NATO Modeling & Simulation Group
“Exploiting Commercial Games for Military Use”
October 20-21 2004
TNO, The Hague, Netherlands
Aims
• UK MoD led, hosted by Netherlands (TNO)
• Share national experience
• Identify:
–
–
–
–
best practice
Lessons learned
barriers to further exploitation
Areas for collaboration
• Networking:
– Research community
– Military
– Internationally
International Perspectives
•
Australia
- Australian Defence Simulation Office
•
Denmark
- Danish Defence Research Establishment
•
France
- DGA French Ministry of Defence
•
Holland
- Royal Netherlands Army RNLA
•
Sweden
- Swedish Defence Research Agency
•
US
- U.S. Army Research Institute
•
US
- U.S. Marine Corps
•
Germany
- eSim Games (Industry)
•
UK
- Directorate of Analysis Experimentation &
Simulation (MoD)
Australian Perspective
Australian Defence Simulation Office
Commercial Computer Games
in the Australian Department of Defence
Why are the Australian Defence Simulation
Office Interested in Commercial Games?
•
•
•
•
Expose Defence members to simulation.
Grow knowledge and skill base.
Raise profile of simulation.
Keep abreast of developments.
• Research commissioned by ADSO identified utility of COTS
games.
• Being used anyway- needs co-ordination.
• Supports “golf bag” approach to simulation.
• Cultural change.
What Makes a Game Useable?
• At least some of the following:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Robust user community.
Multiplayer functionality.
Scenario creation.
Open database.
After Action Review.
Developer engagement.
Validation and accreditation.
Support.
Use elsewhere - and for what.
• ADSO evaluates games against
following “Six Criteria”
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
User Requirement
Representations
Data availability and reliability
Technology
Confidence building approaches
Cost/benefit
Commercial Games Products used by ADSO
Level
Individual
Collective
Soldier
VBS, SB
VBS, SB
Squad
SB, FSW, VBS?
VBS, SB
Platoon
SB, VBS?
VBS, SB
Coy
SB, CM
VBS, SB
Bn
TACOPS, CM, SB?
TACOPS, SB?
Bde
TACOPS, DA, HTTR
TACOPS, DA
Div
DA, TACOPS
DA, TACOPS
Navy
Harpoon3, Fleet Command
Harpoon3
Air
MS Flight Sim? Air War over Vietnam?
?
Joint
Harpoon3, UV
Harpoon3
VBS- Virtual Battlefield Systems, SB – SteelbeastsPro, FSW-Full Spectrum Warrior, CMCombat Mission, DA-Decisive Action, HTTR-Highway to the Reich, UV-Uncommon Valor
Australian Conclusions
• There is currently a small but significant effort.
• Good support can be achieved with systematic
approach.
• Cultural change is making it easier.
• Commercial games are just one club in the simulation
golf bag.
Danish Perspective
Danish Defence Research Establishment (DDRE)
Using Falcon 4.0 (F-16 simulator) for Tactical
Training
Falcon 4.0 for Tactical Training
• Enhancements
- Flight models (aircraft behaviour)
- EW
- Radar
- Graphics
• Issues
- Field of view is too small.
- Takes time to get used to looking around.
- Instruments takes up a too large fraction of the screen.
- Flight model not exact, behaviour is slightly different.
Benefits of the Falcon 4.0 Simulator
Things that can be trained:
(according to an F-16 pilot with Falcon 4 experience)
• Flying (basic experience)
• Systems training (RWR, Radar)
• Formation/Coordination
• BFM (Basic Fighter Man.)
• ACM (Air Combat Man.)
• BVR (Beyond Visual Range)
• COMOA (Combined Air Ops.)
• A-G (Air to ground weapons)
• Debriefing
• S-A (Surface to Air) Training
• EW Basics
Danish Conclusion
• Falcon 4.0 is advanced and very flexible,
allowing “modding” without much difficulty.
• DDRE has developed an EW tactical training
program for F-16 pilots, based on Falcon 4.0
• Lots of possibilities for other products.
French Perspective
DGA French Ministry of Defence
The use of GHOST RECON for Training Infantry
• Scope
GHOST RECON
– Tactical Education (Individual and Collective) and
Training for Infantry’s platoons and squads before
field exercises
– Optimize forces readiness prior field exercises
– Improve efficiency, time and cost
• Assessment
– Study low cost products as Commercial Games
– Provide recommendations to deploy an already
existing system
– Refine Operational requirements
GHOST RECON Features
• Actors
- From Soldier to Squad Leader
• Armaments
- PA, Famas, Minimi, AT4, Frf 2, Frf 12,7, Grenades, Mines, ...
• Missions
- Elementary Actions: Stop, Defense, Destroy, Reckon, Observe,
Conquer, ...
• Environment
- Weather: Sun, Snow, Rain, Cloud, Fog, Day/Night
- Terrain: Field, Forest, ...
INSTINCT
INSTINCT = GHOST RECON + French Improvements
• INSTINCT exercises are defined according to the same process
as field exercises
• AAR due to GHOST RECON particularities is only limited to
replay the exercises
• Less than 2 hours INSTINCT tutorial prior exercises
•
Short drills (4 Hours)
– To learn procedures
– To get the know-how
– To react with reflexes
French Conclusion
• Soldiers make same mistakes in INSTINCT & Field
exercises
– Easier to prove and explain (Wrong position, Unprotected movement)
• Field behavior is better with soldiers educated with
INSTINCT
– Better fire sectors and objectives designation
• Short Drills are recommended
– Movement, Support, Intelligence, Orders and Reports
• Pleasure and Entertainment improve the courses
– Ease the understanding (Solders learn faster)
– Management of Opposite Forces is essential to avoid “Game Play”
Dutch Perspective
Netherlands Aerospace Laboratory NLR
Flight Simulation Games and their Training Value
The media spectrum – costs vs. benefits*
PTT
FMS
DMT
ET
- Part-Task Trainer
- Full Mission Simulator
- Distributed Mission Training
- Embedded Training
Games**
PTT
Information
handling
Teaming
Communicating
FMS
Organising
Flying
Tactical
DMT
Information
handling
Teaming
Communicating
ET
Aircraft***
Organising
Flying
Tactical
* not experimentally validated ** multi-player, HOTAS + keyboard *** fourship
Dutch Conclusions
• Current generation games could be a valuable add-on
to the existing training media spectrum.
• Strong points: teaming, communication, info handling.
• Weak points: flying and organising skills.
• Most air forces do not officially use Games for training
purposes.
Swedish Perspective
Game-based driving simulator
for the Swedish CBRN demonstrator system
Swedish Defence Research Agency
The Swedish CBRN-demonstrator system
(Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear, CBRN)
• Requirement
– An event engine for the real NBCR-demonstrator system
• Objective
Requirements
– Reduce time, cost and support organization when training the CBRN
staff.
Facts
• Length: 7. 68 m
• Height: 2.95 m
• Width: 2.95m
• Weight: 19 200 Kg
• Load: 4 000 Kg
• Speed: < 110
• Patria Vehicles, Finland
The simulated NBC-vehicle
Characteristics
• Correct 3D-vehicle regarding weight,
length, height and other external
attributes.
• Generic physical behaviour
• Driver’s and operator’s seat correct
modelled
• Driver has third or first person view
• Operator same interface as the NBCDart
• Connectible with NBC/PC-Dart for
message exchange
Swedish Conclusions
• Simple, easy to use driving simulator for
concept evaluation, demonstration, basic
training etc.
• Build with open-source, gaming- and
entertainment technology.
• Game-based interface and principles
• Rapid deployment
• No classified data
• Good enough!
US Perspective
U.S. Army Research Institute for the
Behavioural and Social Sciences
Design Characteristics of a PC-based Game that Influence
Instruction and Motivation
Training Using Commercial Games
Literature suggests that Games:
•
•
•
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Are engaging.
Provide flexibility in training.
Provide “hands on” experience.
Provide contextual learning.
Questions about Motivation
• Features that Motivate
- What about the “America’s
Army” game would make you
want to play the game again?
- Which section of the basic
combat training did you like the
most, and why?
• Features that Do Not
Motivate
- Which section of the basic
combat training did you like the
least, and why?
- What would you change about
the “America’s Army” game?
Control
10%
Challenge
30%
Realism
45%
Explore
15%
Percentage of Responses
in each Category
US Army Conclusion
• Strength of training games is in procedural learning, and
the procedures learned should match the training
objectives.
• Instructional content should be integrated with the
progression of the game.
• Extensive printed text should be avoided; it may be
ignored and is less likely to be recalled than graphic
images or spoken text.
• Appropriate levels of challenge, control, exploration, and
realism can increase motivation.
US Marine Training Perspective
The Training Spectrum
EXPENSIVE, VALID
Combat ->
Instrumented LiveEx ->
LiveEx ->
TEWT (FSCEX) ->
Virtual Exercise ->
Supported SimEx (Phase III) ->
Tactical Decision-making Simulation ->
Practical App./Sand Table/CAST ->
Classroom Instr. (Phase II) ->
Interactive Multimedia ->
Asynchronous, Text Based ->
EASY, CHEAP, ACCESSIBLE
Acquisition Methods
• Straight Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)
– Used as is, no modification
• Modified COTS for Specific Marine Use
– Marine specific requirements
• i.e. models, terrain, behavior
• Minor modification
• Initial Investments in COTS Product
– Marine subject matter experts involved at ground zero and
throughout development for authenticity.
• Government Off The Shelf Development
-Ground zero development for Marines, no commercial release
Infantry Cognitive Skills Training
Experience Leads to
Better War Fighting
Crawl, Walk, Run Approach
• Mon-Tue
– Familiarization and Team exercises
• Wednesday
– Squad Exercises and rehearsals
• Thursday
– Platoon Exercises and rehearsals
• Friday
– Combined Arms, after-action review, comments
Marine Corps’ Approach
To Training
From Sand-table Exercises To Live Training
•Begin planning
•Arrange reconnaissance
•Make reconnaissance
•Complete order
•Issue order
•Supervise
•Execute Order
•After Action Review
Conclusions
Challenges
• Resistance mentality
– “I don’t want my Marines sitting in A/C playing Nintendo all day”
– Baby boomers vs. Millennium Generation
• Hardware issues
• Software Development
• Desensitization/Psychological Issues
• Facilitation
– Mission editing and contractor support
– Subject matter experts
• Marketing and Distribution
Germany - Industry Perspective
eSim Games – Steel Beasts Professional
Limits of the Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)
Approach
Current Situation
• The Market
- The market supports the idea of applying the COTS concept to
computer games
- Many computer games deal with combat simulation
- Yet the economic framework affects the practical application of a
sound idea
• Market Limitations
- Consumers demand to be entertained
- Armies demand reliability
Consumer Entertainment Market
• Receding market trend for PC game titles
– Less profitable than console games
– Software piracy
– Incompatibilities/hardware diversity
• First Person Shooters dominant genre, also “Real Time
Strategy”
• Simulations and Wargames:
- 5% market share, and dropping
Consequences
• Number of developers for simulation games is
dropping
• Publishers abandon the market segment  No
more development funding!
• Major developers concentrate on mass market
compatible games
Profit distribution
60%
Market Actors: Developers
• Dependent developers:
– Essentially owned by large publishers
– Fixed (large) budget for development
– Publisher influences genre choice
• Independent developers:
– The lucky few (Valve, Blizzard, ID)
• Filthy rich, sell blockbusters and engines
– The not-so-lucky few (us and others)
• Shoestring budget development
Market Actors: Developers
Fast.
Pick two!
Good.
Cheap.
Low cost
COTS procurement recommendations
• $100,000.- development budgets for Divisions,
and Schools
• $50,000.- procurement budgets for brigades
• Determined leadership of Simulation Officers
• Do not impose limits on “code recycling” for
consumer market
COTS project requirements
• Game developer
– Must be devoted to and knowledgeable in the subject matter
– Must be customer oriented
– Must be able to work for three years without funding
– Discretion & Reliability
• Army
– Avoid “feature creep” wish lists
– Accept partial solutions – embrace fast development cycles as a
chance
– Support developer with unclassified information
– Understand developer’s business model
Conclusion
• COTS is a sound idea, and can be a great
chance for both armies and game developers
• Technological chances are obvious
• Economical challenges are most important in the
long run, and can be mastered
UK
Dismounted Infantry Virtual Environment - DIVE 1
DIVE 1
• Half Life
– Very Popular
– First Person Shooter
– On-Line Gaming Capability
– Easy to Adapt
– (now costs <£10)
DIVE – Representation of Copehill
Down
“DIVE 1”
Copehill Down
Media Interest in DIVE
“DIVE 2”
Copehill Down
“We found the DIVE system an excellent training tool
which quickly improved our skills and enabled us to try
out things that would normally be far too time-consuming
or dangerous.”
Cpl Owen, Section Comd, 1 R ANGLIAN
extract from ‘The Castle’ magazine – Summer 2003
Further Information
All slides can be accessed at:http://wise.rto.nato.int/Publicatio/MSG037
Login: RTOAuthor
Password: StoesouS
UK Contact:- Andy Fawkes DAES,
Email: [email protected]
Other Contacts:-
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