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
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NSF roped in to do this considerably high profile project.
a potential job for nismos too?
Even CS has a bug in its flashbang. Hey, weapons ain't 100% perfect all the time.
den shud haf blinds oso hor?