How STORM came to be
It actually started quite simply... I needed an app where I could load a tactical (TMS) game map and use it for orientation in the field. Once the Personal Eye System project shut down, getting such a map into any existing app turned out to be nearly impossible.
The turning point was an airsoft event where, for the first time, more than twenty of us showed up. Suddenly we needed to know who was where — but in a way anyone could pick up in seconds, and that wouldn't fall apart the moment the signal dropped. From day one I focused on minimal traffic, simple controls and no sign-ups: players join via a join link or QR code, with no account creation and no collection of sensitive personal data. The whole solution is scoped to a single event — when it ends, data resets and the next event starts fresh. Past events stay accessible via the original join link or QR for 12 months. No existing tool covered all of that, so with AI tooling reaching maturity, I decided to build my own.
The first iteration ran under the working name MCS Tracker (Metrocity Squad Tracker) and did one thing — show team positions on a map. A web interface, mission types and further tactical features came piece by piece. The tracker grew into a full system — and with it came a new name, matching exactly what the app had become:
Strategic
Tactical
Operations
Real-time
Management.
The accelerator was our faction's community WhatsApp chat. When I asked there about the game map and mentioned I was building my own app, a separate thread spun up just for STORM. The community started testing it, sending feedback and suggesting improvements. Thanks to the airsoft community, STORM is where it is today.
- First source-code commit March 24, 2026, 16:37
- First full field test April 17–19, 2026
Huge thanks to everyone who's contributed, tested in the field, and brought ideas for where STORM should go next.