Comments on: Peres Peace Center Computer Game Shows Olmert Strategy http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/ Down Under Punditry in the Middle East Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:45:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Jeff http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14159 Jeff Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:54:26 +0000 http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14159 I have still been playing today. I notice that on the Palestinian side that Israel doesn't matter and instead it's my own and world opinion. And I can't get world opinion to go against me as fast as I can get Palestinian opinion to go against me as Israeli President. Plus, the EU seems to love funding my construction projects. I'm not an Israeli nor a Palestinian Arab, but the criteria of the game I do find questionable. Including my original observations, and one more. Although I will admit that it's probably not the game criteria, but the world criteria that I disagree with. True you won't get far appeasing others if you start out on the extreme. But to have a moderate opinion and no action on murder is to do nothing. I don't know about you guys, but that does not work. I've lived in some cities where the government and mayor ignored crime and let things go rampant. It's not an option. I cannot condone the do-nothing mentality anywhere in the world. Back to the game, why is it unrealistic to go after those responsible and then make goodwill gestures for everyone else? I guess the game is accurate in this way. But it is an engaging game. I'll probably continue to play from time to time. On a sidenote while talking about goodwill and reconstruction, the Jpost had an interesting opt-ed that compares Palestine with Kurdistan to some degree http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1201523790910&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull I have still been playing today. I notice that on the Palestinian side that Israel doesn’t matter and instead it’s my own and world opinion. And I can’t get world opinion to go against me as fast as I can get Palestinian opinion to go against me as Israeli President. Plus, the EU seems to love funding my construction projects.
I’m not an Israeli nor a Palestinian Arab, but the criteria of the game I do find questionable. Including my original observations, and one more. Although I will admit that it’s probably not the game criteria, but the world criteria that I disagree with. True you won’t get far appeasing others if you start out on the extreme. But to have a moderate opinion and no action on murder is to do nothing.
I don’t know about you guys, but that does not work. I’ve lived in some cities where the government and mayor ignored crime and let things go rampant. It’s not an option. I cannot condone the do-nothing mentality anywhere in the world.
Back to the game, why is it unrealistic to go after those responsible and then make goodwill gestures for everyone else? I guess the game is accurate in this way.
But it is an engaging game. I’ll probably continue to play from time to time.

On a sidenote while talking about goodwill and reconstruction, the Jpost had an interesting opt-ed that compares Palestine with Kurdistan to some degree
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1201523790910&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

]]> By: Asi Burak http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14157 Asi Burak Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:02:15 +0000 http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14157 For accuracy sake, two points from the developer: 1) This game was not developed by the Peres Center or inspired by Kadima. It was developed by an independent team in the US, including Israelis, Palestinians and Americans. After the game was published by ImpactGames, the Peres Center decided to purchase it and distribute it in Israel and the West Bank. 2) While I would not go into the political debate I would just say that the game unlike a book or a movie is not linear. For that reason, some of the claims like: "no goodwill gesture was accepted" or the opposite like: "Whenever the Palestinians made a terror attack, I clobbered them. In a few short moves, another “intifada” started" are simply based on a personal experience. In both cases the game did not respond well to an extreme line right from the beginning, whether it was all about concessions or all about suppression. You will be surprised that if you play again and commit a different set of actions you will get very different results. Security actions will be accepted and good will gestures will be accepted depending on the momentum or trust built with different groups. Judging a whole interactive simulation by 8 moves is simply too narrow. For accuracy sake, two points from the developer:
1) This game was not developed by the Peres Center or inspired by Kadima. It was developed by an independent team in the US, including Israelis, Palestinians and Americans. After the game was published by ImpactGames, the Peres Center decided to purchase it and distribute it in Israel and the West Bank.

2) While I would not go into the political debate I would just say that the game unlike a book or a movie is not linear. For that reason, some of the claims like: “no goodwill gesture was accepted” or the opposite like: “Whenever the Palestinians made a terror attack, I clobbered them. In a few short moves, another “intifada” started” are simply based on a personal experience. In both cases the game did not respond well to an extreme line right from the beginning, whether it was all about concessions or all about suppression. You will be surprised that if you play again and commit a different set of actions you will get very different results. Security actions will be accepted and good will gestures will be accepted depending on the momentum or trust built with different groups. Judging a whole interactive simulation by 8 moves is simply too narrow.

]]> By: Dr Sam http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14143 Dr Sam Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:38:07 +0000 http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14143 I tried to play the game, but it crashed on me. A metaphor I think. I tried to play the game, but it crashed on me. A metaphor I think.

]]> By: Noah http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14141 Noah Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:40:41 +0000 http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14141 Knowing what we know about Olmert, why do you discount the possibility that he developed he foreign policy by actually *PLAYING* this game? Knowing what we know about Olmert, why do you discount the possibility that he developed he foreign policy by actually *PLAYING* this game?

]]> By: Jeff http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14135 Jeff Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:33:35 +0000 http://www.israellycool.com/2008/01/29/peres-peace-center-computer-game-shows-olmert-strategy/#comment-14135 I am interpreting the author to say that he won the game of peace by giving Palestinians everything, ethnic cleansing their areas of jews, and allowing a few bombings. I also don't understand the premise that while giving them a state, I'm supposed to worry about my approval rating in said other state. When I played the demo, no goodwill gesture was accepted. No aid was accepted. And every goodwill gesture was meant with protests. The UN wouldn't listen, etc. I managed to actually get to 8 turns once by ignoring all suicide bombings, ignoring Israel, and giving numerous programs and $$ to the PA. Being the Palestinian leader was much easier. The EU actually funded my road projects and I didn't have to do much but claims to send police around. As a Westerner, my view of treating life as sacred, and wanting to be left alone(close the border) didn't appear to be an option. The graphics wasn't bad, and it can be engaging, but from my point of view, something is fundamentally wrong. If I'm supposed to provide for another state, and worry about their approval rating, I don't want to have to work through another sovereign government. You can have it both ways. But apparently, winning isn't an option in this either. I am interpreting the author to say that he won the game of peace by giving Palestinians everything, ethnic cleansing their areas of jews, and allowing a few bombings. I also don’t understand the premise that while giving them a state, I’m supposed to worry about my approval rating in said other state.
When I played the demo, no goodwill gesture was accepted. No aid was accepted. And every goodwill gesture was meant with protests. The UN wouldn’t listen, etc. I managed to actually get to 8 turns once by ignoring all suicide bombings, ignoring Israel, and giving numerous programs and $$ to the PA.
Being the Palestinian leader was much easier. The EU actually funded my road projects and I didn’t have to do much but claims to send police around.

As a Westerner, my view of treating life as sacred, and wanting to be left alone(close the border) didn’t appear to be an option. The graphics wasn’t bad, and it can be engaging, but from my point of view, something is fundamentally wrong. If I’m supposed to provide for another state, and worry about their approval rating, I don’t want to have to work through another sovereign government. You can have it both ways. But apparently, winning isn’t an option in this either.

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