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GamingForeignPolicy
RexBrynenDepartmentofPoli/calScience,McGillUniversity
senioreditor,PAXsims
SeriousGamesinSupportofTrainingandAnalysis
aboutme Professor,DepartmentofPoli?calScience,McGillUniversity
MiddleEastpoli?csandsecurity humanitarian,peace,andstabiliza?onopera?ons intelligenceanalysis serious(poli?cal-military)gaming
PolicyStaff,DepartmentofForeignAffairs;IntelligenceAssessmentSecretariat,PrivyCouncilOffice;SeniorNonresidentFellow,Atlan?cCouncil;consultanttoWorldBank,UNagencies,others
Senioreditor,PAXsims(hTp://www.paxsims.org)
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thingswe’llbecovering
Whygame?
Whattypesofgamesmightbeappropriate? Thepresenta?onwilldrawonownexperienceofanaly?calandeduca?onalseriousgaming.
Howshouldoneusegamesintheclassroom(orforanalysis)?
whygame?
Gamescanbeeffec?veeduca?onalandtrainingtools. mo?vatedengagementwithmaterial effec?velearning
notasilverbullet,however:researchoneduca:onalgamessuggestsamoderatelyposi?veeffectonlearning(comparedtoconven:onalmethods),butconsiderablevariability
helpbridgetheoryandprac?ce offerinsightintoissuesofprocess,coordina:on,interac:onthatlecturesconveypoorly
intellectualcross-training
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whygame?
Gamescanofferanaly?calinsight. empathy/alterna?veperspec?ves adversaryresponses secondandthirdordereffects explorealterna?ves crowdsourcingmethod(genera?ngcollec?veinsight) adjuncttoothermethods
Networkingandteam-building
Inorderto“effectivelypursueaninnovative…strategyavoidoperationalandtechnologicalsurprise,andmakethebestoflimitedresources,weneedtoreinvigorate,institutionalize,andsystematizewargaming
“Whendoneright,wargamesspurinnovationandprovideamechanismforaddressingemergingchallenges,exploitingnewtechnologies,andshapingthefurthersecurityenvironment.Thecanpotentiallymakethedifferencebetweenwiseandunwiseinvestmenttrajectoriesandmakeourforcesmoresuccessfulinfutureconflicts”
“Mid-termwargamingwillfocusonthedevelopmentofnewcapabilitiesaswellasoperationalandorganizationalconcepts…withaneyetoincorporatinginnovativeapproachesortechnologiesintothefutureforceandidentifyingpotentialportfoliooffsets.”
Gaming“acrossdifferenttimehorizonswillalsoserveacrucialeducationalfunctionbybringingtogetherdifferentgroupsofdefenseprofessionalstothinkcriticallyaboutfuturechallenges.”
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digitalgames
URBANsim developedbyUSCICTforUSArmytoteachCOIN
weaknesses development?meandcosts lackofflexibility(changesneedrecodingormodding) “blackboxing”ofcausalrela?onships
strengths built-intutorialsandfeedback standardizedtraining datacollec?on
quickandsimplegames
1minutenegotiation(ultimatumgame)
2minutenegotiation
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quickandsimplegames
takeuplittleclasstime,yetcanbelinkedtoconsiderableexperimentalresearch
roleplayandnego?a?ons
variablelengthanddegreeofbackgroundpreparation
in-personand/ordigitalinteraction
somepremadesimulationsavailable
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seminargames
FallofTripoli scenario-basedexamina?onofpost-QaddafigovernancechallengespreparedforLibyanNTC(Benghazi,July2011)
weaknesses limitedto2-3“moves” limitsadversarialeffects liTleornonoise,fog,orfric?on
strengths easytoorganizeandrun(essen?ally,afacilitatedseminardiscussion)
familiartomanypar?cipants
boardgames
AFTERSHOCK:AHumanitarianCrisisGame educa?onalboardgameforuniversityandprofessionalaudiencesonmul?lateralhumanitarianassistance/disasterreliefopera?ons
weaknesses limitedcomplexity “gaminess”maybeoff-puingtosomepar?cipants significantplaytes?ngrequiredforV&V
strengths easilymodified simplicity/parsimonymaybeastrength
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a“gameshow”
Inlargerclasses,gamescanbeplayedbeforeanaudience.
matrixgames matrixgames*arenarra?ve-basedgamewithnorigidrules
inturn,eachplayerdeclares:1. anac?on2. theoutcome/effectofthatac?on(ifsuccessful)3. reasonswhytheywillbesuccessful
otherplayers(+SME)iden?fyotherargumentsfor/againstsuccess
outcomeisthendetermined umpireadjudica?on balanceofarguments adjustedstochas?cdetermina?on(dice+modifiers)
gameisadjusted,andnextplayertakesturn
*whichinvolvenoactualmatrix
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matrixgames
ISISCrisis mul?-sidedpol-milmatrixgame examinescounter-ISISchallenges,withemphasisonIraq developedwithMajorTomMouat(DefenceAcademyoftheUK),basedonmatrixgameapproachfirstdevelopedbyChrisEngle
matrixgames weaknesses
requireskilledfacilitator? don’tlookcomplicated(orexpensive)enough sequen?alone-ac?on-at-a-?me languageskills lacksophis?catedmodeling
strengths cheap,fast,andeasy flexible mul?sided fullspectrumofdiploma?c/informa?on/military/economicac?onsandeffects
role-playing canbeusedinconjunc?onwithothergamesystems
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matrixgames
hybridgames
Brynania large(100+)weeklongrole-playsimula?onofcomplexpeaceopera?onforuniversitystudents
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hybridgames
USEngagementintheMiddleEast(2016) Atlan?cCouncilMiddleEasttodevelopgameexploringtheimpactofgreaterUSengagement/disengagementonMiddleEast
focusoncrisisstability:canUSeffec?velydeterchallengers,support(andrestrain)allies,buildcoali?ons,mediateandresolvedisputes?
twosimultaneous,semi-linkedgames
hybridgames
Pales?nianrefugeenego?a?onsimula?on(2009) FCO-supportedChathamHousepolicyanalysisproject
UNRWApolicysimula?on(2013) policyanalysisforUNRWACG
Pales?nianrefugeeworkshops(2014) USDoS/FCO-supportedChathamHousepolicyanalysisprojectinsupportofKerrynego?a?ons
SyrianRefugeesinLebanonsimula?on(2014-15) educa?onalsimula?onforExeterUniversityandMcGillUniversity
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someofmygames
Dstltripreport:https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/dstl-wargaming-trip-report-or-i-visited-portsdown-west-and-all-i-got-was-this-lousy-mug/
Bestprac?ces Startwitheducationalobjectives:whatareyoutryingtodo?
Considerconstraints(time,space,participants)andtrade-offs.
Integratewithcoursecurriculum,eithertoidentifyissuesforfurtherexaminationortohighlight/explorematerialalreadycovered.
Thinkaboutatmosphericsandstudentengagement.
Startsimple(asaneophytesimulationuser).
Keepitsimple(asagamedesigner).
Plagiarize!(asagamedesigner).
Makeuseoffreetechnology(email,blogs,coursesoftware,Facebook,Twitter,Skype).
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Bestprac?ces
Prebriefing whatshouldstudentsexpect?
…althoughsomesurprisesarefine
howshouldstudentsprepare?
preparation/backgrounderassignments
Bestprac?ces
Debriefing whatshouldstudentknowaboutwhathappened?
insomegames,playersmaynotbeawareofallthattranspired
whatshouldstudentslearnfromtheexperience?
whatshouldstudentsNOTlearn? learningfrom“bad”games
debrief/reflectionassignments
studentfeedbackcanhelptorefinethegamedesignorimplementation
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Addi?onalresources
PAXsimshTp://www.paxsims.org
Ac?veLearninginPoli?calSciencehTp://ac?velearningps.com
GamingPoli?calSciencehTp://www.k-state.edu/polsci/gaming/
Addi?onalresources
Journals PS:Poli(calScienceandPoli(cs Interna(onalStudiesPerspec(ves Simula(on&Gaming
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Addi?onalresources
Books PeterPerla,TheArtofWargaming(1990) Ka:eSalenandEricZimmerman,RulesofPlay:GameDesignFundamentals(2004)
PhilipSabin,Simula(ngWar:StudyingConflictThroughSimula(onGames(2012)
MarkC.Carnes,MindsonFire:HowRole-ImmersionGamesTransformCollege(2014)
JohnCurryandTimPrice,MatrixGamesforModernWargaming(2014)
NatashaGill,InsidetheBox:UsingIntegra(veSimula(onstoTeachConflict,Nego(a(onandMedia(on(2015)
PatHarriganandMaVhewKirschenbaum,ZonesofControl:Perspec(vesonWargaming(MITPress,forthcoming2016)
ISISCrisis(Iraqedi?on) Sixplayers/teams+op?onalSME1. ISIS2. Kurds3. Iraqigovernment4. Sunniopposi?on5. Iran6. UnitedStates7. SME(unrepresentedplayersandeffects)8. Humanrights/massatrocitypreven/oncommunity
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matrixgamevaria?ons mul?-levelgame
largerteams(4-6),withplayersassignedrolesandindividualgoals
groupdecision-makingrules individualinterac?onlimits
mul?pleCOAs,selectone generateslargernumberofpossibleac?on enablesanalysisofroads-not-taken
mul?pleac?onsperteamindifferent(diploma?c,military,economic,other)domains all-of-government reducekine?cbias
matrixgamevaria?ons distributedandasynchronousgames
playbyemail,skype,messaging,etc
linkedgames forexample,simultaneousSyriaandIraqgames
matrixgamesembeddedinmoreconven?onalwargames RCAT
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