In this Star Trek feature, the Enterprise's mission is to bring Star Fleet ambassador Gene Lyons to a planet and establish diplomatic relations. When beaming down to the planet, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and a security team discover that the planet is in a state of perpetual, but bloodless war with another planet in the system.
This planet's leader David Opatoshu explains that this has been going on for five hundred years, but instead of trying to resolve their differences, they and their opposition have arrived at a peculiar solution. War is done like a video game and incidentally just the anticipation of video games is something Gene Roddenberry could take some bows for.
These games are for real because on this planet and the other when a hit is scored, the computer calculates the casualties and people are just shuttled to a disintegration chamber and annihilated. Nice and neat with the proper number of casualties and the buildings and culture intact. As Captain Kirk remarks real war is a very messy business.
I agree with another reviewer who says that this episode has some profound things to say about war, man's nature and the need to overcome the beast to allow us to live together. A good lesson for the leaders of all the world's nations.