The purpose of this post is to go over the basics of generational warfare theory to provide a framework of simulation. It describes how warfare has moved from a focus on physical power to the increasingly abstract realms of moral will.

The theory first appeared in a Marine corps gazette article here: http://www.mca-marines.org/files/The Changing Face of War - Into the Fourth Generation.pdf

It saw expanded use with John Robb, as he documents how insurgents have been beating US forces by turning the local populace against them. A notable difference in the jump between 3rd generation warfare and 4th is that there are no decisive victories, only prolonged low intensity warfare.

Guerrilla forces will work to hollow out a nation-state's legitimacy and replace it's social services, commercial trade (black markets), communications/surveillance systems and militia with it's own: http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2004/05/4gw_fourth_gene.html http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2008/05/hollow-states-l.html http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2006/10/the_role_of_cit.html

See also: How To Be The Biggest Tribe: http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=8610

Finally, there is the theoretical 5th generation concept, in which secrecy and incentives and leveraged by a small group or one person to have a large effect on society: http://tdaxp.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/07/20/dreaming-5th-generation-war.html

Side note: A good simulation of warfare will have to take into account each agents emotional arousal and valence at a given time: http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2010/09/blast-from-past.html "Bruce Siddle has studied this phenomenon, and found that heart rate, measured in beats per minute, is a good barometer of the other effects. Note that this is a hormone induced increase in heart rate. BPM increases caused by other things, such as aerobic workouts will not have the same effect. Also be aware that a hormonal jump in heart rate can be almost instantaneous.

Here are the rules of chemical fear:

If you get scared enough that your heart rate goes over about 115 BPM, you will start to lose your fine motor skills. That means your precision grabs and locks are gone.

About 155 BPM, complex motor skills deteriorate- you lose your patterns, combinations, traps and sweeps.

About 175BPM, planning and thinking are severely compromised. You lose your near vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. Your hearing will deaden or be lost.

Above 175, if there is anything in your bladder, you will lose it. Most will freeze or curl up in a ball and wait for mommy to save them. Only the grossest of physical activity is possible- running and flailing.

In short, the more desperately you need your skills, the less you will be able to rely on them. If you ever hear or say or think, “If it was for real, I’d do better” know that it is a lie. When it is for real, you will do much, much worse than in practice. The belief that people improve under stress is a myth.

These stress levels can be induced in most people with nothing more than aggressive verbal threats."