Insurgency and terrorism
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The vast majority of conflicts fought in the last century have been "internal wars," fought by revolutionaries using a mix of insurgent and terrorist tactics. The goals and tactics may differ, from Biafran separatists to Colombian guerrillas. However, they're unified in what they are not: conflicts between states, decided by the clashes between armies organized, trained, and equipped to fight conventional wars.
The vast majority of wargames, however, cover this minority of conventional wars. So where are all the games about insurgency and terrorism? There are a few worth mention, so I'm starting this Geeklist to (1) identify them, and (2) highlight what aspects of insurgency and terrorism they depict.
Important note: There are a few things that I want to keep out of this list that may appear on the surface to fit, but don't. We're not talking about coups here, which have good representation in games like Junta. We're also not talking about conventional operations in the midst of guerrilla wars, such as Silver Bayonet's depiction of the Ia Drang campaign in 1965. Sure, there were guerrillas around, but the game itself doesn't really depict guerrilla warfare per se. Please keep these guidelines in mind as you add titles to this list.
And yes, I've noticed that there are no games simulating terrorism or counterterrorism, because I can't find them. It's not hard to see why they don't exist--who would want to play the role of the 9/11 hijackers? However, at risk of inciting an imbroglio, let me just point out the value to learning about how terrorists think by putting yourself in their shoes. People in the CIA, the Pentagon, the FBI, and other federal agencies involved in counterterrorism do it all the time, through role-playing exercises (i.e., games) and other mechanisms.
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- Posted Sat Feb 12, 2005 12:58 am
- [+] Dice rolls
