Web Posted August 08, 2004
Updated August 08, 2004
FELONIOUS FORAYS
Greetings drivers and gunners. My apologies for allowing this newsletter
lapse even more off its normal schedule. I have been occupied with my two
business trips to Atlanta, Georgia and racking up vehicular crimes by playing
Grand Theft Auto 2, RoadKill and Hot Wheels Velocity X for my Sony PlayStation
2 console.
VIRTUAL AUTODUEL REVIEW
On the subject of console games, here are short reviews of several games I have been playing over the past two months and news on other autodueling simulations.
Grand Theft Auto Collector's Edition: This three-CD set has Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto Adventure Pack 1: Great Britain 1969, and Grand Theft Auto 2. The top-down action with vehicular and pedestrian combat is a blast. One of the best aspects of Grand Theft Auto 2 is the gang warefare setting. The numerous tasks you must accomplish in the game for each of the gangs and the Zaibatsu Corporation are gold mines for Car Wars scenarios.
RoadKill: A combination of Grand Theft Auto and Twisted Metal, this game was released in the past two months. You cannot exit your car and the vehicular physics are arcade-style, but the vehicular mayhem is enjoyable. The content is strictly for adult players. The radio selections are possibly the best part of the game. The automotive talk station is full of dark humor that will have you rolling on the floor laughing. To my surprise, listening to soft rock on the classic rock station while performing non-stop autodueling is an amusing combination.
Hot Wheels Velocity X: Like the GTA Collector's Edition, this game has been out for a while for both PlayStation 2 and PC platforms. During your quest to recover stolen vehicular blueprints from your father's laboratory, you drive Hot Wheels cars throughout each level, performing stunts to earn ammunition for your weapons.
Spy Hunter 2: The sequel to the best-selling remake of the classic autodueling game is out tomorrow, November 17th. According to the previews I have read, the use of defensive weapons such as oil jets and smoke screens will be critical for success as they were in the original arcade game. You probably remember the first remake emphasized front-mounted offensive weapon tactics.
Hot Wheels World Race: Two weeks ago I was able to acquire Volume 2
of the Hot Wheels World Race animated series. I thought I had missed out
on the other episodes and the other cars, but I have learned they have
not been released yet. Mattel is expected to release the remaining models
over the next few months. Mattel is also releasing in early December the
World Race Movie DVD containing all five episodes of the first mini-series.
Amazon.com is one source that is selling the DVD.
AS DRY AS MAX'S GAS TANK
The other reason I have been late with this newsletter is the inbox
and the slushpile are empty. I need for you to send me news and reports
of Car Wars activities. Are any of you playing anymore?
SWAT'S SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS
Project ACE: This project, not affiliated with NOVA's Auto Combat Engineering section of its NOVA Works Catalogs, will be previewed on the SWAT Web site next month. It will be small but it will be interesting, especially to campaign-minded autoduelists.
Project Apocalypse: This long-term endeavor is almost completed. It
is going to shake the planet when it is on the Web. Watch for it soon.
MICRO MAYHEM
Speedeez miniatures are now being sold in packs of five vehicles and being sold at the price of five vehicles. One of the bonus vehicles is a Hummer H2. These bonus packs have been advertised on television, therefore you should pick them up soon before they are gone for the winter holiday rush. When you are shopping for Speedeez, you will also notice Micro Machines are now out in stores again.
To get this publication back to a semi-normal schedule, I will be sending out issues every two weeks from now until the end of the year.
See you in two weeks.
-- Michael P. Owen
CAR WARS HQ
http://www.sjgames.com/car-wars
October 17, 2003: Failed the Reality Check
PROBLEMS FOUND WITH ARMOR ON STRYKER COMBAT VEHICLE
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001714917_stryker5m.html
By Ray Rivera and Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporters
Friday, September 05, 2003
Page updated at 06:58 A.M.
Weeks before the Army's Stryker vehicle is scheduled to make its combat
debut in Iraq, the Army has discovered manufacturing problems in
some of its armor plating that could make it vulnerable to heavy machine-gun
fire, according to Army officials familiar with the program.
The extent of the problem is still unknown, but it's serious enough
that Army officials have launched a crash program to test the plates at
their Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. They are hopeful it won't delay
deployment of troops from Fort Lewis, said two Army officials at
the Pentagon, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Small manufacturing deviations are not uncommon, but "because this is armor plating and a survivability issue, it's much more serious," one of the officials said. "This one got farther down the road than we would normally like."
The 19-ton wheeled troop carriers are the cornerstone of the Stryker combat team, the first step in the Army's ambitious, multi-billion-dollar transformation initiative to produce a more nimble, lethal fighting force.
The first unit, the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, which has about 300 Stryker vehicles, is in its final training exercises at Fort Lewis before its scheduled October deployment.
Army officials said the unit would not be deployed until all of the faulty plates could be identified and replaced or fortified with 3-mm armor backing.
"We're very careful when it comes to the survivability of armored vehicles," said one of the Army officials.
The Stryker vehicles rely on 132 separate ceramic plates designed to protect against rounds up to 14.5 mm, slightly bigger than a .50-caliber bullet.
But Army procurement officials recently found that the military subcontractor hired to provide the armor deviated widely from specifications, providing 39 manufacturing variations of the plates, the sources said. The Army had approved only six variations.
Testers at Aberdeen found that at least one variation of the armor could not stop a 14.5-mm round, the Army officials said. The armor's supplier, German military contractor IBD, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The Army has tested at least seven additional variations in live fire trials, all of which held, the sources said.
General Dynamics, the Army's lead contractor for the vehicle, has delivered more than 500 Stryker vehicles, equipped with more than 66,000 plates. General Dynamics has a $4 billion contract to produce 2,100 vehicles over the next six years.
Army officials said finding and replacing faulty armor plates won't be a problem because each has a serial number and is logged in a database.
The Army will not begin replacing armor on the 3rd Brigade's 300 vehicles until at least Sept. 14, when the unit completes training, the officials said.
The Stryker combat teams, which have about 3,600 soldiers, were conceived in 1999 by former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki with the idea of closing the gap between the Army's slow-moving heavy tank units and its light infantry forces, which are quick to deploy but have limited firepower.
The vehicles come in two variants: a mobile gun system, which is still
under development, and an armored trooper carrier, which can quickly ferry
up to 11 soldiers into combat zones. The troop carriers, in turn, come
in eight variations, including mortar carriers, command and
control vehicles, reconnaissance and medivac vehicles.
Six brigades are under development, the first two at Fort Lewis.
A source of concern has been the vehicle's vulnerability to rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), which have been widely used by Iraqi guerrilla forces.
The Army is planning to equip the vehicles with slat-armor, creating a sort of umbrella designed to detonate incoming grenades before they make direct contact with the vehicle.
Ray Rivera: 206-464-2926 or rayrivera@seattletimes.com; Hal Bernton:
206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com
READINESS OF FORT LEWIS' STRYKER BRIGADE QUESTIONED
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001716439_stryker06m.html
By Ray Rivera and Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporters
Saturday, September 06, 2003
Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
FORT LEWIS, Pierce County -- In the woodsy confines of this sprawling
base, the Army's 3,600-member Stryker brigade yesterday went
through final training exercises, assaulting mock villages and searching
for enemy insurgents.
Next month it's for real.
But as the soldiers prepare to make their combat debut in Iraq, the
vehicles that will carry them through hostile territory are under attack
from
skeptics, who say they are too vulnerable to enemy fire.
The Strykers are the first new combat vehicle in 20 years and a cornerstone
in the Army's efforts to transform itself into a new, 21st-century
fighting force. Critics say the eight-wheeled vehicles -- each costing
an average of $1.5 million -- may be a costly misstep on that path.
The Army recently discovered flaws in the Stryker's ceramic composite
armor and is racing to fix it. The vehicle's remote weapon systems
can't be fired accurately on the move, and soldiers must get out of
the vehicle to reload, exposing them to enemy fire.
Such criticisms have reached Congress, which is awaiting final operational test reports before deciding whether to certify the unit, and the vehicles, for combat.
"The Stryker is . . . uniquely controversial -- it's such a different idea," said Patrick Garrett, an analyst at Virginia-based GlobalSecurity.org.
"You've got people jumping up and down and screaming bloody murder over this, and you have people who are willing to let the Army try it and see what happens. And everyone will be watching to see how effective they are in Iraq."
The Stryker vehicles are intended to support a nimble, high-tech fighting force that can offer more firepower, battlefield intelligence and troop protection than a traditional light-infantry brigade equipped with thin-skinned Humvees.
And the Stryker vehicles, unlike cumbersome tank brigades, can be flown -- rather than shipped -- to hot spots around the world.
Army officials won congressional approval to buy $4 billion worth of the vehicles -- enough money to outfit six Stryker brigades with more than 2,100 of the vehicles. The first two brigades are stationed at Fort Lewis.
Among the vehicle's supporters are the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade,
2nd Infantry Division, who will take some 300 vehicles to Iraq when they're
deployed in late October or early November.
"The Strykers get us right to the objective without us losing all that
energy," said Sgt. Taalo Lauofo. The 27-year-old squad leader from
American Samoa transferred to the unit from a traditional light-infantry
unit, where soldiers were used to lugging 80-pound packs miles to get to
a battle zone.
But even the squads recognize its limitations.
"I think what's gotten lost is that the Stryker is an infantry carrier. It's designed to move my soldiers to the point of attack and then provide support. It's a carrier vehicle, not a fighter vehicle," said Lt. Col. Buck James, who commands a battalion that operates 72 Stryker vehicles.
That concept was underscored during training exercises yesterday, as
a half-dozen Strykers cautiously approached a mock village filled with
soldiers dressed as civilians. The vehicles set up fire positions outside
the village as troops swarmed out of the vehicles SWAT style,
clearing buildings one by one.
The vehicles followed behind, providing extra fire support and a quick escape in case of ambush.
One of James' concerns is the vehicle's remote firing systems, which require them to be at a standstill to fire accurately, and must be reloaded from outside the safety of the vehicle.
James said they were looking for ways to mitigate those problems, and soldiers have learned to reload as fast as they can.
"I've got it down to about 30 to 40 seconds," said Spc. Jason Groves, a vehicle commander and gunner.
Congressional committees that oversee the Army have taken note of the Stryker's limitations.
In May, the House Armed Services Committee balked at committing a full $955 million to fund Stryker brigades in the next fiscal year.
Instead, the bill would condition $300 million of the spending on submission of a new Defense Department report. The committee wanted the Army to look at ways to modify the brigade equipment to provide more firepower and a wider range of combat options.
Meanwhile, Army officials and contractors are working out the final kinks in the vehicles. Just last month, Army officials discovered manufacturing problems with inner armor plates intended to block heavy machine-gun fire.
Each vehicle is covered with 132 plates designed to protect against
up to 14.5-mm fire, slightly bigger than a .50-caliber bullet. But a subcontractor
hired to provide the armor apparently deviated from the standards and at
least one variation failed in a test firing, Army
officials said.
The full extent of the plate problem is unknown, but it's serious enough that the Army has launched a top-priority test of all plates at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, with replacement tiles expected to be put on the brigade's vehicles later this month.
The Stryker brigade also is heading off to Iraq without a separate outer layer of plates designed to protect against rocket-propelled grenades, which insurgents have used again and again to deadly effect against U.S. troops in Iraq.
These plates are not scheduled to be ready for use until sometime next year. So the Army is installing an interim system -- a steel cage that surrounds the sides of the vehicle. It's designed to explode grenades away from the vehicle.
But the armor is far from perfect protection. An initial rocket-propelled grenade, for example, could destroy the armor, exposing the two-member crew and up to nine soldiers riding inside to deadly fire.
If a Stryker does get taken out by enemy fire in Iraq, the critics may be quick to pounce.
"The Iraq war has demonstrated the kind of firepower that even an incompetent
enemy can bring to bear," said Victor O'Reilly, a novelist and defense
consultant who has written several harsh critiques of the Stryker vehicles.
"We need deployable, heavily armed . . . fighting
vehicles -- not the Strykers."
But Army officials and contractors who developed the Stryker say they are doing everything possible to protect the troops.
"It's important that parents and family members of soldiers realize that there is a lot of testing that is not publicly available. A lot of armchair pundits just assume things that are not so, and are flat wrong," said Peter Keating, a spokesman for General Dynamics, a main contractor.
And in a recent visit to Iraq, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the commander of U.S. troops, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, is looking forward to the Stryker brigade for possible deployment in Baghdad and surrounding areas.
"His eyes definitely lit up," Cantwell said. "He said, 'We can't wait to get them here.' "
If the vehicles prove themselves, it will be a testament to the vision of former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, who faced critics even inside the Department of Defense when he dreamed up the idea for a new wheeled Army in 1999.
The idea posed a big challenge to contract designers. They needed to find the right compromise between the weight of armor and guns, and the slimmed-down demands of air-cargo travel. They came up with a group of vehicles, including an infantry carrier, mobile gun system, mortar carrier and anti-tank system.
The inside of the Stryker vehicles feature a new age of digitized, computerized
operations. A vehicle commander, for example, who receives orders to attack
an urban position some 50 miles away, can then punch up detailed maps --
right down to side alleys -- of the target
area.
Army and contractor officials say the initial goals are being met, including the concept of aerial deployment. The vehicles -- at least in some configurations -- can be loaded on C-130s and flown to a battle zone.
But debate about aerial deployment was sharpened in June by the release of a General Accounting Office report, which concluded that the Air Force lacked enough lift to meet the four-day benchmark for the brigade's deployment. Instead, the report found that it would take "five to 14 days, depending on destination," and only with a huge commitment of Air Force resources.
Kendell Pease, a General Dynamics spokesman, said the GAO report is not a criticism of the Stryker, but simply a reflection of the limitations of Air Force cargo fleets.
The Stryker's performance in war games also has sharpened the debate.
Last year, during a "Millennium Challenge in California," a $250 million joint military exercise, 13 of 14 Strykers were taken out by small-arms fire, grenades and guns mounted on enemy vehicles, during ambushes and other "enemy" encounters.
On one of the simulated missions, the Strykers failed to kill a single enemy vehicle, according to an initial performance review by the Army's Test Evaluation and Command Center.
Pease said the Stryker has had many improvements since the California test.
For brigade commander Col. Michael Rounds, the vehicle's assets far outweigh any shortcomings.
"My evaluation is, 'Am I comfortable taking this brigade into combat?' " he said. "And I'm absolutely comfortable."
Ray Rivera: 206-423-4700 or rrivera@seattletimes.com
Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com
3RD BRIGADE, COMBAT VEHICLES KUWAIT-BOUND
Saturday, October 11, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
By Ray Rivera and Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporters
PORT OF TACOMA -- After three years of hurried development, the Army's
newest combat vehicles are an ocean ride away from their first
combat test.
The 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division began rolling their eight-wheeled Stryker troop carriers onto giant transport ships yesterday bound for the Persian Gulf, even while questions loomed over their readiness. The vehicle's maker, General Dynamics Land Systems, had to race to repair armor flaws, and critics continue to question the Stryker's survivability and lack of firepower.
For their part, brigade officials have tried to shine attention on the 3,600-member unit itself, which is touted to be the most technically advanced ground force to go into combat.
What limitations may exist with the Stryker, officials contend, are made up for by speed, stealth and intelligence capabilities rarely seen at brigade levels. The point is not to trade bullets, but to spot and vanquish the enemy before they can fire back.
"We're going to use tactics that have never been seen before," said Capt. Evan Gotkin, a brigade fire-support officer. "Our infantry platoons operate like no other unit in the history of the Army."
The unit began loading 2,500 pieces of equipment, including more than 300 Stryker vehicles, onto sea-lift ships for a three- to four-week journey to Kuwait. The troops will follow by plane sometime in November. After a few weeks training, the unit will cross the border into Iraq.
Brigade officials said their mission isn't yet final. But in July, Pentagon
officials announced the brigade would replace elements of the 3rd
Armored Calvary Division in the Anbar province. The province, Iraq's
largest, includes the cities of Ar Ramadi and Fallujah in the heart of
the
volatile "Sunni Triangle," the region north and west of Baghdad where
support for Saddam Hussein runs deep and attacks on U.S. forces
have occurred daily.
The Stryker brigade has been studying "lessons learned" reports from Iraq to refine its training.
"We're ready," said deputy brigade commander Lt. Col. Robert Choppo. "Our soldiers are trained and ready to deploy."
The Strykers, which carry up to 11 soldiers and go faster than 60 mph,
are at the vanguard in the Army's efforts to transform itself into a faster
and more agile fighting force. These vehicles are designed to provide more
firepower and protection than light-infantry units while being
able to ferry troops to an enemy target more quickly than a heavy-armored
brigade.
They also are filled with high-tech equipment to help locate the enemy and relay information to command headquarters.
Dreamed up in 1999 by then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Stryker brigade went from concept to fighting force at a pace rarely seen in the military. Fort Lewis' 3rd Brigade is the first of six planned by the Army.
But there have been development glitches in the vehicles around which the units are built. Most recently, General Dynamics, the vehicle's lead contractor, had to dispatch teams of workers to reinforce thousands of flawed armor tiles before the vehicles could be deployed.
Brigade officials reject criticism by those who say the vehicles, even with the armor fixes, lack adequate protection and the firepower to overwhelm the enemy. The base armor is adequate to stop most weapons used in Iraq, Army officials contend, and steel cages are being added to protect against rocket-propelled grenades.
As for firepower, the vehicle's primary weapons, a .50-caliber machine gun and a rapid-fire 40-mm grenade launcher, are "significant," said Gotkin, the fire-support officer.
Brigade officials said yesterday they feel confident the glitches have been ironed out and that the vehicles are ready for combat.
"It gives the Army something it's never had before in terms of lethality and speed," said Maj. Chuck Hodges, the brigade's executive officer. "I feel confident in both the concept and the vehicle."
Ray Rivera: 206-464-2926 or rayrivera@seattletimes.com
Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com
MAN STEALS BACK HIS STOLEN TRUCK
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/10/03/offbeat.stolen.truck.ap/index.html
The Associated Press and CNN
Friday, October 3, 2003 Posted: 3:00 PM EDT (1900 GMT)
CRESCENT CITY, California (AP) -- When Joe Francis' truck was stolen, he didn't get mad.
He just stole it back.
Francis was upset when the truck vanished from outside his work Monday -- he didn't have insurance to replace it.
Francis was on his way to Brookings, Oregon, to buy a new car Tuesday when he spotted the purloined truck headed the other way.
He swung around and followed.
"It was pretty lucky on my part and pretty stupid on his part for driving the truck around here," Francis said.
He trailed the truck until the driver parked at a home and went inside.
Francis, armed with a can of pepper spray, slipped into the truck and drove it away.
"I knew the key gets stuck in the ignition, so I figured it would be in there. That's probably why it got stolen in the first place," Francis said.
Francis quickly called the California Highway Patrol, and officers showed
up to arrest a Folsom State Prison parolee.
ANIMATORS AND MODELLERS WANTED
Forum: Dueling Debate <http://forums.delphi.com/carwars>
Subject: General / 3D Modellers/Animators Needed!
From: REMBERASHA
Date: Nov 06, 2003, 7:14 pm
Greetings. Just an open offer here on the board for any 3D animators/modellers for 2 projects. One of the projects requires modelling of various vehicles from the SJ Games "Car Wars" universe.
The other project is for an anime based MMORPG . . . character/monster models mostly. Note this project uses 3D Studio Max and Maya.
Drop me an e-mail if interested and if you have skills in animation or modelling.
You can reply here, but I'm not sure how long until I will visit the board again, so best bet is e-mail.
Please be aware that it is a Hotmail account and tends to fill up constantly with junk mail. If your message bounces, please resend it. Please no large files. I will relay another address later for samples of work after initial contact.
Tom
remberasha@hotmail.com
GADGETS WANTED
Forum: Dueling Debate <http://forums.delphi.com/carwars>
General: Give us your best
From: Joe Reynolds (JOSEPHREY)
Date: Oct 20, 2003 3:42 pm
Damn. This place was hopping last time I hecked in. It was about a year ago, but should that matter? Let's get a little something going around here, may be something to get you excited in this game again after that whole CW5 mess.
I want your best CW2.5 weapons and accessories. Have an load on your site somewhere, post a link and paste them here (we're lazy). Why? A few reasons.
1. To make sure you're alive.
2. I'm planning on doing a little comic book based somewhat on Car Wars. New weapons and accessories will help with that "somewhat" part.
3. I'd really be interested in what gadgets you all have, not to spark up any activity around here or anything!
-- Joe Reynolds
MERLYN'S SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY STORE
http://www.gorillabobs.com
From: Merlyn's <goribob@aol.com>
Subject: Merlyn's News 09/13/03 -- MERLYN'S HAS MOVED!
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 13:32:42 EDT
Merlyn's News
Store Hours 10 am - 9 pm every day; until 11 pm Wed, Fri.
For Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book, Game and Comic Fans in the Pacific Northwest
Notes of Import
1) MERLYN'S HAS MOVED. NEW ADDRESS: 19 W. MAIN. It's the moment you have been waiting for. Merlyn's has moved this last week to our new location at 19 W. Main Downtown. The new Merlyn's will be twice as big as the old one. See our Web site for the map. Call us at 509-624-0957.
a) Our phone number is the same: 509-624-0957. Please call if you have
questions
b) We are not out of business as some other local stores have suggested.You
have to wonder about people who lie to you for your business.
c) In fact, our store is twice as big as before, with over 1000' of
game room!
d) If you spend over $100 before tax you get a 10% discount.
e) Spread the word. Tell your buddies. Merlyn's is bigger and better
than ever.
2) TONS OF GOODIES ON THE NEW LIST BELOW. If you check out the new stuff list at the lower part of the e-mail, you will see we got TONS of new stuff this last two weeks. Look for more goodies in the coming weeks!
3) UPDATED CALENDAR. See the Web site for our updated calendar of events including:
Wednesday Night GWS open play with tons of people.
Friday night Magic with free prizes
Wizkids Heroclix, Mechwarrior and Mage Knight with free goodies
Open 10am till 9pm EVERYDAY for your comic, book and gaming needs.
-- John Waite
Owner, Merlyn's
MINNESOTA ELITE TEAM OF AUTODUELING LUNATICS
http://metalcwclub.topcities.com
http://metalcwclub.conforums.com/index.cgi
From: Dennis Fuoss <rabdfjr@rea-alp.com>
To: SWAT HQ <owenmp@hotmail.com>
Subject: SWAT Car Wars Resources
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 02:03:37 -0500
Hello. My name is Dennis Fuoss. I am currently constructing a Web page devoted to Car Wars and was wondering if I could put SWAT on my links page. I must warn you I just started construction today.
As for myself, I've been autodueling since 2046 and I am finally getting a gaming group together. The page is for the group and others who find it. Our group is not an official AADA club but I hope to have it official some day.
Thanks and regards,
-- Dennis Fuoss
From: Dennis Fuoss <rabdfjr@rea-alp.com>
To: Michael P. Owen <owenmp@hotmail.com>
Subject: Thank You
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 11:58:18 -0500
Thanks for letting me add SWAT to our links. It is my honor beins that
you are one of the few to keep autoduelling going. I enjoy the CWIN.
Maybe METAL will grow, or pass on like so many others have. I hope
it will take off but time will tell, eh?
Also, if you should need anything, get ahold of me on the METAL message board. You will be able to get a hold of me easier there than through e-mail. Thanks again!
METAL Message Board
http://metalcwclub.conforums.com/index.cgi
Keep up the good work!
-- Dennis Fuoss
WHEELS OF FIRE
http://members.shaw.ca/vdiakuw/wheelsOnFire.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/vdiakuw/wofSetting.htm
NEW OMAHA VEHICULAR ASSOCIATION
http://novacw.com/nova.htm
Arena Watch: Reno Aero Arena, Parkland Speedway
Supplements: Metropolitan Motors
Vehicle Designs: Airships
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AUTODUELING BROTHERHOOD
Subject: [SCAB] Sept. 7th Race Duel
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:04:44 -0700
From: Jarett Weintraub <warbanner@dslextreme.com>
Reply-To: SCAB Mailing List <scab@blar.org>
To: SCAB Mailing List <scab@blar.org>
Six players showed up Sunday for the Independence 100 race duel. I didn't
keep the walkarounds, but I can tell you for sure, everyone
had a gas engine.
Jarett Weintraub: Funny Car Dragster, laser front
Rob Hagmaier: Funny Car Dragster, laser rear, HDSS (loaded with hot
smoke and attached to LRW) back
Rob Steinke: Funny Car Dragster, VS back
Paolo: Can-Am (?)
Peter Cossaboom: Luxury, 8 dischargers.
Mike Labrow: Luxury, GG in turret, GG in left sponson turret mount
left, smart link between both GGs.
The racers all started off moving at 100 mph, spaced 5 inches between
back and front, in the order above, based on top speed. With the
rolling start, speeds got fairly high fairly quickly, approaching the
200 mph mark by Turn 3.
3/3 Peter sideswipes Paolo, setting off four Point
Defense grenade dischargers. The damage wrecks several of Paolo's tires,
but his
resulting skid is negated by the fact that he's now pinned between
the wall and Peter. His loss of control is incidental because:
3/3 As a result of the sideswipe, Paolo sideswipes
the wall at almost 200mph. The resulting damage kills him, and his car
shoots down the
track, headed for a wall at over 150mph.
3/5 Rob S. passes Jarett, just in time as . . .
4/1 Paolo's car confettis against the wall, and a yellow flag is in play. All players going over 120mph or passing will recieve damage.
4/2 Jarett fires his medium pulse laser at Rob H.'s right side, doing 7 points of damage. Rob's laser-reactive web pops a burst of hot smoke.
4/3 Jarett brakes to 120 mph, causing . . .
4/5 Rob S. passes Jarett, earning 2 additional penalty
hits with the arena's turret VMGs. Rob S., Rob H., and Jarett all take
one hit from
the VMGs for going over 120 mph during a yellow flag.
5/1 Jarett fires at Rob H.'s tire, misses. Rob S. accelerates to 245mph!
5/3 Rob S. catches up to Rob H. and sideswipes him as they enter Turn 3. Each Rob takes 4 points of damage, and Rob Hagmaier's side is breached. Rob S. sideswipes the wall and vaults! The vault confettis him when he lands just past Rob H. The resulting debris and obstacles take out two of Rob H's tires. He loses control and rolls, heading for a (you guessed it) wall.
5/5 Rob H. bounces off one wall, into another, confettis
and dies. With only three racers left (and only two of them racers), what
follows
is a lot of out of combat movement, at 120 mph for the next few turns,
and at significantly greater speeds after that.
In Turn 13, Mike Labrow decides to brake, leaving himself in the center
of the track, to try and line up a shot on Peter. His last three shots
have all missed, due to long range, high speed mods, and poor rolling.
He takes some minor VMG damage, and Peter and Jarett zip by him and are
behind a wall after one shot by Mike (that misses).
15/2 Rounding Turn 3 again, Peter pushes his plant to 240 mph, while Jarett slows from 215 to 200. The 40 mph sideswipe does minor side damage, and sets off 4 more PD grenades on Peter's car. Despite losing a tire and wheel, Jarett retains control of his vehicle. At this point the game ended due to the store closing. Jarett was slightly ahead of Peter, but Peter had started 4 slots back, so had traveled more distance.
Peter, even if we counted that last bit of movement, you could not have rear-ended me. It was the same phase as the sideswipe.
Final Statistics
1. Peter Cossaboom (1.5 laps, 1 kill)
2. Jarett Weintraub (1.5 laps)
3. Mike Labrow (3/4 lap)
4. Rob Hagmaier (1/2 lap, 1 kill, killed)
5. Rob Steinke (1/2 lap, 1 kill, killed)
6. Paolo (1/4 lap, killed)