Virtual Peace Sim Game Based On America's Army 186
fortapocalypse writes "Duke University in collaboration with Virtual Heroes (who created America's Army) has produced a game called Virtual Peace, the intention of which is to help the gamer develop disaster relief and conflict resolution skills. Virtual Peace also is the winner of the HASTAC/MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition, according to an article published by the university."
I don't know (Score:5, Insightful)
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Global political simulator? I think it does all right.
There were also some rts games made by a german company that involved environmental cleanup. I'm not sure how those did but they looked interesting.
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Global political simulator? I think it does all right.
There were also some rts games made by a german company that involved environmental cleanup. I'm not sure how those did but they looked interesting.
Careful though: historically, Germans have poor judgment when it comes to determining what constitutes an "environmental cleanup".
Meh, the joke is all right, but could use a little work.
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I think someone's got a sense of humor that they're afraid to show in the video.
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Nono! SimDemocracy.
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Been done [wikipedia.org]. Though I think that the sequel [wikipedia.org] was more accurate ;(.
Re:I don't know (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I don't know (Score:5, Interesting)
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Actually, it's not. It's much, much worse.
Depends how you like to play... one group has fun! (Score:3, Interesting)
Yep, that's unbelievably lame to most people, but some people are going to have fun. There exists a subset of the population that will be intensely serious (perhaps even obsessive/compulsive) about carrying out these virtual negotions. You've seen them in other online games before... the people for whom the game becomes their reality, and they are so dedicated they don't eat or sleep in the real world.
However, that's not the group I was referring to when I said some people are goi
Re:I don't know (Score:5, Insightful)
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But the ones you listed don't have an overt propaganda mission (ok, "educational aim"). This is "Make Learning Fun"! - which generally isn't a very good way to teach.
If they wanted to actually get their point across, make it an expansion module to America's Army where you get promoted to a position that actually needs these skills to win the game. Think Petraeus in Iraq.
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Re:I don't know (Score:5, Insightful)
I hope this took you at least several hours to write because it's difficult to imagine the two thoughts occurred within within seconds or minutes of each other...
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"If they wanted to actually get their point across, make it an expansion module to America's Army where you get promoted to a position that actually needs these skills to win the game. Think Petraeus in Iraq."
Thats actually what I thought this was when I saw the headline. Instead of a pure violence sim, the player has to protect, help rebuild, and try not to piss of locals and create a larger threat.
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I don't think it's PC to think about projecting American power by means more complicated than just killing bad guys. Even the military [defenselink.mil] knows better than that.
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Re:I don't know (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I don't know (Score:4, Insightful)
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I'm holding out for Gravy Trader myself. I heard the review copies got a score of 101%!
I'm sure I can find a review copy on a Bit Torrent site, but alas! I have no hands.
Re:I don't know (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't believe it's intended as video game entertainment. It's an educational simulation to train people who may need to devise disaster response policy. Players run through the simulation, make certain choices, and then they all engage in an after-action review session to check the appropriateness, or effectiveness, of their choices.
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The AAR, great in theory...but harder to sit through than a 4 hour budget meeting.
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I'm sort of curious how effective this sort of training is compared to normal best practice pamphlets, or even just a good hyperlinked "choose your own adventure" type website. I guess it could make it a little more interesting... but only vaguely.
We were working on something like that for an african country's military leaders, to practice counter-insurgency and aid missions. Although it was supposed to be somehow linked into actual actors on the scene somehow... never really got off the ground.
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I'm guessing you were never in Model UN in high school - this looks to be exactly like that, but with a glossy, Second Life sheen.
It could be fun if it were done correctly or at least be educational, but this looks like it'll end poorly. I fail to see why getting kids into a room, assigning them characters and responsibilities and letting them argue with each other needs to have an OMG TEH INTERNETS MAEK AWESOME component to it.
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That's the thing that even chess club nerds are embarrassed to be associated with, right?
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Model U.N.? That has to be the coolest idea I can think of! Not only that, but it would be tons of fun and give important life lessons. Kids could learn important lessons about graft, hypocrisy, corruption, incompetence, dishonesty, even the sex slave trade if your district can afford the Congo program. Reenacting the "Food for Oil" scandal could give us enough corrupt bureaucrats and influence-grubbing politicians for the next generation!
Issuing finger-wagging resolutions that threatening nothing worse
Re:Actuallly I think that's US Foreign Policy... (Score:2)
that you are describing :P
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Well, what about Sim City?
I never got into FPS games, but I did at one point have a serious Sim City habit. The point of a game is to get you into a kind of "flow state"; so any game with a dynamically evolving situation that requires just the right amount of attention can do the job. Sim City worked because the city starts out growing, and once it gets to the size where expansion isn't rewarding anymore there's always a problem cropping up some place.
It seems to me that humanitarian relief is somethin
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As long as the game mechanics are sound, who cares what the premise is? One of my favorite games for the 2600 is Plaque Attack, a dentistry based SHMUP. Yeah it's a retarded idea, but the end result is a lot better than Space Invaders on the same platform.
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Feh, just makt them play healers in WoW or Warhammer and there you go, problem solved!
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Goodness knows but it sounds like more fun than a simulation of getting shot in the head. What's with gamer types? The entire FPS genre is based around situations that any sane person would do anything to avoid!
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Actually... there were quite a few PC games about this. A classic title would be 'Democracy' - several games have been written under this title over the years, some of them quite successfull.
It *is* strategy, you know, just a different one. Instead of sending a Planet Buster to their proruction capital planet, whisper to some allies, turning them into ex-allies... fun.
I Played as the US... (Score:5, Funny)
I played as the US in the Katrina emergency so that I could eat Cheetos and surf the web instead of helping anyone. After a few in-game days, I transferred some water to the survivors and attempted to blame everyone else.
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I'm pretty sure there's folks who were on the ground on day one who would disagree with you, including myself (No, I do not work for FEMA, but I am a Federal Employee, and made the trip down as soon as it became apparent that things were worse than expected). That said, I won't resort to calling your post flamebait, or anything else of the sort, even though I agree it is disappointing that certain executive offi
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That's a pretty mealy-mouth post. You said so very little, yet used so many words!
I'm pretty sure there were lots of people "who were on the ground on day one" who don't give a rats ass about apologists like you expressing "disappointment" in the deep and widespread corruption that was uncovered during and after the hurricane.
Thank, pal, for your efforts. A few good apples in a rotten barrel do not stand a chance, though. That no officials were ever held accountable is way past horrible, rather it just bolsters my already well-earned cynical position.
Matter of fact, these kinds of incidents have evolved my position on the death penalty. It used to be no, it does not serve as a deterrent. Most violent crime, that's true.
But hey, I think for certain type of white-collar crime, it will serve as an amazing deterrent. Let's see CEO's and politicians and everyone in between continue their corruption unabated while their predecessor's body is still hanging on public display. I think somebody will be like "um, nah, I'm not gonna delete 3 years of white house emails, I wanna live. I quit. Yes, I'll testify."
I'm not sure if I'm joking anymore. Somebody compare the levels of obvious and visible corruption to the number of corruption trials held. Shit, how many years did it take for Ted Stevens to finally get nailed, for doing what he's always done since day one? Funny how something suddenly becomes illegal, even when nothing changes except when somebody comes along who is able to prosecute...nation of laws, my ass.
So basically you're screaming "Off with their heads!" in a shrill, ineffectual voice and trying to justify it as a political position? Neat.
gg nextmap
Chomsky would be proud. Now get back to work. That coffee won't make itself.
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And you are just shouting "Shut up! Everything's fine! Don't rock the boat!" which is even more content-free than the original post. People are going to speak out about unfairness, you may as well get used to it. Because whining about whiners won't change anything unless whining is an effective strategy, in which case, why whine about it?
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You forgot to mention that after blaming everyone else you asked for more money and more power from congress. Congress is doesn't want to seem like it is doing nothing so it then happily grants your request.
Fun side missions include, illegally breaking into people's homes, taking away guns from rich white people who aren't affected by the flood and arresting people who try to get back into their homes even though their home isn't affected! (and yes all of these things have been done by FEMA).
Who said this g
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How on earth did you get through the first phase of the game? Arabian horse breeding is not for the timid!
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I played as the United States during the Indonesian Earthquake and actually played the same way you did during Katrina and everyone blamed me.
I played again and this time provided relief and everyone still bitched and complained about the US.
I then sent "relief aid" to the rest of the world in the form of C-4 wrapped around Pu235.
No one bitched about the US after that.
Get used to hearing it... (Score:4, Funny)
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Well, I for one, welcome our new national guard overlords.
Booooring. (Score:2, Funny)
Hey, would you like to come over to my house and play a new game?
Sure, what is it?
It's called Virtual Peace!
Virtual Peace, huh. That's a cool name for a sex game! Is it like Leisure Suit Larry?
No, Peace, not piece, you know, as in non-violent lovey-dovey.
So it's a girl game?
Well, not exactly. It's about saving people from disasters and injustice through negotiation and treaties.
Oh. Do you get to kill people, like in Star Wars where they were all like What are you doing!? And she was all, "Aggressive negotia
How not to impress women (Score:2)
This right here is why you never get laid. Getting angry at all women because none of them will ever have sex with you is a surefire way to stay a virgin forever.
Forging Peace. (Score:2)
"Duke University in collaboration with Virtual Heroes (who created America's Army) has produced a game called Virtual Peace, the intention of which is to help the gamer develop disaster relief and conflict resolution skills."
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. - Isaiah 2:4 [wikipedia.org]
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Uh huh. Thanks for reminding us that the bible has a retarded quote for just about everything.
I think he was actually aiming for informative... (Score:2)
You know... like explaining where does that "Swords to Ploughshares" in "Virtual Peace: Turning Swords to Ploughshares" come from.
I assume he was aiming that piece of info at that group of English speaking Martians with moderating points that have picked up English watching Cartoon Network, so they know plenty of words and grammar but they've never heard of the Bible.
Then again, it may be just a coded message for Al-Qaeda or something.
Another great quote by Ben Franklin... (Score:3, Interesting)
"I am Ben Franklin! Master of sex and Voodoo!" - Benjamin Franklin
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"I am Benjamin and I approve this message" - Oscar Wilde
That's fine but... (Score:3, Funny)
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PvP is indirect in this game. You have to starve the person to death by giving supplies to someone else. It takes strategy and skill as opposed to some of those other lame PvP games on the market.
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Idea isn't necessarily bad (Score:3, Insightful)
The idea itself isn't necessarily a bad one. Not all games have to be violent, and 'fun' computer games can be had without violence, sex, or comedy.
That said, it's the gameplay that makes it work or not work. It sounds like this one is going to be a flop (not to mention it sounds rather politically motivated, another thing that can potentially ruin a game...)
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You enjoy your having 'fun'. I am going to keep playing the Fallout series that has violence, sex, comedy, AND drugs. My fun will be without the quotes.
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Just for clarification, I put fun in quotes (albeit single quotes) for a fairly simple reason: it seems that many people in many culture think a fun computer game can't be made without violence/sex/comedy. Or a movie, for that matter.
Also note that, my own personal convictions aside, I did not solely mention vices in my post but something neutral like comedy as well (of course, comedy can certainly be based on non-neutral themes).
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Conflict resolution (Score:5, Funny)
America's Army teaches conflict resolution.
By killing all those that disagree with you, you resolve the conflict.
Expansion pack for America's Army... (Score:4, Funny)
...will be checking to see whether your avatar has served in the Virtual Peace Corps before deciding to let you join.
Watch out (Score:4, Funny)
While flying supplies into the outback, we were shot down by the kangaroos anti-aircraft fire.
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While flying supplies into the outback, we were shot down by the kangaroos anti-aircraft fire.
Gotta love that story. [snopes.com]
An old friend tells a similar one about learning a thing or two about neural nets... they thought it could detect tanks from the air, when in reality it told you if the photo was taken on a clear or cloudy day. Pure myth... but fun nonetheless
Video Game to Develop Skills? (Score:4, Funny)
...The creators must have taken their notes from this http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/video-game-skills.php [somethingawful.com]
Video goodness (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a video up on the referenced website, and it's freakin' hilarious - there are 20-30 kids seated at computers and wearing headsets and playing around in a virtual world, completely ignoring the fact that, if they took the computers away, they'd be sitting in a room with 19-29 other students who could easily pose the same arguments and take on the same personalities IN PERSON. It's called Model UN, and it's been going on in high schools for at least a decade. The selling feature of this thing looks to be that it's happening in a virtual world that looks sorta like the conference rooms in the real world where decisions were made about Hurricane Mitch, and that you can make your avatars look like the real-life politicians involved.
The internet is not and should never be a replacement for exercising an imagination. I can't help but shake the feeling that somebody needed to justify a shiny new computer lab and this is what they came up with.
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The internet is not and should never be a replacement for exercising an imagination. I can't help but shake the feeling that somebody needed to justify a shiny new computer lab and this is what they came up with.
I agree with you, but an immersive virtual world (ignoring the fact, for a moment, of whether or not this "game" is capable of that) can go a long way in setting up the scene. There's a reason why members of the Debate Team or Marching Band dress up for an actual performance--it brings an air of legitimacy and asks everyone involved to take it seriously.
That said, for the truly dedicated, I don't know if this helps all that much.
I compare my experiences of playing pen & paper role-playing games versus p
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I think that the selling point is that the kids don't all have to be in the same room.
I did a software platform for a similar project [mq.edu.au] back in 1998. The impetus for taking it online was that universities from all over the world would take part in the scenarios, which generally ran for a couple of months. The only example mentioned on the site is that in 2005 it was Macquarie University in Australia and the University of Texas taking part. At other times they've done it with the American University in Cairo,
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You realize that when the telephone was invented, the people working on it were in the same building? They could have walked out into the hallway and talked. Pretty silly argument you make.
I'm working on a new game (Score:4, Funny)
I'm calling it "Oil For Food".....
Am I the only one... (Score:2)
Am I the only one who had visions of a real-time strategy game when they read the summary? I thought it sounded like an awesome idea.
Instead what is it? A virtual conference? Lame.
It's a sim, not a game (Score:3, Informative)
Before you get all excited, note that this doesn't appear to be a game at all as the summary implies. ("Editors on crack" alert.)
Instead, it looks like it's just a simulator with one scenario that's used as an educational aid in one class at Duke University. It's not available for download. I don't even know why it's a .org domain. From what I can tell, the site explains this Virtual Peace in a very vague manner and appears to just a way for those involved in the development to get their big faces on the web (and probably in print).
This is an undergraduate course at Duke University (Score:3, Interesting)
It's like saying flight simulators are boring because you can't shoot the other planes.
This "game" is a simulator used to help train our potential, future world leaders how to resolve conflicts without resorting to the type of diplomacy typified in America's Army.
You will also notice there is no way to download this "game." It seems this is part of the course curriculum, as the private area of the website points out.
Sure, it may be more fun to blow someone's head off with a sawed-off shotgun, but really, would you do it for real, just for fun?
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Re:This is an undergraduate course at Duke Univers (Score:2)
This "game" is a simulator used to help train our potential, future world leaders how to resolve conflicts without resorting to the type of diplomacy typified in America's Army.
This only makes sense if all conflicts can be resolved with resorting to force. I grant that sometimes this can be done, but it's foolish to assume that you can always resolve conflicts without resorting to force. That's where the US military comes in.
Sure, it may be more fun to blow someone's head off with a sawed-off shotgun, but really, would you do it for real, just for fun?
What an odd statement to make. I wouldn't negotiate a conflict for fun either.
Who is going to shoot the looters? (Score:2, Interesting)
When handing out relief supplies in devastated areas, who is going to be shooting the lowlife scum looters?
I propose an add on module for online gamers to join as either looters or people who shoot looters.
This is a little disturbing. (Score:5, Informative)
America's Army was known to be a "reciting tool" intended to show kids how "cool" being a grunt in the infantry is.
In light of current politics, there is something on the "to do" list for the major players in government, and it's called National Service. Obama, McCain, Clinton and Bush all supported this and they have been using careful wording to sugar coat what is basically forced government conscription.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel Obama's choice for chief of staff wrote a book called "Big Ideas for America" where he writes. (emphasis added)
It's time for a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us. We propose universal civilian service for every young American. Under this plan, All Americans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five will be *asked to serve* their country by going through three months of basic training, civil defense preparation and community service.
Here's how it would work. Young people will know that between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, the nation will enlist them for three months of civilian service. They'll be asked to report for three months of basic civil defense training in their state or community, where they will learn what to do in the event of biochemical, nuclear or conventional attack; how to assist others in an evacuation; how to respond when a levee breaks or we're hit by a natural disaster. These young people will be available to address their communities' most pressing needs. ..
Some Republicans will squeal about individual freedom..
On one hand, they say this is voluntary.. Groups like "Service Nation" that had a big rally in New York attended by McCain and Obama on, yep.. you guessed it 9/11 to exploit the date to promote their plan, they *claim* it will be a persons choice.. However if "Some Republicans will squeal about individual freedom" As Rahm says.. then he is clearly NOT planing for this to be voluntary.
I have no indication of it.. but I wonder if this game is, like America's Army, propaganda in order to convince people that "National Slavery" is a good thing and they they should love working for their masters in government.
Better Way.... (Score:2)
Why not just make that the first semester of the senior year in High School?
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I have no indication of it.. but I wonder if this game is, like America's Army, propaganda in order to convince people that "National Slavery" is a good thing and they they should love working for their masters in government.
National slavery? Really? They aren't asking you to build landmarks, dig trenches, or bite bullets. They're just asking that the general public become more informed about "basic civil defense training."
This is more like compulsory public education than national slavery. No need to hyperbolize.
That said, this kind of education should take place in high schools rather than at recruiting offices. It sounds like this might be an interesting idea for a "summer camp," especially if they offered certifications and
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This is more like compulsory public education than national slavery. No need to hyperbolize.
Oh the irony. There are public school systems in the US where it'd be better to drop out and flip burgers for a few years while you work on a GED. More money and you get a better education.
I have a bad feeling about this... (Score:2)
I'm sure it will turn out just like that Itchy & Scratchy episode where they had removed all violence and they were instead just kissing and hugging and handing each other gifts...
This would have probably been a much better game (Score:2)
close, no cigar... (Score:2)
called Virtual Peace, the intention of which is to help the gamer develop disaster relief and conflict resolution skills
I think they might be starting to get on to something here. Now, take this concept, and meld it with America's Army gameplay, and they'd have a winner for competitive play, for sure!
(The only realistic way to 'promote' peace is to demote aggression. That, of course, is exercised through force - which is anathema to the average 'peace' activist's modus operandi of aggressive passivism.)
A disaster relief game? (Score:2)
Speaking of games (Score:2)
Interesting concept. Here is another one: You are the president of a Global Superpower, you mission is to bring peace to the world, but you are surrounded by pathological liars, mindless drones and lobbyists, and you have the handicap that everything you say or do gets mangled and often comes out as the opposite of what you intended.
Won't work. (Score:2)
People don't play America's Army for the patriotic parts. They play it because they like to shoot and toss grenades around.
I have a feeling this game won't be very popular among the existing population.
Re:Reality Check (Score:4, Insightful)
Um... Cuban Missile Crisis? Just first thing that popped into my head. There have been a couple times in the past when conflict resolution skills have come in handy.
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I would liken the Cuban Missile Crisis to calling the dad a hero that studied law while
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No, heroism is going from ordinary to extraordinary. Going from scumbag to ordinary is reform.
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Um. No. While, of course, that was a big part of the public face of the US response, the reality was considerably more involved. The Wikipedia article on the crisis [wikipedia.org] covers much of it; to portray the substantive "conflict resolution" of that crisis as this kind of simple threat is extraordinarily inacccurate.
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Actually, they were dropping hand grenades in a kind of a "warning shot" maneuver.
Like, "We know you are down there, and we could just the same be dropping REAL depth charges, so don't you try anything stupid."
Only thing is, US navy had no idea that B-59 had nuclear torpedoes designed to sink fleets.
It could have went very, VERY wrong there. Fortunately, B-59's captain had enough common sense and control to surface the sub and demand that the US navy "stop provoking".
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Surely you mean, USians disrupt the balance of power placing nukes aimed at Moscow in Turkey (16 minutes to Moscow [wikipedia.org]), CCCPians say "Oh, yeah? Lets see how you like something that close aimed at YOUR capitol.", USians start rattling their saber but in the end Kennedy convinces his generals to just quarantine Cuba, CCCPians decide to pretend that there
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Re:Reality Check (Score:4, Informative)
Germany was OK with the peace terms imposed on it after WWII but not with the peace terms imposed after WWI: hence, dramatically different results.
I'd be careful with that. The outcomes of those two wars were vastly different even before peace terms. In WWI German soil wasn't even touched before the surrender, which then led to the sentiment that they got a raw deal. In WWII their cities were pounded to rubble, their men killed, their streets filled with enemy soldiers, and their government evaporated. It was very, very clear that they had soundly lost the war this time around.
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And here I thought the partition of Germany into two countries and the occupation of the two countries for two generations had something to do with the different outcome.
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That's not a bug, it's a feature. A game about international politics needs some oddball psychopaths to be authentic. "Some men just want to see the world burn", and some of them command armies.