Decisive Combat

By Singapore Armed Forces Centre for Leadership Development

Government Category

2013 Best Government Game Winner

 

Skills and Ideas Taught:  Players learn critical thinking skills and the principles of the fighting spirit.

Goal or Challenge:  Players assume the role of a squad commander and play through scenarios derived from the rationale of authentic experiences of SAF Warrant Officers and Officers. Through the game, players will use elements of critical thinking and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Core Values through decision making.

Primary Audience:  Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Officer and Specialists cadets.

Assessment Approach:  At the end of a level, the player is awarded with a ranking based on their general performance in the mission.  The ranking is calculated from accuracy, kills, mission time, player deaths, ammunition efficiency, perseverance and morale.

Description:  Decisive Combat is designed to be a 5-hour game that emphasised the use of critical thinking (via the Paulian Framework) in decision-making while inculcating the SAF Core Value of Fighting Spirit. A variety of pedagogical methods are used in the design. The method of storytelling w as used to convey the plot of the missions through which the gameplay occurs.  Through this method, archetypes of the player, non-player and adversary characters are created for scenarios based on authentic real-life experiences of SAF personnel.  Missions are presented in chunked, bite-sized portions to encourage self-directed learning. Incidental learning is imparted through embedded lessons. This game is designed to appeal to the Gen Y soldier (or more appropriately the 3rd Generation SAF soldier) who lives within the milieu of the information network.

Game Engine:  Unity

Operating System:  Android

Platform:  Android tablet

Special Hardware:  None