Making History: The Calm & The Storm

Making History: The Calm & The Storm is a turn-based grand strategy game set during the World War II era from 1936 to 1945, where players assume control of a major power and navigate their nation through a complex web of military campaigns, diplomatic negotiations, domestic policies, and economic management to ensure survival and prosperity. Featuring five historically researched scenarios with varying start dates and troop/resource levels, the game challenges players to make critical decisions amid interactions with over 80 independent AI-controlled countries, balancing advancements in technology, industry, and warfare while contending with the looming threat of global conflict.

Making History: The Calm & The Storm: Review

Introduction

Imagine stepping into the war rooms of 1936 Berlin, London, or Washington, D.C., where every diplomatic cable, factory output, and troop deployment could rewrite the annals of World War II. Making History: The Calm & The Storm, released in 2007 by Muzzy Lane Software, isn’t just another strategy game—it’s a meticulously crafted simulation that transforms the chaos of global conflict into a playable tapestry of history. As a grand strategy title, it invites players to command one of over 80 nations, navigating the tense prelude and brutal fury of the war through decisions that echo real geopolitical tensions. Its legacy endures not only as a competent WWII wargame but as an educational powerhouse, integrated into over 150 U.S. school curricula by 2007, blending entertainment with historical insight. My thesis: While it lacks the labyrinthine depth of Paradox Interactive’s behemoths like Hearts of Iron, Making History excels as an accessible gateway to grand strategy, rewarding thoughtful economic and diplomatic maneuvering over rote militarism, and cementing its place as a thoughtful artifact in the evolution of historical simulations.

Development History & Context

Muzzy Lane Software, a small independent studio founded in 2002 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, spearheaded Making History under the guidance of producer Dave McCool and lead designer Ralph M. Gerth IV, who also handled art direction. The team’s vision was ambitious yet grounded: create a turn-based grand strategy game that democratized WWII simulation for both gamers and educators, drawing inspiration from board game classics like Axis & Allies and Risk, while incorporating elements of resource management akin to Civilization. Gerth IV’s multi-role involvement—spanning design, art, and even programming oversight—reflected the studio’s lean operation, with a core team of around 63 contributors, including programmers like Tom McCormack and writers such as Sarah Grafman, who fleshed out scenario narratives and historical flavor text.

Technological constraints of the mid-2000s era played a pivotal role. Built on the Gamebryo engine (formerly NetImmerse), the game prioritized functionality over flash, running smoothly on 1GHz CPUs with 512MB RAM—modest specs by today’s standards but emblematic of an industry transitioning from 2D sprites to 3D in strategy titles. This engine allowed for a diagonal-down perspective with free camera movement, but it meant sacrifices in visual fidelity; no real-time 3D battles here, just clean, board-game-like maps. Patches like 2.03 introduced a GUI scenario editor, addressing early feedback on customization, while SQL scripting enabled deeper tweaks for modders.

The 2007 gaming landscape was dominated by real-time strategy (RTS) giants like Company of Heroes and the burgeoning grand strategy scene from Paradox, with Hearts of Iron II (2005) setting a high bar for complexity. Making History entered as an underdog, published by Strategy First—a Canadian outfit known for niche sims like Joint Task Force—and positioned as “edutainment.” It launched amid a surge in historical games, post-Call of Duty 3 and pre-World in Conflict, but carved a niche by emphasizing education. An early version was tailored for high-school history classes, featured on CBS’s The Early Show in March 2007, highlighting Muzzy Lane’s dual-market strategy. Internationally, it appeared as Strategic War Command in Germany and saw localized releases in Russia (Making History: Передел мира), France, Italy, and Japan by 2010, underscoring its global appeal despite modest marketing.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Making History eschews a linear plot for emergent storytelling, structured around five historical scenarios starting in 1933 (in the 2008 Gold Edition), 1936, 1939, 1941, or 1944. Players assume the role of a national leader—be it Adolf Hitler guiding Nazi Germany’s expansion, Winston Churchill rallying the British Empire, or Joseph Stalin fortifying the Soviet Union—immersed in a world of over 800 regions and 80 AI nations. The “narrative” unfolds through turn summaries, event pop-ups, and the in-game “Book” encyclopedia, which provides contextual lore on events like the Munich Agreement or Pearl Harbor. Writers like Grafman and Robert Meyer infuse these with period-appropriate flavor: a 1936 German scenario might prompt decisions on remilitarizing the Rhineland, with dialogue-like messages warning of international backlash or domestic unrest.

Characters are abstracted into national archetypes rather than individuals—no micromanaged generals like in Hearts of Iron—but the game’s strength lies in thematic depth. Themes of imperial ambition vs. survival dominate, as players grapple with the “calm” of pre-war diplomacy yielding to the “storm” of total war. Economic interdependence underscores the fragility of alliances; trading oil with neutrals like Sweden can avert shortages, but cultural penalties for occupying foreign territories (e.g., reduced production in annexed Poland) evoke the human cost of conquest, including partisan uprisings in the Gold Edition. Ideology plays a subtle role—democracies face morale dips from prolonged drafts, while fascists risk overextension—mirroring real WWII tensions like the ideological clash between Axis aggression and Allied resolve.

Dialogue is sparse but effective: event prompts use formal, historical-toned text (“The Führer demands Anschluss with Austria—approve?”), fostering immersion without overwhelming the strategic focus. Underlying themes explore consequence and contingency: Can you avert Barbarossa through cunning diplomacy, or does inevitable war highlight the era’s inexorable march toward catastrophe? This philosophical layer, rare in wargames, elevates Making History beyond tactics, inviting reflection on how small choices—like prioritizing synthetic oil research—can cascade into alternate histories, such as a Soviet victory in 1941 or a prolonged Pacific stalemate. Flaws emerge in AI predictability; NPC war plans (e.g., Japan’s inevitable China invasion) feel scripted, diluting narrative agency, but this mirrors historical determinism, prompting players to exploit or subvert it.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Making History‘s core loop revolves around turn-based management of interconnected systems: military conquest, diplomatic maneuvering, domestic growth, and economic balancing, all resolving over monthly turns from 1936-1945. A typical turn begins with assessing your nation’s status via the clean, tabbed interface—national overview, diplomacy ledger, production queues—then issuing orders before hitting “End Turn.” The AI processes actions simultaneously in multiplayer (up to 8 players via LAN/Internet, using port 9103 or Hamachi), preventing exploits but occasionally leading to desynced chaos.

Combat is probabilistic and abstracted, resolved via RNG with modifiers for supply, tech, and terrain—a departure from real-time skirmishes, emphasizing positioning over twitch reflexes. Units (land infantry, tanks; air fighters, bombers; sea carriers, subs) engage in sequential strikes during battles, with hit chances (e.g., 60% for a Panzer IV vs. infantry) adjusted by factors like winter penalties in Russia. Sea units absorb “hits” like damage points, repairable in ports, adding naval strategy depth. Innovation shines in the “city” classification for bombing runs, simulating infrastructure raids without overpowered air units. However, flaws include clunky unit selection—right-clicking for info works, but mass commands feel fiddly—and AI pathfinding that strands armies in hostile territory.

Character progression manifests as national advancement: Manpower Units (MPUs) from population fuel recruitment and agriculture, while Industrial Production Units (IPUs) in cities (upgradable from pre-industrial to advanced) drive output. Research a tree of 100+ techs (prerequisites like radar before jets) in slots limited by IPUs, balancing against production—do you rush nukes or fortify borders? Diplomacy innovates with trade pacts and alliances, but it’s flawed: AI relations improve glacially, and conquest allocation favors first-arrivers, leading to absurd scenarios like Bulgaria claiming Soviet lands. The UI, praised for accessibility (quick-access menus, zoomable maps), falters in late-game info overload, though the “Book” encyclopedia and turn history replay mitigate this. Gold Edition enhancements—like separate attack/defense stats and partisan liberation—refine loops, but base game’s economy can bottleneck (oil scarcity forces conquests). Overall, it’s innovative in holistic simulation—war drains resources, diplomacy averts it—but demands patience, with victories tied to World Power Points from territory, economy, and alliances.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game’s world is a sprawling, historically accurate diorama of WWII Earth, divided into 800+ regions with 1930s-1940s borders, resources (oil in the Middle East, coal in Germany), and cultures influencing unrest. Atmosphere builds through seasonal shifts—blizzards slow Soviet fronts—and dynamic events, like partisan revolts in occupied France, creating a lived-in feel. Players expand via conquest or liberation (allying puppets for efficiency), fostering emergent narratives: a U.S. player might industrialize Detroit while blockading Japan, turning the Pacific into a tense chessboard.

Visuals adopt a clean, isometric style on Gamebryo: hex-like maps with icons for units (tiny tanks, plane silhouettes) and cities, color-coded by ownership (Axis red, Allies blue). It’s functional over flashy—no destructible environments beyond Gold Edition forts—but the free camera and edge-scrolling enable strategic overviews, from European theaters to global trade routes. Art direction by Gerth IV keeps it uncluttered, with promo art evoking vintage war maps. Sound design is understated: Keith Zizza’s symphonic score swells during battles with orchestral marches, evoking WWII newsreels, while effects (gunfire pops, explosion rumbles) are crisp but minimal. No voice acting, but text logs and alerts provide auditory cues, enhancing immersion without distraction. These elements coalesce into a contemplative atmosphere—less visceral than Company of Heroes, more like a digital history atlas—reinforcing the game’s educational ethos by prioritizing clarity over spectacle.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its March 2007 launch, Making History garnered a mixed but respectful reception, averaging 67% from critics (MobyGames) and a 7/10 on Metacritic. GameZone (8/10) lauded its “best of turn-based” accessibility and replayability via scenarios, while IGN (7/10) noted it as “stuck between markets”—too detailed for casuals, not complex enough for Hearts of Iron fans. GameSpot (6.8/10) appreciated its board-game feel and educational roots but critiqued the “comatose” AI and easy single-player mode. Lower scores, like GameStar’s 41/100, slammed illogical AI and fiddly menus. Commercially, it was a niche success, bundled in Strategy First packs and hitting $0.79 on Steam today, with the 2008 Gold Edition (adding scenarios like “Rise of the Reich”) boosting longevity via free DLC like “Allies vs. Axis.”

Reputation evolved positively in educational circles; a 2007 Newsweek piece hailed its classroom use, and local coverage in Newburyport celebrated Muzzy Lane’s impact. Modding communities on GameBanana and ModDB extended life with custom scenarios, compensating for AI shortcomings. Its influence ripples through the genre: It popularized accessible grand strategy, inspiring series entries like Making History II: The War of the World (2010) and The Great War (2015), which refined economics and multiplayer. Broader industry echoes appear in edutainment like Kerbal Space Program: Making History (2018) and historical sims from Paradox. Today, with 79% positive Steam reviews (619 total), it’s remembered as a foundational WWII title—flawed in AI and depth but pioneering in blending history with strategy, influencing how games teach global conflicts.

Conclusion

Making History: The Calm & The Storm masterfully distills the multifaceted horrors and intricacies of WWII into a turn-based framework that’s equal parts strategy puzzle and historical meditation. Its interconnected systems—economic interdependence, probabilistic combat, and emergent diplomacy—create compelling “what if” scenarios, though AI rigidity and UI quirks temper its ambition. As an educational tool, it shines, turning abstract history into interactive lessons on power’s cost. In video game history, it occupies a vital niche: a bridge between board-game simplicity and digital grand strategy’s sprawl, influencing a lineage of thoughtful sims. Verdict: Essential for history enthusiasts and strategy novices—8/10. Fire up a scenario as the Soviets in 1941; the storm awaits, but so does the chance to calm it.