Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: Cat on October 16, 2024, 12:43:45 AM
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With all the current chatter about Lunar, I couldn't help but jump into the space race, especially after it occurred to me to do it with 2" MPC plastic figures (aka More Plastic Cosmonauts). A thought that just couldn't be unthunk.
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They made them in a wide variety of colours, so plenty of force choices available. Acquisitions have started to arrive from EBay. Picked up one lot locally today, more in the post.
Finding a suitable rover is proving tricky because of the sprawling pose of the seated figure, which is quite unsuited for any sort of space vehicle. 2" puts the figures at ~1/35. Hunting EBay, I've seen some diecast LRVs that are 1/48 and the seats would likely be too small, and a larger Dinky Toy at 4.5" long which would be about 1/27 but might work.
Leaving them unpainted for the full toy soldiers look and reaping a great savings in painting time. Leaning towards mounting them on clay poker chips for stability. Easy enough to match figure and chip colours.
Lingering question is to flock or not (the chip edge would still be visible. Currently leaning towards flocking.
Whee!
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Hmm - no backpacks?
Those 'sprawling' poses might be able to be corrected by the hot water bend treatment? Dunk 'em in a cup of hot water, bend to a better shape then dunk 'em in a cup of cold water? I've done it with plastic and resin figures with mostly good results.
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The suits are a decent enough reproduction of the Mercury suits that didn't have their own oxygen supply.
Most of the figures have a pair of scuba type tanks on the back, which was a reasonable artistic choice pre-Apollo. The rifle and seated figures don't have any tanks though, in the photo I pictured, you can see they don't have an air hose coming from their helmets.
Heating might work, I've got plenty of spare figures in various poses to experiment with. Certainly don't need a large squad of cameramen. Found out tonight that neither white nor orange label Plastic Weld works on this plastic. Will need to pick up a bottle of PolyZap, that usually works well on the softies.
The figures were released at least as early as 1963 in the Fireball XL5 set. Considering that some figures in that set were based on the marionettes and others on Mercury astronauts, I suspect the Mercuries were probably released earlier than that.
https://2warpstoneptune.com/2013/01/02/beyond-tomorrow-lunar-space-station-and-the-story-of-multiple-toymakers/
https://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAorig/astroOrF/FigOrigC.html
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Lingering question is to flock or not (the chip edge would still be visible. Currently leaning towards flocking.
Flock? Surely https://spaceresourcetech.com/products/lhs-1-lunar-highlands-simulant?srsltid=AfmBOooR9G5M4swmgaLkDsJyyfDyEZEFbvOryXkEI2brpO215tQJy5qG
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I'd go for transparent acrylic bases, if you don't plan to paint them. This would be quite neutral and neither destroy the toy soldier impression, nor the wargaming purpose.
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Looks fun
I’d perhaps paint the visors and the guns - would still fit the toy solider aesthetic. Certainly the Britains figures I remember had a few colours on them.
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Looks fun
I’d perhaps paint the visors and the guns - would still fit the toy solider aesthetic. Certainly the Britains figures I remember had a few colours on them.
Maybe just a slap of silver on the visor and the guns (not too accurate) to drive the point home of them being 'prepainted'. I never had any of these as a child, but I do remember toys of the same caliber being bare plastic with just one colour painted on.
I vividly recall a parachute man who could be shot up from a pistol-like contraption with a rubber band, to drift down again. He was an army green plastic, with just the exposed skin areas crudely painted in a fleshtone...
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I'm going to swim in the opposite direction and say, "Nah, go ahead and paint them. They'll be EASY! :D ;D
Mike Demana
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Tarnegol, ooh High Fidelity Lunar Flock at that!
Will definitely stick with poker chips for the weight, otherwise the figures would be too tipsy on the slope of a crater or whatnot. Reading accounts of others who have done toy soldier gaming, the chips are the best option.
Yes, partial painting is a possibility for faces, visors, and things in hand. If I go that route, then I would spray each force to match the plastic colour. Krylon Fusion spray works quite well on soft plastics, and then can use any type of paint on top of it without flaking off.
You can't trick me, Mike!
: P
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Good idea. A way to get into a new project without spending a lot of money and putting in tons of time.
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A great idea, looking forward to seeing more.
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You can't trick me, Mike!
Whaaat?? My Jedi mind tricks don't work on you...?
Mike Demana
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Another big batch just arrived from EBay, a good sized forces of Orange and Gold.
The seller also threw in some complimentary 1/72 20–22mm figures. Bottom of the bases says Giant, Hong Kong. Astronauts look like re-worked WW2 guys in Mercury suits with scuba tanks on the back. The aliens have scuba tanks on their suits too.
If anyone wants to do smaller scale games (kinda bazooka heavy), these would be worth hunting down.
The aliens could work fine as genuine LGMs with the 2" MPC astronauts!
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In other acquisitions, just ordered a bunch of 4" wood pentagon coasters from Amazon to make domes. There's also a bunch in wood or acrylic on Etsy in various sizes. 3" or 4" would work well with the standard 32mm Lunar figures.
Also just ordered the Season 1 Blu Ray of For All Mankind. By the time I've finished that, maybe the price of Season 2 will have come down more.
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I had been hunting around to find a 1/35 Lunar Rover and finally found one at a reasonable price on EBay, a 1/35 4D Model Puzzle. But then I made my saving throw and realised that the Apollonian lander would be too 70s futuristic for my project — I'm really settling in to a retro SF image of the late 60s as envisioned c.1963.
Back to teh internets and EBay for a squirrel hunt for 1960s beach buggies or ATVs. While the Amphicat would technically be perfect as the buggy of the Banana Splits in 1968, Space 1999 has set it in everybody's head canon that it is more futuristic than that.
Scored with a pair of ATVs that just arrived: a 6-wheeled Buddy L toy and a 4-wheeled Tootsie Toy. The Tootsie rides high, but the lower chassis is plastic and can be cut down and the wheels extended out to the side.
Whilst hunting for retro-SF STL files, happened upon a perfect Gemini style Lander. This was designed for use as an Estes Rocket. I'm still puzzling over what scaling to print it at. There was an actual Big Gemini project on the drawing boards and even got as far as a 'Big G' mock-up that could carry more crew in the command capsule, plus passengers and/or cargo mix in the rear.
Printing the Lander as designed would yield a ~1/35 Gemini. Crunching geometry of the space required for astronauts' seat, printing at 130% would be large enough for 5 crew in the capsule. 154%, 7 crew and about the size of the planned Big G; now I need to decide if I want that big a footprint with the landing legs splayed out.
https://www.printables.com/model/87671-gemini-lunar-lander
There's not much in the way of retro-SF files out there. Everything is darkity-dark or Star-Warsy.
In other acquisitions, most EBay listings of the Giant brand aliens ask astronomical prices. I did find one lot at a much reasonable cost. Here's my full collection of Little Green Men (and Pink and Brown).
Picked up the first season of For All Mankind. Halfway through watching now, truly outstanding! Only watching one episiode at a time, it's too good to binge. Also grabbed some more classic space vids.
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Great stuff, I am thinking 1/72 myself but these look great, although I possibly could not resist painting them silver then a wash and add flags for each nation, or go with the Moon 02 with bright primary colours.
For transports look at this link http://www.tobor2.com/MoonZeroTwo/bug200.htm (http://www.tobor2.com/MoonZeroTwo/bug200.htm)
What about Cold War 1/48 American or soviet or British Armoured cars for transports and change the tyres perhaps.
Cheers
Matt
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Thanks Matt. 1/72 was tempting; Triang and other Chinese knock-offs of the MPC figures were done in a variety of sizes including 1/72. But I don't think they were ever released in bulk sets like MPC did for 2 decades. I had a couple of them as a kid, they came 1 in a package with a much smaller scale space vehicle of various sorts.
I'll definitely be going with painting in colours that mirror the original plastic with some highlights. That way I can balance out figure assortments, there will be some defectors changing their colours!
So, those ones aren't easy to hunt down in any quantity these days, while MPC cranked out so many they are still cheap and plentiful on EBay.
Nice find on that Moon Bug print! Just re-watched that movie the other night for a lighter break between episodes of For All Mankind. If I ever want a larger transport, that Bug will definitely be in the running (if there's an easier way to build it than the amazing work that went into that blog linked one).
I did just find the perfect kit to bash for my corporate buggy — a VW type 825 Pick Up built on the WW2 Beetle chassis. I'll chop of the roof, remove the doors, and the tyres are 2-piece so it will be easy to widen them with a spacer in the middle.
https://squadron.com/1-35-special-armour-vw-type-825-pick-up-plastic-model-kit/
For a corporation, I was originally leaning towards Germany's OTRAG, the first attempt at a private operation started in 1975. That was incredibly hopeful at the time, but alas didn't get off the ground. But since I'm really settling into a retro 1960s SF, that didn't quite seem right; Germany didn't have much of a space program in the 60s (the US had grabbed up all the Nazi rocket scientists and technicians in Operation Paperclip).
Then I remembered Turbonique and Roy 'Mr. Pitiful' Drew as the best contender for a 60s private entry into rocketeering. Roy Drew was a drag racer who took a rocket powered VW Bug airborne in 1968! Turns out that 183mph is the maximum land speed limit of a stock VW Bug body. After that it becomes aerodynamically unstable and leaves the ground.
https://www.theautopian.com/happy-juneteenth-meet-mr-pitiful-and-his-rocket-turbine-powered-vw-beetle
So in my storyline, Captain Drew will be commanding the Turbonique moon team, and the VW pick-up moon buggy in Turbonique colours is the required ride.
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I have emerged from a couple of internet rabbit holes having refreshed and improved my knowledge of 1960s space programs and international political relations.
I'll be fielding 9 different Earth factions sorted into toy figure colour assignments, plus the Little Green Men (of various hues). Keeping this mostly to countries that had actual space launches up through 1970, plus honourable mention entries for Indonesia that among others launched suborbital sounding rockets, and Turbonique as mentioned in the prior post for a corporate team that at least had launched a rocket powered VW Beetle airborne.
There are of course the two Division One competitors in the space race:
* USSR (red), will attack anyone.
* USA (white), will only attack USSR or PRC, although might get provoked by Argentina or Indonesia.
Followed by:
* PRC (yellow) will attack anyone except Pakistan, might ally with USSR.
* Pakistan (green) receives support from both PRC and USA and will not attack either one, will especially ally with either against USSR, otherwise a wild card.
* France (dark blue) will not attack USA, Argentina, or Japan.
* Argentina (light blue) receives support from France; will not attack France, and likely not USA; otherwise a wild card.
* Japan (orange) will not attack anyone, defensive force only; does have a mutual security treaty with USA and Indonesia and can come to their aid.
* Indonesia (gold) receives support from Japan; will not attack Japan, and likely not USA; otherwise a wild card.
* Turbonique (silver) an American corporation, will not attack USA, France, or Japan; otherwise a wild card suspected of engaging in proxy conflicts on behalf of the USA.
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I love the factions and country orientations...sounds like a campaign!
Mike Demana
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Certainly will provide a good narrative background to scenarios.
Could set up a whole Lunar Diplomacy game!
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Have you seen this Cat?.
https://blacksitestudio.com/en-au/pages/lunar-products
(https://blacksitestudio.com/en-au/pages/lunar-products)
Cheers
Matt
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Yuppers, just waiting for Black Friday sale to order the starter set and expanded weapon deck. Since I won't be using their minis, I'll need to scrounge around to find images or stat lines for the crew cards that come with the expansion minis.
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Yuppers, just waiting for Black Friday sale to order the starter set and expanded weapon deck.
Someone who plans out their purchases...love it! I was talking to a friend the other day who made me feel less anal for tracking my Acquired vs. Painted totals. He awards himself points for figures, terrain, scatter, etc., all very detailed. For example, a 28mm fig is worth 2 points, but a mounted one 4 points. lol
Mike Demana
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I've found putting things on the "Maybe on Black Friday list" is a reasonable curb against some of the impulse buys. This game has definitely jumped from maybe to buy it, but might as well ride out the wait now. Wasn't entirely sure back when it went on the list.
Ooh, points for painting — you can win games with points!
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The only ones I really track are DBA armies, which are sorted by roughly how much work is done: raw, trimmed, primed, ~1/3, ~2/3, completed. Helps me eyeball which ones might jump back onto the workbench for various periods.
It's only been this year that I finally started beating Xeno and got over half of them fully completed! Currently 67 armies out of 126 if my inventory has been correct. I've been so close to getting them half done for so many years, but could never quite cross the halfway line with new acquisitions coming in.
~ , ~
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A friend printed out the Gemini Lander, and I absolutely love it!
Juggling scaling option between 154% (actual 1/35 Big Gemini planned diameter) or 130% (still plenty big on the game table), finally opted for 130% to keep the footprint down. It still looks mighty impressive and like it can carry a squad of astronauts and plenty of gear.
Stands ~16.5" tall. Had to scrunch the ladder a bit — width and thickness are 130%, but length is 70% to get the rung spacing better matched with the 2" MPC astronauts. Splicing 2 of these ladders together will give the required length.
The parts dry fit very nicely, painting to follow.
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I had a space cake for one of my birthdays (maybe like 7? 8?). There was a lunar lander on it. That toy saw life long after my birthday - I remember a Star Wars toy being used to pilot it!
My dad was a ham radio fan in the late 70s, as well as being an RCAF air traffic controller, and one day, he connected with NASA in Texas. The dude there sent me a TON of promo material. Talk about sparking my imagination.
This projects reminds me of the sheer space joy those days were for me.
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My dad was a ham radio fan in the late 70s, as well as being an RCAF air traffic controller, and one day, he connected with NASA in Texas. The dude there sent me a TON of promo material. Talk about sparking my imagination.
This projects reminds me of the sheer space joy those days were for me.
Lucky connection there!
And yes, this project is definitely re-awaking the old joy — first time I've been bit by a real nostalgia bug.
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Lucky connection there!
And yes, this project is definitely re-awaking the old joy — first time I've been bit by a real nostalgia bug.
I’ve sent you the photo collection at the archive I donated it to. Enjoy, be inspired!
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That Gemini Lander looks superb. I really like what you are doing with this. :-*
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Ooh, that lander is an absolute beaut!! :-*
Loving where this is going... :)
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Currently 67 armies out of 126 if my inventory has been correct.
I was a HUGE DBA fan back in the day. I sold off all of my armies, though. Props to you for continuing to paint them.
Oh, and love the lander, too. Great stuff!!
Mike Demana
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I was a HUGE DBA fan back in the day. I sold off all of my armies, though. Props to you for continuing to paint them.
Oh, and love the lander, too. Great stuff!!
Mike Demana
Me too! Fanaticus forum was my jam. Still have some of my armies in photo anyway on there!
Anyway, the retro moon stuff is so hard to resist. !
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I was a HUGE DBA fan back in the day. I sold off all of my armies, though. Props to you for continuing to paint them.
And I was the one who bought your Vikings!
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We still do 2.2+ at least once a month.
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Good God - I completely forgot that! lol lol
I was actually not aware that we'd met in person... lol lol
Mike Demana
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Good God - I completely forgot that! lol lol
I was actually not aware that we'd met in person... lol lol
Don't think we've met live, unless it was at an HMGS-E con long ago when the DBA ghetto was still running strong. You had posted the armies for sale on your blog.
Indeed, we all still mourn the loss of the olde Fanaticus Forum.
x_X
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It's been a chill and windy week here in New England, but today was downright balmy — 54º and not much wind blowing. So a good day to spray paint outdoors.
I had picked up a pair of 30" x 46" slate gray rugs to use for game mats. Sprayed with Krylon Stone Texture paints, using a black & light grays can low from one side, and white and grays can low from the other. Doesn't look like the directional difference will matter much in the rug pilings, but I'll use the same technique on scatter craters and rock formations later.
The Black Site bases are 32mm. I'm using larger figures on larger bases (4cm clay poker chips), and making my own measuring sticks (increasing from 1" to 3cm units). So the 30' mats will work nicely. The extra width will be handy for multi-player games.
The rugs came folded in quarters. I had unfolded them and rolled them up last week when I got them home. Creases are still there, and obviously picked up paint patterns. That will be handy for any scenarios that call for quartering the board zones.
=^,^=
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Fresh off the friend's printer, a Vostok 3KA capsule to use as a crashed terrain/objective. Printed at 185% to bring the crew descent module up to 66mm diameter and 1/35 scale.
The later Voskhod capsule is nearly identical except for the cylindrical equipment module added to the top. With the top of the descent module plowed into the moondirt, this model will do nicely for a Voskhod without needing any kitbashing.
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https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/vostok-3ka-youri-gagarine
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I like that! Clever idea and quite fascinating all these lunar modules.
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It's certainly quite fun digging back into the space joy of the 1960s!
Historically, the Voskhod was not a lunar module, but it works fine for a lunar fly-by in retro-SF of the future as envisioned from 1963.
Voskhod 2 was used for the first EVA by Alexei Leonov in 1965. Proposals for a Soyuz lander were drafted as early as 1963, but no one outside of a a very tight security circle was aware of that. Soyuz 1 launched in 1967, alas with the first in-flight fatality of Vladimir Komarov.
If anyone had included a Soyuz looking lander in speculative fiction created in 1963, the KGB would have to kill them!
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Back in January, I had set this project aside for a bit to focus on other projects that were definitely slated for upcoming events. Also at the time, I pre-ordered the Lunar RS3 expansion for somewhat bigger battles. RS3 is due to ship anytime now, so I've begun turning my thoughts back to the future.
Began with some reading to get back in the swing. Definitely recommend these books:
Finally read the alternative history novel Hot Moon by Alan Smale, 2022 that I had picked up last year. Quite fun, very well written. The final draft had been sent out to his agent and beta readers right around when the first trailer of For All Mankind dropped. The two stories share some significant political back-story points (Russia gets to the moon first, Nixon pulls out of Vietnam early to shift resources and priority to the space race, Russia puts a woman on the moon, so the US has to get over itself and allow female astronauts early on too), but then they develop as very different stories. Hot Moon is focused entirely on action and drama in space, any earthly details only filter up as the astro- and cosmonauts glean info on the go. Starts off right when the shooting begins in 1979.
The sequel, Radiant Sky just arrived. Third and final book is due out this year.
Also just finished the graphic novel Ministry of Space written by Warren Ellis, 2009. Great story, great illustrations. Britain scoops up the Nazi rocket scientists before the US can get them and creates a 'black channel' funding for a space program. They get to the moon and claim it first in 1953, and get to continue on being all imperialist.
In an actual history vein, currently well into Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration by Brian Harvey, 2007. Includes lots of details and unfolding of events that have come to light which paint a rather different story than known before. Clearly written, and good use of bullet points throughout to help keep track of technical developments and summaries.
On the modelling side, at the end of August I had started prep work on the 3D prints for my big Gemini Lander and crashed Vostok/Voskhod capsule. but then in another recent thread here, discussion came around on the mortality span of PLA prints. Digging some more on the internets and the horror is coming to light that they typically start to decompose in 7–8 years, maybe last up to 15 if painted and storage conditions are ideal.
I failed my Morale check (and/or passed my Wisdom check) and opted to shift to good old styrene models with the help of EBay.
The capsule of my big 3D Gemini Lander is pretty close to the size of the old Revell 1/24 model, and I had picked up some secondary market decals for that which fit nicely on the size of my print. Have just ordered the Revell one, and will figure out how to add my own cargo/passenger stage and landing gear for a less decomposing model.
Also picked up a 1/24 Revell Vostok. Had only printed out the 3D capsule at 1/35 for a scenario objective. With the 1/24 one, I'll likely convert it into a big lander too. May still use the 3D one as a [mortality fated] objective.
Eyeing a Hasegawa 1/48 Voyager Probe as conversion fodder to make a communications relay station or some such McGuffin as a scenario objective.
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I noticed kits or diecast versions of some of the mars or lunar probes in 1/30 or 1/32 or 1/35 scales which might be quite useful. I think Del Prado did a couple of diecasts.
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I've only come across very expensive diecasts of modern Chinese satellites in those scales. There are nice, and merely rather pricey, resin kits out of Russia; but not in circulation these days outside of Russia.
Looking deeper into the Hasegawa Voyager, looks to be a lovely kit; but lots of tiny fragile parts, so probably not the best fodder for gaming terrain.
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Del Prado spirit mars rover 1/35 scale, around €8.
Have to admit, after that it does start to get thin. I noticed on the scalemates site they mention a few of the kits you referenced, among a few others - also that the 1/72 Airfix astronaut set was, in fact, reissued by a Spanish company called Bum.
Aside from that, I'm running out of ideas, although I do have to credit you with getting me watching 'For All Mankind' series 1 (series 2 ordered) - great stuff, can't think what kind of a person would fall asleep watching it, I certainly couldn't! lol
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Red Iron Models has quite the catalog, at merely rather pricey levels. Between the war and everything else, not in circulation now. So quite marked safe from being tempted into buying:
https://redironmodels.com/kosmos
Yeah, the series really nails the cliffhanger endings! I've only watched the first two seasons here. By the third, they're farther in the future and out on Mars. My plan had been to wait for the end of Season Five, then buy a collected set of bootlegs from EBay since Apple doesn't want to sell them. But S5 has been delayed, maybe out the end of this year. Also still waiting for the spin-off Star City which may be out next year.
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I'm watching on dvd so I think I may run into a problem after season 2 but, hey, that's what the Expanse is there for, right? lol
And why aren't there more sci-fi rpg's and wargames just set in the solar system? Why does almost every sci-fi system feel they HAVE to go 'space opera' and do massive star maps! lol
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Even the Expanse has its interstellar gates. It’s really the best way to have freshness and aliens…as the idea of Venusian invasion forces and 4 armed or tentacled martians were fairly exhausted by the 1960s. UFO did a good job, but even then, i expect had the show clicked on, it would have had for SHADOW to take the offensive to the aliens at some point.
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Even the Expanse has its interstellar gates. It’s really the best way to have freshness and aliens…as the idea of Venusian invasion forces and 4 armed or tentacled martians were fairly exhausted by the 1960s. UFO did a good job, but even then, i expect had the show clicked on, it would have had for SHADOW to take the offensive to the aliens at some point.
But why do you need aliens or interstellar distances to bring freshness to a game? That's just lazy thinking - you can still keep modern military or spy games fresh and interesting by introducing different groups, motives and backgrounds so there should be no problem when expanding that out into the solar system. Why do you need aliens if you have something like a Yakuza Oyabun out for revenge on Mars or in the asteroid belt? The differences are already there, no need to introduce fanciful aliens or long space voyages just to crudely hammer a point home when a bit of creative thinking would be far better.
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I agree to a certain extent, but i bet most producers don’t. Those who don’t go to the spy/crime genre where there is no expectation.
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Spy/Crime gives a lot to work with. Hot Moon brings in the USAF space spooks from the planned Blue Gemini program.
From actual history, there are great nuggets popping up in Harvey's Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration book.
The Russians didn't have radiation hardened film for the cameras they sent to the moon — but US spy balloons had that sort of film, and we were delivering it right over them!
In 1959, a few months after the Soviet launch of the first Automatic Interplanetary Station, Ye-2a (later branded Luna 2 in 1963), they sent a mock-up to an exhibition in Mexico. Turns out they sent a fully functioning back-up unit. With a nod from Mexico, the CIA intercepted it and managed a couple of hours of study before sending it back along its way.
In spycraft adjacent activity, Jodrell Bank Observatory was monitoring transmissions from Luna 9 in January 1966. When the transmission sounds changed, the PR officer recognised the sound of the fax machine used in newspaper offices. They scurried off to the Manchester Daily Express, brought the fax machine back to the observatory and scooped the first photos being sent direct from the surface of the Moon. Nikita was not amused.
Another good alt-history take would be if Kennedy survived and went on to develop a joint lunar landing with Moscow. There had been preliminary flirtings of such a plan, but Johnson would have none of it. If that had gone forward, there would of course be endless spy vs. spy activity all along.
Moon Zero Two does a nice start on the crime angle. A motion for more moon crimes is always in order.
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There is a The Expanse RPG. Not much forum discussion on RPGGeek. Seems to be a run of the mill RPG.
Another one that never gained traction, and no discussion on RPGGeek: The Jovian Chronicles for an anime/mecha sort of solar system colonising affair.
Orbital Cold War is a new one this year that appears to be as titled. Orbital 2100 with the same system goes a bit further into the future.
See folks on the flip side after the great migration!
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I thought you guys might be interested in a program they are hosting at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum here in Ohio. It sounds right up your alley!
Project Horizons, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2-4pm
"In 1959, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force had control of America's space program and proposed an ambitious plan: to build a military base on the moon. In the STEM Inspiration Center at 2 p.m., learn about the mission's development, the challenges of it and why it was ultimately abandoned and explore whether the dream could become a reality today..."
I'm half thinking of going... :D
Mike Demana
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Mike, you should definitely go — we need an intrepid reporter on the scene! I'm sure there's no danger you might start wanting to play a new game...
Since we were last all gathered here, I did buy the Orbital Cold War RPG. Still another week or so before the print copy from Lulu arrives. But fortunately I went poking at Zozer's website and found that if I sent them the Lulu receipt, they would send me the pdf version.
The Cepheus game engine and this campaign are derived from the Traveller System Reference Document and other Open Gaming License content. Contains enough of the Cepheus rules to play. Orbital Cold War is pitched as a techno-thriller setting and campaign themes can be run as Military, Espionage, Adventure, or Mystery. The player party is a team from NASA, ESA, or Glavkosmos. Essentially works as the For All Mankind TV : The RPG without the royalties.
=^,^=
Game is set in 1990, Tech Level 7. Apollo era was TL6. The player team also chooses a secret faction within their national one and also try to achieve factional goals without tipping off mission control or any NPCs — choice of any number of competing intelligence agencies, security agencies, and corporations.
Contains a lot of solid material for GMing, including tables of travel times to various destinations from low earth orbit to the lunar surface. Would be a very solid reference for running any sort of campaign. Good stuff.
In related books, Zozer has also done Orbital 2100 as another stand alone TL 9 campaign, that expands out beyond Luna to the full Solar system. And Far Horizon, a scenario book for the first TL9 exploration ship heading out to Tartarus, a passing rogue planet beyond our system.