joshua@uop.edu (Ed Bates) (10/13/88)
One of the professors in our School of International Studies is interested in any sort of a simulation dealing with global (international) conflict. Does anyone out there have something like that they would be willing to send my way? If you do, I can transport sources to UNIX (4.2BSD), VMS (5.0), and IBM PC, or binaries to IBM PC. If you have tar tapes for UNIX, FILES-11 or BACKUP tapes for VMS, or diskettes for the IBM PC, I would be more than willing to send the appropriate medium for shipping. Thank you in advance! -- Ed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Edwin J. Bates University of the Pacific Academic Computer Specialist Computer Services, 877 W. Stadium Dr. (Jack-Of-All-Computers) Stockton, CA (pretty close to Sacramento) 209-946-2251 95211 (somewhat near San Francisco)
rlk@telesoft.UUCP (Bob Kitzberger @sation) (10/20/88)
In article <1703@uop.edu>, joshua@uop.edu (Ed Bates) writes: > > One of the professors in our School of International Studies is > interested in any sort of a simulation dealing with global (international) > conflict. Does anyone out there have something like that they would be > willing to send my way? You might want to take a look at the "game" Balance of Power, available for the Macintosh, and (I think) PC-DOS and Apple ][. It pits the United States against the USSR, each vying for "prestige" points, while avoiding the Big One. It's very impressive in its level of detail, effort, and information. I'd be willing to send you my original Mac version for a token fee - I'm not using it. I believe I paid around $40 for it two years ago. .Bob. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bob Kitzberger Internet : telesoft!rlk@ucsd TeleSoft uucp : ...!ucsd.ucsd.edu!telesoft!rlk 5959 Cornerstone Ct. West at&t : (619) 457-2700 x163 San Diego, CA 92121-9891 "Nuclear weapons can wipe out life on earth, if used properly" -- Talking Heads ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) (10/26/88)
rlk@telesoft.UUCP (Bob Kitzberger @sation) wrote: In article <1703@uop.edu>, joshua@uop.edu (Ed Bates) writes: >> One of the professors in our School of International Studies is interested >> in any sort of a simulation dealing with global (international) conflict. >> Does anyone out there have something like that ...? > You might want to take a look at the "game" Balance of Power, available for > the Macintosh, and (I think) PC-DOS and Apple ][. It pits the United States > against the USSR, each vying for "prestige" points, while avoiding the Big > One. I haven't used this, but from the reviews it seems to be little more than an elaborate codification of Reagan's "evil empire" theory - it doesn't allow for countries or movements other than the US and the USSR to have their own agendas (so which side are the Iraqi fascists or the Islamic revivalists or the Khmer Rouge working for, then? ...). It may be no bad thing to have software that extrapolates this model, if only to explore the thought processes of the US right, but don't expect it to have anything much to do with the real world. Might be useful to counterbalance it with the Soviet-written global macroeconomic simulation described in the latest issue of Byte. Anyone know of anything that simulates the Weltanschauung of a Japanese ultranationalist? -- ARPA: jack%cs.glasgow.ac.uk@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk USENET: jack@cs.glasgow.uucp JANET:jack@uk.ac.glasgow.cs useBANGnet: ...mcvax!ukc!cs.glasgow.ac.uk!jack Mail: Jack Campin, Computing Science Dept., Glasgow Univ., 17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, SCOTLAND work 041 339 8855 x 6045; home 041 556 1878
stealth@caen.engin.umich.edu (Mike Peltier) (11/01/88)
In article <1780@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: > >rlk@telesoft.UUCP (Bob Kitzberger @sation) wrote: >In article <1703@uop.edu>, joshua@uop.edu (Ed Bates) writes: > >>> One of the professors in our School of International Studies is interested >>> in any sort of a simulation dealing with global (international) conflict. >>> Does anyone out there have something like that ...? > >> You might want to take a look at the "game" Balance of Power, available for >> the Macintosh, and (I think) PC-DOS and Apple ][. It pits the United States >> against the USSR, each vying for "prestige" points, while avoiding the Big >> One. > >I haven't used this, but from the reviews it seems to be little more than an >elaborate codification of Reagan's "evil empire" theory - it doesn't allow for >countries or movements other than the US and the USSR to have their own >agendas (so which side are the Iraqi fascists or the Islamic revivalists or >the Khmer Rouge working for, then? ...). Ed Bates: Perhaps the very best simulation of global international conflict and cooperation is the game 'Empire', written in C and up on various UNIX/etc. systems. The game is quite complicated and takes a good bit of time to get the feel for, but I think this would be exactly what the professor has in mind. The 'world' consists of a grid of certain dimensions (set at startup), and each player receives a 'country' upon entering the game which initially consists of two sectors -- one of which should be designated a capitol. Through skillful use of your 'natural resources' -- commodities such as ore and gold -- and by sucessfully interacting with your neighboring countries, either through warfare or peaceful negotiations, you may expand your sphere of influence, potentially to the point where your country encompasses half (or more) of the world. Various versions are out and about, some with fairly simple military and naval systems, and some with fifteen different kinds of ships, various land weapons, as well as agricultural and civilian morale factors. Definitely a far cry from the tired 'U.S. vs. U.S.S.R.' theme. There can be as many countries with as many individual agendas as there is room for on the map. Also, the game runs in somewhat of a semblance of real-time. You have to wait a few days for your population to grow, for 'production units' to accrue (for building ships, guns, shells, etc.) and so on, so it's not something you play in one evening -- it takes long range planning and strategy. I would strongly recommend this game to your professor. Even though it is takes some work to learn, it's a great game to get inside the thinking of a country, since you become the leader. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Peltier {caen.engin.umich.edu 8501 Huber, South Quad stealth@{m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (313)763-2899