MODERN CONFLICT STUDIES Launched
Well, it looks like Joe Miranda and the boys are going to tackle simulating the COIN problem in a much bigger way. This new company, MODERN CONFLICT STUDIES GROUP (MCS Group) claims that:
Quote:
Traditional defense paradigms have proven inadequate to analyze these threats because these paradigms emphasize force on force and attrition based modeling without adequate regard for terrorism, infowar, and insurgency.
Fourth Generation Warfare, with its emphasis on networking and advanced technologies, makes it difficult to predict when new conflicts will break out, and for conventional militaries to formulate counter-strategies. Current events in the Persian Gulf demonstrate how the Western Revolution in Military Affairs can be stymied by insurgents who fight using asymmetrical strategies and tactics. Simulations must address not only the period of conventional conflict in a war, but also the run-up prior to major military operations, and the post campaign occupation phase.
These challenges have not been adequately addressed by the existing simulations industry.
Until now.
Check out the new MODERN CONFLICT STUDIES GROUP website here. You can see some information about two games under development--both, interestingly enough--are board wargames. BATTLE FOR BAGHDAD is perhaps the most immediately interesting of the two and if the board is any indication, will be a hoot to play. However, ADVANCED MILLENIUM WARS looks very promising as a system, particularly in modeling how inadequate conventional military forces are in a COIN environment.
ATF engine son of BCT Commander
JCUSTIS observed that:
Quote:
ATF looks like a regeneration of a game that was out there many years ago. Can't put my finger on what it was titled, as I only downloaded the free version. PLs and OBJs look exactly the same though.
Bet it was BCT: COMMANDER, designed by the same Army officer and also offered by ProSim/Shrapnel games. BCT was the initial game which was refined over time into BCT: COMMANDER which was about as advanced as the initial engine design would allow. The designer then took the same design approach but bumped the scale down a notch--ATF is a much more flexible code...thus the other games in the series using that engine.
You can see BCT COMMANDER here.
If you are looking for the best tactical combat engine for that scale, ATF is hard to beat. To get a good idea of what play is like, check out the following AARs written by the designer, Pat Proctor:
"Synchronizing Fire and Maneuver: Death Valley Task Force Attack"
"Synchronizing Fire and Maneuver: Crash Hill Defense"
Again, these are straight up "battalion-bashing" contests...no subtleties of insurgency/counter-insurgency here!
Downloading from TMSC website
Holy cats, that screen save NICHOLS posted is nothing like the CCM CD I've got (and probably the same one JCUSTIS has).
I'm apparently NOT authorized to download the games from the TMSC website even though I've got a login/password, so I'll work with Paul Nichols (NICHOLS) to figure out how to do that--will pass that gouge on.
Definitely not your grand-dad's CLOSE COMBAT MARINE from the looks of it. Hey, an ECP? A React Force? A holding area with Civilians? Cool...
Not exactly on topic, but...
A friend of mine just sent me this link about attempts to organize a gaming convention in Iraq.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=322013
It may be worth having someone there to probe around.
Marc