Academic Gaming
Feb. 21st, 2017 07:12 amI know there are several people here who are quite into gaming in various forms, so it's probably worth passing on a fascinating website I just came across (and save myself a link to it at the same time).
PaxSims is run by Rex Brynen, professor of political science at McGill University. His focus is "the development and effective use of games and simulation-based learning concerning issues of conflict, peacebuilding, and development in fragile and conflict-affected states" So you get lots of stuff trying to simulate the intersection of politics, military affairs and humanitarian crises. There's at least one complete game available under the Aftershock link, but it's the reviews I've been finding fascinating, as there are more games in the sector than I'd imagined, ranging from the serious military simulations with added politics (Persian Incursion - Israel tries to take out the Iranian nuclear programme, incidentally the link that brought me here), to slightly more balanced mixes with BCT Command Kandahar, to much more political/resource management focussed with Afghan Provincial Reconstruction. Even better, the reviews are mostly based on having played them, in some cases with his students, and analysing what worked and what didn't, rather than simply having skimmed through the rules.
There's also reviews of books on wargame and game design, which I'm pretty certain![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
yhlee will find interesting, and a ton of links to related sites
PaxSims is run by Rex Brynen, professor of political science at McGill University. His focus is "the development and effective use of games and simulation-based learning concerning issues of conflict, peacebuilding, and development in fragile and conflict-affected states" So you get lots of stuff trying to simulate the intersection of politics, military affairs and humanitarian crises. There's at least one complete game available under the Aftershock link, but it's the reviews I've been finding fascinating, as there are more games in the sector than I'd imagined, ranging from the serious military simulations with added politics (Persian Incursion - Israel tries to take out the Iranian nuclear programme, incidentally the link that brought me here), to slightly more balanced mixes with BCT Command Kandahar, to much more political/resource management focussed with Afghan Provincial Reconstruction. Even better, the reviews are mostly based on having played them, in some cases with his students, and analysing what worked and what didn't, rather than simply having skimmed through the rules.
There's also reviews of books on wargame and game design, which I'm pretty certain
yhlee will find interesting, and a ton of links to related sites
