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WWII Grand Strategy Buyer’s Guide
By Larry Levandowski

Published Tuesday, September 04, 2007  | 0 comments  | Print  | E-mail

Making History, The Calm Before the Storm

Summary: Good, solid game play, medium level of complexity sometimes abstracting realism. Artificial intelligence can be aggressive.

Developer
: Muzzy Lane

Publisher
: Strategy First

Scope
: The entire war

Players
: Player controls one nation. Player can change nation after save. Most nations, even minor ones, such as Poland and Argentina are playable.

Multi-player
: LAN / Internet play up to six players. No PBEM play.

Game Play
: Turn based, each nation plots turns, and resolution is simultaneous.

Map
: Region based, medium sized regions, and entire globe is covered.

Units
: Divisions, infantry, armor, mechanized, air. Tech upgrade possible with advances in research.

Combat
: Turns are resolved simultaneously. Combat occurs when enemy forces meet during movement. Combat may span several turns before one side is destroyed or forced to retreat.

Strategic War
: Nations buy transport capacity to move units from one nation to another. These ships can be intercepted by naval and air units. Strategic bombers reduce production capacity, can be stopped by fighters.

Diplomacy
: Alliances play a strong and key role in the game. Not restricted by history; but nations of similar political ideology will tend to group. Trade increases affinity between nations, embargo’s move nations apart, but otherwise not many options.

Economy
: Production based on output of controlled cities. Investment in infrastructure and industry increases output and capabilities. Raw materials such as iron, population and oil required to build units, military supplies, or goods for the nation’s population. These materials either produced in home nation, or traded on the international market. Easy to use world trading engine

Technology
: Can research increased unit capabilities, like better infantry weapons or heavy tanks. More than 20 areas of research, including industry. Upgrades of existing units must be paid for.

Events
: No scripting in this game. Everything is dynamic by design. This means that the world is an open book for alliance possibilities.

Scenarios
: Full war from 1936, 39, 40, 41, 42, or 44

Atmosphere
: Nice graphics and clean, well thought out interface.

Mod Support
: Scenario editor provided. Full editing of most aspects of the game.

Other Points
: This game has gone through several rounds of improvement and keeps getting better. Good for lower end computers.

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