Why do I find the World War II era so compelling?
I have wrestled with this question for years, and have come to a unique understanding of why this period in history is so enticing.
There are two main points:
The first is how our society was so deeply affected by the technological developments of this period. There were so many startling and new developments of how we came to understand the tools that we use. So many crucial modern inventions were an extension of WWII - from all the various factions - that have come to define the modern era. To understand how our elaborate technology came to be, we must experience how the people of these times were transforming the very nature of their own perceptions. So many of the discoveries encountered completely changed the way everyone saw the world.
The second point - and what truly brought me into this genre - was the sense that this technological history is intuitive enough that I could understand it all (in its most basic form, of course). Playing a Grand Strategy World War II game, I feel as though I can grasp this entire technological evolution in my hands, and shape it the way I wish. It is an extremely powerful feeling.
The advent of advanced electronics, computers, nuclear technology, turbine engine flight, and advanced engineering is all in its infancy at the beginning, and by the end of the game, I have wrought a new order to my world, where information and productive efficiency has blossomed into a whole new potentiality.
It is not without some irony that this rebirth comes during such at cataclysmic series of events, but that is the way of nature. From the ashes of destruction, new growth begins.
I would strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in the history of our civilization take the time to experience this era first-hand, through the eyes of those who had to make the hard choices. This game is an amazing simulator that gives the player a unique perspective on how our society - our economy, our technology and our social beliefs - were molded and forged through these tumultuous times.