Americas Army as Training tool

[Tigershark_BAS 0]

BBC Article

[LoTekK 0]

When I saw this earlier today on ActionTrip, I actually thought it was some old article that had been accidentally dug up. Maybe it's the cynic in me, but I'm finding it a little amusing that the Army's most talked about software development over the past couple of years is only now being talked about as a training tool. I suppose it could be seen as an interesting development cycle, with the public releases of the last few years being development alphas, allowing the team to tweak various aspects of gameplay and network stability, but it just seems that they could have instead worked it from the ground up to be equal parts recruitment tool and training tool. I mean, unless they have an entirely separate build that's been worked on in parallel with the public releases, I find AA to be a far from realistic "simulator". Add the fact that there are already a few good COTS packages out there (VBS1 obviously comes to mind) that would be better suited as training tools, and this announcement just seems a little... I dunno, off, I guess.

They're taking a game that started off as a relatively arcadey multiplayer shooter developed primarily for the masses, that deals with relatively small-scale encounters, and turning it into a training simulator?

It just seems to me that the equipment they're using to retrofit field-ready gear for use in the game (not exactly a new idea or implementation) could be put to better use in something a little more... well, training and realism-focused.

But that's just my 2 cents.

[ralphwiggum 6]

at E3, the convoy duty was available for public to play. I say it was ok. Also, there was similar setup, except that it was based off of one of AA's mission. Think of arcade game with a gun and that's it.

What's a little more different is that they have a system that tests different weapons that are not in service in wide volumes. There was a grenade launcher where you could lock the distance, and the aiming module would set a red dot somewhere in the sight, and all you had to do was put th dot on the top of the target and elevation was taken care of. Seems like the AA has some non-commercial use already.

[jakerod 254]

According to my brother, who goes to The Military Academy at West Point they used to use it to try out new tactics and such. He said it normally fell apart though because they would play with regular people too and no one would really work as a team.

[Heatseeker 0]

I thought it was well known that there was a diferent AA team working it for simulation and training, its just that knowing the limitations of Unreal engine it must be very limited and small .

This thread reminded me i havent played AA in a long time, i get tired and bored with it very fast...

[echo1 0]

The US Army using AA as a training tool, wtf?! Before we know it the SAS will be using CS:Source for CQB training

[ebns72 0]

Actually, if you play americas army it is a decent simulator. The major problem with it right now is no one is willing to play it realistically and its just a free-for all if you join a server, making it unrealistic. However, with proper cooperation and whatnot I could easily see how the game could be used as a simulator. Americas army is actually a lot more realistic than CS contrary to popular belief. Actually, it has pretty much the exact same control options/features as operation flashpoint (prone, fatigue, etc) except that the weapon is centered on the screen.

Have you seen some of demos of the upcoming version? The terrain is surprisingly expansive, it even has vehicles and everything. America's army outdoor maps are actually already pretty wide open, almost like if you took a small chunk out of an ofp map.

[Tovarish 0]

America's Army has tided me over many times when I got frustrated with waiting for a decent OFP server to open up.

But that problem should be solved once that other AA comes out

*edit* but ebns72 hit it right on the nail. AA is no OFP by any means, but I think it's pretty good, and you can't argue with the price.

Besides, there is NO map in AA that is as bad as some maps for OFP which I see many servers hosting again and again.

Corridor?

No Fear?

WTF is all THAT about?!?

And I still have a huge beef with the G36 and it's one-shot killing power, especially when it's always the default weapon on maps like the ones I mentioned above.

Ok, gonna stop my ranting now

[blackdog~ 0]

Tovarish, I hate those servers. They should all burn/rot/decompose/this/that/other in hell.

[4 IN 1 0]

America's Army has tided me over many times when I got frustrated with waiting for a decent OFP server to open up.

But that problem should be solved once that other AA comes out

*edit*  but ebns72 hit it right on the nail. AA is no OFP by any means, but I think it's pretty good, and you can't argue with the price.

Besides, there is NO map in AA that is as bad as some maps for OFP which I see many servers hosting again and again.

Corridor?

No Fear?

WTF is all THAT about?!?

And I still have a huge beef with the G36 and it's one-shot killing power, especially when it's always the default weapon on maps like the ones I mentioned above.

Ok, gonna stop my ranting now

man you have played too much PvP map

may be some coop map would help you a bit?

[[aps]gnat 28]

man you have played too much PvP map

may be some coop map would help you a bit?

Agree, there are servers out there where its all about balance .... well the one I play on is  

And lets face it, any normal server would have 100's of maps, its only the ppl playing ( usually the "usual suspects" ) that actually selected the dodgy ones, not the server itself.

EDIT .... back on topic. Teamwork in ANY FPS has to be forced, its not natural to have your face in a computer screen AND work with your buddies to reach a common virtual goal.

[Sanesh 0]

I tried to play AA ,but first i had a version with a bugg the assault training newer finished,but one of my friends had a good one so I was watching his progress end helping him with the mental( ? ) test

after we pasd and got throo as a SF he tried to go to a serwer (we didnt experienced any intresting gameplay just training until this) ,finaly managed to get in one and it vasnt satisfiing(lots of work for nothing...),I mean sometimes we sav one guy running somwhere and that was it all ,basicly there was no squad to be in,no military feeling for eg. in counterstrike U can experience mor and better teamplay and it was not made to simulate any military actions

[jtec 0]

Only way you will get teamplay is playing with a clan/squad or whatever people call them these days. I dont think you will ever find a server that you can just join and play as a team with complete strangers.

[Sdstorage 0]

I always found AA to be pretty enjoyable in short bursts. It's really best described as a blend of dumbed-down OFP and improved CS.

It does have some minor advantages over OFP though - "cooked" grendades, richocets and weapon jams, for example.

[Myst9999 0]

A little OT, but Day of Defeat encourages teamwork more than CS ever will.

Ofp as a military simulator cant be beaten on shear scale. Most other games that try to simulate battle either cant combine what OFP does (moving from vehicles to on foot action without changing player class, combination of vehicles and infantry work etc), or those that do, do it unrealisticly (BF2 for example).

[Airbourne Alchaholic 0]

Quote[/b] ]"The action in this first-person shooter is often fast and furious, and in multi-player mode, you can play against more than a dozen other people."

*Gasp* Over a dozen other people!? Impossible!

[Daniel 0]

I played America's Army ages ago with a mate of mine. I found the teamwork to be quite good - people set up at corners, some people opened doors while others chucked smokes and flashbangs, etc. Then again, I havn't played it for around a year now.

[Tigershark_BAS 0]

Another article in Washington Post regarding increasing relaince of games as training tools in the US Military

Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War

[mr burns 132]

The US Army using AA as a training tool, wtf?! Before we know it the SAS will be using CS:Source for CQB training

Wasn´t Doom one of the first COTS games wich were used for USMC (iirc) as training tool?

edit: lol, may i quote from tigersharks link:

Quote[/b] ]In the mid-1990s, Bartlett, an avid gamer himself, created "Marine Doom," the military version of the original "Doom,"...

[ralphwiggum 6]

AA as training tool...and for fun game too!

this product is made by Lasershot. It uses some of AA along with their propritary software.

[mr burns 132]

arrrrgh me wants

http://www.lasershot.nl/

Quote[/b] ]The guns are realistic rifles and fire a laser beam at the projection screen. This laser beam is detected by the specialized camera.

this cries for some build it your own guide like the volksbeamer.pdf

[skydefender 0]

My Brigade (3d BCT, 10th Mountain Division) recently started using OFP with add-ons funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - now called Ambush!. DARPA actually conducted a comparison of 6 gaming engines with potential uses for military training a couple of years ago and OFP came out on top by far. We are in the process of deployment to Afghanistan and will attempt to use it as a mission rehearsal tool. Next week I will attend a military gaming conference where we will discuss what other game engines are out there and hopefully put resources behind one instead of the 4-5 that are being used to some extent right now. As of right now, OFP-Ambush is as good as it gets mainly because of its intuitive mission editor, which is essential to rehearsing missions.

[[aps]gnat 28]

As of right now, OFP-Ambush is as good as it gets mainly because of its intuitive mission editor, which is essential to rehearsing missions.

Interesting to see its really out there Sky .... almost "frontline".

If you are familiar with the standard OFP mission editor, whats so different in the Ambush editor ?

[Tigershark_BAS 0]

Addons funded by DARPA. If it's anything like our Coalescent Tech. friends whoever is making them for DARPA is probably taking community addons, re-packaging them as their own and then selling them for ridiculous amounts of money to the US military.  Sad to say many BAS addons went on to make a lot of money for these questionable business practictioners

[sander 14]

Hi,

Another use of games for training purposes:

Quote[/b] ]

US troops taught Iraqi gestures

By Paul Rincon

BBC News science reporter, St Louis

The new training tool aims to end confusing, dangerous situations

The US military has funded a computer game to teach its troops how to use and decipher Iraqi body language.

The purpose is to teach soldiers that using the wrong gestures can potentially cause offence and escalate already tense situations.

In the program, users must build trust with local people through verbal communication and gestures.

One of the system's creators says the training tool, known as Tactical Iraqi, has already been a great success.

Hannes Vilhjalmsson, a research scientist at the University of Southern California, gave details of the Tactical Iraqi at a conference in St Louis, US.

The system also teaches troops Arabic language skills.

Cultural differences

The program teaches military personnel some key gestures such as an up-down movement with the right hand to ask someone to slow down and gives them tips such as removing mirror sunglasses when approaching local people.

In western countries, we control our body language more. In Arabic culture, it is important you show how open you are

Dr Hannes Vilhjalmsson

University of Southern California

"In Iraq, to show sincerity you have to put more effort into your gestures," said Dr Vilhjalmsson.

"In Western countries, we control our body language more. In Arabic culture, it is important you show how open you are."

He added that reserved body language in exchanges with local people could be interpreted as having something to hide in Iraq, potentially escalating a tense situation.

Military personnel also learn that people can approach each other more closely than one normally might in the West.

Dr Vilhjalmsson said it was important troops should not automatically interpret close proximity in an exchange as a threat.

And the game teaches them that pointing the finger at a person can be considered aggressive in Arab cultures.

Regional variation

Tactical Iraqi is built on top of the game engine for Unreal Tournament, a first-person computer "shoot-em-up". In the training tool, though, subjects use communication to resolve situations.

Dr Vilhjalmsson said initial testing of Tactical Iraqi with marines deployed to Iraq had shown the programme to be very effective.

The University of Southern California is also working on other versions of the game: Tactical Pashto, which trains troops in communication specific to Afghanistan; and Tactical Levantine, which teaches them Arabic language and gestures specific to Lebanon and other surrounding areas.

The training system has been funded by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).

Dr Vilhjalmsson was speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in St Louis, US.

From BBC News

Regards,

Sander