History of Wargames

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The Assumption of Rationality

"...the assumption that players in a game are rational, a mischievous concept that has generated so much controversy and confusion in political science..."

The idea of rationality is highly suggested in formulating possible solutions to War Games. In the United States earlier attempts to utilize game theory in assisting in decisions. It is more common that the United States assumed rationality in earlier conflicts, Vietnam, Cuban Missle Crisis, Desert Storm, than it would be in the type of War Games being analyzed today. Many of the problems associated with these earlier predictions are in part due to the lack of interpretation of possible irrational game play associated with the enemy.