| USAFpilot | 23 Jul 2021 5:00 p.m. PST |
Is military strategy an art or a science? |
 Saber6   | 23 Jul 2021 5:32 p.m. PST |
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| John the OFM | 23 Jul 2021 6:01 p.m. PST |
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| Thresher01 | 23 Jul 2021 7:04 p.m. PST |
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| Escapee | 23 Jul 2021 7:23 p.m. PST |
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 etotheipi  | 23 Jul 2021 9:58 p.m. PST |
Neither. It's systems engineering. Science is purely analytical/theoretical. Art exists within a subjective context. Both things (and others) have a place in a system of systems practical application. |
 Legion 4 | 24 Jul 2021 9:13 a.m. PST |
It is both … an art & a science. That is the way I was taught. Based on my training & experiences it is …  One could say … the science is the understanding of the tech and the art is how to effectively use it … |
| John the OFM | 24 Jul 2021 10:35 a.m. PST |
"Strategy" is a skill. It's rolling a 6 when needed. |
| etotheipi | 24 Jul 2021 2:56 p.m. PST |
Strategy is never needing a six for your plan to work. |
| mildbill | 24 Jul 2021 3:18 p.m. PST |
I would agree with systems engineering except the greatist strategic moves seem to break the rules… |
| USAFpilot | 24 Jul 2021 4:42 p.m. PST |
Do the best poker players in the world use science or art in their craft? Could a computer beat the best human poker player? To even get to the table, a poker player needs to know and be an expert at the statistics and probabilities of any given hand. This is the science of playing poker. Then there is the art of the bluff. I think military strategy is similar in that one needs to be an expert at military theory and application (the science), but also needs imagination and instincts (the art). So all the great strategists know the science as their foundation but it is the art which separates the best from the rest.
IMHO |
| Legion 4 | 24 Jul 2021 5:00 p.m. PST |
Yes, I'd go with that USAF … +1 |
| etotheipi | 24 Jul 2021 5:22 p.m. PST |
Could a computer beat the best human poker player? Yes. Happens so frequently, it's not interesting to research anymore. Most of poker is playing your player, not the game. The skills a good poker player has to play other players don't directly transfer to playing a computer. Hackers can easily defeat the best poker programs; it's their skillset. except the greatist strategic moves seem to break the rules… Except there are no such "rules" in SE. When I teach SE, I start with there is no such thing as "zero risk" for a system. I also make sure we understand that there is no such thing as "the risk" for the system. There are "the risks", which lie in different areas and are often evaluated in different (incompatible) ways. SE is not about eliminating, or even reducing risk. It is simply about being deliberate about how much risk you are taking in different areas. If you are aware that you are taking a set of huge risks for a potential set of huge rewards, you are doing good systems engineering. |
| Playerone | 26 Jul 2021 4:36 a.m. PST |
Both, instinct and intuition also are factors. |
| Legion 4 | 26 Jul 2021 8:31 a.m. PST |
Yes, very much so … I also think someone said, "Luck is a combination of preparation & opportunity … " |
| etotheipi | 26 Jul 2021 11:46 a.m. PST |
My take on luck is that being in the right place at the right time is simply a subset of being in the right place all the time. |
| Legion 4 | 26 Jul 2021 4:44 p.m. PST |
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| Heedless Horseman | 26 Jul 2021 10:17 p.m. PST |
Both plus Luck.
A 'bold', unexpected move can be a winner. Art.
As can 'intel', logistics and training. Science.
You can still just have 'Luck… good or bad.
'Art' and 'science' can both derail with bad luck… but both can sometimes overcome… or not.
That's what Dice are for. |
| Legion 4 | 27 Jul 2021 6:44 a.m. PST |
Yep ! Dice are the "random number generators" that takes in many variables. In many rules those die rolls may get a + or -. Influencing that roll for the unit, model, stand, etc., doing or not doing something. E.g. cover bonus, assault bonus, firing bonus, etc., etc. Can all be influenced by what the Cdr/gamer does … or fails to do … 🎲🎲 DOH ! SNAKE EYES !!!! 😣 |
