Videogame Helps Flood Defense Planning

Thanks to BBC News for its article discussing a videogame called 'FloodRanger' helping UK authorities work out strategies to cope with real-life flooding. According to the piece: "As in other virtual world games, like SimCity, players have God-like control, so social, economic and environmental decisions have knock-on effects", but this sim "was developed as part of the [UK Department of Trade and Industry]'s Foresight flood defence project." The official 'FloodRanger' page has more information on this also commercially released title, in which it's "...up to the player to decide where best to build appropriate sea or river flood defences, like dams, reservoirs or groynes, whilst keeping their public generally happy."

Comments

hmm

[Joe the Lesser]

Can't decide on FloodRanger or this game for my next purchase.

Re:interesting....

[Bagels]

RTFP, and RTFA. It will be commercially available for 50 pounds - this is also a proper game, not just a government tool. So if you cough up the dough, presumably you can muck around with it all you want.

About time

[Ymiris]

I have always wondered why people didn't use sims for real life issues. What they should do is allow people to upload their configs on the web and award the best and most efficient sim some sort of prize. This would give them access to a bigger idea base.

Your value meals at work

[ArmorFiend]

I work for the McDonalds Corporation Advanced Modelling and Simulations Department, where we constantly plan and game against foodstuff revolt by playing BurgerTime. It's been a great success, I'm proud to report we haven't lost a single team member to eggs or sausage in 2004.