Slashdot Mirror


Army Game Proves U.S. Can't Lose

Alien54 writes to tell us that the latest game in the US Army's recruiting toolbox is an impressive game, simulating both weaponry already in use and some still on the drawing board. The game portrays the nation's military in 2015 but, as some critics have said, may lack even the most basic elements of realism. From the article: "For example, there's no consideration that military power or technology could fail or be jammed, she says. And the enemy doesn't learn, in contrast to a certain real-life conflict where the hallmark of insurgents is their ability to rapidly gain knowledge and evolve."

11 of 636 comments (clear)

  1. But wait ... by Salvance · · Score: 5, Funny

    The U.S. Army can't lose, right? The game sounds realistic to me ;)

    --
    Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
    1. Re:But wait ... by CnlPepper · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Er right.

      Verses the combined military might of Russia, China, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy to name a few. Bring your head out of the clouds! In a conventional military engagement with the rest of the world the US would literally be slaughtered.

      The rest of the world have more soldiers, more planes, more ships and more than 10 times the US production capability and land access via the rest of the continent.

      If you really believe what you just posted then you are a blind moron.

    2. Re:But wait ... by DMoylan · · Score: 5, Interesting

      worked for the russians in wwii against a technologically superior enemy

      worked for the chinese in the korean war

      to quote stalin (maybe)
      Quantity has a quality all its own

  2. A sim by El+Lobo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A simulation will always be a simulation. It seldom comes close to the original. You need just to choose how close you can/want come.
    In games, this difference between reality and simulation is often dictated by the fun factor. I mean how fun it will be drving a car simulator and if you crash you will need to repair the car yourself after staying 3 weeks in hospital. Not fun at all, so you simulate a crash and... start again with a new one.

    --
    It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
    1. Re:A sim by Professor_UNIX · · Score: 5, Funny
      I mean how fun it will be drving a car simulator and if you crash you will need to repair the car yourself after staying 3 weeks in hospital.
      That'd actually be pretty cool. Crash your car and have to call the police, then phone up your Geiko representative to come down and check your car out to see if he'll total it. Then when the ambulance shows up they cart you off to the hospital where the car simulation turns into a medical simulation for 3 *real* weeks. When they discharge you it then turns into an insurance simulation where you have to fight with your insurance company to get your car fixed or written off. Then car buying simulation kicks into effect!
    2. Re:A sim by dasunt · · Score: 5, Insightful
      That'd actually be pretty cool. Crash your car and have to call the police, then phone up your Geiko representative to come down and check your car out to see if he'll total it. Then when the ambulance shows up they cart you off to the hospital where the car simulation turns into a medical simulation for 3 *real* weeks. When they discharge you it then turns into an insurance simulation where you have to fight with your insurance company to get your car fixed or written off. Then car buying simulation kicks into effect!

      You forgot the part where you do something tedious for hours on end in order to get the money needed to buy what you want.

      Oh wait, they have those games already. They are called MMORPGs. *ducks*

  3. Who wants to join the losing side? by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The game is meant to be a recruitment tool. It shows you all the cool stuff you'll get to maintain as you kick down the door to the wrong person's house and thus create a brand new recruit for the enemy. It's going for the Wow, Neato effect rather than realistic gameplay.

    If they built the game so that you could lose, that would make the game interesting and eclipse the whole point of the game.

    It's like when they have airshows with the Blue Angels or open house day where civilians can stand on the deck of a carrier. It's not meant to give you a realistic idea of what goes on. They aren't going to show you guys swabbing the deck or the guys emptying the latrine. They show you the good stuff and when you're sold, they hit you with reality.

  4. Abu Ghraib Hidden Level by ettlz · · Score: 5, Funny
    Where you get to familiarise yourself with the latest military technology including:
    • the digital camera;
    • the lead-acid car battery;
    • crocodile clips;
    and, of course
    • the black hood.
  5. It's true it can't lose by Gablar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As shown by the shock and awe campaign in Iraq, the US armY has a clear advantage in conventional combat. I bet the US can win a war against any naval, air and and armored enemy army. The problem is that the enemy has evolved. Any one with half a brain will not go in a frontal war against the US, but there is an achilles heel, morale

    Any nation wishing to carry out a succesful defense against a US invasion has to fight a guerrilla war. Forget about the tanks, forget about the planes, forget about the uniforms. Send your soldiers home with a very lose chain of command and a clear mission. Wage a war of oportunity. Attack only from crowded places, dress as a civilian. Attack the countrymen that colaborate with the US. The goal of your attacks is to make them as shocking and news worthy as possible. The can't do anythinga bout that. They cannot fight against the people without giant political fallout. Wait long enough and you will drive them out.

    I think the US Army doctrine is obsolete. These are new times in warfare, where aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines mean nothing.

    --
    It's all about finding better ways
    1. Re:It's true it can't lose by CmdrGravy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Your absolutely right but those tactics are nothing new. When the French were invaded by Hitler I think they had the resistance in place beforehand to cause as much damage to the occupying forces as they could.

      Churchill had already put in place extensive plans to deal with a successful German invasion including chains of command, weapons dumps etc and had people trained specifically to kill Germans whenever the chance was offered and also anyone co-operating with them.

      Even longer ago in Afghanistan when the British were there the opposing tribes simply played them along by on the one hand pretending to negotiate with them and getting what they could from them and on the other doing whatever they could to isolate the British forces disrupt their supply lines. They managed to get the British to agree not to fortify their encampments and later once the position was becoming increasingly untenable they offered safe passage back into India at which point they triggered what is, I think, still the worst Military defeat the British Army has ever received. I think there was only one survivor out of a force of 7,000 or so.

      So, these tactics have a long pedigree and with a bit of luck often work which makes it all the more surprising when people tell you that the fact its happening now is such a shock and they hadn't expected anything like this to happen.

  6. Re:This is not really a good thing, but... by EnglishTim · · Score: 5, Funny
    Afterward, the US can use their navy as a staging area for asserting Arial dominance.

    ... and then... we will have rid the world of the threat of Times New Roman forever!