Video Games for training

[jve153]

good luck getting a GROUP (i said group bc while most airsoft guys are morons, there are som really cool airsofters out there, few, but they do exist) to go play airsoft effectively. i have a couple really awesome tippman airsoft pistols that run in the 400-550 fps range (measured with a chrono) and they are awesome as all get out. i played airsoft for forever and i think it does hold a place in the training curriculum. i posted not long ago in a home defense thread about getting your family together with airsoft guns and covering/removing expensive/breakable stuff and going at it for fun, would really help you learn all the nooks and crannies of your house and where you can and cannot hide. (learned this from a party that involved locked doors and a bucket of safety goggles/airsoft guns at the front door, anyone not wanting to put on the goggles didnt get in whether or not they decided to partake.
as for the video, do it with cupcakes and you are a winner

edit, watched the video after i posted, played night paintball scenario games like that, loved the guys using expensive night vision, as soon as you figured out where they were, shine a spotlight on them and they cant see you.
that and i guess i would be kind of biased having traveled the country playing paintball at the national level.

 

[Goober135]

good luck getting a GROUP (i said group bc while most airsoft guys are morons, there are som really cool airsofters out there, few, but they do exist) to go play airsoft effectively. i have a couple really awesome tippman airsoft pistols that run in the 400-550 fps range (measured with a chrono) and they are awesome as all get out. i played airsoft for forever and i think it does hold a place in the training curriculum. i posted not long ago in a home defense thread about getting your family together with airsoft guns and covering/removing expensive/breakable stuff and going at it for fun, would really help you learn all the nooks and crannies of your house and where you can and cannot hide. (learned this from a party that involved locked doors and a bucket of safety goggles/airsoft guns at the front door, anyone not wanting to put on the goggles didnt get in whether or not they decided to partake.
as for the video, do it with cupcakes and you are a winner

edit, watched the video after i posted, played night paintball scenario games like that, loved the guys using expensive night vision, as soon as you figured out where they were, shine a spotlight on them and they cant see you.

Luckily, in my experience with airsoft, I've been able to avoid most of the morons. I play at a field up in my hometown that is an old Nike Missile Base. They host monthly events that bring a couple hundred people, usually split us up into two teams, use the entire facility as one big field, and setup a fairly organized scenario. Most of the guys I run with that attend these are hardcore and very serious players who highly value working as a team. It's a lot of fun! And I was a hardcore paintballer for 7-8 years before I even found airsoft!

 

[netsecurity]

I've played Americas Army since version 1.0, in 2002 I think, and the realism is extreme. I don't mind waiting for the round to end if I die, I use that time to watch through the eyes of my teammates and learn new tactics, or to chat. There actually is a real fear of dying, and my physical heart rate jumps when I'm injured, or taking fire (especially when you can hear the bullets ricocheting around you).

I've tried Arma2 and found it to be similar to Americas Army as far as weapons and movement, but was not impressed with the game play. Movement seemed laggy, especially when running, giving it an arcade feel. Maybe my PC is just too old to handle it though, so it might be worth checking out. It certainly seems to be the only game trying to take over where Americas Army left off--however, AA is alive and well!

As for these games being no substitute for real gun training and physical run and gun training, that is true. But I've found Americas Army to be a valuable resource for supplemental practice. After all, battle is 90% mental.

This thread asked what game is most realistic and useful for training, and I have answered: You should definitely try Americas Army (and Arma is worth looking into). You certainly will never find a realistic game that does not require a learning curve. I should clarify that there is no artificial intelligence in AA, it is an online multiplayer FPS only, and that is exactly the way I like it!

PS, one nice thing that adds to the realism in AA is the use of the microphone. No other game utilizes the microphone to such effect. The 'blue force tracker' (friendly forces radar) combined with the microphones provides really good situational awareness.

 

[the1kidd03]

battle is 90% mental.

 

[the1kidd03]

This thread asked what game is most realistic and useful for training, and I have answered:

No it didn't \/

Are there any video games that are realistic enough to supplement real world training?

no video game can supplement real world training, because it is driven by actual complex physical movements which become 10x more difficult when hit with a real threat, adrenaline, etc........this is why real training is an absolute necessity.......pushing your buttons is not going to help you survive these challenges in a real threat

 

[canav844]

Will this one isn't so much as a video game as it is a training aid (actually a showcase of several products, one of which I used; and it was pretty realistic, IMO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g3LjIY_7JU

Their supplied dummy laser guns have the .01lb triggers though so the marksmanship fundamentals go out the window in a hurry, but I have not seen their in bore laser adaptars that convert real firearms in action; they go have dummy guns that are CO2 charged to provide a recoil like feedback.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

not in any way ....

May want to talk to Dave Grossman. He disagrees.

 

[the1kidd03]

Will this one isn't so much as a video game as it is a training aid (actually a showcase of several products, one of which I used; and it was pretty realistic, IMO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g3LjIY_7JU

Their supplied dummy laser guns have the .01lb triggers though so the marksmanship fundamentals go out the window in a hurry, but I have not seen their in bore laser adaptars that convert real firearms in action; they go have dummy guns that are CO2 charged to provide a recoil like feedback.

These are widely used for training in the military. Mostly the Army but other units get to use it too. They are effective for stationary training but this is not a "video game" and especially not something that is readily available to the civilian market. Assuming the OP is looking for something which he can purchase or download to suppliment not having to get out in the field there is nothing which would provide adequate training for this because it is not a "mental game."

 

[canav844]

These are widely used for training in the military. Mostly the Army but other units get to use it too. They are effective for stationary training but this is not a "video game" and especially not something that is readily available to the civilian market. Assuming the OP is looking for something which he can purchase or download to suppliment not having to get out in the field there is nothing which would provide adequate training for this because it is not a "mental game."

Well it's also widely used in Law Enforcement Training, Hunter Education training, and the hunter education training and target practice, and competition shooting software is readily available as a home entertainment package, and is marketed to civilians; and being able to identify and discriminate targets, estimate distances and build reaction time with a firearm platform in your hand IMO far exceeds the training value of call of duty.

Home Theater - Laser Shot

 

[the1kidd03]

May want to talk to Dave Grossman. He disagrees.

the aspects which a VIDEO GAME (being an over the counter purchased or downloaded product available to the civilian market) can contribute to a training regimen were described in that post which you neglected to include and/or read

 

[the1kidd03]

Well it's also widely used in Law Enforcement Training, Hunter Education training, and the hunter education training and target practice, and competition shooting software is readily available as a home entertainment package, and is marketed to civilians; and being able to identify and discriminate targets, estimate distances and build reaction time with a firearm platform in your hand IMO far exceeds the training value of call of duty.

Home Theater - Laser Shot

even the electronic trainers are VERY limited......ID threats, YES...but only on a uni-directional basis....these systems can't account for an attack coming from 360 degrees....they do, but in them you don't have your senses to assist you such as peripheral vision, hearing which can ID direction, etc.....they can be used well to estimate distance, accuracy, weapons handling techniques (provided you're using a realistic weapon), etc..........the other aspect they cannot account for, which is an incredibly important one...is the physical side....not just running between cover/concealment but also the physiological changes that occur in your body when presented with a real threat.....it is very difficult to simulate these changes and especially not possible through an elctronic means....and those changes are exactly why we train...to devote movements and techniques to muscle memory so that when those changes happen you will be more likely and able to resort to them rather than draw a blank

 

[jdhaines]

Try Arma2. It's free for the basic version and the number of weapons is unmatched. I've made a few YouTube videos playing. But it is only a game. Self / home defense requires hands on and real world.

http://youtu.be/lZTZIefR7F0

http://youtu.be/IiuvJ1tSIkE

Arma 3 will be out soon. Armed Assault is the most realistic battlefield simulation out there. There are many end-user created mods that can add different units, and increase visual effects to be even better. Operation Flashpoint started it all, then Armed Assault (Arma) was the sequel, Arma II is really the third game, and Arma 3 will be coming out soon. It's produced by a czech company called Bohemia Interactive Studios. Watch the videos online. It's so realistic that the BBC wrote an entire story about the IRA and an old attack which was published and only later retracted after commenters showed them it was actually video from the game.

I have played with a realism unit in this game for about 5-6 years, although I haven't done it that much in the last 1 year. We have guys who have actually been in the real Marine Expeditionary Unit that we simulate. We follow actual tactics for small groups and plan things out accordingly. I've actually been in game before getting lessons on long range shooting including windage, ranging, etc from a Seattle PD sharpshooter because the ballistics in the game are so accurate. He's built an accurate model of the scope he uses everyday and modified the in-game M24 to accept his scope so when he's running a mission with us, he can actually practice ranging and shooting with an very accurate representation of his duty .308 rifle.

Of course it isn't real life. Of course I'm not qualified to jump into a war zone and run live fire drills. I'm not qualified to jump in with WETSU and his guys doing their live fire immediate action drills. That said, I'd like to think years of doing bounding overwatch, planning ambushes, clearing rooms, and running life fire and movement FTXs will at least give me a leg up on someone who has never seen these things and let me learn them faster. Plus, it's by far the most fun game I've ever played...so much so that it's the main game I play if I want to kill some time and zone out for awhile. It generally requires a pretty serious PC to play it, but it's worth it in the long run. Especially if you find a good group of guys to play it with.

I think there are things that certain games can teach you. People who run and gun, bunnhop, and "snipe" in games like call of duty are simply entertaining themselves. Americas Army (for awhile when it first came out) and Armed Assault for the last half decade and into the future are the place to go for a real place to test things out.

 

[TheWabbit]

I was asked if Arma 2 is really free. It is limited but you can play for free.

Arma 2 FREE

 

[Vic_Mackey]

Arma 3 isnt bad. More for unit tactics, but they got the ballistic values down. And it looks/sounds real as f##k. I've played flashpoint and the battlefield series, and bf3 is awesome, but ARMA had them all beat. The only problem with video game shooters if you're an actual operator/been somewhere is there is no suppressive fire. People aren't scared to die or get hurt in video games. And even if it's a game where you have to sit out cuz you're"dead" it isn't there. The fear is not there. And that's what a firefight is, and until they can get that right I'm just gonna have to laugh the companies saying these are "true simulators". Although I will say that the last medal of honor's story hit it on the head for me. The ending was pretty f'n sad, but true

 

[1911 DeadHead]

DOOM. Nuff said.


Hehe.

 

[findingZzero]

I second Call of Duty (but I'm a WW2 junkie, born in 1943). R = Reload. You can certainly learn to aim, reconnoiter (SA). If you want to learn to lead a moving target, try Aces High, but first you have to learn to fly. Nothing sweeter than a turn fight with a Jap Zero if you're in a Jap Zero, or a boom and zoom with a P47. Offline software is free. Online play vs. the world will cost you. And you will lose probably to a 13 yr old Finnish flyer...lol...

 

[arbys1]

Well I think GTA be the best game to play for "training". J/K seriously people situational firearm training isn't a game & can be very dangerous if you don't know what your doing. Hopefully this is a fun thread & people Arnt really playing playstation to train.