A Million People Play This Video Wargame. So Does the Pentagon. (msn.com) 40
A commercial military simulation software, originally inspired by Tom Clancy novels, has become an unexpected tool for military training across NATO forces and defense analysts worldwide. Command: Professional Edition, developed by Britain's Slitherine Software, has secured contracts with the U.S. Air Force and British Strategic Command, while Taiwanese analysts use it to war-game potential conflicts with China.
The software's success stems from its vast database of military equipment and capabilities, compiled through contributions from its million-strong user base. Marine Corps University's wargaming director Tim Barrick employs the software to train officers, noting its effectiveness in developing tactical creativity. "These are not simple problems," said Barrick, a retired Marine colonel, told WSJ.
A fascinating excerpt from the report: Command's British publisher, Slitherine Software, stumbled into popularity. The family business got started around 2000 selling retail CD-ROM games like Legion, involving ancient Roman military campaigns. When Defense Department officials in 2016 first contacted Slitherine, which is based in an old house in a leafy London suburb, its father-and-son managers were so stunned they thought the call might be a prank. "Are you taking the piss?" J.D. McNeil, the father, recalled asking near the end of the conversation.
The software's success stems from its vast database of military equipment and capabilities, compiled through contributions from its million-strong user base. Marine Corps University's wargaming director Tim Barrick employs the software to train officers, noting its effectiveness in developing tactical creativity. "These are not simple problems," said Barrick, a retired Marine colonel, told WSJ.
A fascinating excerpt from the report: Command's British publisher, Slitherine Software, stumbled into popularity. The family business got started around 2000 selling retail CD-ROM games like Legion, involving ancient Roman military campaigns. When Defense Department officials in 2016 first contacted Slitherine, which is based in an old house in a leafy London suburb, its father-and-son managers were so stunned they thought the call might be a prank. "Are you taking the piss?" J.D. McNeil, the father, recalled asking near the end of the conversation.
Slitherine Software? (Score:2)
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The poster didn't pick the name. They're only making a joke about how it comes across. It'd be like an 80s kid naming their company Megatron.
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Hell, I think the WEIRD part is here....I mean, someone comes up to ask you to buy your product and your response is to ask them if they need to pee?
What am I missing here....?
Youtubers too (Score:3)
Want to see China sink a US carrier?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
There's a lot of others too... Really an excellent piece of software.
Not sure why this is newsworthy? (Score:2)
Back in the day, 2002, America's Army [wikipedia.org] was used for training.
"Tune in" next week when they report on military sims [wikipedia.org] and Tactical [wikipedia.org]
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Despite the fact that it was a recruiting tool and for the US military at that... if AA had a single player offline campaign I'd have downloaded it.
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Korean man gamer jailed for avoiding conscruption (Score:3)
Not to forget the South Korean man who objected to forced labor military conscription as a pacifist/objector and how he was sentenced to jail because the court found that "playing FPS video games meant he was not a pacifist".
https://www.pcgamer.com/south-... [pcgamer.com]
South Korean man jailed for refusing military service after admitting he loves PUBG: Battlegrounds, which 'makes the court question whether his conscientious objection is authentic'
PC Gamer - By Rich Stanton published February 5, 2024
> 18-month prison
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It was used for recruiting too. I played it over 20 years ago, it was okay, not great. Then everyone went back to Counterstrike and Call of Duty.
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Full Spectrum Warrior started as a training tool, and supposedly the game is fairly close to the real thing.
My father was a Marine ATC in Korea, so not a sniper or anything but certainly a competent rifleman (he was also a successful hunter) and he said of some game I was playing ages ago (IIRC the mod Tactical Ops for UT) that it looked like fairly good training if those skills translate at all — I was playing with a mouse.
I assume that the gun skills are similar to the racing skills. That is, the re
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You're ready for front line combat after all that video game time. Ukraine needs you!
I'd go, too, but I don't play modern fps. Mostly crpg. I don't think there's a need for a wizard in the Ukraine.
I heard Elon plays fps, too. Maybe he plays the same games as you and stalks you in-game?
Re: Not sure why this is newsworthy? (Score:2)
Wait, are you an Elon sock puppet? That would explain why you're both an idiot and a piece of shit.
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I've never been an Elon fan.
When all you Elon cock suckers drooled over his car and his flame thrower and mars mission and whatever other shit, I rolled my eyes.
Then he bought Twitter and came out as a conservative and all you cock suckers' heads exploded and you hated Elon. My view of him didn't change one bit.
But I also never once posted psycho shit about him stalking me online. That was you. Elon Musk, richest man on the planet, personally stalking "drinkypoo". Fucking crazy ass shit. Can't make thi
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Yeah, people should just make a note of the first thing of anything to come along and then don't bother telling anybody about any new ones that ever get made ever, 'cause nobody really cares about that.
Seriously, the ennui is overpowering...
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America's Army is an FPS. CMO is a full battle simulator, using real world maps, real world assetts, and rewarding real world tactical choices. They're entirely different things, with different goals.
CMO is at the core used to train command, not to recruit teenagers.
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Yup, I played the 1st Police Quest game back in the day.
Yes. So? (Score:3)
I am a gamer and I looked into it. General sentiment was "not very fun, too realistic". That still makes for a reasonable part of training, but not for something I want to play for entertainment.
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It's very reminiscent of Harpoon. I loved that game, but it wasn't for everyone.
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Some people are into that sort of thing, you know.
I don't play games lately.... (Score:1)
But starships unlimited was fun when it was released and still replayable now. Distant Worlds 2 is their hot title right now i think. Never played it but it looks great.
Not me (Score:2)
let's play global thermonuclear war (Score:2)
Is that on list?
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Also, if you are really short of cash, the publisher has frequent sales, I've seen Command: Modern Operations available at 40%-60% off a few times in the past year. Really no excuse to pirate at those prices.
Right now $39.99 (Score:2)
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is there any way to get the other version ?
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As far as I know, it's not pirated. It also wouldn't be that interesting to pirate, since the professional version does not come with much of the ready made scenarios the mass market version has, and is more a base kit for building your own tailored training system.
The mass market version has popped up on some pirate sites, but it's not very popular since those who like this kind of game want to get up to date and corrected databases, share scenarios and such. It's expensive, but can be found discounted on
Only $11,999! (Score:2)
Tom Clancy's Peppa Pig Big Adventure (Score:3)
Tom Clancy sold his name to a big corporation which can put it on anything from oranges to toilet paper.
Which other writer is a cheap sell out like him?
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What a bastard! He gets money for selling his name as a brand after becoming famous as a writer. He should stay poor and pure!
This is an ad of some sort (Score:2)
No mention of the name of the software until a few paragraphs in. A mediocre looking simulation interface that looks like something that a government contractor would put out.
This is starting to look like an ad, but by whom? It smells like US DOD propaganda, given that the software itself is so obliquely positioned in the information.
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CMANO - CMO (Score:3)
The commercial, civilian version of this used to be Command Modern Air / Naval Operations, now replaced by a modernized CMO, Command Modern Operations. It comes with a spartan looking, but highly functional interface allowing to set up and play pretty much any kind of post WWII conflict scenario. The scope is skirmishes and battles, not entire campaigns or similar.
It's the spiritual successor of the Harpoon computer games, which started on DOS, Amiga and the like. I used to play those a lot, and loved them. CMO is the same basic concept, but modernized, with capability to handle much larger and more complex scenarios. I'm not affiliated other than as a long time player and fan of the series.
The software comes with a database of assetts, including everything from weapon systems, aircraft, ships, tanks, radars and everything else used in a modern conflict. Symmetrical and assymetrical warfare can be modeled, and ROE can be set up and will be adhered to.
The database can be viewed, and there's an unofficial website which has it available for search and display.
There are alternative databases for other time periods and such, though going down that path is a bit of madness. But the engine can handle just about anything post WWII, especially conflicts involving naval and air forces. It's not as good for ground conflict.
It's really fun and interesting, and great for getting a handle on modern tactics and battle level strategy. It's definitely not for everyone. A lot of it is akin to combat by spreadsheet, just like in any modern conflict on a high level, mixed with low level decisions which can turn an entire battle.
The one thing I dislike about CMANO/CMO is that none of them work well in Wine, Proton or similar. They require Windows to run.
"The only winning move is not to play..." (Score:2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] from the rad Wargames movie from 1983.