This is a title that allows you to simulate military scenarios based on an extensive and precise database. It was created by a British family business.
A video game developed by a family business in the United Kingdom has attracted the attention of armies from all over the world .
This, because allows you to accurately simulate scenarios military using different tactics and equipment.
It is about Order: professional edition a program created and marketed by people with virtually no military experience.
According to information retrieved by the The Wall Street Journal although war games have long been used by high command, They are now used by both junior staff and analysts. .
Among the advantages they offer is this They help teach more safely and at lower cost regarding the carrying out of certain military maneuvers.
Added to this is the fact that allow you to explore hypothetical scenarios that might not be addressed with other exercises like that of a nuclear war.
Retired colonel and current director of war games at Marine Corps University Tim Barrick told the American newspaper that used Order: professional edition train eight Navy majors .
He asked them to participate several times in an online exercise that placed them in a confrontation in the Pacific .
Barrick assured that after the two months of using the video game, noticed an increase in group creativity .
He anticipated that “these are not simple problems” and that “It’s not like we’re asking them to play checkers (the board game).” .
Recently, The United States Air Force approved Order: professional edition to run on your protected networks .
In the same way, The British Strategic Command has just signed up to use it for training, education and analysis purposes. according to the aforementioned media.
They described the video game as a tool “for testing ideas” .
For his part, Taiwan defense analysts use it to assess potential military scenarios in a context of constant tensions with the forces of the People’s Republic of China.

Why the Pentagon was interested in a war video game
It was 2016, when officials from the U.S. Department of Defense they contacted Slitherine Software .
This British company is the one that publishes the video game and is made up of a family business that started around 2000 when they sold games on CD.
One of the titles they offered at that time was Legion which allowed you to participate in military campaigns in ancient Rome.
Slitherine managers are a father and a son: JD McNeil and Iain McNeil .
The first of them declared Newspaper that What caught the Pentagon’s attention was the software’s vast and accurate database. which takes into account several planes, ships, missiles and other military equipment from around the world.
So, the players can simulate military scenarios with attention to detail .
Pete Szabo, a former Air Force Air Mobility Command analyst, said he began using order around 2017, with the aim of Fuel consumption of model aircraft in combat situations .
“It’s been a very powerful tool for us.” the retired lieutenant colonel told the American newspaper.
And although he admitted that it was initially difficult for him to convince senior officers to use a commercial video game, he said that Many advocates see benefits in its use .
They ensure that simulations, particularly digital, They can help with everything from perfecting decision-making to improving maneuvering skills and spatial awareness. .
One of its advocates is US Army Colonel Arnel David. who advises NATO’s top general and helps run an informal organization designed to promote games of this type, Fight Club International.
In his words: “There is no doubt that skill in a game matters on the battlefield” .

How is Order: professional editionthe video game used by the Pentagon
Unlike very popular commercial video games like Call of Duty —where users photograph with a first-person view— order It’s more like a map, where users can add, remove, or modify factors to perform a simulation. .
Some of the most notable aspects of titles of this type are: They are fast and have significant processing power, allowing scenarios to be simulated at unprecedented speed. .
In this way, users can generate data for later analysis .
In addition to Order: professional edition, There are other projects like Sword from French wargame developer MASA Group.
From this last company they ensure that their advances in the field of Artificial intelligence (AI) allows the program to run more easily compared to competing systems.
What are the current limitations of war video games for military training?
Although different military organizations have used war video games to integrate the training of their troops, there seems to be a consensus that they are just an additional tool as Lieutenant Colonel Szabo suggests.
It’s because War is subject to factors ranging from military equipment and strategy to politics and corruption. .
Therefore, although a large amount of data can be incorporated into the systems, there are edges that are more complex to consider .
And also others that are not quantifiable like military morale.
Colonel David, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “it’s a tool in a set of tools” .
Along with this, it is worth mentioning that Not all war video games focus on combat scenarios .
Also There are others which, for example, address questions of logistics like that developed by the United States Transportation Command.
After being contacted by the Pentagon, Slitherine focused on creating Order: professional edition a version aimed at military and intelligence agencies that meets their security requirements and allows them to download classified data without access to programmers or other users. said Iain McNeil.
However, order There is also an edition aimed at commercial users, used by around a million people. said the developers.
Source: Latercera

I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.