Computer wargame adapted to local context for training
By David Boey
A POPULAR computer wargame, Operation Flashpoint, has been
customised by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in a bid to see if
it can be used to train soldiers here more realistically.
The SAF modified the game by replacing the weapons used in it with
its own arsenal, including the SM-1 light tank and the locally
developed SAR-21 assault rifle.
It hopes that by adding its own weapons, soldiers here will have a
better idea of how such firepower is used.
Major Adrian Koh, head of the SAF Armour Simulation Centre, said
armour units are spearheading a project to assess the usefulness of
virtual wargames.
He said: 'We're looking into creating a roadmap for simulator
training, where some form of simulation will be introduced at every
level of training.
'This will allow us to iron out kinks and creases during simulated
training so that training time in the field is more effectively
used.'
He said games like Counter-Strike and Steel Beast were also
studied, but the SAF settled on Operation Flashpoint because it
could be re-programmed extensively to meet its training
needs.
Maj Koh said virtual battles allow soldiers to test their mental
agility in combat situations. All this can be done repeatedly, in
different terrain or weather conditions, against any number of
hostile forces, and at a fraction of the cost of actual field
training.
Already, one of the things the SAF has learnt is the importance of
avoiding what the military calls blue-on-blue encounters - friendly
fire, or fratricide.
Maj Koh said the wargame can help soldiers avoid such situations by
training them to recognise combat vehicles quickly. Such
recognition skills will come in useful when soldiers have to make a
decision on whether to fire or not in actual battle.
But Maj Koh said computer games with realistic sound and animation
will complement, not replace, field training.
The Operation Flashpoint project, which began in late 2002, has led
to the centre packing the game with numerous scenarios which SAF
troops could face.
The work involved in customising the game is painstaking.
First, each new weapon has to be computer-generated in 3-D to
capture its exact shape. Then, it has to be painstakingly painted
and weathered pixel by pixel to mimic the real thing.
This attention to detail has highlighted the game's potential as a
learning aid for soldiers to recognise various types of vehicles
and weapons.
Corporal Raymond Koh, 22, is the full-time national serviceman who
re-programmed the game with new graphics. He enlisted in November
2001 with a diploma in film and media from Ngee Ann
Polytechnic.
This qualification, plus the 10 years Cpl Koh spent playing
computer games as a child, made him a natural choice for the
project.
He said: 'I had to consider the characteristics of various SAF
vehicles - their speed, the velocity of the rounds they can fire
and whether the vehicle can 'swim'.
'These have to be plotted into the game to deliver a realistic
experience for players.'
And in rewriting part of the program, Cpl Koh helped maximise the
potential of software used to create Operation Flashpoint so
complex virtual battles can be fought.
He said: 'The game simulates terrain that Singapore doesn't
have.
'It can also create scenarios, like armour troops training with air
support, that would be costly to do in real life.'
THE S'PORE TOUCH: The SAF has modified the Operation Flashpoint
program to include virtual soldiers armed with weapons like the
locally developed SAR-21 assault rifle (above, soldier in the
centre). Virtual battles feature SM-1 light tanks (below) which are
part of the SAF arsenal. -- PHOTOS: MINDEF
-- ST
[/quote]
NSF roped in to do this considerably high profile project.
a potential job for nismos too? 
