BATTLEFIELD DECISIONS

1390462406683 https://www.defencepioneer.sg/images/default-source/_migrated_english/1390462406683.jpg?sfvrsn=36ad7736_2 https://www.defencepioneer.sg/pioneer-articles/BATTLEFIELD-DECISIONS
https://www.defencepioneer.sg/pioneer-articles/BATTLEFIELD-DECISIONS
BATTLEFIELD DECISIONS
17 Feb 2014 | OPS & TRAINING

BATTLEFIELD DECISIONS

STORY // Simon Koh
PHOTO // Simon Koh

PIONEER writer Guan Wei takes a shot at the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Decisive Combat, a serious game in which he plays a young 2nd Lieutenant leading a small squad as a foreign militia invades Singapore.

"A third-person shooter on a tablet? How am I going to navigate and shoot without analogue sticks?!" That was the first thought that ran through my mind when I found out that the primary console of the game Decisive Combat was the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

But with the touch-screen feature of a tablet, two virtual analogue sticks were replicated on the edges of the screen (left for moving and right for orientation), and I was able to move my character with relative ease.

Having played several of such games, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of realism, such as the static hostile targets and absence of weapon recoil.

[Spoiler alert!] However, as the end of the first mission approached, I was presented with two choices: save the hostages or defuse a bomb planted in the building. I chose the latter, despite being warned by my sergeants that it might be a hoax.

The bomb turned out to be real, but because of the time taken to defuse the bomb, all the hostages were killed. As a result, the remaining hostiles, along with their leader, were able to escape from the building.

It then dawned on me: this was not just a shooting game. It was one that trained SAF leaders in making the best decisions according to their judgement and the intelligence collected.

That aspect of the game got me hooked. The missions were all set in various key installations, ranging from the oil refinery to the airport, and the highways, which put into context the realities faced in the defence of Singapore.

And the decisions got harder as the game progressed. During the bridge campaign, I lost one of my sergeants because I took a gamble. That made me question the need to stick to original mission objectives despite changing circumstances.

It took about four to five hours to complete the entire game, but I felt that the duration and number of missions were sufficient (not too long, not too short).

Decisive Combat may not boast the best graphics and mechanics as compared to the best professional games out there like Call of Duty and Battlefield, but it certainly was one of the few games that made me go: "I'd better get this right; if this was real, it might be the last decision I make in my life."



Suggested Reading
From hospital ward to hyperbaric chamber
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

ME1 Kaitlynn Arumugam shares why she made the switch from nursing to joining the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), in the latest of PIONEER’s From Desk to Field series.

Feature
NDP 2025 BRINGS THE PARTY TO THE HEARTLANDS
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

The National Day festivities don’t end at the Padang! Continue the fun at five heartland locations on 10 Aug.

Cover story
COORDINATED JUMP BY RED LIONS & NAVAL DIVERS AT NDP
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

It’s the first time the Red Lions and Naval Divers are jumping into two different locations – the Padang and Marina Bay respectively – as part of a coordinated display!

Feature
60 YEARS ON, THEIR COMMITMENT REMAINS STRONG
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

The SAF celebrated its 60th anniversary on 1 Jul with a special SAF Day Parade and Combined Rededication Ceremonies across Singapore. 

Cover story
BRINGING THEIR A-GAME IN SAF BEST UNIT COMPETITION
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

These units were recognised for their outstanding achievements in this year’s SAF Best Unit Competition. Find out what makes them champions!

Feature
RECOGNISING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SAF
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

These servicemen were among over 1,200 MINDEF and SAF personnel who are being promoted for their good performance and potential – meet COL Fairoz, SWO Zulkarnaen, MAJ Muhammad Iskandar and 1SG Muhd Hidhir.

NDP 2025 SHOW EXPANDS FROM PADANG TO MARINA BAY
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

This year’s NDP show will be a musical extravaganza with over 3,000 performers, eight land and water floats, and the largest mobile stage ever used in NDP history!

Feature
PREPARING THE PARADE FOR SAF’S DIAMOND JUBILEE
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

SAF Day Parade Commander LTC Shew Narian and Parade Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) ME4 Lee Han Seng share how they and the parade participants have been hard at work to put up the perfect parade come 1 Jul.

Cover story
First air-land-sea display at NDP 2025 Mobile Column
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

The NDP Mobile Column makes its highly anticipated return this year not just on land, but also in the air and in the waters of Marina Bay!

SAFVC turns 10, promotes senior volunteers to SV4
OPS & TRAINING
17 Feb 2014

Marking a decade of duty, the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a special parade featuring some of its first as well as latest batch of volunteers.