MACV SOG video game
 

Hi there

Over the past 3 years we have been working closely with members of the Special Operations Association to create a video game that is an accurate testimony and memorial to the men of MACV SOG.
We are working collaboratively to foster some fun and teamwork between veterans old and young through gaming.

You can find out more about it on our website

Our military advisers included Major General Ken Bowra, SSG John Styker Meyer, SFC Jimi Shorten (Jones) and Spc.5 Don Haase.
You can read about them and access their interviews here

Our youtube channel contains fascinating new interviews with our Special Operations advisers.

We hope this game will be of interest to many serving and retired Special Operations soldiers.
Quite a few former MACV SOG guys are seting up their gaming PC's to play this.
Working alongside SOA, we'll be hosting a Special Operations gaming group for people interested to play the game co-operatively together. More on this later.

The game is due out soon. I will update this thread at that time.

Thanks!

https://i.imgur.com/mRoNutv.png

Rob you made it sound like this is some new game it has been around release was in 2013, It is just a ARMA 3 mod with jungle skins. Why not just say that instead of the hype. How much will Bohemia Interactive contribute to the Viet Nam veterans from the sale ?

Hi 7624U

I'm not sure what you mean by that comment.
Can you elaborate a little on your concern?

In terms of donations to the Special Operations Association, it's confidential, but an MoU is in progress between my company and SOA. I can discuss that with you by email if you like. You can slso check our standing with Doug Godshall the President of the SOA.

robg@savage-game.com

If you have a MOU with the SOA thats good, My concern was the name dropping on your website for credibility in the development of this title.

But I'm sure you->Savage Games (Developer), have learned a'lot from Bohemia Interactive (publisher's) mistakes. In the form of Operation Flashpoint's content ownership, All the way into development of VBS-1,2,3 and now 4 including it's legal battles it has had over the years.

You can private message me on here if you want.

Hi

Thanks for elaborating.

I haven't much knowledge of VBS development as that is managed by BISim, a separate company from our publisher Bohemia Interactive.
A few BISim guys work in our team but that's about it.

Here's a little background that I hope can address your concern about our veteran relationships:

We began developing this title in 2017, as a full conversion DLC for Arma 3.
In January 2018 I contacted General Ken Bowra, and explained our intention to make an authentic MACV SOG simulation game which credits fully the role of indigenous troops and the airmen who supported them.

Ken immediately joined the team and has been a daily companion and adviser for us since.

His role included:
- Reviewing weapons, equipment, LBE, packs, uniforms, headgear, vehicles to ensure authenticity in our designs.
- Issuing us with many photographs from his collection, includingregularly taking photos of equipment and weapons in his collection. this included a lot of bring-back gear he had collected in-country.
- Suggesting ideas for mission design in the campaign
- Proofreading scripts and advising on team tactics and objectives
- Providing voiceover lines and his SOG recon plaque and quotes for the final mission
- Detailing NVA tactics and reviewing the way that the team operates in contact, and during E&E manouvers
- Radio and voice commo during recon ops
- Guiding us with motivation and leadership

We also had some early input from Major John Plaster, who provided some great insights and photos.

After about a year, Ken was joined by John Stryker Meyer (Tilt) who has now been in the project for two years carrying out the same role as General Bowra.

Tilt and Ken are both characters in the game, advising the 1-0 (RT leader) how to survive, like a narrator/ voice in the players head.
We used this kind of device because SOG guys didnt talk much on the ground, and they certainly didnt blabber about objectives on the radio.

Tilt brought us a number of aviators who flew in support of SOG.
These outstanding guys are listed on our website, and they answered many technical questions about for example the Cobra cockpit, what certain instruments did, how the weapons were operated, flying tactics, etc.

Around Jan 2020 Jim Shorten (SOG 1-0) joined the group and sent us a lot of his photos, gave advice and also became a charatcer in the game.

Don Haase (195th AHC crew chief and SOA director) joined the team around the time of SOAR in October 2020 where we presented the game to about 50 former SOG operators and airmen.
They loved it and were very warm about it and our objectives.
Walking them around FOB 1 in Phu Bai, was like a virtual reality trip to the past - one guy gasped "it was just like that!" - the sound of amazement in his voice told me we had done a good job.
We also received about 50 entertaining and enlightening quotes from former SOG guys when we put out a call for their advice to a cherry joining SOG.
These can be seen in the map loading screen.

Don has since joined our testing team and runs recon with us every weekend.
He also enjoys flying the UH1P Green Hornet "borrowed" from his units friendly rivals (the 20th SOS, who used to paint hornets on his aircraft tail in Nam when they were both opcon to CCS).
He enjoys their door-mounted miniguns, and finds relaxation and peace flying around the jungles in his right-side door gunner seat.

We've also showed game footage to several other former MACV SOG 1-0s who talk to us regularly and support this new initiative to bring younger SF to game with Nam-era SF.
One of these guys is Col Dick Thompson, who thoroughly enjoyed it, and wrote us a detailed account of how the mission made him feel.
This is important to us all as we consider how to introduce veterans to a game experience, which will inevitably awaken long forgotten memories and feelings.
Dick offers PTSD therapy to SF veterans and feels very deeply about that area.

We are now in the process of publishing some detailed interviews with these guys where we go int otheir experiences in Nam, Laos and Cambodia and we talk about their involvement in the game.

You can watch the interviews here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCww...gqJ2cliZ1yi2FA

We have the debut filmed interview with Maj Gen Bowra going live this coming Wednesday.
It is the first time he has ever been filmed discussing his military career.
He very graciously stepped out ofthe shadows for this, beacause he is very passionate about honoring the legacy of MACV SOG and the ingidenous troops he regarded as his brothers.
Ken was on the last helicopter out of Phnom Penh in 1975 and feels very strongly about that.

Here's his interview - it's not yet live but you can set a reminder t owatch it if you're interested to see this unique glimpse into MACV SOG history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN7nwwBxJzM

In a few weeks we have 2 more movies coming out - about 90mins each - featuring 4 SOG 1-0s and Don sharing their experiences in a group discussion.

Hopefully you can see why we credit these guys and the SOA on our website.

As a company we have a quite a few veterans in the team as developers and also as testers.
Veteran support is a daily issue in our gaming groups, as we have known each other socially for many years.

Just as an aside, we were asked by Steve Sherman to help Jim Moriarty and Al Broadbent with a Medal of Honor presentation for Col Paris Davis last December.
Our team worked round the clock over xmas and New Year to ensure that the presentation has enough images to reconstruct faithfully the heroic deeds of Col Davis during his fateful mission in 1965.
As a result of that presentation, the Army is reviewing the twice-lost medal of honor application.
We received a really nice personal thank you from Secretary of Defense Chris Miller for our work on that.
We pray the Army makes the right decision.

I'm happy to answer any questions you guys have, sorry if that was a bit of a long answer.

Rob

Just as a bit of fun, as pictures speak a thousand words... here are a few of our military advisers photos recreated using assets in the game that they helped us to design:

Don Haase, 195th AHC, opcon MACV SOG CCS
https://i.imgur.com/1FVisyF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BVneIPe.png

Photo taken by Tilt Meyer of RT Idaho including Doug "The Frenchman" Le Tourneau and Hiep (RIP)
https://i.imgur.com/8i2XjdK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4rqQHxl.png

Jim Shorten Jones with RT Delaware
https://i.imgur.com/2dpdpK8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/C1jCBC1.png

Ken Bowra and Frank Pulley with RT Idaho
https://i.imgur.com/3g2NJoW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tCU4qqn.png

Our SOG game is out now.

The trailer features gameplay footage, a bit of history and outstanding voiceover from:
"El Cid" Ken Bowra
"Wild Carrot" James Shorten
"Tilt" John Stryker Meyer

And real footage of RT Colorado Jan 29th 1971, kindly permitted by the men involved in that mission.

Some proceeds from sales will be donated to the Special Operations Association.

Thank you SOG (and airmen) veterans for supporting this historically important video game.

More on the game at https://www.sogpf.com

Game trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3fLU-m8ttM

Interviews with the MACV SOG guys listed above:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...3Qqt2KMUoC0aPl

When old and young spec-ops meet... scroll towards the end to see Dick Thompson and Tilt Meyer (MACV SOG) talking to the younger breed Jason Lilley (Silver Star marine raider) and Patrick Moltrup (spec op/ navy corpsman) about our SOG video game.
Bringing the SOG story to a new generation!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYQwPszErw4

Rob, so far you've made 10 posts on this board - other than you're intro post - all of them referenced your video game.

Do you have anything to add to the overall forum or is your interest solely in hawking your game?

How about a video game about modern SF at war?
 

I know there are some out there, but I think most games that portray SF at war lack the sense of gritty realism that I'd like to see. So, if anyone wants to collaborate with me on developing it, I have an idea for a first person game where the player would take on the role of an SF team leader. I like to think it would expose the player to all the fun and excitement of a deployment, while giving them a sense of the realities of combat.

A few scenarios I've come up with so far:
- You've just taken command of an ODA that's going to deploy to combat in a few weeks. But before you can leave you have to complete the change of command inventory. The autoclave is missing - no-one's seen it for years - and the 18D who might know where it is has ETS'd. The 18C who might have a hand receipt is at sniper school, and the company commander has made it clear he doesn't want to see a FLIPL. What's your move, you badass Green Beret, you?

- Arriving in country, your team finds out about a terrorist training camp in your AO that needs wiping out. You submit your 5Ws to roll out, only to be told that your 90 day CONOP has to be updated first. As you're cutting and pasting INTSUMs and IIRs, you realize that some of them have Serif fonts! Can you find and replace all the Times New Roman in time to keep your entire team from being killed - by boredom?

- After the 90 day CONOP is approved, you send up a TST CONOP to go after an HVI who's just popped up. It's sent back by the CJSOTF J-3 with a note saying that one of the second order effects you've listed is really a third order effect. No further information is provided - can you figure it out in time to hit the target?

- You win a major firefight with a large group of insurgents who've ambushed you. Congratulations! You've unlocked a bonus level: You pull into your camp, and you have 30 minutes to get the Quicklook out, 1 hour for the HIR, and 4 hours for the storyboard. Plus, you have to do your daily OPSUM. And remember, if they don't all match down the smallest detail, a 15-6 IO will appear and eat you.

- The Boss Level: Your team has done so well that it's valor awards all around! Remember your 18B who charged the PKM position armed only with a knife clenched between his teeth? Unfortunately for you, when the storyboard went up to the CJSOTF to support the award packet, your 18B was pictured wearing a baseball cap. Now you have to fight an enraged CSM to the death for the honor of your team. Your only weapon is email. Good luck!

Oh there is SO much that could be added to this...but solid point. :D

Awesome HR, Thanks :lifter

The World of SF has changed significantly in the last 50+ years.
Not like the days when we worried about weither we had enough smoke and PRC-25 batteries for x-fil.. :D

LOL. Erste klasse! :D

Easy answer:
You take on 2-3 enablers that are sitting at the CJSOTF so the CSM does not have to deal with them.
knowing you don't have space or a job for them at this time, Your Team Sgt and Senior 18C can come up with something like making them designated drivers.
They can be housed with the interpreters if they are not females for a few weeks.
(Suffer small reputation point reduction with ODA)