German government is backing a Battlestar Galactica game to educate aspiring diplomats
Projekt Exodus will see 80 people participate in a five-day sci-fi scenario aboard a retired destroyer
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Your support makes all the difference.Either the German government is full of sci-fi fans or the recent reimagining of Battlestar Galactica has tangible real world relevance.
The German Federal Agency for Civic Education is funding a five-day getaway aboard a retired destroyer for 80 aspiring diplomats — they'll be role-playing Ron Moore's post-apocalyptic TV series.
Project Exodus, which will begin on February 4th, will see participants immerse themselves in a character that will enable them to explore the political topics the show interrogated — freedom, safety, ideology, government.
The organisers told the Verge that the aim is to "experience problems of our society from a completely new viewpoint".
"They will be confronted with new situations and impressions that will leave a lasting mark on their thinking."
The role playing itself will last two and half days, with 1 and a half set aside for preparation and one for reflection.
Assuming the project sort of sticks to the script, participants can expect to try to set up a civilian government in the face of devastating and ongoing war (maybe with a cyborg species) and develop strategies and solutions for ideological guerrilla warfare.
It's not the first time a high-concept game has been backed by a government; Sweden offers funding to similar games and, as the Verge points out, some American Civil War reenactments approach larping (live-action role-playing).
And while this is a fresh project for the GFAFC, the cultural bureau has done things like publishing comics.
Neither is Battlestar Galactica new to being taken seriously; it was designed to recontextualise the post-9/11 political landscape, and was even given a proper send off by the UN when it finished back in 2009.
Of course the game is sold out, and spoken exclusively in German, but people can witness the goings-on of the Mölders destroyer on February 8th.
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