Navigating the Minefields:
Military Accuracy in Tactical Shooters
Presented by Christian Allen
Game Designer
1
Speaker Introduction
• A Game Designer, focusing on Military
shooters in the Tom Clancy Universe.
• Latest title as a Lead is Tom Clancy’s Ghost
Recon 2 on the Xbox.
• Military background includes the USMC,
USAFNG, and USARNG
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Why Bother Being Accurate?
• When making a game set in real life (just like
any game world), accuracy in the details of
your universe will set the stage for how your
player accepts the gameplay mechanics of the
world.
• For the purpose of this talk, accuracy is
defined as “conforming to fact.”
3
Player’s Perceptions:
Keeping up with Hollywood
• Movies such as Saving Private Ryan and
Black Hawk Down define what is an accurate
portrayal of war.
• Even if your game is hyper-accurate, it will be
judged against the latest Hollywood model of
“real.”
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For Example…
• Everyone knows what a Special Forces soldier
looks like…
5
And they don’t look like
this…
•In actuality, this
is a Special
Forces Operator
in Afghanistan,
while the first
picture was from
Black Hawk
Down.
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Choosing Your Model
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Levels of Accuracy & the Game
Vision
• The market can determine the level of accuracy in your
game, depending on how you want to set your game
against the competition.
• The two ends of the spectrum in are the Rambo-style
action on one end, and the hard line simulation on the
other.
• Many factors can go into the decision on where on the
spectrum you want your game to go, but it is important
to nail down the level of accuracy in the Vision of the
game.
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Communicating the Game World
Model to the Team
• Movies can be a great way to communicate the Vision
to the team, whether in whole or using scenes to
demonstrate realism, character development, and
action.
• Providing books, manuals, and other references is
important, but it is best to give small bits of information,
instead of expecting development team members to
read novels or manuals.
• When looking at details on equipment fact sheets are a
great tool, and you can either use real factsheets, or
create your own for different pieces of equipment.
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Communicating the Game World
Model to the Team
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The Realism Debate
• Deciding “what is realistic” in a game world is always
difficult, but as long as each game element fits within
your game world and stays consistent, you can adjust
your level of realism and accuracy.
• If your game world has a feeling of authenticity and
accuracy, players will accept non-realistic elements as
“realistic,” even when they are totally different than real
life.
• The general rule on when to “fudge” follows standard
rules of game design: Gameplay and Fun Rule!
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The Real World is still a
Game World
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Consistency & Balance
•
In real life, guns are not balanced against each other. Thus,
your game world needs to add inaccurate balancing for good
gameplay. However, too much balancing can ruin the
immersion of the game world, so you should take care in the
selection of weapons and equipment.
•
Real-life objects can also be used to provide balance, rather
than removing it. Ammo load-outs, recoil versus damage, and
weight, and other elements work for game balance.
•
They key is finding which elements you can reproduce in your
game, and integrating them.
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Who is your Hero?
•
Your Hero or character can help define much
of your game world. It is important, in a military
setting, to define what your hero “Can do”
versus what he/she “Would do”.
•
The scope of what your missions will do is
also defined by the setting and hero character
in your game. Having your hero infantryman
pilot an aircraft carrier can work in an a less realistic setting,
but can destroy the immersion of the game if it is driving for
hyper-accuracy.
•
The story and setting also must be consistent with your game
world. The story must support the level of accuracy that you
are driving for in your game.
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Real Life is Not Fun!
•
After you decide on the level of accuracy
in the game, you must identify what is fun
about that model. Is it surprising
untrained enemies? Using the latest
technology? Mowing down hordes of
enemies? Decide what is fun, and then
focus on those elements.
•
Real life sucks. It’s hot, stinky, and often
boring. It is important that just because
something is realistic, doesn’t mean it
should be in the game.
•
Keeping the accurate elements fun is important. If it is more
fun for your players to mow down their allies, instead of
fighting the enemies, you need to evaluate your gameplay!
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Attention to Detail
• The details are very important. Getting them
right will get the Grognards on your side.
Getting them wrong will cause your game to
be dismissed by them. No matter what your
gameplay is like, making details accurate add
to the authenticity of the game.
• Fact checking is essential! Do not rely on one
resource for all information, no matter how
well informed they are.
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Key Areas of Accuracy
•
•
•
Guns and Ammo
– Weapons are some of the easiest things for nit-pickers to
single out. The visuals, sounds, and descriptions are very
important to nail. This the area that most military shooter fans
“know” the most about.
Jargon and Language
– Make sure your language fits your subject. Be sure to use
enough jargon for flavor, but not too much to alienate players
who might not understand what you are talking about.
Remember, it is about perception!
Uniforms and Medals
– This is another area that is very easy to make mistakes in, and
be called out on. Check your assets against appropriate
resources, to make sure the details are right.
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Resources
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Consultants
• Many teams use paid consultants. While valuable, you
must make sure that consultants are working for you,
not the other way around. Many consultants, especially
from Hollywood, can be more interested in building
their resume than providing helpful assistance.
• Consultants can be a valuable PR resource, adding an
air of authenticity to your product. However, you must
make sure and identify if that is their primary purpose,
or if it is to directly assist the development team.
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Consultants
• Remember, consultants are not game
developers (although they may forget that).
They should be assisting the team, not telling
you how to do it!
• Anyone can Google, Why Pay for It?
– If you are just getting generic information that
anyone can find, why bother? Keep an eye on
the information you receive, and evaluate it’s
worth.
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Team Resources
•
Former Military members can be a valuable asset. However,
you must be sure to identify their experience, and make sure
to be clear to them the specific information you are looking
for. Let them know that it is OK to say “I don’t know.”
•
Fans can also be a good resource. If you are working on an
established franchise, there will be many knowledgeable fans.
However, you must judge what you hear or read from them,
because their information can be colored by what they “have
learned” from games, and not necessarily from reality.
•
Marketing professionals can be helpful also, with connections
to the media and publications, for tracking down otherwise
hard to find resources.
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Public and Local Contacts
•
The Military
– You would probably be surprise at how much the military is
happy to provide information to make your game authentic.
Often, military members feel it is very important for games to
“get it right.”
•
Historical Foundations
– If you are working on a historical game, contact the
foundations and organizations that work to keep memories
about the conflict alive. They often have a vast amount of
knowledge on the subject.
•
Re-enactors
– Re-enactors are an undervalued resource, and if you are
looking for detail-oriented advice, these are the guys to give it!
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Public and Local Contacts
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Conclusion
• By choosing your game model,
communicating your vision to the team, and
paying close attention to the details of your
game world, you can ensure your game stands
out in the sea of military shooter titles!
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Thank you for your Time!
Christian Allen
Game Designer