I have been getting quiet queries in Email from people who are already playing Combat Patrol(TM): WWII (http://www.bucksurdu.com/Buck_Surdu/Combat_Patrol.html) about Combat Patrol for other periods than WWII. The title should suggest that I have always had it in mind to apply the Combat Patrol(TM) system and the GAMER(TM) engine to other periods. Even during play testing, before the rules were published, Duncan Adams was already using the rules for the Napoleonic Wars. I think they would work really well with few (or no) changes for modern skirmishes. The next period I think I am going to go after (subject to customer demand, of course) is science fiction.
In that vein, I have been collecting science fiction figures for a couple of years. If you look back through the archives of this blog you will see photos of the Colonial Marines from Aliens as well as science fiction figures from the Reaper Bones line. At Fall In, when I renewed my Old Glory Army, I picked up this package of Old Glory science fiction figures as my premium for renewing. These were nice figures, even if they suffer from the Games Workshop ridiculously oversized weapons phenomenon. I really like the plastic bubbles over their heads. I couldn’t sleep much last night, so I got up a 0400 and knocked these out. I painted them in gray, thinking that that is sort of shipboard camouflage.
I am not sure when these figures will see action. I have been collecting solidly constructed cardboard box tops. Ones from Apple for iPads and iPhones are terrific. Over the winter I plan to spray them gray and then decorate them to make rooms for a space ship. I will then lay these rooms out to make corridors. This will be my space ship for a Firefly / Alien / generic science fiction mashup using Combat Patrol. I think it will be quite fun.