NonKin Village: An Embeddable Training Game Generator for Learning Cultural Terrain and Sustainable Counter-Insurgent Operations

  • Authors:

  • Barry G. Silverman;David Pietrocola;Nathan Weyer;Ransom Weaver;Nouva Esomar;Robert Might;Deepthi Chandrasekaran

  • Affiliations:

  • Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315;Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315;Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315;Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315;Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315;Innovative Management Concepts, Inc., Dulles 20166;Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6315

  • Venue:
  • Agents for Games and Simulations
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

This article describes a virtual village we are currently assembling. Called NonKin Village, this is a gameworld that brings life to factional agents in a sort of an emergent SimCity. It supports street level interaction and dialog with agents to learn their issues, needs, grievances, and alignments and to try to assist them in countering the agenda of an insurgent faction aimed at ending the rule of law. The player can attempt tactical Diplomatic, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME) actions and observe Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, and Information (PMESII) effects unfold, but watch out! It's easy to go wrong in this foreign culture, to undertake operations with spurious side-effects. The player's goal is to learn enough about the foreign culture and their situation so as to be successful at influencing the world and facilitating a new dynamic to take effect, that of equitable and self-sustaining institutions.