Training? Whaaa?

[Steezie]

Ive heard some scuttlebutt these past couple days about a bill that is being proposed to ban games like Battlefield 2.

The idea is that potential terrorists will be able to train themselves with these games and pose a greater threat.

The notion that Battlefield or any other modern combat simulator game could be used as a training tool for terrorist forces is laughable at best for obvious reasons but lawmakers have proposed crazier things.

Ive searched for it online but havent found anything, anyone know anything about this?

 

[Dracil]

Well, both America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior in their earlier iterations were both actually used by the US army for training. If it works for them, why won't it work for others?

 

[Steezie]

Well, both America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior in their earlier iterations were both actually used by the US army for training. If it works for them, why won't it work for others?

Because its one thing to be good at a game, its annother to be good at the same thing in real life

 

[Dracil]

Which is irrelevant to the fact that the US army believes they are good enough tools to be used to train soldiers.

 

[SUNSTONE]

It's too late, I'm better trained than any military person who ever lived!
Muhahahaha!

Don't worry a bill like that would never pass.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

If that's the case, then I suppose they should also pass a bill saying that all military applications should ask "what is your rank on any Call of Duty, Half Life, or Halo server?".

I swear, we start losing this war and suddenly it's not our fault, it's the fault of everyone else, including video games.

 

[blackpower]

doggy

 

[Dust and Ashes]

Because its one thing to be good at a game, its annother to be good at the same thing in real life

I've heard there are no respawn points in RL.

Seriously, though, I can imagine a game being used to familiarize someone with squad tactics and learning an area but it would require some level design software and at least one person to be familiar with the area to design the level.

I remember farming the Jester in Kurn's Tower in EQ so much that I knew that place like the back of my hand. I could see it being useful for that and some other things. The actual ordinance handling, of course, would have to be done outside the game.

 

[klong3]

That's severly stupid, people need to use their brains more. This anti-game thing is a really stupid fad. Here's a question, if you were to get a group of the best Battlefield 2 players and a group of trained soldiers and then give them paintball guns and put them in a battle field, who do you think would win? Not only would the soldiers have better shooting skills and more brains about not getting shot, but they also have way better fitness and fighting skills.

 

[peanutbutter12]

They talk about this all the time. No action has really been taken each time it's brought up. But government idiots need someone to blame. Next they will want to ban Microsoft Flight Sim for teaching people how to fly planes because it might help a terrorist.

CJ

 

[ravendta]

It's funny - the lawmakers think that the players of these games can't tell the difference between games and real life. Then they worry about something like this, and it makes ya wonder which of us REALLY has that problem.

 

[Steezie]

Which is irrelevant to the fact that the US army believes they are good enough tools to be used to train soldiers.

The US Army couples virtual training with actual on the ground training. You could be the best BF2 player in the world and still not able to hit the ground without gravity and a 200 round clip. US Army soldiers are physically fit, mentally conditioned, and trained in actual combat situations. Not sitting comfortably infront of a computer for hours on end. I dont care how much you play BF2 or any other game, you are NO match for trained army personnel

I have had the rare privallege of being able to fire an AK47 in real life. Ive made 400+ kills with the AK in Battlefield 2, some as far away as a thousand yards. Firing the weapon in real life is FAR different than firing it in the game.

Also, in the games you are not fighting against army personnel, there is no room to learn actual army tactics. You will be good against disorganized players, but theres no way you could stand up to a real army.

 

[Dracil]

Right, but notice I did not make a claim that games or military simulators by themselves are sufficient, but only whether or not they had UTILITY on such matters. A subtle, but important distinction.

 

[Uphill Battle]

shoot, I for one am disappointed that they caught on... the underground Canadian militia has been training using Xbox for awhile now in preparation for the raid and overthrow of the white house.

Of course, we have to use Call of Duty or Medal of Honour games, as our military tech is still WW2.

But now that I've told you that, I have to kill you, eh?

 

[Steezie]

Right, but notice I did not make a claim that games or military simulators by themselves are sufficient, but only whether or not they had UTILITY on such matters. A subtle, but important distinction.

So the idea that such games could be used to train a terrorist is patently absurd

 

[Dust and Ashes]

So the idea that such games could be used to train a terrorist is patently absurd

Not really. Suppose you want to train for a mission in the U.S. embassy in some country. Get a floor plan for the building and put together a game map of it. Run missions in game to familiarize the team with the area and it will go a long way towards making the mission more successful. It will not help you handle weapons better or with physical fitness but it can be useful for training purposes.

Think about it, if you were dropped into a place that was virtually identical in layout to your favorite deathmatch map in your favorite shooter, would you not know the lay of the place and how to best use that layout to fight there. You'd have to get the actual fighting skills somewhere else but there's no doubt you would know the area.

Of course I still think it's stupid to attack games the way they do and in no way is this an indictment against games or gaming. Games are naturally not sufficient to train terrorists but they could be modified to be useful in training.

 

[Dracil]

So the idea that such games could be used to train a terrorist is patently absurd

No, because unlike gamers such as yourself, terrorists, like the military, DO have access to all those other stuff that makes these simulators that much more useful to them for training purposes.

 

[Steezie]

No, because unlike gamers such as yourself, terrorists, like the military, DO have access to all those other stuff that makes these simulators that much more useful to them for training purposes.

What sort of advantage would playing games like Battlefield 2 offer a terrorist?

 

[Dust and Ashes]

What sort of advantage would playing games like Battlefield 2 offer a terrorist?

Just playing the games wouldn't. One way they could be useful would be <read my previous post>.

 

[Dracil]

What sort of advantage would playing games like Battlefield 2 offer a terrorist?

The same benefit it offers soldiers in the military. Why don't you ask the US army? They don't put military simulators in their bases for decoration you know.