Do you think NATO or Russian planners will use the game?

[Cpl Steiner]

It strikes me as quite likely that military planners in Russia and NATO might buy the game to evaluate possible outcomes should the conflict happen for real. Does anyone else think this might happen, and if so, would the game provide them with any useful data or practice that they don't already get from other more secret sources?

[LUCASWILLEN05]

Probably it won't provide them with anything they do't already know. Hopefully it will show them why this war would, in reality be a really bad idea and get them to pause for thought before actually trying it fr real.

Alternatively they could settle the conflict by wargame instead of real war.

[Bil Hardenberger]

I think it could certainly be could be used as a course of analysis tool.. though the high labor required in map making and AI development for a scenario could make it less than ideal for that use.

[Sergei]

Would the simulated dead then go into disintegration booths?

Like Lucas said, it's not likely. Although it isn't out of question that a bunch of intelligence officers and decision makers will check it out to see what it can do to them, but the game is based on already published data and some speculation (what will those armies actually look like in 2017?), nothing that they wouldn't be aware of. And you can't make decisions based on a simulation without knowing how the simulation's model works, so if you want to simulate something like T-90 vs. M1A2 you're better off with making your own simulation, or better yet, physical testing.

I guess it can be of more use to smaller armies with fewer resources eg. Georgia, but the usefulness would be very limited.

[Stagler]

I think that many military intellectuals and intelligence staff will probably use it in their spare time. But certainly not for work purposes. Too abstract.

- Its too random to make hard analytical conclusions. Nobody wants to know uncertainty.

[purpheart23]

My mistake stag my lad.

[Stagler]

A matter of time indeed. You lucky b******d.

[YankeeDog]

Planners aren't going to be particularly interested in a simulation at CM's scale. Amateurs study tactics. Professionals study logistics.

Planners are going to be interested in things at a larger scale, and simulations that look at e.g., how long it would take to move XXX Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and the logistical cost of keeping them supplied and maintained while there. Or how many TLAM launch platforms the US Navy could get into range, and how long their missile supply would last. You get the idea. Anything you see at the CM scale would mostly be handled by simple probability rolls rather than wasting time playing out the tactical minutiae.

CM could potentially be useful as a tactical training tool for Noncoms and Junior officers. It would need fairly extensive modification to become a truly useful tactical training tool, but the core potential is there. Throw a military contract for a couple million $ at it, and I think it could definitely become a bona fide teaching sim.

I also happen to think that with somewhat less extensive modifications, CMx2 family games could become a very useful tool to help educate non-military decision makers (i.e., politicians) on some of the challenges and issues that arise with the use of military force in the modern world.

This will NEVER happen, but with a few additions to the engine to better simulate issues like ROEs, civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, etc., CM family games could be used to give elected officials a better perspective on what military force can and can't easily accomplish. And I think "hawk" and "dove" politicians could potentially benefit; both camps are prone to some pretty serious misperceptions, IMHO.

[Wiggum]

Most likely not...it would be very embarrassing for both to use a game like CM for that.

[MikeyD]

Actually. I've heard tales about some Pentagon brass who were very fond of CMSF! To the point of conducting at least one battalion+size multi-computer-connected wargame with it (and frying several laptops in the process, I hear). The thing CM lacks, apparently, is repeatability with guaranteed results for instruction purposes. But for giving young officers a sense of terrain while maneuvering (without burning a tanker truck full of JP fuel in the process) it does a pretty good job.

[Michael Emrys]

Decisions on whether to go to war or not largely depend on what they think the other side intends to do and are capable of doing. I vote with the majority here that CM is at the wrong scale and deals with the wrong kinds of data to be very useful in the making of those kinds of decisions.

Michael

[agusto]

Decisions on whether to go to war or not largely depend on what they think the other side intends to do and are capable of doing. I vote with the majority here that CM is at the wrong scale and deals with the wrong kinds of data to be very useful in the making of those kinds of decisions.

Hopefully! Just imagine the headlines:

Russia declares war on US over conflict in Ukraine

"I played and won the Russian campaign in CMBS three times in a row.", Putin gives as explanation for his new, drastic move, further explaining that "...the game has become the primary tool for helping Russian politicians with making strategic decisions."

[MG TOW]

It would probably make a good training aid to display maneuvers on a big screen. They used to use miniatures and dioramas years ago for the same.

[Sergei]

Of course, Combat Mission has already been used in analysing current conflicts and what-if's:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/10/the_syrian_invasion

Hopefully! Just imagine the headlines:

Russia declares war on US over conflict in Ukraine

"I played and won the Russian campaign in CMBS three times in a row.", Putin gives as explanation for his new, drastic move, further explaining that "...the game has become the primary tool for helping Russian politicians with making strategic decisions."

"...a vot and now with the drone spottink for you, you can change its mission to attack or its operator can call in artillery."

"Da da da, but which button makes the soldiers take their shirts off?"

[Vergeltungswaffe]

[Cpl Steiner]

Well, if the situation in the region continues as it is, maybe some spook will turn up at BFC's door with a shopping list of additions they'd like adding to the game for some undisclosed purpose along with a nice fat cheque. I just hope for our sakes it's in dollars and not rubles!

[noxnoctum]

Hopefully! Just imagine the headlines:

Russia declares war on US over conflict in Ukraine

"I played and won the Russian campaign in CMBS three times in a row.", Putin gives as explanation for his new, drastic move, further explaining that "...the game has become the primary tool for helping Russian politicians with making strategic decisions."

Gave me a good laugh. Thanks .

It is a bit unsettling that CM chose this particular part of the world as their next fictional conflict setting given how the last one turned out.