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Game Analysis - Counter Strike
Mark Frauenfelder’s Toy Soldiers article primarily discusses the long past that video games and military training have together. Because the younger generation is no longer receptive to the power point presentations, the branches of the military are forced to turn to more interactive measures. The positive side of using video games to reach the new round of soldiers is that video games have become so realistic, the military has been able to not only use video game technology but also invest in it. Because both civilians and the military want more challenging, realistic games, a cycle known as “defense conversion-reinsertion” continues to occur with a quickening return rate. Counter Strike is a very good example of a game that could easily be used as a part of military training but is also very entertaining for any civilian individual. Counter Strike is a first person combat game that can be played in rather different ways. The version that applies most to this article is being able to play online with other human beings. At the beginning of any mission, each individual player has a set amount of money to choose among several items including weapons, ammunition, and pieces for defense. After deciding on what materials are necessary for that specific mission, the team disperses and tries to defeat the enemy together. Some people use headphones to speak to the rest of the team and coordinate how, when, and where they will attack the opponent. The screen can either be set up to be first person and the player can only see the tip of his gun, or the view can be changed and the player can see his body as he runs through the mission. Counter Strike is probably the best example I have seen and can think of that simulates a real situation. First, the person is given a budget to buy weapons that the player deems necessary. So the player does not just have an unlimited amount of weaponry or ammunition; the player must choose wisely. A player may even have to re-attempt a mission several times before figure out a good combination of artillery to purchase. Specific situations must be accounted for during the purchasing process to ensure that the correct weapon is available for any and all encounters. The player could just buy a rocket launcher but if the team is trying to secretly ambush the enemy, it simply will not do. In real life, a soldier could easily become acquainted and familiarized with several weapons and their uses in different situations. Another important aspect of the game that again occurs before the beginning of a mission is the team’s discussion of a strategy on how to defeat the enemy. Particularly if the players have headsets, the entire team verbalizes different ways to infiltrate the enemy’s line, divide and conquer. The team could not simply all run face to face with the other team for two reasons. First, this tactic usually does not work; strategy must be cohesive and effective. Second, the game is set in different types of landscaping, such as buildings or woods, that would not allow a team to simply run up to the other team and capture them. The strategy behind a team is actually the most important part of the entire game. You can purchase the right equipment and be a decent aim, but if the team as a whole does not have an effective game plan, that team will lose. The planning that goes into each mission could easily be a training program for military teams who must be quick to assess a situation and create a plan to defeat it. Counter Strike could create unlimited amounts of different ways the enemy could potentially be arranged. Soldiers could brain storm and exercise different tactics that they would like to test before using in actual combat. Frauenfelder wrote a quote by Dr. Michael Macedonia saying, “The goal of a good military simulation is to leave a vivid impression the soldier will be able to recall and act upon, should a similar situation ever come up in actual combat” (Bucy, 127). After assessing what artillery is necessary, devising an effective strategy, and actually executing the strategy well as a whole team, it would be hard to argue that this game would not be a perfect way for soldiers to train for combat and so a perfect example of what Frauenfelder was writing about.
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Kmartinez |
Latest page update: made by Kmartinez
, Mar 8 2007, 9:36 AM EST
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