Definitions

Closed Game is:

A war game in which each participant is provided with only the information that he might reasonably be expected to get in the real world (e.g., from reports from his own forces, from friends or allies, or from surveillance systems).

Command Post Exercise is:

“An exercise in which the forces are simulated, involving the commander, the staff, and communications within and between headquarters. Also called CPX.” (Joint Pub 1-02)

In many respects a command post exercise may be seen as a form of seminar war game, particularly if the players (commanders and their staff) regularly use a “seminar style” discussion of issues and outcomes, e.g., in an after action review. A CPX that is more focused on training staffs on command post procedures (and specifically when focused on the mechanics of using automated C2 systems) should not generally be viewed as a seminar war game (since there is no “seminar” component).

Computer-Assisted Game is:

A war game that is played with the aid of a computer, as opposed to being played entirely on a computer (e.g., a combat simulation). Note, however that a specific combat simulation (say,OneSAF) could provide computer assistance for a seminar war game.

Free Kriegsspiel is:

A mechanism where two opposing courses of action are explained to an Umpire who decides on which course will prevail, based on historical precedence, personal experience, reasoned debate and his own judgement. There are no rules to resolve battles, although there may be movement and deployment tables. So called because it was the method used in the later (post 1870) examples of the Kriegsspiel.” (from Wargame Developments Handbook)

Tabletop Exercises is:

“Tabletop exercises are discussion-based exercises where personnel meet in a classroom setting or in breakout groups to discuss their roles during an emergency and their responses to a particular emergency situation. A facilitator presents a scenario and asks the exercise participants questions related to the scenario, which initiates a discussion among the participants of roles, responsibilities, coordination, and decision-making. A tabletop exercise is discussion-based only and does not involve deploying equipment or other resources.” (from the NIST Guide to Test, Training, and Exercise Programs for IT Plans and Capabilities)

Model-Assisted Game is:

A war game where some adjudications are made with the assistance of a model (possibly run on a computer, but not necessarily). Models may include various planning tools that do not require computers, such as planning tables for consumption of supplies.

Wargame is (three slightly different definitions):

“A simulation, by whatever means, of a military operation involving two or more opposing forces using rules, data, and procedures designed to depict an actual or assumed real life situation”.Joint Publication 1-02 (14 April 2006)

In the current era of wargaming, the use of “rules, data, and procedures” in this definition is usually assumed to be captured in computer code. So computer software is often seen as the enforcer of the “rules”. However, humans can still apply the rules without computer support. In a seminar war game, the rules are generally assessed by a human umpire (or facilitator); indeed the rules may not be very precise and may allow considerable latitude for the umpire to apply common sense to situations that arise.

“A warfare model or simulation whose operation does not involve the activities of actual military forces, and whose sequence of events affects and is in turn affected by the decisions made by players representing the opposing sides.” Perla (1990, p. 164)

This definition is from Perla’s book (update link), and essentially a copy of a definition that Perla and Barrett offered in 1985 in a paper in the Naval War College Review.(update link) Some limitations in this definition were removed by the time of his presentation to the MORS Special Meeting in Oct 2007, namely the implication by using “opposing sides” that there would usually be only two players going “head to head”.

“A warfare model or simulation that does not involve the operations of actual forces, and in which the flow of events shapes and is shaped by decisions made by a human player or players.” Perla (MORS Meeting, 15 Oct 2007)(update link)

By using “player” in both singular and plural Perla’s revised definition allows that a player might go solo (say, with a computer playing all of the other roles), and that, if there is more than one player, there might be several (say, to play local factions or tribes or to reflect how components of a coalition may have contradictory objectives).

Note that a command post exercise (with lower forces only in simulation) would fit this definition.