The Star Patrol box set released in the same time span as RPGs like Traveller and Star Frontiers, all meant to capitalize on the Science Fiction movie and TV boom of the late 70s and early 80s. Gamescience is Lou Zocchi’s company; he is perhaps best known for precision dice.
Star Patrol was developed from an earlier game, Space Patrol (1977).
Space Patrol would evolve over a number of years as the basis for Heritage’s Star Trek: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier (1978), Gamescience’s Star Patrol (1981), and Terra Games’ Starfleet Voyages. I think it’s worth re-iterating this upfront because the playability of the game started off rather rocky, but improved to become a more fleshed-out system by the time it was released as Starfleet Voyages.
Groknard blog by Robert Saint John
I’ve got a nice Star Patrol box set in the shop. I don’t see them often, so it was time to snap photos!
Star Patrol Role Playing Game [BOX SET]
1981 … Michael Scott Kurtick & Rockland Russo & Niels Erickson (art) … Gamescience 10103
“STAR PATROL is a comprehensive, science fiction oriented, role playing game which simulates ship to ship combat as well as on planet adventures. […] You’ll find 34 different types of contact weapons, 32 types of armor, 13 types of shielding, 77 types of ranged weapons from rocks to power cannons and phasers. 32 different types of aliens, taken from many of the most popular S.F. classics, are defined in detail so that they can be incorporated, or new ones created.”
Classic Gamescience releases detailed at my RPG reference site
Box
Book
Figures and Maps
Figure sheet is single-sided, a plasticized heavy paper stock. Blank Hex Map is Gamescience “Panzer Size”, printed on both sides. The ship sheet (approx 34″ x 22.5″, single side) is very cool, with deckplans and a mini adventure, The Derelict, set aboard a Pioneer class starship.
Dice
This set fortunately still had the original Gamescience Precision Dice!
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