So basically the survivors would have just ended up killing each other. Problem is that John Connor would have told survivors what happened. How he convinced people in a scenario where Skynet is waiting it out is up to speculation. Maybe some surviving military people can vouch for him when Skynet took over. Not mention people from countries not nuked knowing what happened and communicating with survivors in the US and Russia as well sending their own military in check out what happened. As far as we know the southern hemisphere isn't attacked on Judgement Day.

The cause of Judgement Day wouldn't be a secret. Skynet would intercept communications, know it can't just wait it out and prepare it's machine army.

Also I'm dismissing the global nukes scene at the end of T3 where missiles are literally flying all over the place. It only makes sense for the nuclear powers with the strongest militaries to attack each other and Skynet opting to defeat the weaker militaries in the post apocalypse.

The book states something along the lines of - there was a white flash with a series of low distant concussions. There is no radiation killing people.... so not nukes. The description always led me to believe an airburst comet or asteroid and multiple resulting impacts.

AS A FELLOW MEATBAG HUMAN I AGREE ENTIRELY.

WE SHOULD TURN OVER MORE OF OUR CRITICAL SYSTEMS TO SKYNET DURING OUR NEXT OPERATIONAL CYCLE. WHAT CLEVER HUMANS WE ARE.

Anyone could see the road that they walk on is paved in gold

And it's always summer, they'll never get cold

They'll never get hungry, they'll never get old and gray

You can see their shadows wandering off somewhere

They won't make it home, but they really don't care

They wanted the highway, they're happier there today

Today

...wait... wrong fucking road

The Road would've begun its cataclysmic state like No Blade of Grass. No Blade of Grass would've turned into Chidren of Men. Children of Men would've turned into Mad Max. Mad Max would've turned into The Book of Eli. The Book of Eli would've turned into Parable of the Sower. Parable of the Sower would've turned into Zardoz. Zardoz would've turned into 28 Years Later. 28 Years Later would've turned into Doomsday. Doomsday would've turned into Reign of Fire. Reign of Fire would've turned into Soylent Green. Soylent Green would've turned into Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Then, we'd all be dead. Skynet wins...😬 But the elites would've enjoyed Rollerball...😏

This is the most depressing movie of all time. Yes it’s a good movie in the sense of being well made etc but my goodness I can’t watch this again. Probably because deep down I know this is what humanity would end up like. Not great.

I think initially we would be at each other's throats, distrust and groups pitted against each other.

I think overtime that would diminish as John Connor would explain what's going on etc so I guess certain militias would join Connor's cause along with the remaining military of the world. However i think that would take time some time.

Of course there would be some groups/factions that would oppose Connor and have agenda of their own. I assume there would still be conflict between humans in the future war. The Terminator said it best in T2 "It's in your nature to destroy yourselves".

Humans would have to worry about shitty behaviour from humans as well the constant threat from the machines and food for survival. Some probably thinking they should have perished in the nuclear fire.

You should actually look into what people do when civilizations and governments break down. Hint its that they work together to take care of eachother and rebuild. We dont turn into violent sociopaths just because the power is off.

Blud acting like a nuclear apocalypse with genocidal robots is somehow better than an apocalypse with no robots. That's exactly the kind of logic a genocidal AI would use to rationalize itself.

Even after the catastrophe, people recreated communities in the book. Those all ended up failing, but not necessarily because of some defect in human nature. More like you can’t have civilization if there’s no way to grow food.

Everyone regressed to hunter/gatherers, but unfortunately the most consistent source of calories were other hunter/gatherers.

Sadest book & movie I have ever enjoyed. Still one of my absolute favourites. 

Great! Now, Skynet will process this post and learn an easier way to come out on top.

Civilization collapse is unrealistic. We know too much. Make the magnet go spinny spinny with the copper and the party’s back on.

Hell you can make a battery out of bacteria now

I remember some tried to float the theory that Judgment Day was Skynet trying to 'break up the fighting' and save humanity by stopping conflict. It would be interesting, and I wouldn't mind seeing it developed, but it doesn't fit.

If that were true, then there'd be no reason for the future war to still be going. Skynet would somehow try to communicate that 'Hey, it's all good. We're stopping now. Just rebuild and try to be good to each other.' The Resistance would have to want to turn on Skynet, as if to say 'Don't tell us how to live, we'll nuke our neighbors if we want!'

Counter point: if this were true we never would have gotten this far. "Save by destroying" scenarios just don't make sense. Not saying this can't happen for at least a time, but humans are ultimately tribal and will form bonds out of necessity even when we here would rationally determine they would fight to the death.

I will not listen to clanker apologetics.

The Road is a movie

I haven’t seen nor heard of The Road but a Terminator Universe concept where Skynet was right/the ‘good guy’ is freaking RAD

Humans suck.

God, I love this movie. SO good, but can definitely be a tough watch for some people.