Vbs 2

[Lauxman 10]

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but here I go.

I recently had a chance to experience the use of VBS 2 as used as a training tool for the US military. Unfortunately, I wasn't really impressed. I only had an hour with it, so maybe I missed out on what it makes it more flexible and useful as a tool than ARMA2 alone.

Not everyone is as good at video games as they are at simulating operations in real life training. It is more difficult to replicate all your senses and reactions in a video game than to just train in real life.

The key factor, I think, is that simulating an operation in a video game simulator does not teach you the same "muscle memory" that you get from training in real life. Clicking on a mouse can't replicate the same feeling as holding an M4 or M240, and holding down keys on a keyboard can't teach you where you need to be and how you need to move in an operation or where you should be looking.

Replicating real-life events, or using VBS to show you what an upcoming operation should look like is still awkward and clunky when compared to a real life vignette and walkthroughs.

But, as I said, my time with VBS 2 was very brief. ARMA has been touted as a game based on the simulator that is used by the military for training, but I don't seeing it having much effectiveness in that respect at all. At, what is it, $1500 a pop? I don't understand what various militaries are spending that much money for. If anyone who has more experience than I do with VBS 2 as a military training tool, I would like to know what makes it more effective to train than what I saw.

[Fox '09 14]

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=37908 ?

[Nicholas 5]

It's not used to simulate senses like holding a real gun, obviously you aren't going to feel like your holding an M4, or your not going to feel like your "there".

It's used to teach what a soldier should do if such a situation arises. Instead of sitting in a classroom teaching procedures or going over upcoming scenarios, which can then be easily forgotten, they can use video and audio to help a soldier remember what they should do. It's better than watching a video too, it gets them engaged. As I said I'd rather do "hands on" training rather than sit and watch a video or sit in a classroom.

You might say "can't they recreate the scenario outside with paintball guns?" or whatever. Yes but that can get strenuous setting up the scene and possibly expensive and with VBS you use the editor and can create literally any scenario possible with a one-time fee.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Nicholas

[maruk 80]

I could name few points:

* VBS2 has ability of After Action Review, can connect through HLA, offer tons of scenarios and content for training, real time editor and dozens (or hundreds) of other features developed for training and simulation purposes

* Arma is not licensed for training use in military at all, the nature of license granted in VBS2 is completely different to personal license granted to user of a game

* VBS2 provides great value to military customers in comparison to various alternatives and it complements live training very well at fraction of cost

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but here I go.

I recently had a chance to experience the use of VBS 2 as used as a training tool for the US military. Unfortunately, I wasn't really impressed. I only had an hour with it, so maybe I missed out on what it makes it more flexible and useful as a tool than ARMA2 alone.

Not everyone is as good at video games as they are at simulating operations in real life training. It is more difficult to replicate all your senses and reactions in a video game than to just train in real life.

The key factor, I think, is that simulating an operation in a video game simulator does not teach you the same "muscle memory" that you get from training in real life. Clicking on a mouse can't replicate the same feeling as holding an M4 or M240, and holding down keys on a keyboard can't teach you where you need to be and how you need to move in an operation or where you should be looking.

Replicating real-life events, or using VBS to show you what an upcoming operation should look like is still awkward and clunky when compared to a real life vignette and walkthroughs.

But, as I said, my time with VBS 2 was very brief. ARMA has been touted as a game based on the simulator that is used by the military for training, but I don't seeing it having much effectiveness in that respect at all. At, what is it, $1500 a pop? I don't understand what various militaries are spending that much money for. If anyone who has more experience than I do with VBS 2 as a military training tool, I would like to know what makes it more effective to train than what I saw.

[Placebo 29]

VBS discussion policy as per here: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=37908 is pretty clear.