computer science

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator rather than just read about it. In short: The Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator (MACS) is an American marksmanship training simulator for the M16 rifle. It was created in the 1980s by the US Army Research Institute (ARI; now DEVCOM ARL) to create low-cost simulators, which were continuously revised as arcade technology improved.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator (MACS) is an American marksmanship training simulator for the M16 rifle. It was created in the 1980s by the US Army Research Institute (ARI; now DEVCOM ARL) to create low-cost simulators, which were continuously revised as arcade technology improved. MACS was still in use by the US military as recently as the 2000s. The MACS SNES cartridges are deemed rare to acquire in the used game market.

Overview

Development of MACS was done to provide low-cost simulators for part-time training. Among the concerns the US Army looked at was the increasing cost of using live ammunition for target practice with a decreasing cost of microcomputers. MACS would be used in US military training programs and by various ROTC units. A few unnamed countries evaluated the MACS for potential use as military training tools. Spanish language versions were provided with assistance from the School of the Americas. It consists of a microcomputer, a light pen attached to any demilitarized weapon, and a color video monitor. It also includes a training manual.

Rifles MACS used M16-based rifles that served as the light gun. They are also used to help soldiers practice marksmanship, including how to zero the rifles. A replica of the Jäger AP-74 was used as the basis of the MACS light gun. There were instances of demilitarized Jäger AP-74s, Model Gun Corporation (MGC) M16 model guns, demilitarized Colt M16A1s/M16A2s and rubber M16s used as MACS light guns.

Development

James Schroeder began developing MACS in 1982. The first versions used the Apple II Plus microcomputer and supported the M16A1 and M72A2 LAW. Students pointed a weapon with an attached light pen toward a computer display, which could simulate moving people and tanks at varying distances. The available light pen technology was not accurate enough at the distances MACS needed, so new lensed light pens were developed by the Naval Training Systems Center (NTSC). The US Army filed a patent for MACS in 1984 and it was granted in 1986. There were plans to add support for an ambitious array of weapons (hence, "multi-purpose") but only the M16A1, M72A2 LAW and M203 were selected for further research. Later on, the scope narrowed further to only support the M16A1.

Litton Industries engineers ported MACS to the Commodore 64 in c. 1986. The program was patented in the same year. Sponsorship for MAC research came from the US Army Infantry School under a Memorandum of Understanding from December 9, 1987. Following growing interests from the US Navy, US Air Force and the US Coast Guard to potentially use the MACS, a program known as the Joint Service Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator (JMACS) was created from 1986, which was sponsored by the Joint Services Program on Manpower and Training Technology Development. The JMACS Project funded development of new light pens, purchase of 25 MACS systems with demilitarized M16A1s for the US Navy and US Air Force and acquisition of more demilitarized M16A1s from Anniston Army Depot. Testing for programming simulated recoil was conducted from August 1987 to September 1988 with MACS after some instructors complained about the lack of a recoil mechanism. In a 1989 report filed by Kenneth Evans, he said that having a recoil mechanism is not recommended since it would add further costs to develop MACS and it does not the user's performance. He also said that simulated recoil is not needed as long as "live firing is a substantial part of the overall training strategy". In 1991, ARI investigated the capabilities of the new Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and commissioned Sculptured Software to reimplement MACS on it; There were plans to further develop MACS programming to include stages for training users to use M16s with various scopes and sight, but delays of having scopes selected before the end of 1991 for the M16A2 by the US Army led to delays to implement it, which led to said programming being cancelled. The switch provided better graphics at lower cost and multiple SNES cartridges were made for different courses. Nintendo denies any involvement in MACS production. The next version of MACS was MACS 2000, developed by the US Army Training Support Center's Fielded Devices Division.

Relation to video games

Though MACS is an effective marksmanship trainer, journalists have frequently noted its video game-like appearance. Even in the earliest versions, the melody of "Thanks for the Memory" plays when a tank appears. In particular, the SNES port included an obvious Nintendo console and colorful graphics. Soldiers referred to it as "the video game" and used MACS for recreation in addition to training. According to retired lieutenant colonel and MACS instructor Dave Grossman, MACS shows that video games can be used for "teaching people to kill". Advocating against violent video games, he claims that arcade video games like Time Crisis could also "develop the skill and will to kill" in players. Retired colonel Ron Krisak, who led the Fort Dix training technology lab in the 1990s, thought it improbable that a light gun game could produce a skilled marksman without an instructor. SNES cartridges for MACS have been sold to video game collectors for high prices.

See also Duck Hunt Engagement Skills Trainer Super Scope

Notes

References

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator

In research: Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apple II software, Commodore 64 software, Educational software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator in simple terms?

Why does Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator.