The Global Radiation Level (GRL) is a simple addition to the game that is intended to have a major impact on how nuclear weapons are used within the game; in particular, it makes the use of nuclear weapons more realistic. GRL is calculated as follows:
Thus, the maximum GRL is 300, if every single nation is nuked in 30 days. The current GRL value, which is the actual value added as the environment penalty, can be found on your nation information screen. The World Demographics screen provides information as to how many nations have been attacked with nuclear weapons in the past 30 days.
As implemented on 17 July 2006, the GRL was capped at 3.00; however, the actual GRL value was visible on the World Demographics screen. The highest recorded level prior to the cap being raised to 5.00 on 27 January 2007 was 5.90 (on 31 July 2006). GRL was removed from Cyber Nations: Standard Edition on 30 January 2007, but was reintroduced nine months later on 1 November of that year. During the War of the Coalition, the GRL achieved new records, topping at 14.76 on 2 September 2008, dropping to its lowest post-war level (0.66) on 28 December 2008. Nuclear proliferation reached new levels during the Karma War, with more nations maintaining nuclear weapons than ever. The Karma War began on 20 April 2009 with a GRL of 1.43. Nuclear weapons strikes began on 23 April, and by 12 May the GRL had reached an even 45.00, peaking on 24 May at 47.47 amid calls from some to remove the cap on its effects. One day following the surrender of the New Pacific Order on 19 July, the GRL was 4.52.
During the Bipolar War, the record set during the Karma War was surpassed on 8 February 2010 with a new record set at 47.67 and it continued to rise, eventually hitting 69.04 on 26 February.
The next record was set during the PB-NpO War on February 14, 2011, at 69.04. It continued to rise, to a maximum of 72.38 on February 19, 2011, and then began to fall.
Later that same year, on December 27, 2011, during the TOP\IRON-NpO War, the GRL record was broken and reached an all time high of 88.26.
