Chris Ryan thinks us nerds would make good soldiers...

[TheRightToArmBears]

...kinda. There's still no call for skinny, spotty basement-dwelling WoW players on the frontline, but Ex-SAS soldier Chris Ryan seems to think that gamers would make great drone pilots. I don't know about you, but I like the sound of this. You get to kill the bad guys from the comfort of an armchair, with zero risk! That's my kinda war. In any case, it really seems like common sense to me, but then, surely drone operators are well trained as it is (well, except for maybe the American ones.)?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20101015/twl-ex-sas-gamers-should-pilot-drones-41f21e0.html

So, what do you think? Would you sign up for this?

 

[nunqual]

Eh, yeah, I guess. Well, except for griefers of course. And, there is the fact that no-one would do it by choice. If you ain't in the military, you don't want to be, or you can't.

 

[Shockolate]

Would it be like piloting to AC 130 in Call of Duty?

I'd totally sign up for that.

 

[Snork Maiden]

Well, except for griefers of course

Multiple friendly fire incidents followed by juvenile laughing? "Why are these drones hitting our tanks!?"

 

[ShadowsofHope]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Not at all...........video games are nothing like the real thing.

 

[Syphous]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

Really? You and I are two very different people.

 

[Tartarga]

Well there was some study recently that said gamers have the hand-eye coordination of fighter pilots. But if thats all we've got going for us then we're pretty much screwed. Still, I volunteer all those high pitched 12 year olds on X-box live. They could use the experience.

 

[zehydra]

Well, it'd be like playing a game on the hardest mode possible with one life.

So no.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

To tell you the truth, neither do I. Killing virtual people is all well and good but I wouldn't want to do the real thing.

And then there's the dust, heat, drills, having to get up early, annoying commanders, shit food... The army isn't for me.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

Really? You and I are two very different people.

..Okay? Your point is? This is likely obvious?

*Shrug*

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Well there was some study recently that said gamers have the hand-eye coordination of fighter pilots. But if thats all we've got going for us then we're pretty much screwed. Still, I volunteer all those high pitched 12 year olds on X-box live. They could use the experience.

And the inevitable barrage of missiles and bullets that would destroy them once and for all, leaving the rest of us on Xbox Live in peace.

..I mean, yes. World experience would be good for them, no matter the avenue. Yes.

*Hems*

 

[Yoshisummons]

Just because they look similar to people outside the circle apparently thinks that the average gamer can operate those things. Has he seen the interface they use? *shudders*

 

[Painful illusion]

Pretador drone here I come!!

 

[TheMariner]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

War is hell. It is not a form of entertainment whatsoever. It's likely that he just means that gamers (probably fps players in particular) have spent a good portion of their life controlling a 'drone' of sorts and therefore controlling an actual drone wouldn't be that much of a stretch in terms of the skill-set required.

Either way, who says that they would spend all their time finding and killing people? There are plenty of people who simply run reconnaissance and whose sole job is to identify threats and ultimately keep more of our people alive.

Personally, if there's a way I can help serve my country without picking up a gun, I'm all over it.

 

[Quaxar]

Hook it up to a Playstation controller and I'm in! What? I like the Ps controller...
Okay fine, I'd still do it with another controller. Sounds like the kind of job I'd do if my study to develop and build these drones (or something else robotic at least) failed.

 

[SimuLord]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

Really? You and I are two very different people.

My thoughts exactly, and I don't care what religion they are, I'll kill people from an armchair. Muslims, Christians, atheists, Pastafarians...I don't discriminate. Now make with the shooty and the boomy and the brain splattery goodness.

 

[omega 616]

That video was cringe worthy, "first person shoot 'em ups", they even got the re-naming of the Taliban wrong. Great researchers working at ITN ...

Could we do it better than the guys doing it now? Probably. I, for one, don't fancy killing actual people while I sit on a chair miles away from the front lines.

I would be okay in a spy plane though.

 

[Quaxar]

No, I still don't find killing Muslims with a remote drone in Afghanistan from an armchair to be any bit "entertaining", thank you.

Really? You and I are two very different people.

My thoughts exactly, and I don't care what religion they are, I'll kill people from an armchair. Muslims, Christians, atheists, Pastafarians...I don't discriminate. Now make with the shooty and the boomy and the brain splattery goodness.

You are a sick person, really. Why the hell would you kill Pastafarians? Do you want the pirate era to end once and for all? Do you, punk?