Web Posted August 05, 2001
Updated September 04, 2001

APRIL FOOLS!

Surprise! Did any of you expect to have CWIN back on its schedule, to have an issue delivered to your mailbox on April 1st?

Rest assured this issue is authentic and is not an April Fool's joke. Although there are three humorous entries in The Cracked Windshield department, the staples with accurate information you expect every month are here. All of the news reported here was factual at the time of printing.

John Blaylock and SHAAG have become very active this dueling season. You can read about their recent battles in the NANS Ticker column. I suspect many road warriors look forward to seeing the U.S. Mid-South region develop into a powerhouse such as Washington State, California or Michigan. Keep up the good work, SHAAG.

Other highlights include Chris French taking duelists back in time again with a scenario that is set in the days of Pocket Boxes and Deluxe Car Wars, announcement of the resurrection of an old AADA chapter, and a letter from George Smith, a former AADA Webmaster.

I have another April's Fool Day joke for you. The 2050 WADA Car Wars League Awards, which were supposed to have been announced on February 2nd, are now on the WADA Web site. I would like to give many congratulations to the winning duelists and hope this year's tournament is even better.

Drive offensively,

Michael P. Owen
 

THE LONGEST MILE

The usual method of disposing of captured outlaws in the early days was described as, "a fair trial, followed by a first-class hanging." For the outlaw, his best hope of escape was to be freed before reaching Death Row. First, though, he had to survive the rescue attempt . . .
 

Setup

Use standard road segments, debris-side up. The road is three lanes wide; a 1" (15") verge exists either side of the road. Beyond this is terrain impassable to vehicles. The Defender sets up his vehicles in convoy (l/2"-1" separation), with the Paddy Wagon in the middle, all traveling the same direction down the road, at 60 mph. The Attacker sets up his units no closer than 12" to any unit in the convoy; they may be all in one group or in two seperate groups, but must be on the road at the start, and may start at any speed they can achieve without pushing their plants.
 

Defender

Two Police Cruisers. Each crewmember has body armor, heavy pistol, Driver +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1. Each vehicle contains two single-barreled shotguns and four explosive grenades as cargo.

One Paddy Wagon. Each of the four crewmembers has a heavy pistol, Driver +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1. The vehicle also has  two tear gas grenades (each with a one-second delay) and a prisoner in the cargo area. The convict is drugged, therefore he cannot take any actions in this scenario.
 

Attacker

Two Joseph Specials. Each driver has body armor, heavy pistol (with only five shots), two smoke grenades, Driver +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1.

Two Gang Light Bikes. Each cyclist has body armor, heavy pistol (with only five shots), two smoke grenades, Cyclist +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1.

One Station Wagon. Both crewmembers have body armor, heavy pistol (with only five shots), two smoke grenades, Driver +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1.
 

Units

Joseph Special. See AADA Vehicle Guide Volume 1.

Police Cruiser. Based on an early family-carrier design, this early police car was sufficient for dealing with the average town troublemaker or small cycle gang. When more powerful dueling cars and gang bikes appeared, this unit's days were numbered. Armor is weak, firepower is inaccurate, tires are exposed, and the need to carry open space and mass for suspects compromises survivability. Its only redeeming virtue is its low price.

Police Cruiser -- Luxury, std. chassis, large PP, hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, gunner, RL in 2-space turret, RL front, 2 linked SDs (1R, 1L). Cargo capacity: 4 spaces, 250 lbs. Plastic armor: F20, R20, L20, B20, T20, U20. Acceleration 5, Top speed 97.5, HC 3; 5,250 lbs., $12,050.
 

Paddy Wagon. The detrimental effect that passenger space had on police cruisers' combat ability led to the creation of this unit; it shows up after the fight (preferably) and carries suspects off to be booked. Armor is decent, but not spectacular; the tires are protected, which is a definite plus. Firepower is marginal, but this is not a unit for stand-up fighting. The low price is also a good point.

Paddy Wagon -- Station wagon, std. chassis, super PP, hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, gunner, MG front, MD back, FE. Cargo capacity: 7 spaces, 1,050 lbs. Plastic armor: F25, R25, L25, B25, T10, U14, four 10-pt. plastic WGs. Acceleration 5, Top speed 132.5, HC 2; 4,450 lbs., $11,480.
 

Light Gang Bike. Cheap to build and repair. With the thin armor, rarely those are this unit's only plusses. Rarely does this unit need all of its MG loads. Performance is average for cycles.

Light Gang Bike -- Light cycle, small cycle PP, hvy. suspension, 2 HD tires, cyclist, MG front. Plastic armor: F8, B7. Acceleration 10, Top speed 120, HC 2; 800 lbs., $2,950.
 

Gun Wagon. This unit is not intended for front-line work -- its job is to provide heavy fire support for the group it is attached to. It can
carry two passengers (wounded members, technical crew, or whatever needs hauling). Armor is decent, but the tires are exposed, and it
lacks dropped weapons to keep its tail clear.

Gun Wagon -- Station wagon, std. chassis, super PP, hvy. suspension, 4 PR tires, driver, ATG (with extra magazine) front. Cargo capacity: 2(+7) spaces, 335 lbs. Plastic armor: F30, R20, L20, B20, T10, U10. Acceleration 10, Top speed 120, 5,165 lbs., $11,050.
 

Victory

When no further combat is possible, whomever has possession of the convict alive wins. If the convict dies, the game is drawn. The Defender may not kill the convict unless the Attacker is close to capturing him (the Defender is immobilized, outnumbered, and has no means of escape); if they do so, they are deemed to have lost.
 

Campaign Option

The Defender starts with the Paddy Wagon and the Police Cruisers idling at the curb in front of the City Hall on the town maps. Four police officers (one from each Cruiser, plus two from the Paddy Wagon) and the convict (being carried by the Paddy Wagon police) will walk (l/4" per turn) from the front door of City Hall to the Paddy Wagon. The Paddy Wagon's officers will put the convict in the vehicle, then board the it themselves (taking 60 turns total); one Cruiser police officer will walk to each Cruiser and board. Once all police are in their units, the convoy will pull away from the curb, assuming convoy order as described above. The convoy will drive to Kazango, accelerating to 60 mph. Once on Kazango, the convoy will head south. When Kazango leaves the map's south edge, the road becomes standard road sections.

One mile (360") from the south edge of the town map is the center of a T-intersection; the spur forms the T's stem. This spur runs l/10 mile (36") to the jail (use the Truck Stop map; ignore the crash gate and artillery piece, and add a remote-detonated AV/AP minefield extending 1" out from the wall). The convoy will drive to the gate, which will open to admit them (the Jail staff cannot be tricked); pursuers will be shot at, mined (regardless of police proximity!), or allowed in and "dealt with" if need be (treat any Attacker unit that enters the jail as destroyed). The Attacker may attack at any point between the convict leaving City Hall and the T-intersection; as soon as the Defender has line-of-sight to any Attacker, the Defender may react.

In addition to his starting force, the Defender has the City Hall force (numbers and equipment as per Sunday Drivers; skills as per Defender Setup), plus three Police Cruisers. The two officers in each of these vehicles have body armor, heavy pistol, Driver +1, Gunner +1, Handgunner +1 and Runner +1. Each Cruiser contains one SMG with 2 extra magazines, 2 VLAWs, 2 explosive grenades and 2 tear gas grenades. This personal equipment may be on cremembers or placed in cargo area.

When the fight starts, roll 3d6 and add 1 for each 9" of road the convoy has covered; after that many turns, one Police Cruiser will arrive. Five turns after that, the second Cruiser will arrive, and the third Cruiser five turns after the second.

Chris French
Beaverton, OR
csadn@ix.netcom.com
 

CARHUNT 1995
http://www.peoplehater.org/carhunthtml/carframe.html

Subject: [SCAB] Who said Car Wars isn't real?
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 16:58:26 -0500
From: Jeremy Willis <throach@blar.org>
Reply-To: SCAB Mailing List <Scab@blar.org>
To: SCAB Mailing List <scab@blar.org>

Car Hunt 1995
http://www.peoplehater.org/carhunthtml/carframe.html

Jeremy Willis
Throach Corporate Motors
 
 

ROAD HOGS
http://www.danorama.com
http://www.danorama.com/now/022398.html

Dan Charlson
February 23, 1998
dan@danorama.com

Slower Traffic Keep Right.

I can't figure out which part of that phrase is unintelligible to so many of the idiots on the road impersonating licensed drivers. Driving six hours on the interstate, there were more than a few fools who couldn't seem to grasp the concept.

Do they not care? Or are they just utter morons? When a car is approaching you from behind, you don't just hang out in the left lane -- you get your a** over! It's not rocket science. Anybody who is capable of operating a motor vehicle should be able to comprehend this idea.

Almost as bad are the losers who suddenly decide that they're going too slow as I'm passing them and speed up to match me, keeping me trapped next to them. Generally I just hit the gas and ease back to the right ahead of them, and they resume their original, slower pace. But why do they accelerate in the first place? Are they doing it on purpose, just to be jerks? Or are they simple-minded sheep who can't decide on a speed by themselves?

"Road Rage" is getting a lot of attention these days. I think it has always been there, but recently is expressed more (and more violently) as traffic gets worse and there seem to be so many people who just don't pay attention to what is happening around them on the highway.

I like to think that I'm a better driver than most others on the road -- I drove a motorcycle for several years until I was in a wreck caused by a dumb*** who wasn't paying attention and turned left into me. Riding a 'cycle forces you into an acute awareness of what is going on
around you and just how idiotic most people are when they're behind the wheel. Cell phones and cars that are "sealed" from the outside noises make it even easier for people to tune out when they're driving.

Vehicular Mounted Weaponry seems like a mighty fine idea every now and then. The people who didn't belong on the roads would be cleared off. "Why Johnny Can't Speed" (a great short story by Alan Dean Foster) deals with just this sort of thing. And back in the days before
computer games had graphics, my friends and I played a role-playing game called Car Wars with paper, pencils, dice and graph paper, where we'd outfit cars with armor, machine guns and rockets and battle it out on the "road." Had a lot of fun, too. Now of course, you can take out your freeway frustrations on the computer with games like Interstate '76 or Death Rally.

So many drivers seem to feel that they can do anything they want on the road -- it's their world. Like the b****** in the blue Volvo who turned left in front of me from the right-turn-only lane and nearly rammed me the other day. I blew the double air horn in my Miata at him loud and long, but what I really wanted to do was drag the p**** out of the car at the next stop light and kick him so hard he'd be wearing his a** for a hat. He wasn't going to wait his turn. He was doing what he wanted, and to hell with anyone else. He didn't care.

In a parallel universe, having a pair of 50-caliber machine guns mounted in the front of my car, I would have gleefully left the bullet-ridden hulk of his Volvo burning on the side of the road. He'd care then.

Maybe it should be more difficult to get a drivers license. Maybe the tests should be harder to pass. Maybe there should be a road test and a written test every time the license expired, instead of just paying your 20 bucks and passing a cheesy eye exam. Maybe some driver's education should be mandatory when a license is renewed -- both classroom time and drive time. Something -- anything -- to increase the skills and
awareness of people on the road.

Otherwise I'm not going to be surprised when road-rage-related incidents of serious violence become so commonplace they barely get a mention on the local news.

" . . . and finally in highway actions today, there were 6 killed and 17 wounded. Back to you, Jim."
 
 

VEHICULAR KILLS

Forum: Dueling Debate <http://www.delphi.com/carwars>
Subject: General / WADA 2051
From: THROACH
Date: Feb 25, 2001, 8:52 pm

You guys might find it amusing that Rob Hagmaier won today's duel with zero kills. We played an arena game today with rain and three players took themselves out with missed control rolls. Rob had a mobility kill and even though four other players got kills, he was the only one to finish with positive points and win the duel as there was nobody left to kill.

Jeremy Willis
Throach Corporate Motors
throach@blar.org
 

COULD HYDROGEN BE THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE?
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/03/16/hydrogen.cars/index.html

CNN Interactive
http://www.cnn.com
March 16, 2001
Web posted at: 4:43 p.m. EST (2143 GMT)

In this story:

 'It feels like a normal car'
Mass acceptance?
What about safety?

By Marsha Walton
CNN Science and Technology

MUNICH, Germany (CNN) -- No more smelly fumes at the gas station. No more polluting CO2 emissions. Far less dependence on uneven supplies of fossil fuels. Could hydrogen, the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, address both energy and clean air concerns?

BMW is committing a lot of engineering resources to find an answer to that question. But hydrogen's possibilities also pose a sort of "chicken and egg" quandary for the company.

How can they get consumers to buy hydrogen fueled cars if drivers can't find fuel? And how do they get energy companies committed to building hydrogen service stations if few people own these cars?

BMW isn't putting all its eggs in one basket. The German auto giant is working with governments, oil companies, and transportation researchers to promote the long-term benefits of cars that use this pollution-free fuel.

The company is demonstrating its hydrogen-powered vehicles during a global road show, "The Clean Energy World Tour 2001," that
kicked off in Dubai in February. By mid-year BMW will also give demonstrations in Brussels, Belgium; Milan, Italy; Tokyo, Japan; and Los Angeles, California.
 

'It feels like a normal car'

Alternative fueled vehicles often conjure up visions of heavy and clunky electric cars, a good idea that's just "not quite there yet." And certainly not the image of speed and performance BMW cultivates. So it was important to BMW that their hydrogen vehicle look like their other products.

 "It feels like a normal car. It can be operated like a normal car. And so the feeling for our customers will be, they have a high powered car, a normal car with clean emissions," said Klaus Pehr, head of concept cars for BMW in Munich.

Speaking at the first -- and only -- public, robotically operated hydrogen fueling station located at the Munich Airport, Pehr showed off the 750hL sedan: one of the bivalent 5.4 liter, 12-cylinder V -engine, with a 140 liter hydrogen tank. Its maximum speed is 140 miles per hour (226 km/hour).

Crucial for the foreseeable future, the cars can run on either liquefied hydrogen or gasoline.

BMW has 15 of the 750hL sedans participating in its Clean Energy road show. Combined, the cars have traveled more than 63,000 miles, (100,000 kilometers). But with just one place to "fill up," hydrogen cars are now practical only in and around Bavaria, near the Munich filling station.

Right now, the car's range is limiting: just 217.5 miles (350 km).

The hydrogen sedans are not on the market yet, but BMW is already considering ways to broaden their sales possibilities. One of the company's goals is a hydrogen filling station in every European capital by 2005.
 

Mass acceptance?

Years of promoting mass transit have not ended love affairs with the car in any industrialized country. So the mindset now in some transportation circles andsmoggy city governments is to at least get drivers into low- or non-polluting vehicles.

"I won't argue about whether this will happen in 30 years, 40 years, or 50 years . . . but it WILL happen," says Professor Ulrich Wagner of Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University.

Wagner says car and energy companies, as well as local and national governments, must work on a common path to make hydrogen-fueled cars a reality.

"We need better storage systems, more efficient storage systems, and we need a certain infrastructure in order to get started," said Wagner, who teaches courses on renewable energy.

While hydrogen is the lightest element, it has some tricky characteristics. It only becomes liquid at dramatically low temperatures -- -423 degrees Fahrenheit (-253 degrees Celsius). To keep the fuel that cold, fuel tanks in the BMW cars are made of 70 layers of fiberglass and aluminum.

Hydrogen fuel is now created through an electrolysis process. Electrodes are stimulated by light, which split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
 

What about safety?

Safety issues are a major concern for a fuel that's often perceived as more dangerous than others. While hydrogen itself played no part in either catastrophe, it was the fuel in both the Hindenburg and the Challenger.

Wagner says consumers should not fear a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

"Of course there is some risk, but it is comparable to the risk we have with conventional automotive fuels," he said.

BMW conducted numerous crash tests to see what would happen if the hydrogen tank was punctured or damaged. Their engineers report the liquid hydrogen dissipated harmlessly into the air.

What, if anything, will provide a kick-start for hydrogen or other alternative fuels? It could be economic, with the cost of gasoline now topping $4 a gallon in much of Europe. Or it could be political, like California's tough emissions standards. Or, in clogged cities that already have serious smog problems, health issues could tip the scale toward developing cleaner energy sooner, rather than later.

"You start with fleet and other specialized applications, like airport buses, or transporting VIP's," says Jim Ohi, a hydrogen expert at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado. "In the U.S. there are also federal programs, clean city programs, that mandate alternative vehicles for part of government fleets."

Ohi says there's a reason "oil companies" are now referring to themselves as "energy companies: "They're feeling the pressure to study zero-emission fuels, even if it may be decades before they make any money with it."

"We have problems with our CO2 emissions concerning the climate," says BMW's Pehr. "Especially with big cities. Look at Mexico City (Mexico), Athens (Greece), or Los Angeles (California). We can solve these problems just by a new energy carrier in the future."

A few pilot projects using hydrogen fuel exist in the United States. Several are in California, where residents are more in tune with energy alternatives such as solar and wind power for electricity generation. And because of recent rolling blackouts and enormous increases in electric costs, perhaps more open to looking beyond current technology.
 
 

NOT FOR A JOYRIDE
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,102056,00.html

Subject: General / Real Life CarWars
From: KDRAUT
Date: Mar 23, 2001, 7:30 am

Howdy, all. Check this out.

Not For A Joyride
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,102056,00.html

The Army's new SmarTruck concept vehicle is a Ford F-350 fitted with Kevlar armor, spikedroppers, oil jets, smokescreens, electrified doorhandles, pepper-spray dischargers, turreted night vision, a turreted laser, and hi-intensity lights front and rear to blind attackers.

Hmm . . . Being this is off the top of my head, and I have no books with me, this design will probably be extremely illegal.

SmarTruck -- Camper, x-hvy. chassis, 300 ci ICE, 10 gallon-dueling fuel tank, 6 solid tires, driver, gunner, pulse TwL in two-space turret, 2 searchlights (1F, 1B), 2 SDs (1R, 1L), SS back, OJ back, anti-theft system linked to 8 dischargers (types specified by customers), IFE, IRSS, HRTC for gunner. Plastic armor: 200 points +.

Kirk
HADES President
 

Time Magazine
http://www.time.com
March 19, 2001
Vol. 157, No. 11
Kathleen Adams, Val Castronovo, Randy Hartwell, Lisa McLaughlin, Joseph Pierro, Josh Tyrangiel and Sora Song

It may look like a high-end SUV, but you wouldn't want to cut it off at a STOP sign. Lastweek the U.S. Army unveiled a "James Bond-like concept vehicle," a modified Ford F-350 pickup with cutting-edge gizmos. The SmarTruck is just a prototype, but here's a preview of the tricks this "agile" and "lethal" rig may one day pull off:

PEPPER-SPRAY DISPENSERS. From either side of the truck, handy blasters propel burning pepper spray up to 12 ft.

BULLETPROOF GLASS AND ARMOR. Tinted glass and all-over lightweight Kevlar armor can withstand shots from a .44 magnum.

DAZZLING LIGHTS. Pairs of superbright lights in the front and rear can blind enemies looking directly at or pursuing the vehicle.

HIGH-VOLTAGE DOOR HANDLES. The ultimate car alarm system: four electrified door handles maintain enough charge to temporarily stun intruders, thieves and various other unwanteds/

SMOKE SCREEN, TACK DISPENSER, OIL SLICKS Various pipes in the rear of the truck ward off attackers by spewing oil slicks, clouds of obfuscating smoke and a carpet of tacks designed to hit the ground pointing up.

PANEL MATES WITH FINGERPRINT ID. Three touch-screen panels, the truck's nerve center, remotely control all exterior countermeasures and can be accessed only through fingerprint verification

RETRACTABLE WEAPON STATION AND NIGHT VISION. The night-vision camera rotates 360[degrees], and the laser-launching station responds to a joystick inside the cab.
 

AADA RULES

Forum: Dueling Debate <http://www.delphi.com/carwars>
Subject: AADA Events and Tournaments / Where are all of the AADA rules?
Date: Mar 05, 2001, 5:09 pm
From: WEBSCAV

As fun as it is trying to scour the 'Net for all of the necissary information to play in an AADA game, it would be nice to know what all of the current equipment is and does. Any help on finding resources to this end would be much appriciated.

Chris Duemling
 

From: POSSUMKNAVEL
Date: Mar 05, 2001, 5:12 pm

That, my friend, is a question that has been a subject of debate for about 20 years now. Good luck. If you find that Holy Grail, let me know.

John Blaylock
SHAAG President
2051 AADA World Dueling Champion
 

From: DRACOS (DRACOS12)
Date: Mar 05, 2001, 6:33 pm

The short end of it is you have to have an out-of-print book called Uncle Alberts Catelog from Hell to be "current" on the most recent AADA rules. The Car Wars Compendium is a must as well the black cover one (called CWC2.5) that came in the now-out-of-print-also Car Wars Deluxe set. The Steve Jackson Games Web site might have some of those still available . . . though the Catalog is a special find.

Dean "Dracos" Gibson
DRACAR President
 

From: WEBSCAV
Date: Mar 05, 2001, 7:57 pm

Hmm . . . So basically what your saying is that unless I can find UACFH I won't have all of the rules? I'm trying not to sound to whiny here, but wouldn't it just make more sense to stick to the products that are still in print (CWC), or openly avalable to all (ADQ archives)?

Pondering and stuck with just the CWC 2.5,

Chris Duemling
 
 

WADA CAR WARS LEAGUE

Forum: Dueling Debate <http://www.delphi.com/carwars>
Subject: General / 2051 WADA Championship Duel
From: MJ Daniels (RACING_CHAMP)
Date: Mar 02, 2001, 3:50 pm

The IDL Presents . . . The WADA Champions Invitational Duel. I like it. Perhaps we will see that this December. Maybe get the WADA to offer bonus points for this slugfest, to boost attendance. We can turn this into the biggest event since the AADA World Championships. Perhaps even bigger, since the WADA and the IDL (unlike the AADA World Championships) actually include players outside of North America.

MJ Daniels
IDL Public Relations Director
IDL@funwebpage.com
 

2051 AADA U.S. MID-SOUTH REGIONAL DUELING CHAMPIONSHIP

Subject: 2051 AADA U.S. Mid-South RDC
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 11:39:30 -0800 (PST)
From: John Blaylock <possumknavel@yahoo.com>
To: Mid-South Mailing List

2051 Season
Mid-South Regional Dueling Championship
March 26, 2050
 

Saturday, March 24th, 10:00 a.m.
Qualifying Duel #1
Division 10
Memphis Municipal Autoduel Complex

William Piggot: TN Independent, Desert Wind
Hugh Swindoll: SHAAG, Pisces V
Denise Blaylock: SHAAG, Pisces V
John Blaylock: SHAAG, Firehawk
Jon Glenn: LA Independent, Pisces V

The action was fast and furious, but William Piggott with his medium laser in the subcompact, proved too much. There were many collisions. He won the game easily with two kills (John Blaylock and Hugh Swindoll).

Qualifier #1 Results

1. William Piggott: 1,065 points, VK x 2
2. Denise Blaylock: 400 points
2. Jon Glenn: 400 points
4. Hugh Swindoll: 80 points
4. John Blaylock: 80 points
 

Saturday, March 24th, 2:00 p.m.
Qualifying Duel #2
Division 15
Memphis Municipal Autoduel Complex

William Piggott: TN Independent, Messenger
Hugh Swindoll: SHAAG, Indra GT
Denise Blaylock: SHAAG, Iron Horse
John Blaylock: SHAAG, Iron Horse
Dwight Dawkins: SHAAG, Tomahawk HF
TJ Jensen: TN Independent, Tomahawk HF

The action was slower and just as furious, though. After several rams, no one could get a comanding lead. Eventually, the dust cleared and Hugh had claimed the victory, and was also the only vehicle moving at the end, although he was in bad shape.

Qualifier #2 Results

1. Hugh Swindoll: 1,050 poins, VK x 1 (John Blaylock)
2. Denise Blaylock: 225 points, VK x 1 (William Piggott)
2. Dwight Dawkins: 225 points, VK x 1 (TJ Jensen)
2. John Blaylock: 225 points, VK x 1 (Denise Blaylock)
2. TJ Jensen: 225 points, VK x 1 (Dwight Dawkins)
6. William Piggott: 35 points
 

There was a scheduled Div 30 final on Sunday morning, March 25th. No one showed up except for Denise and myself. We decided to cancel the match and declare a winner based off total points. This decision made Hugh Swindoll as the 2051 Mid-South Regional Dueling Champion by only 30 points.

Final Standings

1. Hugh Swindoll: SHAAG, 1,130 points, VK x 1
2. William Piggott: TN Independent, 1,100 points, VK x 2
3. Denise Blaylock: SHAAG, 655 points, VK x 1
4. Jon Glenn: LA Independent, 400 points
5. John Blaylock: SHAAG, 335 points, VK x 1
6. TJ Jensen: TN Independent, 225 points, VK x 1
6. Dwight Dawkins: SHAAG, 225 points, VK x 1
 

Regrettably, the members of MADHAT was not able to make the tourney. They were missed. (I am sure they were afraid to face SHAAG.)

John Blaylock
SHAAG President
2050 AADA World Dueling Champion
 
 

KULT OF SPEED

Subject: Kult of Speed Challenges
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 06:37:39
From: Jason Walters <ckosacranoid@hotmail.com>
To: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@serv.net>

Hello, Owen, and everyone else that's out there. I am issuing two challenges against everyone that plays Car Wars.

First, since I cannot find members for my group right now, I am tossing down the glove to everyone for some online battles with Intersate '76 or Interstate '76 Nitro Pack. I have got the games working online and found a few places for online fighting. If you wish to fight me or race, I am game. If anyone wants to fight e-mail me.

Second, I am opening a challenge at Gen Con with the Car Wars clubs that will be there this year. I know the members of NOVA and CADC are just a few of the autoduelists that will be at the convention. I would love to get the chance to face some of the best road warriors that will be there. I know a few of you are running games, so let us plan events that are not in the registration book.

Hoping to hear from someone about a fight,

Jason Walters
KOS President
 
 

MID-SOUTH AUTODUELISTS AND HANDGUNNERS ATTACK TEAM
http://www.ccstech.org/gaming/carwars/default.htm

Subject: MADHAT PBEM Duel Three
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 07:25:46 -0600
From: Jimmy Anderson <jimmy@ccetc.org>
To: MADHAT Mailing List

I am ready to begin Duel Three, or at least to begin gathering entrants.

Full details can be found at our Web site:
http://www.ccstech.org/gaming/carwars

or this direct link to the PBEM stuff:
http://www.ccstech.org/gaming/carwars/pbem

Good luck! And remember, you can join this one even if you're playing in a different one.
 
 

NEW OMAHA VEHICULAR ASSOCIATION
http://www.novia.net/~desslok/nova.htm

Arena Watch: Seattle Speedway
Articles: How To Speed Up Tournament Play
 

From: Donald Jacques <drjake@novia.net>
To: NOVA Mailing List
Subject: 2051 U.S. Central RDC/RRC Cancelled
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 20:49:20 -0600

Due to lack of interest from the Demi-Con staff the 2051 U.S. Central Regional Dueling/Racing Championships are cancelled. Unless we find another willing convention site. Sorry, everyone.

Take care,

Norman McMullen
NOVA President
 
 

SOUTH OF HEAVEN

Subject:  South of Heaven: March 2001 Status
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 15:49:05 -0800
From: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@serv.net>
To: Ducrot Anton <globalconflict@hotmail.com>

Dear Anton,

I apologize for not contacting you sooner. Performing biotechnology research, publishing a monthly Car Wars magazine, and sleeping have kept me preoccupied.

Thank you for the offer of information about South of Heaven you provided in December 2000. I am very much interested in the game. Please send me status reports about the game when possible.

I published the letter you sent me in the January 2001 edition of the Car Wars Internet Newsletter. I suspect many Car Wars players are looking forward to South of Heaven with great anticipation.
 

Subject: Re: South of Heaven: March 2001 Status
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 02:08:44 -0000
From: Anton Ducrot <globalconflict@hotmail.com>
To: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@serv.net>

Dear Michael,

The rulebook has been completed and the game itself in its final stages of development. It is taking a little longer than I originally thought. At
the moment though I am having a few difficulties in the financing department and with model sculptors but not to worry, these problems will be panned out in a matter of time.

Thank you for your response. The game initially entitled "South of Heaven" is now entitled "Outpost." After much debate between co-designers and playtesters, the name was finally sealed.

At the moment I am afraid that I can not give you an accurate date of release, but rest assured I am working my arse off preparing, modifying and touching up different aspects of it. All I ask is just hang in there. It will be soon.

Thanks again, Michael, for your patience. Please keep in touch.

Kindest regards,

Anton Ducrot
Warhost Interactive
 
 

SOUTHERN HITMEN AUTODUEL ASSASSINS GUILD

Subject: SHAAG March 2001 Duels
From: John Blaylock <possumknavel@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 07:57:10 -0800 (PST)
To: SHAAG Mailing List

My wife Denise played Car Wars with me this weekend. We had two one-on-one duels with Stingers using the HR option. She beat me twice.  The first time we dueled, we swaped rockets at point-blank range. I only grazed her and she breached my side and knocked the engine out.  I
coasted around a turn, but she rammed me and spun me out of control, dropping much of my remaining velocity. She then let me have it with the MG into the open side and knocked the driver unconscious. It only took her four turns to wax me that time.

The second time I fared better, but she still sought to ram me at any chance . . . We cat-and-moused around. I had one weak right side after her collision. I tried to hit her with MG rounds, but never could do much. I hit her once for one point, and she declared my gun to be impotent and unworthy of concern. We closed to within point-blank range and she let me have it with the rocket, removing most of my front armor. We then
separated and cat-and-moused again. When we closed this time (after another ram) I had finally chewed out most of her front armor. We exchanged simultaneous MG bursts. She knocked out my MG and hit my body armor, where I only breached her front and knocked out the
MG of her car.  In true SHAAG style, she slammed on the accelerator and rammed me into submission into the open front with hers, having more body armor left than I did.

Denise is now on the SHAAG mailing list, and she will play some with us on Saturday. I am still nursing my wounds from the spanking on Sunday.

John Blaylock
SHAAG President
2050 AADA World Dueling Champion

Editor's Note: I had the opportunity to meet Denise when John visited Seattle last month. Denise's only experiences with Car Wars has been watching SHAAG duels and participating in a few sessions of the Car Wars Card Game. Congratulations, John, for finding such an intelligent and kind wife who has a great deal of dueling potential.
 
 

ST. PAUL AREA ROAD KNIGHTS
http://www.io.com/~bms/spark/sparkhome.html

Subject:  News from SPARK for CWIN
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 16:23:14 -0600
From: Brian Strassman <brian@iproduction.com>
To: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@serv.net>

Hi, Michael. Finally, some SPARK news for you from the Great White (but slowly becoming greener) North.

We're finally working at getting ourselves back into the public eye, and to that end, we have two things to report for the next Car Wars Internet Newsletter.

First, we are finally reworking our Web site. Right now, we have a placeholder page there, with our brand-new logo and some information about our upcoming events.

Second, we will be holding an Amateur Night duel on Saturday, April 28th at 1:30 p.m. at Source Comics and Games in Roseville, MN. This will be a Division 10 duel using pre-constructed cars in our newly-designed Killebrew Memorial Arena. We invite all Twin Cities area duelists to come down and compete for glory and prestige.

That's all for right now, we should have more for you later on. Thanks!

Brian Strassman
SPARK President
 

Classifieds and Conventions / SPARK Amateur Night
From: PARODYMAN
Dates: Mar 19, 2001, 11:43 am / Mar 24, 2001, 10:46 am

It's been a while since we've been announcing these things (or updating our Web site), but SPARK will be running an Amateur Night event starting at 1:30 p.m. on April 28th at the Source Comics and Games in Falcon Heights, MN.

Source Comics and Games
http://www.sourcecandg.com
1601 W Larpenteur Avenue
Falcon Heights, MN 55113

The event is Division 10 (pregenerated vehicles only) in the new Killebrew Memorial Dueling Arena. Prizes will be awarded!

Mike Miller
SPARK
 
 

THROACH CORPORATE MOTORS LEAGUE

Subject: TCM March 25th Duel Report
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 06:05:14 -0500
From: Jeremy Willis <throach@blar.org>
To: TCM Mailing List

The second round of the TCM tournament was held at Pasadena Municipal Autoduel Arena on March 25th. Unlike last month, the weather was clear for this Div 25 duel.
 

Peter Cossaboon: Sloped mid-size, ICE, concealed RL front, airdam, spoiler, no-paint windshields, ramplate. Accel. 5.

Mike Rosenberg.: Sloped compact, PP, laser right, ID back, 5 PDs.

Stan Wells: Subcompact with CA frame, x-hvy. chassis, small PP (with PlatCats, SuperCons, and +5 accel. HTMs), hvy. suspension, 4 radial PR tires, driver, pulse laser, HRSWC, link, HD brakes, airdam, spoiler. Plastic armor: 138 points, two 5-pt. AWHs front, two 5-pt. WGs back. 2,760 lbs., $24,668.

Tom LaLonde: Mid-size, ICE, BC with HESH ammo front, AWHs front, WGs back.

Rick Cross: Luxury, PP, driver, gunner, 2 HMGs (each with incendiary ammo) in 2-space turret, 2 GSs (each with paint; 1RFC, 1LFC), OJ back, no-paint windshields, HDSAs, AWHs front, WGs back.

Mike T: Mid-size, ICE, MF (with napalm mines) front, FOJ back.

Steve Richards: Sedan, PP, laser in 2-space turret, 2 MMLs front, fake AWHs, fake WGs.

Jeremy Willis: Compact, x-hvy. chassis, large PP (with SuperCons and 2x accel. HTMs), hvy. suspension, 4 radial PR tires, driver (with BA and PFE), GG (with HRSWC) right, IcD back, 2 links. Sloped plastic armor: F65 (ramplate), R35, L30, B30, T7, U15, two 7-pt. AWHs front, two 7-pt. WGs back. Accel. 10 (20 with HTMs), Top speed 120 (80 with HTMs), HC 4; 4,400 lbs., $24,995.
 

Turn 1
Jeremy fires GG at Peter's tire and hits WG for 9 points.
Stan fires laser at Steve's tire and misses.
Steve fires laser at Stan's side and misses.
Rosenberg fires laser at Stan and misses.
Rick fires twin HMGs at Tom's tire and misses.

Turn 2
Jeremy hit Peter's tire again and it goes flat!
Rick shoots at Tom's tire again and puts a fire modifier on his WG.
Rosenberg fires at Stan with linked IDs and PDs. He misses.
Stan and Steve exchange misses.

Turn 3
Rick continues shooting at Tom's tire and puts another fire modifier on him.
Peter fires at Rosenberg and misses.
Steve fires at Stan and misses.
Stan misses Tom's tire.

Turn 4
Peter and Rosenberg sideswipe. Peter's bumper-triggered IcD goes off. Minor damage with big loss of HC on Rosenberg
Peter shoots at Rosenberg front left tire. Hazard causes Rosenberg to roll!
Rick continues to fire on Tom for light damage.
Rosenberg rolls into Peter roof first for 11 points of damage.
Rick's driver fires both GSs, painting Tom and Peter for no effect.
Peter T-bones Tom for big damage.
Jeremy fires GG at Steve who's on ice. Jeremy misses to-hit roll by one!

Turn 5
Rick fires HMGs at Peter's tire for two fire modifiers.
Stan misses Mike T.'s tire by one.
Tom hits Steve for 16 points of HESH damage.
Steve hits Tom's metal armor for 1 point.
Peter T-bones Rick for 16 damage.
Peter catches fire, loses a wheel, and spins out!

Turn 6
Rick continues firing on Peter's tire and inflicts more damage.
Mike T. flings mines in front of Stan.
Stan turns hard and barely avoids the mines.
Steve hits Stan for 9 points.
Tom hits Steve for 20 points!
Steve T-bones Mike R. for 4 points of metal damage.

Turn 7
Rick hits Peter's tire again! It goes flat.
Jeremy hits Peter with GG for 10 points.
Tom hits Steve's rear for 17 points.
Steve returns fire and misses.
Tom T-bones Steve for minor damage. Driver goes unconscious!
Jeremy T-bones Peter and destroys his engine!
Stan hit Rick for minor damage, but he rolls!

Turn 8
Stan misses Mike T.
Jeremy misses Mike T.
Mike T goes over debris and an obstacle, maintaining control.

Turn 9
Tom hits Jeremy's ramplate with BC for 14 points.
Jeremy and Tom collide head-on, killing each other!
Stan hits Mike T.'s tire causing him to fishtail and skid.

Turn 10
Stan's tire shot misses.

Turn 11
Stan's tire shot destroys front left tire. Mike . spins out!
Stan's subcompact wins the duel among cheers and surprised looks from the crowd!
 

Stan Wells described his stunning, underdog victory from the Winner's Circle:

"Turn 10 found just Mike T. and I left. We were already closing on each other so things went pretty quick. After going over the debris and
obstacles, Mike's HC was pretty low so he was driving straight. With him not manuvering it was pretty easy for me to pass him on the left
(my right) taking two tire shots as I went. Using heavy-duty brakes, I was able to slow down to 20 mph in two turns. When I did my T-Stop in Turn 12 that decelerated me to 0 mph, my laser became aimed right at Mike who regained control before spinning into the wall. My shot in Turn 12 cleaned his spin-damaged left rear tire causing him to flip and roll."
 

Final Results

1. Stan Wells: +40, killed Cross, killed Mike T.
2. Jeremy Willis: +20, killed Cossaboon, killed LaLonde, own vehicle killed
3. Tom LaLonde: +20, killed Richards, killed Willis, own vehicle killed
4. Peter Cossaboon: 0, killed Rosenberg, own vehicle killed
5. Mike T.: -20, own vehicle killed
5. Rick Cross: -20, own vehicle killed
7. Steve Reynolds: -20, own vehicle killed
7. Mike Rosenberg: -20, own vehicle killed

Jeremy Willis
TCM President
 

Subject: [SCAB] April 15th TCM Duel
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 17:18:41 -0500
From: Jeremy Willis <throach@blar.org>
Reply-To: Scab@blar.org
To: SCAB Mailing List <scab@blar.org>

April 15th
11:00 a.m.
Div 15 Duel
GameZone, Pasadena, CA

This will be the third game of the TCM inaugural dueling season at Pasadena Municipal Autoduel Arena. Please RSVP to confirm attendance to this event. The event will mark the return of DRACAR legend Dean Gibson to the autodueling community. Good luck, duelists!

Jeremy Willis
TCM President
throach@blar.org
 

TANARUS

Subject: Re: Car Wars Internet Newsletter 4.03 (Part 1 of 1)
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 23:39:09 +0100
From: George Smith <george@gksmith.demon.co.uk>
To: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@serv.net>

Haven't been keeping up to date with the Newsletter recently, so I hope I'm not repeating old news.

I thought that you and the other CW fans might be interested in a game I have recently discovered called Tanarus. It is an on-line "twitch" game made by Sony, and it became freeware with no monthly subscription charges a few months ago.

The players drive tanks around 3D arenas trying to shoot each other. It's not exactly Car Wars, but there's enough similarity that you will
probably enjoy it.

If nothing else, it has persuaded me that it is possible for a driver to use a turret and still keep track of what is going on around them.
 

PREDATOR'S CAR WARS WEB SITE
http://www.geocities.com/predatorthedevil/Web/carwars

German Language, Graphics