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Old 03-06-2019, 03:04 AM
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bash bash is offline
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I've always been a bit doubtful about the supposed awesome destructive power of EMPs in T2K. They will cause damage and some electronics will get turned into paper weights, no argument there, but it's not some instant Dark Ages weapon.

For one an inducted charge is going to be dependent on the length of conductors. While microelectronics are susceptible to high voltage charges, there's not a lot of long unshielded wires in most electronics to get some huge induced charge. EMPs also don't break the laws of physics, current can't flow through broken circuits so equipment with batteries removed, power cables unplugged, and antennas removed could stand a good chance of survival. By the 90s surge protectors were also pretty widely used in homes (well my home at least) which would protect a lot of equipment from surges on power lines.

There's also the sociological aspect of the EMPs used in the TDM. The war had been rolling for a few years and tactical nukes had been used. All countries that were potential nuke targets would be blaring out old Civil Defense material and printing up "Best Practices for Nuke Targets" flyers. People would be sticking electronics in old ammo cans and grounded metal cabinets. It would just be common practice by TDM to unplug unused electronics and keep the batteries separate. The Halliburton suitcase would be the laptop case of the decade.
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