So I’ve been talking a lot about Battlefield 2 lately, because it’s the primary game I’m playing in my free time right now. The busy season for CAD is coming to a close, as I wrap up the last of the work I have to do on the books (at least until they ship, anyway). Right now I’m trying to get ahead so I can take some time off next week.

Battlefield 2 is a very, very fun game, and a pretty realistic game. It’s safe to say that Brian and I are addicted. And with good reason.

In B2 you rush across fields to take out your enemy’s artillery, you parachute from helicopters into the heat of battle, you plant C4 on a moving tank threatening to gun you down, you administer first aid to your fallen teammates in the middle of a gunfight. It’s all very epic and exhilarating.

However I think it may be too easy to forget that all of this that we’re doing in virtual scenarios is mimicking events taking place elsewhere in the real world. And while we can get shot by a tank, and then be “shock paddled” back to full health to continue the fight, there are real troops out there that are not quite so lucky.

I’ve said this before- I don’t care if you feel the war in Iraq is justified or not. If you don’t support and respect our troops overseas that are fighting and dying to defend our country, whether you think it needs defending or not, you are no kind of human in my book.

Battlefield 2 is a video game. It’s designed to entertain, and we know that. And we shouldn enjoy it because it does its job well.

But at the same time I feel it’s important for us to think of the real people who are in these very real situations, who are out there for bigger reasons than just capturing flags. And to remember that they are people with families and friends, and not just statistics like “Three U.S. Soldiers killed in suicide bombing”.

And I think it’s important for those troops to know that, though we’re here at home playing at war on the internet, that in no way, shape or form are we trying to marginalize or disrespect the very real risk they are in each and every day.

It’s just something I think about, I guess.