Strategy game
From WRIWiki
Strategy game
Strategy game is a particularly stylized exercise in which participants take the parts of opponents in a political-social conflict, thus learning theories and consequences of strategies. It may last from four to eight hours, including evaluation. Participants do not act out the action, as in roleplaying; they think through the moves they will make in order to gain power or for some other strategy, and communicate these moves to the opponents in another room by means of a third party.
For example, a strategy game might have as its scenario: The United States invades Canada in the summer of 1980 for the following reasons: the United States needs hunkite for its atomic power reactors, now the major source of energy for peaceful and defence purposes. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated with the continuation of the Vietnam War; Canada has developed nonviolent civilian defense to the extent that action cells of citizens have been formed and are in the process of training the populace for unarmed protracted resistance against an invader.
One group of participants takes the role of the Canadian government; another group takes the role of the American government; and a third group takes the role of umpires, who interpret each move. Time limits are given for each move, and the game continues until it comes to a natural conclusion or until a good many issues are uncovered. Discussion and evaluation follow as integral parts of the process.
There are significant limitations to strategy games. One game takes a long time to develop and finish. Another limitation is that participants are often not familiar enough with factual conditions or with strategies to take advantage of the game; but on the other hand, the game is designed to develop a sense of strategy. Despite its limitations in short-term training programmes, it is probably a tool worth exploring and experimenting with.
