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Subject: Best games as practice for combat
Godofgamblers    5/8/2006 4:34:15 AM
What games are best to prepare men for war? The skills could be anything from conditioning, orienteering, toughness, teamwork or strategy.

Rugby is a good game that teaches teamwork while demanding incredible stamina and speed. It is excellent for adrenalin rushing exercise.

Some may argue that orienteering exercises in teams is an excellent 'game' to build on survival skills, woodsmanship, etc.

For commanders, some may choose something like Chess since it teaches strategy and teaches one to value the different powers and values of different pieces.

I myself would choose an Indian (or is it Sikh?) game whose name eludes me. I saw it played once and it looks like the most punishing, pulse pounding game i have ever seen. It looks a bit like Rugby, martial arts and Aussie Rules all rolled into one except that you have to hold your breath when you play (!). (I am counting on our Indian friends to enlighten me on this one)

Your views, as always, are much appreciated, Gentlemen.

GoG
 
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Jungle-Man    RE:Best games as practice for combat- Pretty easy   5/8/2006 10:52:26 PM
Airsoft and paintball. They SIMULATE combat, what better practice can you have? (Other than actual combat of course)
 
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SteelGear    RE:cricket... what's the point?   5/8/2006 11:35:40 PM
--without meaning to be offensive, tell me what the point of cricket is? it is like a religion in many countries. in some ways it is likea parallel world. people don't follow politics, they just follow cricket. what skills does it develop? -- I my case I develop new levels of Boredom as well as a faster method of going to sleep.....rather watch a Rugby match
 
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SteelGear    RE:Best games as practice for combat   5/8/2006 11:47:49 PM
--The problem with video games is, when you get shot there's always a reset button (and occasionally respawn points to save your progress). But in real life combat situations, your reset may take weeks, months, or years of recovery and rehabilition, if you're among the fortunate (and there are no respawn points).-- Games are simulators which reinforce the basic princples of combat and tactics rather than actually practicing how to fight.
 
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mspurrell    RE:cricket... what's the point?   5/9/2006 12:02:10 AM
It is a gentlemen?s game. It tries to promote good sportsmanship and team playing. The game itself can last a few days also has tea and lunch breaks. There are different laws and forms of cricket as well. Its not a bad game and I find it quite enjoyable. My favourite game would have to be curling though. Ice hockey is also a good game, which is probably the religion of this country. What is the most popular sport in the United States is it still baseball?
 
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TheBigBadWolf    RE:Best games as practice for combat   5/9/2006 1:23:16 AM
For the average trooper?- riding the quarter-horse; teaches self-sufficiency, improves focus and creativity, rewards initiative and ofcourse... relieves boredom;-) But then again, these are officer-centric "attributes". Practice makes perfect.
 
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jastayme3    RE:Best games as practice for combat   5/9/2006 1:36:00 AM
Well the best game as practice for combat is the arena. Marius once brought gladiators out to teach his legionaries how to fight. However most would probably agree with me that that is somewhat unethical. Boar-hunting taught young aristocrats a sense of terrain and an ability to be accustomed to danger American Football teaches how to take orders and maneuver in formation. Mountain-climbing has it's advantages. Laser-tag is an obvious choice
 
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DropBear    RE:cricket... what's the point?   5/9/2006 3:58:32 AM
what skills does it develop? Better not ask Shane Warne that question. ;) Seriously, cricket is a good traditional game (well still kinda sorta maybe traditional in most aspects), whereby Australia can flog the rest of the world and rightfully lay claim to being the worlds only sporting superpower. In India it is said to be a religion, however, the passion in Oz comes more from smacking the Poms and Kiwis around the international field. Bit like Rugby in that regards. As to what is the point to cricket? Well it gives Aussies something to do for six months of the year during summer when the Rugby Union, Rugby League and AFL are not being played.
 
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DropBear    A drinking mans game...   5/9/2006 4:00:21 AM
THE GAME OF CRUD The Object: To win the game by ?killing? your opponents until there are none left. The team which has their last player standing wins. Can also be played by individuals as well as teams. Last player standing gets free drinks paid by Umpire and losing team pays for winning teams drinks. Set Up and Overview: 1. Requires a billiard / pool / snooker table and 2 balls (white cue ball and black ball). 2. White cue ball is placed at near end on dot. Black object ball is placed on dot at far end. 3. Players divide themselves in two numerically equal teams. If odd number present, additional player becomes umpire. There is no limit to team numbers. (Between 2 - 10 is realistic to avoid crowding and drunken violence) 4. Umpire stands / sits at one of the side pockets. He / she must hold a beverage which assures their physical safety. If umpire is knocked and drink spilt - offending player loses a life. 5. Each opponent starts game with 3 Lives. 6. Each player must have consumed a minimum of at least 1-2 standard drinks before game commences. The more the merrier. Variations on a theme: Combat Crud - Full-body contact with physical violence encouraged. Gentleman?s rules - Minor pushing and shoving encouraged, albeit gently. Ladies rules - No touching of opponents whatsoever, otherwise player is disqualified and publicly ?pantsed? (wedgied) by all other players. However, yelling, hand waving and running around causing distractions is legal. This is known as ?Blocking?. Order of Play: This is established at start by determining the least intoxicated team. This team if able, goes first. Shooter goes first and has 3 attempts at hitting the Object ball with the cue ball. Players must shoot from ends of table. Umpire positioned at sides and any player who Shoots / Serves from sides is disqualified. Players can lean across table, however, one foot must be on ground at all times. Team A must Shoot from one end and Team B from the other, however, both teams run around table in a clockwise motion before Shooting from their designated end. Shooting from opponents designated end results in a kill on the player concerned. Terminology: Shooter - The Player whose turn it is to launch cue ball at the black object ball. Server - The first Shooter. Object Ball - Black ball or target ball. Receiver - The next Shooter on opposing side. Near end - End at which Shooter / Server stands. Far end - End where Receiver stands. Closed corners - Pockets on near end. If Shooter accidentally sinks black object ball in these loses a Life. Blocking / Blocker - Opponent who distracts current Shooter. Kills: There are three ways to kill?kill your opponents or kill yourself. 1. If the Shooter / Server strikes the object ball and sinks it, you have killed your Receiving opponent. 2. If the Receiver who then becomes the next Server, doesn?t grab the cue ball before the Object ball stops spinning / rolling then He / She loses a life. 3. Alternatively if Shooter sinks Object ball at near end pockets He / She loses own life. 4. If a player Shoots / Serves from wrong end they lose a life. 5. Remember - if you bump umpire you lose a life. This is not negotiable. Team make-up (example only): Five players per team. A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and B1, B2, B3, B4, B5. Teams alternate between Shooting and Receiving. A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3 etc. Playing Crud: Team A selects a Shooter - A1 and Team B selects a Receiver - B1. 1. Shooter A1 rolls cue ball towards object ball (has 3 chances to hit it and if misses all 3 times then loses a life and Team B starts the game). 2. Once object ball is hit, then first Receiver B1 then becomes Shooter / Server and A2 becomes Receiver. This alternates Shooter, Receiver, S, R, S, R etc. until game is completed. In other words one team has had all players lose 3 lives each. 3. Once a player has been killed 3 times they are removed from play. This could result in all of Team A versus one remaining member of Team B. Therefore order of play is A1, B, A2, B, A3, B etc. until B is killed and then Team A become the victors. This includes any number of player combinations with respect to how many players remain on each side. Note: Any players can block or disrupt other players depending on variation of game played. Caution is to be taken when many players are running around table at same time. Cue ball must be returned to end of table of current Shooter / Server before Object ball stops spinning / moving. Cue ball can?t be rolled, shot, thrown etc. from any end. It must come from end of table designated by the team in which it is being played. I rest my case. ;)
 
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Godofgamblers    RE:A drinking mans game...DB   5/9/2006 5:16:12 AM
wow... this is one for the archives:) it even rivals the Strategypage drinking game!
 
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Thomas3    Seriously   5/9/2006 6:26:29 AM
I've heard the Israelies use model-aircraft enthusiasts to man their UAV units. The british has said they use simulators to train helicopter crew in operations to dangerous to train directly. I think we must realise that soldiering is different things: There is hard - very hard - physical work on the one hand and there are a lot of jobs in intelligence, logistics etc. that are not physically demanding. The efficient armed force is the synergic combination of different skills - and I have an inclination to emphasise the non-physical, because whenever you HAVE to send troops out running and shooting there are not only lives at stake; but also expensive equipment and even more expensive trained personel at risk. If you can train a pimply 18-year old to use a "play-station" and send a bomb through a window, then you might avoid risking the lives of a platoon clearing a building - sometimes it is unfortunately not an option.
 
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Godofgamblers    RE:Seriously which game then?   5/9/2006 7:37:11 AM
which X box game would you recommend then, thomas, as good training for the coming generation of pimply techno geek warriors?
 
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buzzard    RE:cricket... what's the point?   5/9/2006 10:09:22 AM
"What is the most popular sport in the United States is it still baseball?" That's a tricky question. The popularity of sports here varies a good bit. Football consistently wins the TV rating wars, but then it only features one game per week during the season. Basketball is pretty popular, but many are put off by the Ghettoball image which it now has. Baseball still remains fairly popular and is quite acessible with relatively cheap seats and lots of games. However the recent steroids business hasn't helped its image. In terms of sports played, softball is quite popular as is basketball. Golf is pretty popular as well. buzzard
 
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doggtag    What is the most popular sport in the United States?   5/9/2006 10:51:35 AM
What, no mention of NASCAR, buzzard? Or is that just a "hick-ified" wannabe sport? Gotta admit though: if trying to gain and maintain the lead in a pack of aggressive drivers traveling at over 150mph doesn't hone one's reflexes and situational awareness, I don't know what would. But of course, it's also about conditioning the body, not just the mind (although many drivers say the inside of their cars on a hot day on a hot track reaches sauna-like temperatures, and it's not uncommon for a driver to lose 10 pounds throughout a race, purely by sweating it out). Mind you though: most of these sports are only any good if you're actually the one playing them! Just doing the couch potato thing and watching doesn't do you any good (at least video games do teach a little more hand-eye coordination than just hitting the mute button on the TV remote when commercials interrupt the game).
 
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kane    RE:Handball :D   5/9/2006 11:12:42 AM
i play handball since 4th grade(9th grade now) we won 3 turkey chamionships as club and schoold teams and 1 another as Istanbul all-stars *talks with pride* :p handball needs great timing,discipline and physical power and great condition (jumping skill would make you seem cooler :D -fly in front of the keeper and scare him with a fake in the air and score and land) tactics are also very important in handball does anyone know handball???
 
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buzzard    RE:What is the most popular sport in the United States?   5/9/2006 11:33:14 AM
The popularity of NASCAR did slip my mind. This is probably because I don't think of auto-racing as a sport. I don't deny that it requires amazing reflexes and endurance, but I would rather watch paint dry. I also don't really consider horse racing a sport. This is, of course, my own foible. buzzard
 
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