City-Closing Event

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What single event would cause a large city to be closed down completely? I am developing a game and need a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with zero escape routes. Eventually they start fighting over resources (food, water, batteries, etc), and the strong survive. There's more to the story, but that's all I wanna say. Any ideas?










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  • Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
    – Hosch250
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
    – Zaa
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
    – Lupino
    6 hours ago










  • I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
    – SJuan76
    6 hours ago










  • A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
    – nzaman
    6 hours ago














up vote
3
down vote

favorite












What single event would cause a large city to be closed down completely? I am developing a game and need a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with zero escape routes. Eventually they start fighting over resources (food, water, batteries, etc), and the strong survive. There's more to the story, but that's all I wanna say. Any ideas?










share|improve this question







New contributor




Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.



















  • Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
    – Hosch250
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
    – Zaa
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
    – Lupino
    6 hours ago










  • I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
    – SJuan76
    6 hours ago










  • A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
    – nzaman
    6 hours ago












up vote
3
down vote

favorite









up vote
3
down vote

favorite











What single event would cause a large city to be closed down completely? I am developing a game and need a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with zero escape routes. Eventually they start fighting over resources (food, water, batteries, etc), and the strong survive. There's more to the story, but that's all I wanna say. Any ideas?










share|improve this question







New contributor




Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











What single event would cause a large city to be closed down completely? I am developing a game and need a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with zero escape routes. Eventually they start fighting over resources (food, water, batteries, etc), and the strong survive. There's more to the story, but that's all I wanna say. Any ideas?







city






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Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







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Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









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Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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asked 6 hours ago









Caedis -6

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New contributor





Caedis -6 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.











  • Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
    – Hosch250
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
    – Zaa
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
    – Lupino
    6 hours ago










  • I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
    – SJuan76
    6 hours ago










  • A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
    – nzaman
    6 hours ago
















  • Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
    – Hosch250
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
    – Zaa
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
    – Lupino
    6 hours ago










  • I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
    – SJuan76
    6 hours ago










  • A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
    – nzaman
    6 hours ago















Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
– Hosch250
6 hours ago




Even 9/11 didn't 100% close NYC, and of course they left escape routes open--if they close a city, they work on evacuating it. I don't think there's a single way to do it.
– Hosch250
6 hours ago




1




1




Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
– Zaa
6 hours ago




Hello. Well, the fist thing that comes to mind is quarantine. But maybe you don't wan't the health issue in your scenario ?
– Zaa
6 hours ago




1




1




The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
– Lupino
6 hours ago




The most obvious awnser is a militar siege.
– Lupino
6 hours ago












I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
– SJuan76
6 hours ago




I agree with @Lupino. For example, you could read about the Siege of Leningrad.
– SJuan76
6 hours ago












A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
– nzaman
6 hours ago




A major epidemic is the most likely. Even the most thorough siege won't bother with lone civilians if there's a military target around
– nzaman
6 hours ago










6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
3
down vote













  • The hunger games: the Panem of your world decides to do a special round with all the citizenry as sacrifices. Army intervention and creative terraforming go a long way into keeping people in place.


  • The city gets transported to another planet, like Alli did in the "Gone Mad" arch of the Green Lanterns comics.


  • A dome appears out of the blue and covers the city. But Stephen King might sue you on that.


  • Titans roam the countryside around the city, which has 50 meter tall walls to keep them out - like in Attack on Titan.






share|improve this answer



























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    Well, zero escape routes would require something catastrophic that would also generally be implausible: the city itself is fine, but a perimeter around it is doused with radiation or toxic gas or something similar. Even a minefield or martial law would see people attempting to (and succeeding) escape. Look at the DMZ between North and South Korea for examples of that.



    I guess a lot depends on setting. If you don't require a reality-check type of answer, it could be one of the above, or magic, or a curse, or... anything. Though if things got bad enough in the city, people would likely take their chances anyway.






    share|improve this answer




















    • I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
      – Zaa
      6 hours ago


















    up vote
    1
    down vote













    1.) The Nuclear Option



    Have a nuclear reactor melt down somewhere near your city, and have the radiation cut off the citizen's access to the outside world. The level of radiation could be high enough that anyone trying to get out of the city would die before getting through the zone of radiation. Unfortunately this wouldn't prevent airplanes from reaching your city, but if the government wasn't willing to send anyone into the zone, then you're pretty much stranded.



    2.) Natural Disaster



    You could have some freak storm blow through the area and pretty much hover over the city. This storm would cause intense flooding, and if your city is located on high ground, you could have the surrounding area flood, leaving your city an island. The severity of the storm could prevent any aircraft from reaching the stranded civilians. Piggybacking off the previous point, have the flood cause a nuclear reactor in the area to melt down, spilling harmful radiation into the water around your city. That way anyone trying to boat or swim away would be killed by radiation.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      0
      down vote













      Quarantine



      There's a virus in your city and your government decided to isolate you until the problem solves itself.



      Criminal on the run



      Someone really dangerous has been located inside the city. Authorities will soon begin a giant game of hide and seek, but first, they decided to close the playground (the same works with a thief carrying something highly valuable).



      Danger from the outside



      It's your own city's leader who decided to close the gates, as the rest of the world has fallen into madness. You're the last beacon of civilisation for thousands of miles around, but for how long ?






      share|improve this answer



























        up vote
        0
        down vote













        Siege from a merciless invader



        Like the Mongols, the invaders are determined to make an example of this city that dared resist them, especially if they executed their envoys. However, the defenses of the city are too strong for a frontal assault to work, so they are besieging it. Like at Alesia, they may even have built a palissade on top of earthworks all around it to make sure no-one gets out (or in, from reinforcements). Any civilian caught is executed, or simply left to die on the no man's land.



        If magic or SF is an option and the invaders don't want to have the entire army tied up, they can create an impenetrable barrier around the city and move on, possibly leaving a small force to prevent the city from disabling the barrier. Options include deadly radiation, bioweapons, magical fire, a giant impassable wall, impenetrable or even carnivorous forest, raising an undead army, looping the borders of the city on themselves...



        If you don't want to have the menace of the invaders to keep bearing down on the city population, with all the military preparations that are implied, leaving such a long-term "passive" siege may be enough as an example or as a military objective to neutralize the city.






        share|improve this answer



























          up vote
          0
          down vote














          / a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with
          zero escape routes./




          The city was built that way.



          domed city



          https://www.humanmars.net/2018/05/domed-city-at-night-by-lorenz-hideyoshi.html



          Your city is enclosed, built in an environment humans cannot traverse. Depicted: Donner Party City on Mars - but you could put it on the moon, or in the deep sea, or the deep subsurface (of Earth or some other planet) or floating in space. Humans are already stuck inside and dependent on what they have together with periodic resupply. When the resupply ships stop coming they have a limited number of vehicles capable of leaving, and people in the know rapidly take those to leave. People left behind are stuck there, and your game begins.





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            6 Answers
            6






            active

            oldest

            votes








            6 Answers
            6






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            3
            down vote













            • The hunger games: the Panem of your world decides to do a special round with all the citizenry as sacrifices. Army intervention and creative terraforming go a long way into keeping people in place.


            • The city gets transported to another planet, like Alli did in the "Gone Mad" arch of the Green Lanterns comics.


            • A dome appears out of the blue and covers the city. But Stephen King might sue you on that.


            • Titans roam the countryside around the city, which has 50 meter tall walls to keep them out - like in Attack on Titan.






            share|improve this answer
























              up vote
              3
              down vote













              • The hunger games: the Panem of your world decides to do a special round with all the citizenry as sacrifices. Army intervention and creative terraforming go a long way into keeping people in place.


              • The city gets transported to another planet, like Alli did in the "Gone Mad" arch of the Green Lanterns comics.


              • A dome appears out of the blue and covers the city. But Stephen King might sue you on that.


              • Titans roam the countryside around the city, which has 50 meter tall walls to keep them out - like in Attack on Titan.






              share|improve this answer






















                up vote
                3
                down vote










                up vote
                3
                down vote









                • The hunger games: the Panem of your world decides to do a special round with all the citizenry as sacrifices. Army intervention and creative terraforming go a long way into keeping people in place.


                • The city gets transported to another planet, like Alli did in the "Gone Mad" arch of the Green Lanterns comics.


                • A dome appears out of the blue and covers the city. But Stephen King might sue you on that.


                • Titans roam the countryside around the city, which has 50 meter tall walls to keep them out - like in Attack on Titan.






                share|improve this answer












                • The hunger games: the Panem of your world decides to do a special round with all the citizenry as sacrifices. Army intervention and creative terraforming go a long way into keeping people in place.


                • The city gets transported to another planet, like Alli did in the "Gone Mad" arch of the Green Lanterns comics.


                • A dome appears out of the blue and covers the city. But Stephen King might sue you on that.


                • Titans roam the countryside around the city, which has 50 meter tall walls to keep them out - like in Attack on Titan.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 6 hours ago









                Renan

                36.6k1184188




                36.6k1184188




















                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote













                    Well, zero escape routes would require something catastrophic that would also generally be implausible: the city itself is fine, but a perimeter around it is doused with radiation or toxic gas or something similar. Even a minefield or martial law would see people attempting to (and succeeding) escape. Look at the DMZ between North and South Korea for examples of that.



                    I guess a lot depends on setting. If you don't require a reality-check type of answer, it could be one of the above, or magic, or a curse, or... anything. Though if things got bad enough in the city, people would likely take their chances anyway.






                    share|improve this answer




















                    • I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                      – Zaa
                      6 hours ago















                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote













                    Well, zero escape routes would require something catastrophic that would also generally be implausible: the city itself is fine, but a perimeter around it is doused with radiation or toxic gas or something similar. Even a minefield or martial law would see people attempting to (and succeeding) escape. Look at the DMZ between North and South Korea for examples of that.



                    I guess a lot depends on setting. If you don't require a reality-check type of answer, it could be one of the above, or magic, or a curse, or... anything. Though if things got bad enough in the city, people would likely take their chances anyway.






                    share|improve this answer




















                    • I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                      – Zaa
                      6 hours ago













                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote









                    Well, zero escape routes would require something catastrophic that would also generally be implausible: the city itself is fine, but a perimeter around it is doused with radiation or toxic gas or something similar. Even a minefield or martial law would see people attempting to (and succeeding) escape. Look at the DMZ between North and South Korea for examples of that.



                    I guess a lot depends on setting. If you don't require a reality-check type of answer, it could be one of the above, or magic, or a curse, or... anything. Though if things got bad enough in the city, people would likely take their chances anyway.






                    share|improve this answer












                    Well, zero escape routes would require something catastrophic that would also generally be implausible: the city itself is fine, but a perimeter around it is doused with radiation or toxic gas or something similar. Even a minefield or martial law would see people attempting to (and succeeding) escape. Look at the DMZ between North and South Korea for examples of that.



                    I guess a lot depends on setting. If you don't require a reality-check type of answer, it could be one of the above, or magic, or a curse, or... anything. Though if things got bad enough in the city, people would likely take their chances anyway.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 6 hours ago









                    Jesse Williams

                    709211




                    709211











                    • I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                      – Zaa
                      6 hours ago

















                    • I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                      – Zaa
                      6 hours ago
















                    I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                    – Zaa
                    6 hours ago





                    I think people trying to escape are fine, as the question seems to ask for "A plausible reason to (try to) close a city."
                    – Zaa
                    6 hours ago











                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote













                    1.) The Nuclear Option



                    Have a nuclear reactor melt down somewhere near your city, and have the radiation cut off the citizen's access to the outside world. The level of radiation could be high enough that anyone trying to get out of the city would die before getting through the zone of radiation. Unfortunately this wouldn't prevent airplanes from reaching your city, but if the government wasn't willing to send anyone into the zone, then you're pretty much stranded.



                    2.) Natural Disaster



                    You could have some freak storm blow through the area and pretty much hover over the city. This storm would cause intense flooding, and if your city is located on high ground, you could have the surrounding area flood, leaving your city an island. The severity of the storm could prevent any aircraft from reaching the stranded civilians. Piggybacking off the previous point, have the flood cause a nuclear reactor in the area to melt down, spilling harmful radiation into the water around your city. That way anyone trying to boat or swim away would be killed by radiation.






                    share|improve this answer
























                      up vote
                      1
                      down vote













                      1.) The Nuclear Option



                      Have a nuclear reactor melt down somewhere near your city, and have the radiation cut off the citizen's access to the outside world. The level of radiation could be high enough that anyone trying to get out of the city would die before getting through the zone of radiation. Unfortunately this wouldn't prevent airplanes from reaching your city, but if the government wasn't willing to send anyone into the zone, then you're pretty much stranded.



                      2.) Natural Disaster



                      You could have some freak storm blow through the area and pretty much hover over the city. This storm would cause intense flooding, and if your city is located on high ground, you could have the surrounding area flood, leaving your city an island. The severity of the storm could prevent any aircraft from reaching the stranded civilians. Piggybacking off the previous point, have the flood cause a nuclear reactor in the area to melt down, spilling harmful radiation into the water around your city. That way anyone trying to boat or swim away would be killed by radiation.






                      share|improve this answer






















                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote










                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote









                        1.) The Nuclear Option



                        Have a nuclear reactor melt down somewhere near your city, and have the radiation cut off the citizen's access to the outside world. The level of radiation could be high enough that anyone trying to get out of the city would die before getting through the zone of radiation. Unfortunately this wouldn't prevent airplanes from reaching your city, but if the government wasn't willing to send anyone into the zone, then you're pretty much stranded.



                        2.) Natural Disaster



                        You could have some freak storm blow through the area and pretty much hover over the city. This storm would cause intense flooding, and if your city is located on high ground, you could have the surrounding area flood, leaving your city an island. The severity of the storm could prevent any aircraft from reaching the stranded civilians. Piggybacking off the previous point, have the flood cause a nuclear reactor in the area to melt down, spilling harmful radiation into the water around your city. That way anyone trying to boat or swim away would be killed by radiation.






                        share|improve this answer












                        1.) The Nuclear Option



                        Have a nuclear reactor melt down somewhere near your city, and have the radiation cut off the citizen's access to the outside world. The level of radiation could be high enough that anyone trying to get out of the city would die before getting through the zone of radiation. Unfortunately this wouldn't prevent airplanes from reaching your city, but if the government wasn't willing to send anyone into the zone, then you're pretty much stranded.



                        2.) Natural Disaster



                        You could have some freak storm blow through the area and pretty much hover over the city. This storm would cause intense flooding, and if your city is located on high ground, you could have the surrounding area flood, leaving your city an island. The severity of the storm could prevent any aircraft from reaching the stranded civilians. Piggybacking off the previous point, have the flood cause a nuclear reactor in the area to melt down, spilling harmful radiation into the water around your city. That way anyone trying to boat or swim away would be killed by radiation.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered 3 hours ago









                        John Doe

                        665




                        665




















                            up vote
                            0
                            down vote













                            Quarantine



                            There's a virus in your city and your government decided to isolate you until the problem solves itself.



                            Criminal on the run



                            Someone really dangerous has been located inside the city. Authorities will soon begin a giant game of hide and seek, but first, they decided to close the playground (the same works with a thief carrying something highly valuable).



                            Danger from the outside



                            It's your own city's leader who decided to close the gates, as the rest of the world has fallen into madness. You're the last beacon of civilisation for thousands of miles around, but for how long ?






                            share|improve this answer
























                              up vote
                              0
                              down vote













                              Quarantine



                              There's a virus in your city and your government decided to isolate you until the problem solves itself.



                              Criminal on the run



                              Someone really dangerous has been located inside the city. Authorities will soon begin a giant game of hide and seek, but first, they decided to close the playground (the same works with a thief carrying something highly valuable).



                              Danger from the outside



                              It's your own city's leader who decided to close the gates, as the rest of the world has fallen into madness. You're the last beacon of civilisation for thousands of miles around, but for how long ?






                              share|improve this answer






















                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote










                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote









                                Quarantine



                                There's a virus in your city and your government decided to isolate you until the problem solves itself.



                                Criminal on the run



                                Someone really dangerous has been located inside the city. Authorities will soon begin a giant game of hide and seek, but first, they decided to close the playground (the same works with a thief carrying something highly valuable).



                                Danger from the outside



                                It's your own city's leader who decided to close the gates, as the rest of the world has fallen into madness. You're the last beacon of civilisation for thousands of miles around, but for how long ?






                                share|improve this answer












                                Quarantine



                                There's a virus in your city and your government decided to isolate you until the problem solves itself.



                                Criminal on the run



                                Someone really dangerous has been located inside the city. Authorities will soon begin a giant game of hide and seek, but first, they decided to close the playground (the same works with a thief carrying something highly valuable).



                                Danger from the outside



                                It's your own city's leader who decided to close the gates, as the rest of the world has fallen into madness. You're the last beacon of civilisation for thousands of miles around, but for how long ?







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered 6 hours ago









                                Zaa

                                159111




                                159111




















                                    up vote
                                    0
                                    down vote













                                    Siege from a merciless invader



                                    Like the Mongols, the invaders are determined to make an example of this city that dared resist them, especially if they executed their envoys. However, the defenses of the city are too strong for a frontal assault to work, so they are besieging it. Like at Alesia, they may even have built a palissade on top of earthworks all around it to make sure no-one gets out (or in, from reinforcements). Any civilian caught is executed, or simply left to die on the no man's land.



                                    If magic or SF is an option and the invaders don't want to have the entire army tied up, they can create an impenetrable barrier around the city and move on, possibly leaving a small force to prevent the city from disabling the barrier. Options include deadly radiation, bioweapons, magical fire, a giant impassable wall, impenetrable or even carnivorous forest, raising an undead army, looping the borders of the city on themselves...



                                    If you don't want to have the menace of the invaders to keep bearing down on the city population, with all the military preparations that are implied, leaving such a long-term "passive" siege may be enough as an example or as a military objective to neutralize the city.






                                    share|improve this answer
























                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote













                                      Siege from a merciless invader



                                      Like the Mongols, the invaders are determined to make an example of this city that dared resist them, especially if they executed their envoys. However, the defenses of the city are too strong for a frontal assault to work, so they are besieging it. Like at Alesia, they may even have built a palissade on top of earthworks all around it to make sure no-one gets out (or in, from reinforcements). Any civilian caught is executed, or simply left to die on the no man's land.



                                      If magic or SF is an option and the invaders don't want to have the entire army tied up, they can create an impenetrable barrier around the city and move on, possibly leaving a small force to prevent the city from disabling the barrier. Options include deadly radiation, bioweapons, magical fire, a giant impassable wall, impenetrable or even carnivorous forest, raising an undead army, looping the borders of the city on themselves...



                                      If you don't want to have the menace of the invaders to keep bearing down on the city population, with all the military preparations that are implied, leaving such a long-term "passive" siege may be enough as an example or as a military objective to neutralize the city.






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                                        Siege from a merciless invader



                                        Like the Mongols, the invaders are determined to make an example of this city that dared resist them, especially if they executed their envoys. However, the defenses of the city are too strong for a frontal assault to work, so they are besieging it. Like at Alesia, they may even have built a palissade on top of earthworks all around it to make sure no-one gets out (or in, from reinforcements). Any civilian caught is executed, or simply left to die on the no man's land.



                                        If magic or SF is an option and the invaders don't want to have the entire army tied up, they can create an impenetrable barrier around the city and move on, possibly leaving a small force to prevent the city from disabling the barrier. Options include deadly radiation, bioweapons, magical fire, a giant impassable wall, impenetrable or even carnivorous forest, raising an undead army, looping the borders of the city on themselves...



                                        If you don't want to have the menace of the invaders to keep bearing down on the city population, with all the military preparations that are implied, leaving such a long-term "passive" siege may be enough as an example or as a military objective to neutralize the city.






                                        share|improve this answer












                                        Siege from a merciless invader



                                        Like the Mongols, the invaders are determined to make an example of this city that dared resist them, especially if they executed their envoys. However, the defenses of the city are too strong for a frontal assault to work, so they are besieging it. Like at Alesia, they may even have built a palissade on top of earthworks all around it to make sure no-one gets out (or in, from reinforcements). Any civilian caught is executed, or simply left to die on the no man's land.



                                        If magic or SF is an option and the invaders don't want to have the entire army tied up, they can create an impenetrable barrier around the city and move on, possibly leaving a small force to prevent the city from disabling the barrier. Options include deadly radiation, bioweapons, magical fire, a giant impassable wall, impenetrable or even carnivorous forest, raising an undead army, looping the borders of the city on themselves...



                                        If you don't want to have the menace of the invaders to keep bearing down on the city population, with all the military preparations that are implied, leaving such a long-term "passive" siege may be enough as an example or as a military objective to neutralize the city.







                                        share|improve this answer












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                                        answered 5 hours ago









                                        Eth

                                        2,0621617




                                        2,0621617




















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                                            / a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with
                                            zero escape routes./




                                            The city was built that way.



                                            domed city



                                            https://www.humanmars.net/2018/05/domed-city-at-night-by-lorenz-hideyoshi.html



                                            Your city is enclosed, built in an environment humans cannot traverse. Depicted: Donner Party City on Mars - but you could put it on the moon, or in the deep sea, or the deep subsurface (of Earth or some other planet) or floating in space. Humans are already stuck inside and dependent on what they have together with periodic resupply. When the resupply ships stop coming they have a limited number of vehicles capable of leaving, and people in the know rapidly take those to leave. People left behind are stuck there, and your game begins.





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                                              up vote
                                              0
                                              down vote














                                              / a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with
                                              zero escape routes./




                                              The city was built that way.



                                              domed city



                                              https://www.humanmars.net/2018/05/domed-city-at-night-by-lorenz-hideyoshi.html



                                              Your city is enclosed, built in an environment humans cannot traverse. Depicted: Donner Party City on Mars - but you could put it on the moon, or in the deep sea, or the deep subsurface (of Earth or some other planet) or floating in space. Humans are already stuck inside and dependent on what they have together with periodic resupply. When the resupply ships stop coming they have a limited number of vehicles capable of leaving, and people in the know rapidly take those to leave. People left behind are stuck there, and your game begins.





                                              share






















                                                up vote
                                                0
                                                down vote










                                                up vote
                                                0
                                                down vote










                                                / a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with
                                                zero escape routes./




                                                The city was built that way.



                                                domed city



                                                https://www.humanmars.net/2018/05/domed-city-at-night-by-lorenz-hideyoshi.html



                                                Your city is enclosed, built in an environment humans cannot traverse. Depicted: Donner Party City on Mars - but you could put it on the moon, or in the deep sea, or the deep subsurface (of Earth or some other planet) or floating in space. Humans are already stuck inside and dependent on what they have together with periodic resupply. When the resupply ships stop coming they have a limited number of vehicles capable of leaving, and people in the know rapidly take those to leave. People left behind are stuck there, and your game begins.





                                                share













                                                / a way to shut down an entire city with the citizens locked in with
                                                zero escape routes./




                                                The city was built that way.



                                                domed city



                                                https://www.humanmars.net/2018/05/domed-city-at-night-by-lorenz-hideyoshi.html



                                                Your city is enclosed, built in an environment humans cannot traverse. Depicted: Donner Party City on Mars - but you could put it on the moon, or in the deep sea, or the deep subsurface (of Earth or some other planet) or floating in space. Humans are already stuck inside and dependent on what they have together with periodic resupply. When the resupply ships stop coming they have a limited number of vehicles capable of leaving, and people in the know rapidly take those to leave. People left behind are stuck there, and your game begins.






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                                                answered 4 mins ago









                                                Willk

                                                91.7k22179391




                                                91.7k22179391




















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                                                    Caedis -6 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                                                    Caedis -6 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.











                                                    Caedis -6 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













                                                     


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