Warfare

You like the guns. In fact, there's a lot to like about Valor of War: Modern Combat. The graphics are a new high water mark, the standard against which all other games will be judged, for at least the next twelve months. The levels are intricately designed and dense, packed with the kinds of details that many players will completely overlook. [[Continue->2]]

The music swells, and ebbs, and flows in all the right places, lending a grand, operatic scale to the action that unfolds. Voice actors feel ripped out of a real firefight, and the animations are smooth and realistic - full of idiosyncrasies and nuance. But best of all are the weapons. How they look, how detailed and distinct they are, how they sound, and how they feel when you pull the trigger. [[Continue->3]]

You've completed the training mission - a high-stakes hostage rescue set in the forests of a fictional Eastern European country - and are back at the main menu. [[Campaign->C1]] [[Multiplayer]] [[Options]] [[Credits]]

Emerging from the scattered wreckage of a downed helicopter, your character stays calm, cool, and collected, despite the chaos ensuing around them. It's another fictional country, this time in the Middle East. Civilians run for cover while insurgents with AK-47's close in on your location. "Squad, on me." With that command, your AI-controlled teammates (November Squadron) take up position around you, covering your flank. It's time to press on and take the fight to the enemy. [[Continue->C2]]

The options screen is an ocean of various toggles and sliders, built to allow you to customise the game to your liking. While most of the selections concern graphical fidelity and control methods, there is a section about content moderation - presumably added to satisfy some censorious person or another. [[Continue->O2]]

The credits begin, unfurling like an impossible scroll of parchment. Games like this are a huge undertaking, and the credits reflects that. The list is long, celebrating many departments and disciplines. The names drift by, and you don't take in any in particular. |creditwrapper>[|credits>[John Barsco John Boosemann Mike Brown Thom Cotten Theodore Cruise Stephen Daynes Chuck Grassery Bill Hogert Joshua Hawkley Jim Fischer John Ronaldson Michael Leek Michael Rounder Richard Scots Ben Sassel John Thane --- The creators of the game would like to thank the army for their participation.]] [[Go Back->3a]]

Within this content moderation section, you are able to mute uncouth words, and blur whatever mild nudity crops up during the game's cinematic campaign. There is no option to remove or reduce violence. [[Go Back->3a]]

Main Menu: [[Campaign->C1]] [[Multiplayer->Multiplayer]] [[Options]] [[Credits]]

You click into the Multiplayer section, only to be met with a lengthy looking progress bar, flanked by the words "Download in progress". In the background, there's a tableau depicting a soldier yelling during combat. Bullets ripple through the air next to him, and a missile blast rocks the building beyond. The entire moment is frozen in time, but subtle animation causes the fire of the explosion to churn slowly. [[Go Back->3a]]

A terrorist appears ahead, poking his head around the corner. November Squadron opens fire. |barks>[|bark>["Take cover!"]|bark>["Opening fire!"]|bark>["I'm reloading here!"]] [[Continue->Combat]]

(if:$firstbattle is false)[Another wave of terrorists appears!](if:$firstbattle is true)[A firefight ensues.] |bark>["(display:"bark")"] |combatoptions>[[[M4 Carbine->CombatGun1]] [[M17 Pistol->CombatGun2]] [[Grenade->CombatGrenade]] [[Knife->CombatKnife]]] (set: $firstbattle to false) (set: $rounds to 0)

(either:"No mercy!","Yeaaahhh! Get some!","Now we're cookin'!","Enemy ahead!","Reloading!","I'm hit!","Taking fire!","Incoming!","We've got company!","Oh snap!","Come get some!","Let's give 'em that n'awlins hospitality babay!","Woo!","Let's do this!","Tell my mama I love her!","Hell yeah brother!","Open fire!","Let's cook 'em","Take the shot!","Go go go!")

(if:$firstgun1 is true)[The M4 Carbine is a thing of beauty, and it's already at your hip. So you raise it and tuck it against your shoulder, taking a moment to look down the reflex sight. A laser casts a dot onto your target. He's running towards you, and at this distance you can finally see his face. It's all the invitation you need. Squeezing the trigger, the machine-fed ammo is fired rapidly at the enemy and everything else around him. The barrel sprays hot lead for a few seconds, punching little holes in concrete, and splintering the wood on crates caught in the fray. [[Continue->CombatGun1-2]]](if:$firstgun1 is false)[You (display:"shoot") your M4 Carbine. (display:"effective") (set: $xp to (random:50, 350)) |xp>[$xp damage dealt!]|levelup>[(if:$xp > 200)[ Level up!]] [[Continue->CombatA]]] (set: $firstgun1 to false) (set: $rounds to it + 1)

(if:$firstgun2 is true)[You pull your sidearm out from the holster and take aim. The pistol is stunningly realised, elegantly shaped and detailed. There's 21 rounds in the chamber, and you pull the trigger twice, letting two bullets burst out of the barrel. Your aim is true, and both slugs burrow into the chest of the nearest enemy combatant, knocking him onto his back in a pool of fresh blood. It splatters realistically, and as more foes arrive, they step through it, tracking it everywhere with their footprints. [[Continue->CombatA]]](if:$firstgun2 is false)[You (display:"shoot") your M17 Pistol. (display:"effective") (set: $xp to (random:50, 350)) |xp>[$xp damage dealt!]|levelup>[(if:$xp > 200)[ Level up!]] [[Continue->CombatA]]] (set: $firstgun2 to false) (set: $rounds to it + 1)

(if:$firstgrenade is true)[You pull a grenade from your vest and yank out the pin, tossing it down the alley ahead shortly after. Terrorists in bulletproof vests and turbans seem blissfully unaware of it, firing wildly in your direction, until the frag grenade bursts, throwing fire and shards of hot metal in every direction. The enemy combatant nearest to the explosion is thrown through the air, while others are knocked backwards into crates and barrels that litter the street. None survive. But more are arriving... [[Continue->CombatA]]](if:$firstgrenade is false)[You (display:"throw") a grenade. (display:"effective") (set: $xp to (random:50, 350)) |xp>[$xp damage dealt!]|levelup>[(if:$xp > 200)[ Level up!]] [[Continue->CombatA]]] (set: $firstgrenade to false) (set: $rounds to it + 1)

(if:$firstknife is true)[You pull a butterfly knife out of your belt, despite being at least half a dozen metres away from the nearest enemy combatant. Your character artfully flicks it around, locking the blade into position, then surprisingly flings it forwards with the force of a bullet. The terrorist steps out into the open just in time to receive a knife to the heart. Somewhat unrealistically, he dies instantly, and his body is thrown backwards against a sandstone wall - where a bloody smear remains, as his corpse slumps to the floor. [[Continue->CombatA]]](if:$firstknife is false)[You (display:"throw") a knife. (display:"effective") (set: $xp to (random:50, 350)) |xp>[$xp damage dealt!]|levelup>[(if:$xp > 200)[ Level up!]] [[Continue->CombatA]]] (set: $firstknife to false) (set: $rounds to it + 1)

The nearest bad guy is riddled with bullets - probably dead long before you stop firing - and his punctured flesh slumps to the ground. |achievement>[Achievement unlocked: Overkill!] [[Continue->CombatA]]

(if:$rounds<5)[The firefight continues... |bark>["(display:"bark")"] |combatoptions>[[[M4 Carbine->CombatGun1]] [[M17 Pistol->CombatGun2]] [[Grenade->CombatGrenade]] [[Knife->CombatKnife]]]](if:$rounds is 5)[Your concentration is broken by the arrival of a notification. It's Liam, and he's inviting you to join his multiplayer lobby. [[Accept->M1]] [[Keep Playing Campaign->Combat]]]

(either:"fire","discharge","shoot with","unleash","take aim with","pull the trigger on")

(either:"It's super effective!","","It's not very effective...")

(either:"toss","hurl","chuck","throw","lob")

(either:"toss","hurl","chuck","throw","fling","launch")

You navigate through the pop up menu to accept the notification, and upon pressing it, the multiplayer portion of the game boots up. [[Continue->M2]]

The first thing you hear is the loud roar of someone breathing directly into a microphone - they've somehow got their own personal volume implausibly high compared to everyone else. There's a smattering of slurs and unidentifiable noises, before you party up directly with Liam, isolating the conversation to just the two of you. "Hey buddy!" he says, cheerfully. [[Say "What's up?"->M3]] [[Say "What's good?"->M3]] [[Say "How's it going?"->M3]]

Liam doesn't live anywhere near you, but he's become a close friend. Perhaps the closest you've got. "Life is good man, life is good." he says. "This game is insane. Have you played much yet?" [[Say "Yeah, loads"->M4]] [[Say "I've played a bit"->M4]] [[Say "I haven't really got into it yet"->M4]]

"It's sick. The guns are so good, right?" he continues. [[Say "Right!?"->M5]] [[Say "Yeah, they are."->M5]] [[Say "They're really realistic."->M5]]

"My dad has some of these guns in his collection and I swear, it's like looking at the real thing..." Liam chatters. "The maps are good too. Oh hey, I've played this one before." The lobby has started loading into a 32-player deathmatch, taking place in the suburban streets of small town America. [[Continue->M6]]

You feel compelled to fill a gap in conversation. (if:$grieftotop is false)[[[Say "School sucked today."->M7b]]](if:$grieftotop is true)[[[Say "Those assholes gave me grief again, at lunchtime."->M9]]] (if:$dadguns is false)[[[Say "Does your dad let you use his guns?"->M7a]]]

"Dude, what? I wish. He never lets me do shit, much less play with his guns." [[Continue->M6]] (set: $dadguns to true)

"Yeah tell me about it. I don't know how I'm supposed to do all this homework by tomorrow." [[Say "You could stop playing and do it now."->M8]] [[Say "Those assholes gave me grief again, at lunchtime."->M9]]

"And miss our session? Hell no. I'm gonna show you how this game is really played! There'll be other homework. This game only gets one launch night!" [[Continue->M6]] (set:$grieftotop to true)

"Aw man, I'm sorry. I know it's cliché and shit but have you tried like, standing up to them?" [[Say "Yes."->M10a]] [[Say "No."->M10b]] [[Say "Not yet, but I'm gonna"->M10c]]

"I've tried, " you say, "But it obviously hasn't been enough. I am gonna show them. One of these days man..." [[Continue->M11]]

"I haven't," you admit, "But I am gonna show them. One of these days man..." [[Continue->M11]]

"I haven't yet," you admit, "But I am gonna show them. One of these days man..." [[Continue->M11]]

The match has started, and in your first skirmish you manage to pull off a kill with a glock, pumping two rounds into the chest of a player with an unpronounceable username. Their blood splatters onto the white picket fence behind them and their corpse flops over onto the neatly cut lawn. "Pretty handy with that pistol!" Liam says, impressed. [[Say "It's the gun my dad has..."->M12a]] [[Say "I think it's the one they use in the army."->M12b]]

"... I've never used it though. He'd kill me if he ever found out I know the safe code." [[Say "I just like to look at it."->M13]] [[Say "I want to use it."->M12a2]]

"Nah they use the Sauer in the forces, dude..." Liam replies [[Continue->M13]]

The moment is interrupted by the arrival of a small group of opponents, moving crouched and quickly between the cornflower blue walls of two neighbouring houses. Liam reacts first, and you support with the spray of a light machine gun. You emerge victorious, and are rewarded with the dopamine hit of a level-up: a sign that the game understands what you have to offer. A mark of respect. |levelup>[Level up!] [[Continue->M14]]

"Not on yourself I hope!" Tommy says, and he half-heartedly laughs, a little awkwardly. He sincerely hopes this isn't one of |italic>[those] conversations. [[Say "Nah, I just wanna feel the power..."->M12a3]] [[Say nothing->M13]]

"... That moment you pull the trigger and... Bam, y'know?" you add. "I want to feel unstoppable." [[Continue->M13]]

Before long, time begins to slip away from you. The hours and minutes of the evening warp and bend, according to the level of fun that you're having, and this is fun. It's the only fun you've had all day. Your dad makes dinner, and you eat it cold, long after it's been served, in the quiet of your room. [[Continue->M15]]

When the clock nears midnight, you experience a small pang of dread about having to return to school in the morning. But you push it aside. After all, tomorrow will be different. You're sure of it. All that's left is to go to sleep, and see what happens next. [[Go to sleep->E1]]

The next day, you go to school, as usual. You attend classes, walk the waxed-floor corridors between them, keep your head down, and get through it. At your school, it's a day like any other. [[Continue->E2]]

Two towns over, on the same day, a teenager you don't know borrows a gun from his father's collection. He walks into his school with it clutched tightly in his hands. He kills 5 students, 1 teacher, and himself. [[Continue->E3]]

In the days that follow, the news talks about him endlessly - the blue light of the television lights up your living room with it, hour after hour, night after night. As far as anyone seems to know, he's a social outcast with few hobbies, and a troubled past. Some commentators and pundits mention videogames, but over time this narrative fades, and rightly so: It transpires he was never into gaming. [[Continue->E4]]

The community you live in is rocked by grief. Parents cry openly, painful tributes are delivered, and security at school increases, at least for a time. The new measures feel oppressive to you, but you don't complain. Whatever it is you feel personally, you carry it quietly, and entirely by yourself. [[What happens next?->E5]]

|yearslater>[Three years later...] |center>[[[Continue->E6]]]

The number 7 bus rattles and shakes as it lurches from one stop to another. As the driver takes the next corner, you feel your body sway in your seat. Taking care not to nudge the person next to you, you fish your phone out of your pocket and scroll through some apps to pass the time. It's going to be a while before you get home. [[Continue->E7]]

On social media, you find most of the new posts are jokes, vehement anger with seemingly little direction, or references to things you don't understand. Until you see a post featuring the name of someone you know. It's Liam, and you open the link to find out that he's been killed. [[Continue->E8]]

When Liam turned 18, he joined the army, and was promptly flown to a (non-fictional) middle eastern country. From your conversations with him, you never got the sense that he believed in the war itself, only that he wanted to be a comrade-in-arms, in the same way that others have seemingly lifelong ambitions to be astronauts, YouTubers, or veterinarians. [[Continue->E9]]

What he really wanted was action, weapons training, and a life beyond whatever mundanity there was reserved for him in his small home town. And to some degree, he got his wish. He got blood, sand, and eventually, a soldier's death. [[Continue->E10]]

And now, all of a sudden, it feels like all you have to show for his life is a Facebook post, and a short newspaper article, flanked on all sides by aggressive digital advertising. It shouldn't be your main focus, but you also can't help but notice that there's a typo in it. [[Continue->E11]]

Here on the bus, in public and in the real world that exists outside of your phone and your games, you'd rather not cry. So you hold back the tide of those tears, as tightly as you can, until the buildings rolling by get more familiar, and until you step off the bus into the fresh air of the night. When you finally get home, you boot up your gaming machine. He's still in your friends list. |italic>[Last online: 104 days ago.] [[What happens next?->E12]]

|yearslater>[Twelve years later...] |center>[[[Continue->E13]]]

You're an adult now. Bills lay stacked on the kitchen counter. If the fridge is empty, it's because you forgot to run to the store. Your list of tasks is never-ending, and the weight of constant responsibility makes you weary. You still like to relax with games. In fact, you consume a lot of media. Your values and views, now deeply rooted, have been shaped over time by the media you consume. [[Consume fact-checked media->E14a]] [[Consume media that aligns with your views->E14b]]

You try some traditional media outlets, but over time, you find yourself drawn towards fringe outlets and outliers. The fact-checked media is boring, preachy, and doesn't speak to you. It starts in many different places, but the endings are similar. For you, games was one of the starting points. But then you watched some recommended clips on YouTube. And then you followed a litany of influencers, as they bounced from Twitter, to podcasts, to TikTok and back again. You followed the people they followed, and those that their followers followed also. [[Continue->E15]]

It starts in many different places, but the endings are similar. For you, games was one of the starting points. But then you watched some recommended clips on YouTube. And then you followed a litany of influencers, as they bounced from Twitter, to podcasts, to TikTok and back again. You followed the people they followed, and those that their followers followed also. [[Continue->E15]]

This network grew over time, and so too did your interest in their wider views. At first they had interesting and funny and insightful things to say about rifles. Then they had things to say about women, and immigration, and vaccines. [[Be swayed by the opinions of others->E16a]] [[Don't be swayed by the opinions of others->E16b]]

You're self aware, so you know that on some level, this content has an impact on your views. But you're also your own person, and you don't really believe that you can be influenced to the extreme. You never attribute your strongest opinions to anything external, least of all any provocative Twitch streamers, the games you play, or the TV news that you watch. None of us really believe we are pliable enough to bend to the thoughts of others, and yet, almost without fail, all of us do. We cannot help it. [[Continue->E17]]

You're your own person, and you don't believe that you can be influenced. You never attribute your opinions to anything external, least of all any provocative Twitch streamers, the games you play, or the TV news that you watch. None of us really believe we are pliable enough to bend to the thoughts of others, and yet, almost without fail, all of us do. We cannot help it. [[Continue->E17]]

The months pass, and before long, it's time to exercise your democratic right. For you, like most, voting is the only way you exercise any influence on the direction of government. The only hand, however small, that you have on the steering wheel of the country. [[Vote for a progressive candidate->E18a]] [[Vote for a candidate who aligns with your views->E18b]]

At the ballot box, you vote for a candidate who opposes any kind of gun reform. You vote for him repeatedly over many years. Beneath the surface, morally, you have little in common with him, and he has none of your best interests at heart. But he swims in familiar waters, and so to you he feels like an ally. He shares your most important opinion. You're both grown from the same roots. Because you like the guns. [[Back to title screen->Start]] |boringlink>[ [[Notes from the author->notes]] ]

Although you might align with progressive politics in other ways, you can't vote for someone who wants to change gun laws. They don't understand guns like you do. You don't want anyone to take your guns away. [[Continue->E19a]]

|notes>[It would be simplistic and reductive to say that games cause violence. And it would be incorrect. We know, scientifically speaking, that they do not. And I love games, even ones where you shoot people. Games are not the problem. But maybe sometimes we're so focused on being "not the problem", that we don't think about the influence we have over any potential progress, and whether the things that we fetishise matter. ] |boringlink>[ [[Continue->notes2]] ]

|notes>[Ultimately, my only goal here was to make you think - and whatever conclusion you come to is valid - about the power that games can, theoretically, have over those of us that play them. Because games do not exist in a vacuum. They're part of our culture. And our culture - the mixture of all the things we consume, share, allow, discuss, think and feel - affects the branching choices we make as a society. Those choices keep on coming. Thank you for playing.] |boringlink>[ [[Back to title screen->Start]] ]

So instead, at the ballot box, you vote for a candidate who opposes any kind of reform. You vote for him repeatedly over many years. Beneath the surface, morally, you have little in common with him, and he has none of your best interests at heart. But he swims in familiar waters, and so to you he feels like an ally. He shares your most important opinion. You're both grown from the same roots. Because you like the guns. [[Back to title screen->Start]] |boringlink>[ [[Notes from the author->notes]] ]