BuPers:MarksmanshipManual:Terminology

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Marksmanship Terminology

Here is a list of terms that you might run across as part of the Marksmanship Program.

Credit - The unit used to qualify under the marksmanship program, equal to one hour of game play time.

Marksmanship Levels - Standardized across all weapons as Marksman (5 credits), Sharpshooter (100 credits), Expert (200 credits) and High Expert (600 credits)

Issuing Authority - The member authorized to issue marksman certificates based on records submitted. The issuing authority is the Marksmanship Program, under the Office of Awards.

Marksmanship Liaison - Marksmanship Liaison is a position within each echelon that serves as a liaison to the Marksmanship Office, focusing on promoting gaming within their area of operations. This position has transitioned from tracking and authorizing awards to new key responsibilities, which include encouraging participation in gaming activities, serving on the game categorization committee, and assisting with communication to their fleet as needed. Their role is essential in fostering engagement and ensuring effective collaboration within the marksmanship community. Previously this role went by many different terms under each echelon, such as Range Officer or Tactical Officer.

Categories / Weapons - The types of games that can be played are divided into these nine categories by game type. These are named after weapons used in the Honorverse

Game Master / Instructor - A game master / instructor is a player whose job is to plan and execute a roleplaying game or any other game that requires scenario design and moderated play, or a player who is functioning in an instructional capacity showing players rules, strategies, and tactics for a given game. For the purposes of this program, this person will receive play credit for a game even if their sole contribution is instruction and they do not themselves play. Their efforts allow more TRMN personnel to enjoy new or unfamiliar games.

Naval Pistol/Rifle - Some branches, most commonly Naval Branches, combine multiple categories into one for display purposes. The most common example of this is to combine all weapons into “pistol” or “rifle”. To be explicit when referring to these combined awards, the terms “Naval Pistol” and “Naval Rifle” are used. All branches that use this system combine categories the same way:

Live-Action Game - Any game that requires the participants to physically move through a multi-area play zone, acting out or conducting simulated combat as their own playing piece. This is sometimes, but not always, a roleplaying activity. A fantasy LARP would qualify here, as would paintball or laser tag.

Multiplayer - For the purposes of this taxonomy, games can only be counted if they are being played in a multiplayer environment. A player who is not interacting with anyone is not engaging in multiplayer play, and would therefore not be earning credits in this program. A player who is interacting with other players via the internet or other communicative remote method is engaging in multiplayer play. Players taking turns at a single-player game as part of an organized gaming day or tournament earn credit for multiplayer play.

Roleplaying Game (RPG) - RPGs typically involve each player taking the role of a character or characters (if allowed). In many cases, an RPG requires no actual game board or play surface, with all the action occurring in the minds of the players. RPGs require a game master, and in recent games the duties of the GM can be assigned to the players. The easiest way to identify a RPG is that they normally identify themselves as such, or as “storytelling games.” The Marksmanship Office draws a line that if there are no written rules and/or no character sheets, it is not a RPG.

Strategic - A game that focuses thematically or practically on large groups in multiple areas or battlefields is considered strategic. A good example of a strategic scale game would be Axis & Allies or Settlers of Cataan. Board Game Geek recognizes the operational scale between strategic and tactical. For the purposes of RMA game taxonomy, operational-scale games will be grouped under the Strategic heading.

'Tactical - A game that focuses thematically or practically on a single actor or small group per player. A tactical game might involve one person traveling through the game of Life and accumulating a family, or managing the staff at a pizza restaurant, or operating a squad or platoon-sized unit in a war game. For the purposes of these classifications, tactical games involve small groups and single fields of play or battlefields. Sim City would be tactical, Civilization would not. A company-on-company Battletech game is tactical, a game of Succession Wars is not. Board Game Geek recognizes the operational scale between strategic and tactical. If the concerns do not extend beyond the current battle, it is most likely a tactical game.

Video Game - A video game is any game that requires an arcade cabinet, console, or computer to play. This includes hand-held consoles & smartphones (example: Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, LG ThinQ, Google Pixel, etc.).

Wargame - For the purposes of this game taxonomy, a wargame is a game whose theme is linked to combat, though it may include economy and politics as well. The field of play is likely to be a system of hexes or squares, or a tabletop with model terrain. Wargames typically lack the linear progression of a board game—i.e., players can choose to move a piece in multiple directions, not simply along a track leading to the end of the game.

Non-Qualifying games - There are some events, activities, and games that regardless of other rules do not qualify for earning credits. Examples of such are games involving real firearms (e.g. 3-gun competition), games that are single-player played only by an individual (e.g. Solitaire), and social events without detailed rulesets (e.g. SCA). The final determination is done by the Marksmanship Program.