University of Lethbridge Research Repository OPUS http://opus.uleth.ca Theses Arts and Science, Faculty of 2015 "This isn't what war is like" : an ethnographic account of ArmA3 Mack, Amy C. Lethbridge, Alta : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Anthropology http://hdl.handle.net/10133/3768 Downloaded from University of Lethbridge Research Repository, OPUS “THIS ISN’T WHAT WAR IS LIKE”: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF ARMA 3 AMY MACK Bachelor of Arts, University of Lethbridge 2013 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS Anthropology University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA © Amy Mack, 2015 PREPARATION OF THESIS AMY MACK Thesis Defense Date: August 4, 2015 Dr. J. Newberry Associate Professor Ph.D. Supervisor Dr. L. Barrett Professor Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee Member Dr. J. Rice Associate Professor Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee Member Dr. N. Huntemann Associate Professor Ph.D. External Examiner Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Dr. P. Wilson Associate Professor Ph.D. Chair, Thesis Examination Committee Member Dedication To my family for their faith in my abilities and interest in my work, the gamers for their stories and kindness, and the West Side Family for starting me down this path years ago. iii Abstract This thesis examines the social practices of the Armed Assault 3 (ArmA 3) gaming community and their attempts to recreate a realistic combat experience online. Using an ethnographic approach, I explore the numerous military simulation (milsim) gaming practices employed by the community, many of which relied heavily on modeling and simulations processes. I contend that these practices were a response to the ‘gaps’ between the ‘real’ and the ‘virtual,’ which disrupted the gaming community’s ability to achieve the desired combat experience. An analysis of these practices makes evident what was deemed necessary for a meaningful and realistic online experience by a diverse community, as well as the new layers of gaps produced by the gamers themselves. iv Acknowledgments There are many people I wish to acknowledge and thank for their wisdom and support. I am honored to have had the steadfast support and expertise of my supervisor, Dr. Janice Newberry. I am grateful of her ability to let me ‘wander through the forest,’ yet always know when I was in need of a guide. I am also grateful of my committee members, Dr. Louise Barrett and Dr. Jackie Rice, who supported me and my research, while challenging me to think beyond my own perspective and disciplinary approach. I am thankful for Dr. Nina Huntemann’s advice on, and encouragement of, my project and interest in video-games. I thank Dr. Shelly Wismath, Dr. Carly Adams and Dr. William Ramp for their wisdom and instruction in the course work of this thesis, as well as Dr. Jerimy Cunningham for his guidance throughout my program and beyond. I also wish to thank Dr. Kristine Alexander, Dr. Erin Spring and Lindsey Meredith for the many, many times they listened and gave counsel. This thesis would not have been possible without the ArmA 3 community, and owes much to the members of the Unit, in particular. The gamers were kind, welcoming and patient with me throughout this project and I am eternally grateful that they allowed me into their community and shared with me their stories and escapades. Research and writing for this thesis were supported by the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s award, provided through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. It is with the greatest of appreciation that I recognize the enduring and unwavering support of my family and friends. Their interest in this project – even v when it seemed so very strange to them – and their steadfast belief in my abilities give new layers of meaning to my academic adventures. Here, I found that gaps were non-existent. vi Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................... iii Abstract .............................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments .............................................................................................. v List of Tables ..................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ........................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: Off the veranda and into the field ................................................... 1 My cyborgian ethnography of ArmA 3’s milsim community .......................... 1 A cyborg anthropologist’s field notes .............................................................. 3 The Unit: translators, informants and guides .................................................. 6 Chapter 2: The social life of ArmA 3 and the military-themed shooter .......... 8 An introduction to modeling and simulation in ArmA 3.................................. 8 The Genre ............................................................................................................ 8 The Game .......................................................................................................... 20 The Gamers ....................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 3: On the methods, field sites and ethics of a cyborg anthropologist .................................................................................................. 39 Following connections in the field .................................................................. 39 Field sites and data types ................................................................................ 41 Ethics and positionality in the field ................................................................ 50 Chapter 4: Theoretical orientations ................................................................ 55 Reflexivity in modeling and simulation .......................................................... 55 Modeling, simulation and gaps ....................................................................... 56 Some muddles (gaps) in the models .............................................................. 61 (Mil)simulation and simulacra ......................................................................... 65 Playing in the (virtual) magic circle ................................................................ 69 Orientalism as a modeling process ................................................................ 72 Chapter 5: Role-playing War ............................................................................ 76 Becoming a (virtual) soldier through role-playing in the magic circle ........ 76 On the gaps between offline and online worlds ............................................ 78 Reconciliation through role-playing tactic, techniques and procedures .... 92 Discussion: ravines that remain ................................................................... 111 Chapter 6: Some muddles in the modding, or, how gamers really game .. 113 An introduction to gaps in modding ............................................................. 113 vii Cosmetic mods ............................................................................................... 116 Functional mods ............................................................................................. 137 Modding media ecology ................................................................................. 152 Discussion: precarious negotiations through modding ............................. 153 Chapter 7: Falling into gender gaps ............................................................. 157 An introduction to unforeseen gender gaps ................................................ 157 Cyberindy’s tumble into gender gaps .......................................................... 158 Exclusion and erasure through modeling .................................................... 165 Discussion: “Do community mods bridge gaps or muddle models?” ...... 172 Chapter 8: Reflections, or, looking back on process .................................. 181 Works Cited ..................................................................................................... 193 Appendices ..................................................................................................... 206 viii List of Tables Table 1. Qualitative Data Sources and Types .................................................... 41 Table 2. Radio access ...................................................................................... 100 Table 3. Dialogue example .............................................................................. 101 ix List of Figures Figure 1: Screenshot of author playing ArmA 3 ‘Bootcamp’ mini-campaign ........ 4 Figure 2: Delta Force in-game screenshot (source: http://www.novalogic.com/games.asp?GameKey=DF#ss). ................................ 14 Figure 3: ArmA 3 in-game screenshot (source: http://arma3.com/media/images). ........................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 4: ArmA: Combat Operations in-game screenshot (source: http://store.steampowered.com/app/2780/). ......................................................