If you haven’t figured it out, the reason that everybody is jazzed about ”Generation Kill: A Bad Day in Baghdad“, is the wacky format. (For a couple of weeks, the team let me think it was my dazzling personality). The idea is we are facing off Mil-Sim style players against Big Game style players for bragging rights (oh yeah, and Iraq). 

Are you on the Crack Pipe again, boy?!

It’s not true Mil-Sim since we had to bend the rules a bit to make it relatively winnable and affordable for everyone (notice I did not say “fair”.) Because the Feyadeen will have no paint load/firing restrictions, we couldn’t figure out how to make it one price for all (and not lose our shirts!) In PURE Mil-Sim, you wouldn’t be able to leave the field, your weapons have to be military style, you have tac-caps to limit your hoppers to 50 rounds, and because your fire and supplies are so limited, you pay just one price for your paint and game play. We are doing this to help players who have never played mil-sim before, become more aware of it. This “one price for everything” concept may help the future of paintball.  Maybe they will see the military style play and rules or play it at Gen Kill and like it. It’s a little bit more “real” than paintball. It may not be for everyone, but I think as the economy impacts people you will see more and more of it. Team Boxer’s motto is “everything real but the bullets” and that is the essence of mil-sim. Ironically, Boxer is playing for the Feyadeen side and I think you will see some of that military discipline on the Big Gamer side of the street in just a few days.

Get Some!

What’s involved in playing on the mil-sim side with the Marines in Generation Kill?

• The Marines will have strict Rules of Engagement telling them when they can engage the enemy.
• The Marines will have limited specialty players: Medics, engineers, SAW gunners, etc. and the Feyadeen won’t.
• The Marines have an enforced Chain of Command.
• The Marines will have very specific missions to carry out (so will the Feyadeen, but their general mission is to harass and hinder the Marines anyway they can). The Marines are penalized for not succeeding in most missions (points to the Feyadeen).
• The Marines can only carry 500 rounds on them at anytime (except for some specialty players).
• The Marines can be resupplied bya  Supply Chain Officer (or get shot off the field).
• Marines must wear military style camo and should have tactical vests and gear.

So with all these restrictions, why would anyone WANT to be a Marine? Why do people in the real world want to be a Marine? For the personal challenge. The challenge is to adhere to a specific code of conduct and restrictions and STILL overcome superior odds. Some of the most fun I ever had, was playing in the Platoon Leader Mil-Sim last fall. Managing supplies, resources, communications, and thinking politically is all a part of it. You have to play strategically, stealthy, and smart. It’s not about fire fights, it’s about out-thinking your enemy.

It’s Our Damned Country! Get Out!

Okay, why be a Feyadeen Insurgent? The Marines are all challenging and drama and hooyah and all that, why be a terrorist? This is a little more personal. Maybe you don’t like military restrictions. As a Feyadeen, you can carry as much paint as you want and rain down a storm of paintballs on the limited ammo Marines. You don’t get Medics, it’s true, but you can respawn anytime you like AND REFILL UP on thousands of rounds of paintballs. Do The Math. (for theory’s sake, let’s say there are 90 Feyadeen and 60 Marines, 54 x 500 plus 6 SAW gunners = 33,000 paintballs. 90 Feyadeen x 1000+ rounds = 90,000 rounds as fast as you can resupply yourself. That’s a 3:1 advantage in ammunition ALONE!) The Marines have specific R.O.E.’s when they can fire or not. You can shoot any old time. They have to wear certain uniforms. You can blend in with the civilian population the Marines are there to protect. You can wear cool turbans and such.

Suicide bombers. Nuff Said.

There are a lot of reasons to pay on the Feydeen side, but the big one is… it’s fun to be the bad guy.

War Sucks! But it’s fun!

Another major factor in what makes Generation Kill a little wackier than most paintball games is the reality factor. In a lot of games, you might hear people whine about the sides not being even, or one side had an advantage, or communication was poor or any number of  nasal bitches. But that’s how real life and real war is. It’s not always fair or even, and occasionally Fate steps in and really dumps a turd in your strategic punch bowl. Hello. My Name is Fate. I will be your disruptive factor for the day. We will be crusing at an altitude of 20,000 screw ups and leveling off at six monkey wrenches per hour. Please let me know if I can mess with your head.

Read the book, Generation Kill by Evan Wright or watch the HBO special. Full supply trucks get abandoned. The platoon leader calls in an air strike ”danger close” to his own platoon. They accidentally kill civilians.  Captain America gets them lost and they have to back track to catch up to the regiment. Nobody’s on the right comm frequency. And they still took Baghdad!

This game is not only throwing these types of wrenches into the works, but we want people to try and embrace them. Accept Fate messing with you as part of life/war/paintball and move on. This is getting players one step closer to stop whining about the everyday crap that happens in paintball (cheating, uneven numbers, etc.).

Uncle Sam/Saddam Needs You!

Okay, so you can play by military rules (or not); be conqueror or liberator depending on which point of view you take; you can dress military or raghead; and you can get handed the short end of the stick at any given moment. (Remember though, if one side is getting some Bad Luck (via intel, accidents etc.) the other side is getting handed Good Luck by the same token. Fate is not only cruel but he has a great sense of humor. The only thing you need to do is SIGN UP.

• For more info about being a Marine, contact commander Bill “Greenman” Ford (Hitman Actual) of ODX.
• For more info about being a Feyadeen, contact commander Dave “gendirkamuhammad” Thompson (Feyadeen Actual) of Capitol Offense.
• To pre-resister online, go to www.ScenarioSupply.com
• For information about the game, go to http://TeamTangoAlpha.com/genkill/
• For questions not covered there, contact me at paul@TangoAlpha2.com

See you there.

Sorry for being away from the blog so long . Three weeks is an eternity in Blog Years! (I just know some of you sit by your computers, tapping your fingers, waiting for the latest installment!) Besides some personal issues, The “Generation Kill Scenario: A Bad Day in Baghdad” has sucked all the time out of my writing. The good news is… it was more time I could plan devious ways to mess with players heads! (I so love my job!)

The event is going way better than expected. Registration is through the roof and we are far exceeding our expectations for our first scenario. We have players coming from Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, DC and of course, all over North and South Carolina. Not too shabby for a one day game! The commanders are getting their teams organized. Tango Alpha2 has run through ref training, role player orientation and familiarized themselves with the field. The missions are planned out. The maps have been updated. The ID badges are laminated. The prizes are in. I have my shemagh wrapped tightly around my neck.  BRING. IT. ON.
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