PWP

The Professional Wargames Page

Updated September 1, 2005

StrategyPage Resources for the Professional Wargamer

This page serves as an unclassified, unofficial clearing house for information on Professional Wargames (those used by the military and government agencies). 

Wargames used by the military are often quite different from those found in stores for sale to gamers (mainly civilian). Many military games are classified, which not only prevents the public from knowing much about them, but also impedes discussion among military users. Fortunately, the internet provides an easy way for military users, and interested civilians, to get around the security restrictions (without breaking the law) to find out about professional wargames and exchange information. Here we provide links to official, and unofficial sites containing relevant information. We also provide information to a restricted listserv for military and civilian game developers (Milgames). You must have a .mil, .gov or commercial game company email address to join Milgames.  If you have a .mil or .gov address, just subscribe by sending a blank email message to: milgames-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. For others, email game related bio details to  the listserv administrator and you'll be let in.

If anyone has criticisms, complaints, contributions, or whatever for The Professional Wargames Page (PWP for short), email the PWP editor (Mr. Wargames himself, Jim Dunnigan.)

For those of you new to wargames, the first thing you want to check is the Wargames Handbook.  This provides details on what wargames are and how to create them. There is also material on the unique problems of managing professional wargames.

For those of you who are new to this, and perhaps only know about civilian wargames, check out this article on the differences between civilian and military wargames. The author, Mike Robel, has been involved in both for many years. 

More Recent Material

Check out the DLS and HTMW sections of StrategyPage for new (and older) articles military applications of wargames. 

Tips on how to make commercial wargames work for military training.

Practical Advice on using the wargame Decisive Action in training exercises.

Here are two articles from staff school students pertaining to or mentioning using commercial simulations in the military. One on Chechnya, and the other more general. 

We also have available a compendium of Modeling and Simulation sites.

You can find lots of  professional wargame material in various sections of StrategyPage. Just use the search function (entering "wargame" will bring up lots of interesting hits.

History of Operations Research

This is another of those projects I just can't seem to get off the ground. We want to lay out where Operations Research came from and what it has done (and is likely to do) for wargaming. The initial material comes from a speech I gave in November, 2000.