Ever wondered what the recent use of gaming-based methodologies in typical NATO scenarios could look like? Natalia Wojtowicz presents her personal insights from her practice in “Wargaming Experiences – Soldiers, Scientists and Civilians”.

Lately, there had been a push for new wargames and related publications, so why there is a need for this new 188-page paperback? To put it briefly, the book contributes to create multiple perspectives on this complex and intensely debated methodology. The author writes down her view from a scientific perspective, as a practitioner, as well as a gaming enthusiast.

“Wargaming Experience” is structured conventionally, with five introductory chapters on the basics, pros and cons, as well as possible applications of wargaming in various disciplines and areas. The following ten chapters take the reader through the author’s journey of designing and executing game-based methodologies during her years working for NATO. This covers nine practical cases (reaching from civil-military cooperation via operations in urban terrain up to CBRN defence and pandemics), which are described comprehensively and comparatively according to her so-called “Wojtowicz Protocol”. In the final chapter, she summarises her essential findings and gives her recommendations. An up-to-date and elaborate bibliography is attached.

It is a quick read because Natalia Wojtowicz writes in a very structured way with lots of clear-cut examples. She aggregates classic wargaming with other game-based methodologies. Even if the described cases focus on applications in a military surrounding, they broaden the view by integrating relevant aspects from various disciplines such as politics, medicine, economy, or even law.

The author emphasizes a comprehensive and holistic perspective on security, therefore searching for positive and cooperative solutions, not only escalation or even destruction. She reflects clearly the thinking and organisational patterns, admitting that some games cannot be won and that being evil is sometimes the easiest way to act.

Her approach that games have to serve a defined purpose and to address certain problems seems to be convenient, likewise her advice to foster transparency in design, cross-checking designs with reality, as well as having a clear plan for analysis of the gaming iterations.  Her recommendation for real-world scenarios is to be highlighted, allowing for historical comparison and seeming to evoke deeper involvement of the participants. Written in a very self-critical style, the book does not withhold the criticism and setbacks personally experienced, even when they are the source of some frustration.

Natalia Wojtowicz has added a substantial building block to the diversity of the wargaming community illustrating a broad range of games, and casting an eye over civil aspects and practical recommendations. She provides practical hints for coping with sceptical environments and motivation to get from discovery mode to design mode. Thus she encourages you to adapt the described examples for client work, as well as using them to inform your own game designs.

If I had some criticism to make, it would be that some parts of the basic chapters have been treated superficially. The fact that NATO and its member states have access to a vast ecosystem of analysts and wargaming specialists, including regular panels and conferences, is only mentioned in passing. This might not be caused by the author’s negligence but by the often-criticised “closed shop” mentality of this specialists’ community. Furthermore, a list of other played games, mentioned in notes, would come in handy as a recommendation and as an option to get a closer picture of the author’s gaming life.

As a conclusion, “Wargaming Experience” is definitely recommended to read, especially for those in the defence and security environment who start applying game-based methodologies, e.g. as a teacher or tutor, or those who initiate a professional career as designer or analyst in this field. For those die-hard wargamers, it is at least worth getting some inspirations for their next campaigns and upcoming projects.

Natalia later wrote this “missing introduction” article for Ludogogy.

Wargaming Experiences is available on Amazon

The post Review – Wargaming Experiences – Soldiers, Scientists and Civilians first appeared on Ludogogy.

To see my review of the first three courses, go to Review – Coursera’s Futures Thinking Specialisation

Course Four: Collaborative Foresight: How to Game the Future

This course built on the previous four modules, and got down to the really fun business of playing games. The purpose of these games is to check the usefulness of your projected futures by ‘playing them through’ with others.

I found the Future Wheel to be a particularly powerful tool for drawing out surprising consequences of potential futures by following chains of cause and effect. These insights can then be further developed to create thought-provoking images of what might happen next.

It is often inevitable that we fall into thinking quite pessimistically about the future – unsurprising as we sit in lockdown during a pandemic and contemplate the ravages of climate change and ecosystem degradation. One important skill which this course encourages is the use of positive imagination alongside this shadow imagination.

We are trained to identify leading edge behaviours – the behaviours of the few which might become commonplace in the future. We used the four feelings tool to explore the emotional side of the forecasts we made, looking at what makes us happy, sad, angry or feel gratitude (or any other emotions we wish to explore) with respect to this potential future.

An example of a future game is presented in this course in the shape of the Equitable Futures card game.

Utltimately we bring together all of this learning and tools to define Epic Wins – scalable, community-wide solution to a common problem, rooted in new best practices, policies, rules, regulations or
institutions.

Course Five: Urgent Optimism: How to Turn Foresight into Action

Up until this point the specialisation has presented a dazzling array of tools and ideas for gaining Foresight and Insight – the first first two pillars of IFTF’s Foresight, Insight, Action framework. In this final course, the focus is firmly on Action.

Once a preferred future – one you actively want to work towards, has been identified, one can ‘backcast’. This is the opposite of forecasting and involves a backwards planning process, whereby one can identify each step that is needed in order to reach this preferred future state.

The creative side of Futurism again comes to the fore as we are shown examples of ‘Headlining the Future’, creating first a headline and then a full news story, video, documentary, social media post or other format of artifact spreading the message from your preferred future.

Fittingly, this course and the specialisation ends with a Roadmap tool to allow the learner to lay out a route to the Epic Win they wish to bring about, and a short exercise to make a pledge about the actions they will make.

Taking this specialisation has left me with so many ideas for how I can use these tools in my learning practice, and it has also genuinely made a change in how I view the world. I am constantly scanning for signals of the future, and I even feel slightly more optimistic about some to the challenges we are currently facing.

I cannot recommend these courses highly enough. McGonigal is an inspiring instructor, whose passion for her work shines through every video. The tools themselves are easily and immediately applicable to work and life. Although this learning is about the future, the skills it teaches are applicable immediately, leading to increased autonomy and renewed optimism about what is to come. Access this specialisation at https://www.coursera.org/specializations/futures-thinking

The post Review – Coursera’s Futures Thinking Specialisation – Part 2 first appeared on Ludogogy.