Poll: Would you be comfortable killing your country's military in a game?

[Dalisclock]

Then again I'v never understood this fetishistic idolisation of military forces. You're supposed to support them no matter what, treat them like heroes even if it's quite obvious they really aren't, and all kinds of other stuff or else you're a bad person? Why?
It's absurd to treat something with that degree of blind, unconditional respect, no matter what it is...

I think a lot of it in the US comes from the (realistic or not) impression many people have of the Vietnam era that the military was despised by the general public and soldiers were spit on at the airport coming home, called baby killers and treated like shit, after coming home from a shitty war and situation to begin with.

There's also the fact that the US government does tend to promise service members a lot and often to fail to deliver on promised benefits, especially with the state the VA has been in for a LONG time.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Then again I'v never understood this fetishistic idolisation of military forces. You're supposed to support them no matter what, treat them like heroes even if it's quite obvious they really aren't, and all kinds of other stuff or else you're a bad person? Why?
It's absurd to treat something with that degree of blind, unconditional respect, no matter what it is...

I think a lot of it in the US comes from the (realistic or not) impression many people have of the Vietnam era that the military was despised by the general public and soldiers were spit on at the airport coming home, called baby killers and treated like shit, after coming home from a shitty war and situation to begin with.

There's also the fact that the US government does tend to promise service members a lot and often to fail to deliver on promised benefits, especially with the state the VA has been in for a LONG time.

Ah. That's the other extreme of course, which is equally messed up. They're still human, and while worshipping the ground they walk on is a bit much, going to the opposite extreme and treating them as pariahs isn't that great either.

But you're right about it being a US thing. I mean, we get it a little around here, but not in the way it seems to go down in the US.
Wow. That's so extreme...

It's never good to hear the government is making all kinds of promises and not keeping them though. That sucks...

 

[Haerthan]

No.

The game would end too soon.

Spoiler

Because we barely have an army

Well with Canada all they have to do is blockade us. Seriously we have no navy big enough to protect all the coast we got. Same with Romania, we only got 4 frigates. Rest of the navy is pretty much small bits that wont do shit against a proper foe. Now in Canada the winters can get brutal as all hell, -40 without the wind chill. Now in Romania, depending on certain factors, how brutal the occupying force is and whether we can wake up or not.

Now the game would be short in Romania's case. For Canada well itd be game over for the invaders fast cause we got snowballls with rocks in them bitches.

 

[Shadow flame master]

Look man, I did it in Modern Warfare 2 and Spec Ops: The Line. Both are games that I really like and both have segments that have me killing my fellow service men. In the case of Spec Ops, the entire game has me going against them. As long as it makes sense in the story for me to kill American soldiers (like they're rouges or trying to kill me for some reason) then I'm for it.

 

[barbzilla]

I honestly wouldn't care, I have no issues separating fiction from reality. I've managed to do it many times, in multiple games without even pausing to think about it. To me it is far more important that the game establish some semblance of reasoning for me to be killing these people. The games that just drop me into a fight with no clue why I'm fighting tend to grow dull very quickly.

I wouldn't mind seeing a game where you fight American soldiers that aren't completely off their rockers though. Maybe a game where you are fighting the US as another country over land, where both sides soldiers are just following lawful orders. Still though, it would have to have an established reason.

 

[FPLOON]

Uh... Does doing so in The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction count?
If so, then "Yes"...
If not, then "Yes"...

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I don't really care what I'm killing in a game. And to be honest, I don't feel I owe my country anything and so I wouldn't feel any different if it was Aussie soldiers or the french. Not to say I don't like it, I just always felt patriotism is kind of dumb.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Well, they're pixels...so.

Yes?

Do it all the time in multiplayer.

Unless we're talking about a specific circumstance, as in a single player campaign where you're just murdering US troops, then...not really into it? But if they're being dicks? Sure. Click click click, etc.

 

[Ronald Nand]

Context is everything, if I'm just causing chaos (Prototype, GTA) I don't pay much regard to the cops, military or civilians that are killed. Same idea when the military are the villains of the story and have committed horrible acts (Half Life), they're justified villians so they're fair game.

Where I'd have issues are when its some propaganda game like a North Korean game where you're gunning down US and Australian soldiers for the glory of North Korea, that would make me uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to play such a game.

So it all comes down to the context, rather than the action for me.

 

[Dr. Thrax]

Command and Conquer: Generals and Generals Zero Hour.
You can be either the Chinese or Global Liberation Army fighting against the US.
I have dropped so many SCUD Storms and Nukes on the USA faction through my various Skirmish playthroughs it's not even funny.
So, yeah, totally, hi FBI/NSA/CIA! -Waves-

 

[T8B95]

Sure.

It'd be quite a stretch to make Australia's military into a world-threatening menace, but hey, if they can pull it off then bring it on.

That's what I was just thinking about Canada's military.

Hey come on. The world will cower at our polar bear cavalry!

 

[RawSteelUT]

But a game where I'm straight up attacking U.S. troops? Like, say, playing as a German soldier gunning down U.S., or even Allied troops, during Normandy? Or playing as, shall we just go with Russia, soldier invading the U.S. and killing U.S. troops defending the country? I don't know. I think that would make me very uncomfortable.

Yeah, this is really the only part I'd not be too sure about. There would have to be some INCREDIBLE story reason for that.

Examples like you listed with Spec Ops: The Line and CoD: Modern Warfare 2 are fine and dandy - there should only be ONE punishment for treason. And hell, even playing as a VC in the Vietnam War might be acceptable, given our... Questionable justification for that one. But playing against US soldiers simply defending the country... There would have to be some serious Enemy of the State/V For Vendetta shit going on for that to be justifiable.

You know what I'd like to see? A GOOD action game set in the US Civil War. Not necessarily an FPS, as the weapons kinda suck for that, but any sort of high-action game, maybe a Musou game with equal campaigns for Union and Confederacy. That would be interesting.

 

[Bernzz]

Sure.

It'd be quite a stretch to make Australia's military into a world-threatening menace, but hey, if they can pull it off then bring it on.

The closest example I can think of is the second Army of Two game. You kill mercenaries, some of whom are clearly Australian, judging by their accents.

There was also that one dude in Far Cry 3. Buck, was his name.

But yeah, I reckon I could do it. It'd be weird at first, but I'd love to see a game where Australia's military is evil and invading. If you can justify that story I'd play it.
Be nice to have some more representation, anyway.

 

[raeior]

I'm from Germany so in pretty much every second shooter the enemy is German. Do I care? Nah, it's just a game and even then I certainly wouldn't count Nazis as "my country's military".

From the top of my head I don't even think there are any games were you fight the army of modern Germany. Probably because it is mostly held together by spit and baling wire with planes and helicopters not flying, tanks not driving and barracks suffering from mold and other problems.

 

[Akjosch]

The Irish army?

It probably wouldn't be a very long game.

No.

The game would end too fast.

Damn, you got there first.

Twisted minds think alike.

Sweden here.

You say that now, but then you didn't have to deal with Gustav II Adolf, Karl X Gustav or Karl XII.

Seriously, starting any of the Europa Universalis games in the mid-17th century central Europe is a sure way to get your arse kicked by the Swedish the moment you are in their way. Even when playing Russia, Poland-Lithuania or the HRE emperor.

As to the topic: Sure, why not? It's just pixels in a fictional setting, after all.

 

[Mutant1988]

The Irish army?

It probably wouldn't be a very long game.

No.

The game would end too fast.

Damn, you got there first.

Twisted minds think alike.

Sweden here.

You say that now, but then you didn't have to deal with Gustav II Adolf, Karl X Gustav or Karl XII.

Seriously, starting any of the Europa Universalis games in the mid-17th century central Europe is a sure way to get your arse kicked by the Swedish the moment you are in their way. Even when playing Russia, Poland-Lithuania or the HRE emperor.

As to the topic: Sure, why not? It's just pixels in a fictional setting, after all.

And then they decided to take on Russia and got their asses kicked, ruining our ambitions to imperialism. To be fair to the Swedes though, the terrain and weather wore them down significantly and that is always the case for anyone that tries to invade Russia. Probably the reason why they hold on to that inhospitable bit of the continent - It can be kept. Then there's the scorched earth strategy. Hypothermia, impassible terrain and starvation does not make for a fit army. And the whole thing is a bit of a bust if your king goes and gets himself killed.

Bleh.

 

[Ariseishirou]

I can't think of a single game where you fight the Canadian military. (I think JTF-2 might show up in MoH: Warfighter?)

But I'd be all for it!

 

[Smooth Operator]

I killed every other god damn thing in games, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't even make me pause.
Would have a problem if shit went into a real world political or propaganda direction.

 

[Squilookle]

It's a FREAKING GAME! I wouldn't care- Whenever I play Tobruk in Battlefield 1942, I have no qualms about being the Germans rolling their tanks up to squash the Australians British underfoot. Hell if there was a shooter made by say... New Zealand and the main character was a Kiwi who went to war against Australia over beer or rugby or something, I'd play the CRAP out of that game, not just beause I'm sick to death of North American protagonists, but because just SEEING the Aussies in a game would be novel in itself. Mowing them down wouldn't taint that.

And I guess we all just went ahead and forgot about Operation Flashpoint then, hey?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

It depends how pathetic the soldiers would be. If they were grunts or something, I might feel uncomfortable. Soldiers in our country are held in high esteem because the government doesn't give a single shit about them, but they still serve.

For example:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8c1wfH5YRM4/UjLzP1EJoeI/AAAAAAAAGVE/eSJzkDqpGR8/s1600/soldier3.png

Those guys haven't eaten in days, and they had to beg for that food.