Re: US and South Korea begin military manoeuvres

[Guest guest]

The thing to remember about these computer based games is that they are usually very limited and rigged. They are limited because they aren't so much a combat exercise as a staff officer exercise. As such they typically follow a tight script because that is how the game is programmed. It is rigged because if results throw off the script too much it makes the staff officers look bad and harms their promotion prospects. So they fudge the game to make it run "successfully."

I don't have the link right now but there was an example from the 1990's about an exercise in the Persian Gulf where the defenders used unconventional tactics to sink a number of US warships. This went against the script for the staff officers to punch their ticket so the ships were refloated and most other losses erased. So on it went. From all that I've read this is common.

So, they can play their cute computer game but not be prepared for a real attack. If the North Koreans are smart they won't interfere but will just watch the news and other sources and learn the tactics. They might make some more bombastic statements and maybe move some troops around in order to goad the Allies commanders to boast more and reveal more about the exercises. When the games are over, let the US ships get far away and then strike. With any luck they'd catch the troops tired and equipment in the process of being repaired.

In a message dated 2/28/2011 12:57:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

About 200,000 South Korean and 12,800 US troops were to take part in the 11-day exercises, known as Key Resolve and focused on computer-based war games, the Yonhap News Agency reported, quoting officials from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

[Guest guest]

The thing to remember about these computer based

games is that they are usually very limited and

rigged. They are limited because they aren't so much a

combat exercise as a staff officer exercise. As such

they typically follow a tight script because that is

how the game is programmed. It is rigged because if

results throw off the script too much it makes the

staff officers look bad and harms their promotion

prospects. So they fudge the game to make it run

"successfully."

I can

understand the logic of resetting the simulation because there

is still time on the clock, and it may be more productive to

restart rather than simulate further, but the only script

present in the war games is the scenario start script.

Also, the military chalks up Millennium Challenge (the war

game in the 90's mentioned) as a blue victory, but I

see it as "Congrats, you scripted a victory. Would you like us

to pass the script to future opponents?"

[Guest guest]

Thanks. I can never remember the name of that exercise for some reason.

Part of the reason it is scripted is because of the expense of the operations, especially the ones with large numbers of troops. However, the purely computer ones shouldn't be that expensive and could be run without a script.

I can understand the logic of resetting the simulation because there is still time on the clock, and it may be more productive to restart rather than simulate further, but the only script present in the war games is the scenario start script.Also, the military chalks up Millennium Challenge (the war game in the 90's mentioned) as a blue victory, but I see it as "Congrats, you scripted a victory. Would you like us to pass the script to future opponents?"