America's Army Expands Focus, Plays Down Goals

Thanks to The Olympian for its feature on a new U.S. Army combat unit's exercises, as recorded for free PC game America's Army. The newly-launched Stryker Brigade Combat Team was the focus of the research, and the article explains: "The game focused on infantry in the beginning. For the game to remain fresh and realistic, game designers expanded the 'America's Army' universe to include other specialties, such as combat medic and paratrooper." Although the title has been linked with Army recruiting success in the past, a spokesperson for the game plays this down, saying that "it's a 'happy byproduct' if the game draws more young people to the recruiting office", and arguing: "That's not what we're about... We're about creating awareness and strategic communication about what the Army is about."

Comments

Just another Doom clone

[Moderator]

The most important characteristics learned in the military are leadership and teamwork. The leadership required to maintain troop welfare and the teamwork required to achieve tremendous goals are gradually learned throughout the course of one's career. I'm not sure that this game will depict that. Tactics and a nice array of (more) weapons are great, but until a game accurately portrays the importance of the aforementioned traits, it's just going to be a more sophisticated Doom clone.

Re:Just another Doom clone

[gl4ss]

and it certainly doesn't portray accurately the worst things in army: waiting.. waiting.. waiting.. shitty food.. waiting.. shitty camp food.. waiting..

most soldiers never see 'action' as in running from one flag to another and shooting everyone who moves(most would rather avoid that as well if possible).

if you want to portray what the army is about to normal people make the army service mandatory.. works here(mandatory for men and even some women go there to 'prove themselfs' bullshit), everybody knows what the army is about then.

(yeah I do realise that a professional army comes cheaper if you plan to do attacking as well, at least if the time of the guys in there is worth anything)

Re:Just another Doom clone

[BrookHarty]

and it certainly doesn't portray accurately the worst things in army: waiting.. waiting.. waiting.. shitty food.. waiting.. shitty camp food.. waiting..

Campers suck.

-
Proud Camper, Campers Suck, Campers Suck

Re:Just another Doom clone

[Ramses0]

I moderately disagree, having played AA on linux a few times. During most of the missions / excercises / training, you are rigorously "enforced" into better than average FPS behaviour. IE: if during the basic training you screw around, you get busted, and eventually thrown in "jail" (Leavenworth?).

Same with the multiplayer... each time you hit your squaddies (especially if you kill them), you get negative points (karma?) ... tough to explain because I didn't completely understand it, but it definitely is a cut above the normal "Screw it, throw a grenade and let $diety sort it out."

Combine this with 24x7 (I think) admin support for reporting and kick-banning griefers / turds and you have a very solid game.

There is definitely a skill gap (which is *good*, means that good skill => wins more often), and it seems to attract the type of clan / ex military people who get a kick out of that stuff and play with headsets and teamsound, etc.

--Robert

Re:Just another Doom clone

[ooby]

Halo portrays those things. Well, they haven't really talked about eating much. But they do spend an awful long time waiting.

stretchin' Simpsons references

[eamonman]

Now you won't hear:
Y-van eht ni-oj!...
in the game, but if there be other catchy phrases in the game, such as:
Y-mra eht ni-oj!
or:
E-da-girb re-kyrts eht ni-oj! (not as catchy though :P )

rememeber to check that urge to enlist and watch CABF12 for more info :)

Practice makes perfect?

[MachDelta]

Oh sweet! Now i'll be able to practice being gunned down by a psychotic robotic tank before it happens in real life!

So what do you guys think? Should I try the classic "shake violently while being riddled with bullets, before slumping down a nearby wall", or should I try something different? Perhaps I can run away screaming like a little girl until i'm hit in the head? Or maybe I should go with something classier... yeah... I could take a bullet in the gut, and then lie in a pool of my own blood on the floor while reciting some inspiring and/or cheesy last words.

Hm, y'know what? I think this calls for an "Ask Slashdot". I'm gonna get right on it.

Desensitized to the front lines

[Neo-Rio-101]

One positive thing I can say about Americas Army, is that I would no longer fear running into a hail of enemy bullets, tragically cutting short my young life. (not sure if that's the aim of the game or not) Hmmm.. methinks it's time to join the army. (Hang on a minute.... I'm not a US citizen!)

Re:Desensitized to the front lines

[ZeroLogic]

Don't worry about citizenship, it's not a requirement to be a soldier, just an officer. Any permanent US resident can become a soldier.

http://www.goarmy.com/army101/twopaths.htm

Re:Desensitized to the front lines

[presearch]

Don't worry about citizenship, it's not a requirement to be a soldier

I didn't know that. So does that mean that Bush's new initiative to allow
illegals into the US would make them eligible for service?

Re:Desensitized to the front lines

[MarkGriz]

"So does that mean that Bush's new initiative to allow illegals into the US would make them eligible for service?"

Methinks you cracked the secret code.

Re:Desensitized to the front lines

[AvitarX]

No, they are explicitly temporary workers.

not permanent residence.

yeah, war is great

[Anonymous Coward]

...in fact,it's just like a video game. Fuck the greedy-ass evil bastards at the Pentagon.

Not overtly political.

[BrookHarty]

Been playing AA since it first came out, and when there was no servers for the first 3 days, major slashdotting on the game servers. It has come along way, many military departments, and outfits added. The gfx are decent, the levels are nice and designed like real life landscapes. The game has a good sense of game play, attack/defend, or rescue/defend hostage/aid workers.. Nothing really overtly political in the game, other than the enemy looks like the region you are in, which make sense, Russia, Africa, etc.

But if you reference this game and Iraq, Iraq is a Police Action. Different styles of combat, this game doesnt show whats its like to patrol borders, do house to house searches, or night incursions into an enemy city. Maybe they need to add those scenarios.
-
Just, kicking back listening to Country Joe and the Fish...

Re:Not overtly political.

[Anonymous Coward]

"...the enemy looks like the region you are in, which make sense, Russia, Africa, etc."

Well, we have to know what the people of future invasions look like, don't we?

What the Army is about?

[Entropius]

"We're about creating awareness and strategic communication about what the Army is about." ... this may be true in a limited sense, in terms of tactics and teamwork and combat situations.

But, ultimately, the Army--any army--is about one thing: the application of force to make another party do what you want them to. In many cases this is justified; in many more it is not.

There is nothing wrong with simulating, to whatever degree of accuracy, military tactics and situations in FPS games... but claiming that that in any way captures the essence of what the Army is about is ludicrous. The Army is about killing people.

Re:What the Army is about?

[Jaeph]

"The Army is about killing people."

Isn't that just a tad simplistic? I met numerous people who went into the army served their times, and came out better people (by their own standards) in the end. They never killed anyone, or came close to it, but they learned discipline, teamwork, and most of all how to suck-it-in and just deal.

The army experience is not as simple as you make it.

-Jeff

Americas Army

[Anonymous Coward]

Sadly, the staff the Army has hired is taking steps to kill the community AAO.

First, they did away with Homelan's servers and also the ability to call an admin on offical servers. They were replaced with SCI servers that have MAJOR lag problems, and the CS kiddies are ruining the now adminless servers.

Also, a self proclaimed "New sheriff in town" showed up on the forums not too long ago, banning people left and right, locking & deleting posts, editing [Tos Violation] over anything he didn't like to see in the forum, and today went off the deep end, banned vets & active duty and closed the Americas army R&R forum, were the only real AA community existed outside of the game. ( http://forum.americasarmy.com/ )

sad but true. the game is awesome though.

To anyone that has ever been in the Army,

[Perdo]

Playing AA is an extremely frustrating experience.

The in game M16A2's accuracy is abysmal.

If I have the sight picture in real life the game gives you and that level of calm control over a real M16A2, every shot fired becomes a kill, dead on target.

Killing in real life is much easier, much less challenging than it is in AA.

Crap, did I just write that?

Ok, that is the other half that annoys me. Killing in real life will twist you like nothing else will. The idea that a computer game, or computer games in general spawn violence is ludicrous.

Computers games are no different than older children's games such as cowboys & indians and cops & robbers. They are just games.

Do not even think that AA is a "taste of the real Army". Far from it, boy.

I'm still confused about this.

[NedR]

So . . . politicians think it's bad for people to have military shooter games because they supposedly train assassins . . . even though those games are made by developers who just want to sell games . . . but it's okay when the games are made by the army . . . which actually WANTS people to learn how to kill effectively?

No need to deny motive

[MBraynard]

If it was not a recruitment tool, it would be a waste of taxpayer's money. And there is nothing to be ashamed of. It isn't as though they are trying to deceive you about what really goes on if you do join - within the context of a video game.

This is probably the best recruiting tool out there not because it turns otherwise peaceful people into warmongers but because it both attracts and repels individuals based on their response to the game. It's plausible that an intendant infantryman might play this and decide he's better off in Dad's used car lot. This is far more instructive to a potential recruit than a propagandistic poster or a bribe-wielding recruiting officer.

And for those who do decide to go into the service, it gives them a chance to at least be somewhat familiar with terminology they will encounter and have some context for integrating their new environment.

Maybe playing this should be mandatory for a prospective recruit?

Re:No need to deny motive

[RupW]

If it was not a recruitment tool, it would be a waste of taxpayer's money.

There's also the general PR role - promote general interest and awareness of the army, especially amongst politicians and decision makers who have never did any service.

Re:No need to deny motive

[MBraynard]

?

There's also the general PR role - promote general interest and awareness of the army, especially amongst politicians and decision makers who have never did any service.

Politicians and decision makers who have never did any service AND play PC games...?

Re:No need to deny motive

[RupW]

Politicians and decision makers who have never did any service AND play PC games...?

Well, their children or grandchildren do. And the media have taken an interest in the game so the army's profile has gone up. And one day *this* generation, raised on video games, will be in power - and they'll bring with them the opinions they formed now.

(The 'have never did' was a mis-edit :-p I typed 'have never done' then meant to change it to 'never did'.)

Re:No need to deny motive

[irokitt]

I would bet that it was cheaper to write this game than it was to run all the commercials the army ran over the past 1-2 years. So maybe this was a way to save taxpayer money.

Re:No need to deny motive

[natmsincome.com]

It was actually a PR thing. At the end of the contract there will actually be 3/5 (can't remmember) games released about 1 every 2 or 3 years (The other games were a rpg kind game and a management game) the aim was to make the Amry see more "hip and cool" to teens and youth.

It's been a while since I ready the article but for $2 million I think it's a great deal and will achive it's goals alot better than adds on TV.

Re:No need to deny motive

[MBraynard]

excellent point

NOT!

[poofmeisterp]

Tell that to the recruiter that comes into the computer store I work and and asks for free computers, network drops, and space to run America's Army.

He wants all of this to attract more kids to the Army, and has directly said so. He also says he is 'under orders from above.'

I believe him.

Gay...

[antime]

Dear USA, please refrain from naming your military after gay porn. Amusing as it is, this is really in the best interest of everybody.

Thank you.

Re:Gay...

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you kidding? Gay porn made the amercian army to what it is today.

Get your FREE government software

[zero_offset]

Frankly I'm surprised anybody on /. would install software they know is written by the government.

Army contracts?

[jago25_98]

Anyone know where I can view the contract for various armed services; UK, US?

I've always wondered what rights you have / don't when signing up.

Re:Army contracts?

[mwheeler01]

Well I'm certain you give up your basic judicial rights and in place you get the UCMJ, in which I don't believe they have an equivalent to habeus corpus. I'm personally psyched to hear this because my brother is a Captain in the 1st Stryker brigade, which as the article mentions is in Iraq. I've never been inside a Stryker but it will certainly be interesting to me to see what it's all about in there.

Re:Army contracts?

[Slider451]

Check out the UCMJ here.

Re:Army contracts?

[Slider451]

Of interest in the UCMJ is article 15, or non-judicial punishment. For minor disciplinary infractions, the soldier agrees to give up his right to a court-martial (and legal representation) and place his punishment solely in the hands of his commander.

The advantage to an article 15 is quick resolution of minor issues, a guarantee of a low maximum punishment (loss of rank, one month's pay, short confinement), and no 'conviction' being placed in the soldier's record. The disadvantage is the loss of legal rights most civilians hold dear. But the soldier can refuse the article 15 and demand a court-martial if he's willing to risk greater punishment if found guilty.

Re:Army contracts?

[identity0]

Well, there is the page on How to enlist in the U.S. Navy at e2. There seems to be a whole process, not just signing a paper(though there's that, too). I'm sure if you google the various service's webpages, you'll find some info, although they're probobly more oriendted towards advertising than actually informing you what they make you do.

Re:Army contracts?

[jago25_98]

Wow, even after retiring it still applies.

It even applies to cadets!

Does anyone know the name given to the UK version of the UCMJ?

People are calling it a training tool.

[sideshow]

People are getting worked up and accusing the Army of trying to train kids as future soliders, not just recruit them.

Also, I agree this is a great recruiting tool and less slimy them the old fashioned recruiter way.