Navigating the Minefields: Military Accuracy in Tactical Shooters

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Navigating the Minefields Military Accuracy in
Tactical Shooters

• Presented by Christian Allen
• Game Designer

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Speaker Introduction

• A Game Designer, focusing on Military shooters in
  the Tom Clancy Universe.
• Latest title as a Lead is Tom Clancys Ghost
  Recon 2 on the Xbox.
• Military background includes the USMC, USAFNG,
  and USARNG

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Why Bother Being Accurate?

• When making a game set in real life (just like
  any game world), accuracy in the details of your
  universe will set the stage for how your player
  accepts the gameplay mechanics of the world.
• For the purpose of this talk, accuracy is defined
  as conforming to fact.

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Players PerceptionsKeeping up with Hollywood

• Movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk
  Down define what is an accurate portrayal of
  war.
• Even if your game is hyper-accurate, it will be
  judged against the latest Hollywood model of
  real.

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For Example

• Everyone knows what a Special Forces soldier
  looks like

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And they dont look like this

• In actuality, this is a Special Forces Operator
  in Afghanistan, while the first picture was from
  Black Hawk Down.

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Choosing Your Model
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Levels of Accuracy the Game Vision

• The market can determine the level of accuracy in
  your game, depending on how you want to set your
  game against the competition.
• The two ends of the spectrum in are the
  Rambo-style action on one end, and the hard line
  simulation on the other.
• Many factors can go into the decision on where on
  the spectrum you want your game to go, but it is
  important to nail down the level of accuracy in
  the Vision of the game.

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Communicating the Game World Model to the Team

• Movies can be a great way to communicate the
  Vision to the team, whether in whole or using
  scenes to demonstrate realism, character
  development, and action.
• Providing books, manuals, and other references is
  important, but it is best to give small bits of
  information, instead of expecting development
  team members to read novels or manuals.
• When looking at details on equipment fact sheets
  are a great tool, and you can either use real
  factsheets, or create your own for different
  pieces of equipment.

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Communicating the Game World Model to the Team
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The Realism Debate

• Deciding what is realistic in a game world is
  always difficult, but as long as each game
  element fits within your game world and stays
  consistent, you can adjust your level of realism
  and accuracy.
• If your game world has a feeling of authenticity
  and accuracy, players will accept non-realistic
  elements as realistic, even when they are
  totally different than real life.
• The general rule on when to fudge follows
  standard rules of game design Gameplay and Fun
  Rule!

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The Real World is still a Game World
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Consistency Balance

• In real life, guns are not balanced against each
  other. Thus, your game world needs to add
  inaccurate balancing for good gameplay. However,
  too much balancing can ruin the immersion of the
  game world, so you should take care in the
  selection of weapons and equipment.

• Real-life objects can also be used to provide
  balance, rather than removing it. Ammo
  load-outs, recoil versus damage, and weight, and
  other elements work for game balance.
• They key is finding which elements you can
  reproduce in your game, and integrating them.

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Who is your Hero?

• Your Hero or character can help define much of
  your game world. It is important, in a military
  setting, to define what your hero Can do
  versus what he/she Would do.
• The scope of what your missions will do is also
  defined by the setting and hero characterin your
  game. Having your hero infantryman pilot an
  aircraft carrier can work in an a less realistic
  setting, but can destroy the immersion of the
  game if it is driving for hyper-accuracy.
• The story and setting also must be consistent
  with your game world. The story must support the
  level of accuracy that you are driving for in
  your game.

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Real Life is Not Fun!

• After you decide on the level of accuracy in the
  game, you must identify what is funabout that
  model. Is it surprising untrained enemies?
  Using the latest technology? Mowing down hordes
  of enemies? Decide what is fun, and then focus
  on those elements.
• Real life sucks. Its hot, stinky, and often
  boring. It is important that just because
  something is realistic, doesnt mean it should
  be in the game.
• Keeping the accurate elements fun is important.
  If it is more fun for your players to mow down
  their allies, instead of fighting the enemies,
  you need to evaluate your gameplay!

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Attention to Detail

• The details are very important. Getting them
  right will get the Grognards on your side.
  Getting them wrong will cause your game to be
  dismissed by them. No matter what your gameplay
  is like, making details accurate add to the
  authenticity of the game.
• Fact checking is essential! Do not rely on one
  resource for all information, no matter how well
  informed they are.

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Key Areas of Accuracy

• Guns and Ammo
• Weapons are some of the easiest things for
  nit-pickers to single out. The visuals, sounds,
  and descriptions are very important to nail.
  This the area that most military shooter fans
  know the most about.
• Jargon and Language
• Make sure your language fits your subject. Be
  sure to use enough jargon for flavor, but not too
  much to alienate players who might not understand
  what you are talking about. Remember, it is
  about perception!
• Uniforms and Medals
• This is another area that is very easy to make
  mistakes in, and be called out on. Check your
  assets against appropriate resources, to make
  sure the details are right.

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Resources
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Consultants

• Many teams use paid consultants. While valuable,
  you must make sure that consultants are working
  for you, not the other way around. Many
  consultants, especially from Hollywood, can be
  more interested in building their resume than
  providing helpful assistance.
• Consultants can be a valuable PR resource, adding
  an air of authenticity to your product. However,
  you must make sure and identify if that is their
  primary purpose, or if it is to directly assist
  the development team.

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Consultants

• Remember, consultants are not game developers
  (although they may forget that). They should be
  assisting the team, not telling you how to do it!
• Anyone can Google, Why Pay for It?
• If you are just getting generic information that
  anyone can find, why bother? Keep an eye on the
  information you receive, and evaluate its worth.

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Team Resources

• Former Military members can be a valuable asset.
  However, you must be sure to identify their
  experience, and make sure to be clear to them the
  specific information you are looking for. Let
  them know that it is OK to say I dont know.
• Fans can also be a good resource. If you are
  working on an established franchise, there will
  be many knowledgeable fans. However, you must
  judge what you hear or read from them, because
  their information can be colored by what they
  have learned from games, and not necessarily
  from reality.
• Marketing professionals can be helpful also, with
  connections to the media and publications, for
  tracking down otherwise hard to find resources.

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Public and Local Contacts

• The Military
• You would probably be surprise at how much the
  military is happy to provide information to make
  your game authentic. Often, military members
  feel it is very important for games to get it
  right.
• Historical Foundations
• If you are working on a historical game, contact
  the foundations and organizations that work to
  keep memories about the conflict alive. They
  often have a vast amount of knowledge on the
  subject.
• Re-enactors
• Re-enactors are an undervalued resource, and if
  you are looking for detail-oriented advice, these
  are the guys to give it!

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Public and Local Contacts
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Conclusion

• By choosing your game model, communicating your
  vision to the team, and paying close attention to
  the details of your game world, you can ensure
  your game stands out in the sea of military
  shooter titles!

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Thank you for your Time!

• Christian Allen
• Game Designer