Over the past fifty years, many thousands of conflict simulations have been published that bring the dynamics of past and possible future wars to life. In this book, Philip Sabin explores the theory and practice of conflict simulation as a topic in its own right, based on his thirty years of experience in designing wargames and using them in teaching. Simulating War sets conflict simulation in its proper context alongside more familiar techniques such as game theory and operational analysis. It explains in detail the analytical and modelling techniques involved, and it teaches you how to design your own simulations of conflicts of your choice. The book provides eight simple illustrative simulations of specific historical conflicts, complete with rules, maps and counters. Simulating War is essential reading for all recreational or professional simulation gamers, and for anyone who is interested in modelling war, from teachers and students to military officers.

Military conflicts, particularly land combat, possess thecharacteristics of complex adaptive systems: combat forces arecomposed of a large number of nonlinearly interacting parts and areorganized in a dynamic command-and-control network; local action, which often appears disordered, self-organizes into long-range order;military conflicts, by their nature, proceed far from equilibrium;military forces adapt to a changing combat environment; and there isno master voice that dictates the actions of every soldier (i

"The world inside a simulator is as real as the world inside your head - but it is more accurate." Simulation has been a powerful tool for training the military for over 3000 years. What began as sand tables and board games has evolved into advanced computer and communication systems that encompass the globe and provide training portals on every continent. Commercial computer games have followed a similar evolutionary trajectory in delivering entertainment. The core technologies behind both fields have many commonalities and become more intertwined every year. This book is a collection of essays on the technical, social, and economic importance of simulation and gaming techniques, tools, and technologies. It provides a fascinating historical summary, explores important technical capabilities, and speculates on the role that these technologies will play in the future.

Understanding the potential synergies between computer simulation and wargaming Based on the insights of experts in both domains, Simulation and Wargaming comprehensively explores the intersection between computer simulation and wargaming. This book shows how the practice of wargaming can be augmented and provide more detail-oriented insights using computer simulation, particularly as the complexity of military operations and the need for computational decision aids increases. The distinguished authors have hit upon two practical areas that have tremendous applications to share with one another but do not seem to be aware of that fact. The book includes insights into: The application of the data-driven speed inherent to computer simulation to wargames The application of the insight and analysis gained from wargames to computer simulation The areas of concern raised by the combination of these two disparate yet related fields New research and application opportunities emerging from the intersection Addressing professionals in the wargaming, modeling, and simulation industries, as well as decision makers and organizational leaders involved with wargaming and simulation, Simulation and Wargaming offers a multifaceted and insightful read and provides the foundation for future interdisciplinary progress in both domains.

Understanding the military logics that created and continue to inform computer games

From the author's introduction: Ancient battles seize the modern imagination. Far from being forgotten, they have become a significant aspect of popular culture, prompting a continuing stream of books, feature films, television programs and board and computer games... there is a certain escapist satisfaction in looking back to an era when conflicts between entire states turned on clear-cut pitched battles between formed armies, lasting just a few hours and spanning just a few miles of ground. These battles were still unspeakably traumatic and grisly affairs for those involved - at Cannae, Hannibal's men butchered around two and a half times as many Romans (out of a much smaller overall population) as there were British soldiers killed on the notorious first day of the Somme. However, as with the great clashes of the Napoleonic era, time has dulled our preoccupation with such awful human consequences, and we tend to focus instead on the inspired generalship of commanders like Alexander and Caesar and on the intriguing tactical interactions of units such as massed pikemen and war elephants within the very different military context of pre-gunpowder warfare. Lost Battles takes a new and innovative approach to the battles of antiquity. Using his experience with conflict simulation, Philip Sabin draws together ancient evidence and modern scholarship to construct a generic, grand tactical model of the battles as a whole. This model unites a mathematical framework, to capture the movement and combat of the opposing armies, with human decisions to shape the tactics of the antagonists. Sabin then develops detailed scenarios for 36 individual battles such as Marathon and Cannae, and uses the comparative structure offered by the generic model to help cast light on which particular interpretations of the ancient sources on issues such as army size fit in best with the general patterns observed elsewhere. Readers can use the model to experiment for themselves by re-fighting engagements of their choice, tweaking the scenarios to accord with their own judgment of the evidence, trying out different tactics from those used historically, and seeing how the battle then plays out. Lost Battles thus offers a unique dynamic insight into ancient warfare, combining academic rigor with the interest and accessibility of simulation gaming. This book includes access to a downloadable computer simulation where the reader can view the author's simulations as well create their own.

Explore the military and combat applications of modeling and simulation Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is the first book of its kind to address the three perspectives that simulation engineers must master for successful military and defense related modeling: the operational view (what needs to be modeled); the conceptual view (how to do combat modeling); and the technical view (how to conduct distributed simulation). Through methods from the fields of operations research, computer science, and engineering, readers are guided through the history, current training practices, and modern methodology related to combat modeling and distributed simulation systems. Comprised of contributions from leading international researchers and practitioners, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the engineering principles and state-of-the-art methods needed to address the many facets of combat modeling and distributed simulation and features the following four sections: Foundations introduces relevant topics and recommended practices, providing the needed basis for understanding the challenges associated with combat modeling and distributed simulation. Combat Modeling focuses on the challenges in human, social, cultural, and behavioral modeling such as the core processes of "move, shoot, look, and communicate" within a synthetic environment and also equips readers with the knowledge to fully understand the related concepts and limitations. Distributed Simulation introduces the main challenges of advanced distributed simulation, outlines the basics of validation and verification, and exhibits how these systems can support the operational environment of the warfighter. Advanced Topics highlights new and developing special topic areas, including mathematical applications fo combat modeling; combat modeling with high-level architecture and base object models; and virtual and interactive digital worlds. Featuring practical examples and applications relevant to industrial and government audiences, Engineering Principles of Combat Modeling and Distributed Simulation is an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of operations research, military modeling, simulation, and computer science. Extensively classroom tested, the book is also ideal for courses on modeling and simulation; systems engineering; and combat modeling at the graduate level.

Explore the conceptual origins of wargames and role-playing games in this unprecedented history of simulating the real and the impossible. From a vast survey of primary sources ranging from eighteenth-century strategists to modern hobbyists, Playing at the World distills the story of how gamers first decided fictional battles with boards and dice, and how they moved from simulating wars to simulating people. The invention of role-playing games serves as a touchstone for exploring the ways that the literary concept of character, the lure of fantastic adventure and the principles of gaming combined into the signature cultural innovation of the late twentieth century.

This delightfully unusual book by H. G. Wells is a comprehensive guide to Little War, a game invented by Wells for "boys from twelve to one hundred and fifty years old and for that more intelligent sort of girls who like boys' games and books". A fascinating look at a bygone era, when boys were boys, and most girls (except the more intelligent ones) were girls. With a history of Little War, detailed instructions to playing it, a description of an exemplary game, extensions and amplifications to the game, and a final challenge by the author to his young readers. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.