First of all I've not been here long so if a similar topic was posted here recently feel free to link it and call me names. I'm into military sim games and flight simulators. For example DCS, ARMA and Rising storm 2: Vietnam. I really like the gameplay, but I sometimes can't help thinking about the real world atrocities that were committed with the simulated war machine I'm using.

For example, I'm googling the name of an Air-to-Ground missile so that I can find out its effective range or something, and the wikipedia page has paragraphs about how it was "really effective" in bombing bridges in Vietnam, or how it was used extensively in Iraq. Less often it's something more wholesome, like how improper handling of a Zuni rocket resulted in a huge and very destructive fire on a US aircraft carrier while it was deployed in the South China sea during the Vietnam war.

It doesn't help of course how any story or campaign on such games is basically unapologetic NATO propaganda. It's also interesting how games like Call of Duty don't usually trigger this for me, because their mechanics are so far removed from reality it's basically an arcade game with a "realistic" coat of paint, no different from DOOM or whatever.

Anyway, those feelings aren't enough for me to stop playing those games, nor do I think they're fundamentally unethical or something. I'm just wondering if anyone here had similar experiences.

    • verygoodperson [love/loves]
      hexagon
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      All I want is a mig29 with 3D thrust vectoring TBH. It's too bad they're having trouble with the Russian government, I wish the Russians and other militaries took a page off the American DoD's book and realize how this stuff is basically free propaganda.

      I got the harrier, found a Soviet livery for it, and make my own missions. So I don’t really get uncomfortable playing it.

      Cool. I haven't delved much into custom liveries/mods and the mission creator myself, but I like how you can customize stuff like that yourself.