Comment

Comment by Kim Kanger on October 26, 2011 at 4:41am

Now when both Iraq and Afghanistan is getting close to their final play I'm wondering what the pillars of a counterinsurgency must be. I believe it must be these:

1) Respect: Don't antagonize by showing disrespect in encounters or worse, by killing their relatives. This will just feed the insurgent's recruitment and give the insurgency information and safe havens.

2) Achieve local supremacy: What good is there to visit a village once in awhile if the insurgents rule there during the rest of the time. The insurgents do nor have to be aliens in that village, they might well be respected habitants in that very village. You have to move around during the night, all the time and in unpredictable patterns and create unsecurity among your opponents.

3) Legitimacy: If you are a foreign force then this is the most important issue. Everyone knows that you will not be there forever. The insurgent knows and abides his time. The villagers know and don't really care how much control the situation, because "tomorrow" you will be gone. The government that stays behind has to be legitimate and not despised, it has to offer something (be sure that the insurgents offer you a better society, so the government has to counter offer that) and people must believe that the government will win. Not only that, people must believe that other people also believe that the government will win. No-one wants to be on the losing side and be handed the bill afterwards when thr winners knock on your door.

This is of course why the war in Afghanistan will fail.

Comment by Jon Compton on October 28, 2009 at 8:09am

MCS Group is looking for contributors with an interest in modern conflict for a new project we are starting to work. More specifically, we are looking for writers, game designer/developers, and graphic artists. Sorry I can't be much more specific than that yet. If interested, please contact me at jbcompton@mcsgroup.org. Signing of a non-disclosure agreement will be required.

Comment by Eric Walters on October 19, 2009 at 11:28am

WHERE THERE IS DISCORD hit by doorstep last week. What an incredible looking game. Who would have thunk you could do a game of this size and quality on the Falklands War? It's a solitaire game, so I think I'm going to try to get my landing force onto San Carlos--