There is one other element of unconventional warfare that is problematic for game designers: its cruelty. Irregular warfare involves violence by and against civilian populations in a way that conventional warfare does not. In a conventional war, civilians suffer, but their suffering is rarely a material factor in the outcome of a battle or war. Unconventional warfare, on the other hand, is often precisely about winning the allegiance or submission of the populace. A game covering the subject cannot ignore many of the issues that make unconventional wars so controversial and unpopular. These issues haunt our politics, and even historical cases can evoke some of the bitterness surrounding Iraq, Afghanistan and, still to this day, Vietnam.
During most insurgencies, both sides employ tactics that would not sit well with gamers. In putting down the revolt in the Philippines, the United States established concentration camps to prevent Filipino guerrillas from moving at will among the populace. The British did the same during the Boer War. Irregular warfare often draws both sides down a path of "eye for an eye" atrocities, during which civilian populations routinely suffer the most. A game that portrays the cruelty of irregular warfare, especially if it makes players participants in that cruelty, might be accused of cheap exploitation or tacit endorsement.
Guillory thinks the challenge can be met through good, efficient design. He explains, "Game designers cannot be truly politically neutral, but we do need to portray both sides in all their ugliness. However, the distasteful and brutish actions that occur during a war only need to be incorporated if they have an actual game effect. ...The Chechen War is a great example. There were reports of both sides using prisoners as human shields. That's a serious morale hit, if you have to shoot through your buddies to hit the enemy. But if your game doesn't model morale, or allow for taking prisoners, then how would you incorporate that?" The trick for the designer, then, is to identify what actions actually impact the course of an unconventional war, build them into the model and screen out what is strategically irrelevant.
With that kind of approach to the subject, games could change our relationship with the frequently awful events we hear about every day on the news. War exacts a great price from the nations that engage in it, and as such it demands responsible citizens' full attention. Compelling, thoughtful games addressing today's conflicts, or relevant historical cases, could do much more civic good than a year's worth of The Weekly Standard or The New York Times' editorial pages. When you're living in a democracy that's facing as many challenges as ours, it's both dangerous and irresponsible to disengage from the issues. Games may never be able to provide the answers we need, but they can at least help us try to find them.
Rob Zacny is a freelance writer. When not focused on gaming, he pursues his interests in Classics, the World Wars, cooking and film. He can be reached at zacnyr[at]gmail[dot]com.
