Turn-based gaming for convoy commander training

With the increasing complexity of current-day military operations, effective education and training of military commanders is of vital importance. Commanders need to perform within a broader range of conflicts; unpredictable threats and civil-military interaction place a great demand on their decision making skills. Because defense is transitioning towards a leaner organization, efficient and innovative tools are needed to provide better training value. The possibility to train frequently and learn from experience is indispensable. The Royal Netherlands Army sees potential in the use of serious games to meet these demands. This paper presents the results of a research project that explores the use of 'turn-based gaming' for training convoy commanders. In a turn-based serious game, a scenario is played in rounds which have a distinct planning and execution phase, making it possible to control time compression and time pressure. The advantages of this concept are that 1) the trainee can gain experience controlling a large number of units; 2) less experienced trainees can focus on tactical decision making as the complicating real-time factor is removed; and 3) trainees can plan and reflect on tactical decisions while staying immersed in the game. A prototype game was developed using VBS2, implementing the functionality and user interface for a turn-based convoy scenario. In a pilot session, seven logistics trainees played through three scenarios of increasing difficulty. The potential advantages of turn-based gaming were assessed using a questionnaire. The results indicate that the participants gain relevant experience, insight in effective communication and that turn-based gaming helps them learn by experience through fast loops of planning, execution and reflection. However, technical limitations and the limited scope of the experiment keep us from final judgment whether turn-based mechanics help trainees stay immersed in the game.