Image
credit: Chain of Command: Capture the Sea (Final
Battle) by NAVY PMW-120
Chain of Command: Capture the Sea ,
developed by Naval Information Warfare
Command: PMW-120, was selected as a finalist in the 2019
Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in the Government
Category.
Chain of Command: Capture the Seas is an action game originally intended for navy personnel,
age range 18- 24 years old, to learn sensor theory & warfighting tactics. However,
this game can be used to illustrate, teach, and/or better explain
EW (electronic warfare) tactics and related scientific principles to any
audience. Role playing, realistic scenarios, robust AI and responsive mechanics
all combined create the perfect context for a highly engaging learning
experience.
Game Context
In the middle of a vast ocean, there is a real
science, art and technique to the skillset of carrying out a mission while
remaining undetected—to find, without being found. This skill requires the use
of highly complex systems, and an understanding of phenomenology of
radars, sensors, and electronic warfare (EW) tactics.
This complex and multi-dimensional skillset is
difficult to obtain without years of real-world experience. Therefore, the
object of the game is to allow operators to gain experience and build up their
level of expertise before they go to sea. This expertise is gained by
completing tutorial scenarios, single player full action/ battle scenarios and
multiplayer challenges. Repeated exposure to these scenarios and iterations of
gameplay will reinforce the knowledge and skills they have learned.
The objective is to provide operators with the
understanding and basic skillset needed to perform their roles with a high degree
of expertise – even for young personnel with little time to gain real-world
experience.
To achieve this, the developers abstracted the relevant qualities and capabilities of real-world assets (sensors, platforms, etc.) and integrated them into a gamified “battlespace” environment.
Image
credit: Chain of Command: Capture the Sea by NAVY PMW-120
Gameplay
Chain of Command: Capture the Seas is a multiplayer action game in which 1-3 players command
fanciful naval force in a capture-the flag like exercise. But although it uses
fast-paced gameplay and arcade-scoring sensibilities, it was developed by a
team deeply versed in educating people about logistics,
detection/counter-detection, wargaming and missile defense. To play the game
well and win, players will need to understand and solve those problems – even
though they won’t think about them in those terms.
Image
credit: Chain of Command: Capture the Sea (Pink Warship) by NAVY PMW-120
The goal of CoC: Capture the Seas is to
gather information about the location and actions of the opponent forces and
use this information to capture and hold high-value targets while avoiding
detection. The challenge to the player is that the location and movements of
the opposing fleets is unknown, unless they are detected by radars or sensors
aboard the different platforms (e.g.ships, submarines, aircraft).
Image
credit: Chain of Command: Capture the Sea (Airplane Action) by NAVY PMW-120
The player must then leverage this information
to determine which targets to try and capture, how to capture them and how to
defend their fleet against their opponents. Players have a variety of
platforms, sensors, and weapons. These provide different logistical options,
different flavors of intelligence, and different potential for going up against
an opponent (or two!). All of these factors need to be understood, accounted for,
and employed under time-crunch. A variety of strategies can be successful, but
any type of success depends primarily upon how well a player can identify each
opponent’s plans, disposition, and capability. The balance of the game is such
that a capably employed platform can provide significantly more value than a
more expensive opposing force that is used crudely. All platforms have
overlapping strengths and weaknesses that must be considered and responded to
in real-time.
Image
credit: Chain of Command: Capture the Sea (Score) by NAVY PMW-120
In the single-player version of these
scenarios, the trainee is playing against two other fleets being controlled by
AI agents within the game. This allows the trainer to create scenarios to
target performance or understanding of specific knowledge or skills for
assessment. In the multiplayer battle scenarios, up to three players compete
against each other to gain the most points before the end of the scenario. The
multiplayer scenarios provide opportunities for trainees to experience new,
unscripted situations and allow them to practice their skills in new and
creative ways. Future development within these multiplayer scenarios will also
allow for team-based training and team performance assessment.