Anti-poaching operations

[CptJake]

The only issue I can see is who on earth would want to play the poachers.

 

You could run it as a map based campaign where players ran competing anti-poachers units hoping to win the big contract (or the lion's share of the defense budget if gov/t forces) from Country X.   

They could plan patrols/surveillance ops and ambushes and devise a random(ish) encounter based on their activities.  Each activity could cost resources/lead to different encounters.   When an encounter occurs for a group, the owner/CEO/Colonel running the group plays his guys and the other player plays the crap bags (and would have incentive to harm/cost his competition as much as possible).   

I guess alternatively you could figure out an AI for the crap bags.  Roll and encounter as a movement to contact, player ambushes or player being ambushed and use something like 2 Hour Wargames to run the poachers based on the encounter type.

[Blofeld]

Just saw this while looking at image of the South African anti-poaching teams
http://www.nirvanaafrica.co.za/
The bottom of the page features details on special flying pilots with helicopter type jet-packs hunting poachers  looks like a great start for a very strange game!
Thanks
Blofeld

[CptJake]

Yeah, a properly 7.62 ventilated poacher is a lot less likely to be inclined towards recidivism.   

[Hat Guy]

The only issue I can see is who on earth would want to play the poachers.

Comes back to the "why would I play Nazis" argument for me. There's a cognitive dissonance that exists when wargaming that an individual can only extend so far. I'd happily play a Poachers vs Police game or Terrorists vs GIGN game, so long as I'm not recreating an actual battle where real people died. But that's my line in the sand and no one else's.

[jeffb]

I do get your point there, still it would not be my choice of faction to play any time soon.

I think this simulation would actually work better with each player having a small squad of rangers/game keepers and an AI opponent. The players having to co ordinate a sweep and work together to prevent the poachers slipping through the dragnet.

I suspect in the near future as environmental collapse accelerates you will see all sorts of conflict around environmental issues. 

Tusk rules would work for that, i think. Agree with you as regards near future environmental issues, water being the main concern.

[pinstrpepete]

Scurv, that video sounds horrific. I said something similar to Jeffb about not having the stomach to play as the poachers.

Having nobody in my local area interested in anything beyond fantasy/Sci if settings I have been trying to come up with some kind of simple ai mechanic for years.

Perhaps we could put our heads together in this thread to try to come up with something? The wildlife would be easy enough but the poachers themselves is a different kettle of fish (in my experience anyway).

[jeffb]

I'd be up for helpin with ideas. As for playin the Poachers, i'd have no quams in playing them. At the end of the day its only a wargame with miniature soldiers.

[Rob_bresnen]

I'd be up for helpin with ideas. As for playin the Poachers, i'd have no quams in playing them. At the end of the day its only a wargame with miniature soldiers.

True that.

It's no different to playing Nazis, gangsters, terrorists, Mongols, cannibal pygmy tribesmen, necromancers...any bad guys really. It's just a game and playing that faction doesn't imply that you are in some way supporting their philosophy or goals.

[jeffb]

Interesting articles:
http://www.wildlifeplanet.net/is-it-ethical-to-kill-wildlife-poachers.html
http://www.africanxmag.com/Shoot%20on%20sight.htm

[pinstrpepete]

Interesting series of articles (lead story at the moment in fact) on the UK Guardian newspaper site today: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/26/revealed-the-criminals-making-millions-from-illegal-wildlife-trafficking

[pinstrpepete]

I like this a lot!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/37535873

[jeffb]

Just watched that, came up on my Facebook.

[Mike Bravo Minis]

*bump*

Just been watching Virunga on Netflix, which is well worth watching for (a) anti poaching inspiration (b) footage of the Congolese army & tanks in action and M23 rebels.

Anyone got any further with rules and/or an actions generator for AI controlled poachers?

[juergen c. olk]

I agree Virunga good
Film