While the Iraq War combat of Six Days in Fallujah was judged by some to be too fresh of a topic for portrayal in a video game, the recent hijack of the Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates seems to have touched no such raw nerves.
Gamasutra reports that Kuma Games, which carved out its niche by recreating episodic, ripped-from-the-headlines military action, will launch Somali Showdown: Pirates on the High Seas this week for the PC:
Somali Showdown allows players to take on the role of either a crew member or an invading pirate aboard a captured vessel.
During a simulated hijacking, crew members will attempt to fend off the pirates and regain control of the ship's operations room. Players joining the game as pirates will try to take over the operations room and sail the ship into Somali waters.
Somali Showdown is a free download.
Comments
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
Someone needs to make a ninja vs. pirates mod for this game as soon as possible.
This is a signature virus. Please copy and paste into your signature to help it propagate.
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
Yargh? No wait, I meant...
YAAARRRGGHH!!!
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
Will all the pirates be black? Sounds as racist as Resident Evil 5!
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
well, we all know there's tons of white people in Somalia, so I doubt it. (sarcasm)
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
Piracy tag? This article is about real maritimes piracy and not software piracy.
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
I'm sorry, but that's hysterical!
"De minimus non curat lex"
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
so I could sing "Somalian Pirates We"?
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
I wonder how well it will simulate the various situations.
One thing I have found in the media reports, blogs, and comments, people tend to not understand how these events work and why fighting back tends to be a really bad idea (i.e. why armed merchants are not faring much better)
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
I think i remember reading that article too, about running armed but i remember it being about IF they ran armed it wouldn't be much better and not that they actually were running armed right now. It also mentioned that for pretty much all ports they were heading to they could not run armed because the port authorities don't allow it so if they ran armed they wouldn't be able to dock and offload cause they would get inspected for smuggling weapons and anything found, even if they said it was for defense, they would get put in jail for so the idea of running armed isn't feasible anyways.
I think they need to allow some kind of security force, trained of course, though. These pirates are not new, the stories of piracy from somalia have been around for the better part of 6 years now and they've only gotten substantially worse.
The game would be interesting but somehow i doubt its going to be very detailed :P anyone tried it yet?
------------------------------------
I am a signature virus, please copy and paste me into your signature to help me propagate.
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
*nods* the complexity of ports and regulations are one of the big issues yes.
The one I was thinking though is how the pirates are often armed. Many of them are using speedboats and are armed with RPGs, which makes them fast targets that have enough firepower to sink your ship. It is the same basic problem that battleships ran into against torpedo boats, which is why they had screening ships.
So basicly fighting back ends up having a low chance of success but a high risk of them hitting you, either by sinking the ship or using the high blast radius of an RPG to injure everyone on deck.
The cases where fighting back has worked either involved having a military ship nearby that didn't have to worry about RPGs much OR counterattacking after they have taken the ship (and thus can not use blast weapons anymore). Still, waiting till AFTER they board you in order to fight them off is risky, esp compared to 'sit and wait till parent corperation pays money', at least on the micro level.
Re: Kuma Games Issues Somali Pirate Sim
Ya on a case by case basis sure, but in the long run that kind of thinking has given the pirates better ships and more guns O.o
I always tend to look down the road which is why i hate the idea of just submitting, its like deffering a problem to someone else down the road and making it bigger at the same time. Kinda like when I was younger and ignored the squealing brakes until my wheels locked up. Woulda been easier to take care of it sooner lol :P
------------------------------------
I am a signature virus, please copy and paste me into your signature to help me propagate.