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

[Jfswift]

I agree with this statement. Gamers have an edge on a soldier put in charge of piloting a drone, seeing as they already have highly developed hand eye coordination.

 

[deonte9109]

As much as I want, my love of the Air Force more specifically jet pilots and my mutual respect for my friend who is AFROTC cadet and huge Air Force nerd I cannot accept this. Yes having drones does reduce the amount of risk and money spent but then almost anyone can obtain the the title of fighter pilot a much coveted and respected position.

 

[subject_87]

It'd be pretty horrifying and morally questionable to frame real-world conflict in the terms of a video game, but on a side note, I wonder if it'd be like piloting that goddamn chopper from Hl2 that shoots at you in the canals.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

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

So no.

You do know that drone piolots control their vechiles from thousands of miles away right? No personal risk, no chance of death.

Unless you somehow fly your drone into your base, but you get my point.

 

[Carlston]

They have the hand-eye...

Just need to be whipped into some serious training to go from, retard squeeling over tea bagging noobs to hey you really killed someone. And if you mess up your gonna kill someone from your home town.

Boot camp will get them there, advance training will polish and the threat of court martial will keep it fresh.

Besides, many of us old gamer nerds went military, many wow geeks are IN the military. Hell my entire Sub school was playing while we were there.

Just cause someone plays a video game doesn't make them less a person, or potential to be a soldier nor any better chance of being one. That's all up to him/her to do...

 

[Sovvolf]

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

I think this just about sums up my feelings about this. Hey look, Pwning some noobz over XBL or killing virtual enemies, I'm all for. Hell, I didn't even hesitate shooting on the Russian Airport mission from MW2. To me their just computer models with a brain of ones and zeros. I'll happily kill them, smiling and such. They're not real, its consequence free.

However this changes it. While this could be just doing reconnaissance work and such... I may get put in the situation where I'm forced to take a life and that's not something I'd find even the least bit entertaining. Hey, when it comes to virtual characters put together by a group of designers and programs, I'm a complete maniac and monster. When it comes to the real thing... No. I'm not really the type of person who would like to take another life.

That's not to say I couldn't or even that I wouldn't. I just wouldn't find it the least bit entertaining and its something I'd like to avoid doing if at all possible.

I also have to argue with this statement too. I don't find gamers to be the best choice for this kind of work. Yeah, maybe we have the skills to do this sort of thing... Maybe we'd be good at piloting the drones. However if we are generalising, gamers are well, twats.

If they are anything like the people I've seen playing on XBL, you wouldn't want these fellows near anything that causes explosions. They wouldn't have the responsibility to handle one of those drones. They'd probably cause more damage to their own side then to the enemy. No, I'd leave it to the train soldiers to do that job.

Not just that but as you can see by reading the posts on this thread. Quite a lot of gamers are morally divided. Some don't like the idea of killing at all. Some are all for it.
Some are against it because the idea of killing another human sickens them, others because they don't agree with the war. While some probably love the idea of pwning those terrorists.
So again, leave it to the trained soldiers and leave the gamers to their games. That excludes those gamers that are in-fact trained soldiers of course.

Also with the whole moral thing. How many gamers who say they could kill... Could actually kill? Yeah, they may say it to sound tough on an internet forum and they may even believe it them selves to some extent. Hey, the thought in their head at this moment could be "Me'h I have no problem with it" however, when they are looking at that screen and glaring at another human, a human who's life may be in their hands... Could they actually pull the trigger?.

I'd say I could, though I may be wrong. Sat here now with my coffee in my hand and toast in the other while typing using my penis looking at the computer monitor... I can say that. Though when I'm actually there, the situation may change completely. Yeah, if my squad is in danger and their lives rest in my hands... I may have to, though its not something I'd get enjoyment out of and its not something I'd like to be doing.

 

[brainslurper]

i would like to be in the military because it teaches you discipline, and its something you can always guilt trip people with (ok its fine i was just out defending your family) not for lie my whole life but for a little while. drones... i dunno. sounds like id just be staring down looking for terrorists all day and then maybe i get to shoot one per week if im lucky. but i guess thats how it is for everyone in the military

 

[zehydra]

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

So no.

You do know that drone piolots control their vechiles from thousands of miles away right? No personal risk, no chance of death.

Unless you somehow fly your drone into your base, but you get my point.

My point is that gamers tend to be reckless the first time they get their hands on the controls. They enjoy doing crazy things with the things they're driving/flying so they can get a feel for it. They can't do that with the drone. It's like trying to learn how to drive by playing Mario Kart. You crash all the time in racing games, you crash once in real life it's game over.

 

[AgDr_ODST]

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

So no.

Considering your controlling a drone, its pretty easy because you have rockets, and unless they get to you when controlling it, you have as many lives as the army has drones.

I like this idea.

yes except for the fact that the drones are expensive and if you crash one to many(which in this could be one, your gonna be in deep ass shit)

 

[Littlee300]

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.

By any chance do you have a untreated anti-social disorder?

 

[Littlee300]

Killing people for real is nothing like in video games. All I can say is that I'd sooner die than use my 'talents' for evil.

I imagine it be very close to video games just with some emotional impact for the humane type.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Hah! Hungary doesn't even have drones.
What we have HAD until fucking NATO took them all away, were those sweet MIG planes. Would I feel good about killing people? Nope. Would I feel good about flying one of the most awe-inspiring machines in the world? You bet. (or maybe a Sukhoi - Russian planes just seem so much cooler)
Also, I really do not agree with the American war effort.

 

[Doomsday11]

so when your entire school/workplace get flattened by a homemade bomb by a religious fanatic who has no right to be angry at anything your just gonna sit back on principles and let these sorts of things continue get over your self of course the war being fought now isn't being done for either the right reasons morally or ethically still doesn't stop the Taliban from taking pot shots at UN convoys and innocent civilians.

Sorry if this sounded unreasonable or out of proportion just in a bad mood

Then come back with a little bit better mood later, and I'll speak with you reasonably.

I have no issue with the troops defending the common citizen from the Taliban, or Al Queda. It is the Iraqi War (Occupation/Invasion) I was opposed to mainly, Afghanistan is a murky matter I more for positively than negatively. So don't give me the rant about my principals. As long as the Western powers are in the Middle East, they will always be under threat. Whether or not I support it changes nothing of that fact.

Ok first of all stop the condescending bullshit and we can have a reasonable debate I did that out of a common curtaisy so that you would not take offense at my point which obviously went straight over your head.
Secondly the reason(officially)these western powers are then is due to the terrorist attacks by said countries(even though 9/11 was financed by Saudis)and will I do not agree that is entirely the case saying that you will use none of your skill to assist in the destruction of these forces is at best short sighted and at worst hugely ignorant.
Also I was actually referring to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan as to me Iraq is a none issue I never had a suitable opinion on I also I assumed you were referring to Afghanistan for the drone piloting considering its the main theater of war at the moment.

 

[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.

By any chance do you have a untreated anti-social disorder?

Yeah. Horrible case of Asshat On The Internet Disorder. I hear it's fairly common. Offline I'm as gentle a soul as you could meet.

 

[Nikolaz72]

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 know.. All of the sudden i dont want you or any gamers to have a drone on the frontline .

 

[JLML]

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

I second this statement. If I got to use it to get rid of some politicians though... xD

 

[Edorf]

I'd much rather be out on the fields... (If I didnt die, ofcourse). Shooting people down from a drone seems like cowardice to me.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

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

Gotta agree here. If the other side was handling the same thing and it was just remote-drone vs remote-drone, then sure. But it's just not right to kill someone for entertainment, regardless of convenience.