 "2014-06-17T22:27:03Z")

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> [@Funk](#):
>
> [quote=“Rivet, post:5, topic:6420”]If we boost the size of the explosion we’ll need to boost the range on the PIAT-style mortar-thing that the player can use to launch them. As it stands it fires them about two or three tiles farther than the blast reaches.

Mininukes are based on the old Davy Crockett weapons and they had a really short range only a few miles in RL  
and Mininukes luncher look like this  
 ![](http://www.guntruck.com/Resources/W54davy1.jpg)[/quote]

Rivet wrote the mininuke launcher & shells, FWIW. She says it’s PIAT, it probably is.

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**Author:** ![Rivet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/rivet/32/11_2.png) [@Rivet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Rivet)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 12:56am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420/20 "2014-06-18T00:56:15Z")

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> [@KA101](#):
>
> Rivet wrote the mininuke launcher & shells, FWIW. She says it’s PIAT, it probably is.

Yeah, the mininuke launcher is a shoulder-fired weapon, not emplaced artillery like the M-29 Davy Crockett - which was a recoilless rifle firing an oversize projectile, not a man-portable spring mortar.

If anything, it would probably look more like this:

![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/PIAT_cropped.jpg/1280px-PIAT_cropped.jpg)

Though to be fair, the PIAT used an additional propellant charge to launch its projectile that our mininuke launcher lacks. Adding one could give it a longer range, but it would mean both the launcher and the ammunition would have to be even bigger and heavier, and they’re already pretty massive.

[Next page](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/make-mininukes-actually-powerful-enough-to-blow-a-small-house-like-they-promise/6420.md?page=2)