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NIGHTMESSENGER
The somewhat-quarterly journal of the New Omaha Vehicular Association Spring 2053 Volume 17, #1 OPENING FIRE
Spring is here after the surprize winter weather we had in the preceding weeks, A good time to plant the seeds of the future. Choose them wisely. Things have changed very little in the last few months. Some of which was good, some things not at all. More on this later. It seems like autodueling has been on the decline or perhaps that's just our perception, considering that we haven't dueled in some time. Car Wars 5th Edition is playing possum at the moment. Hopefully it will arrive later this year and not be considered MIA. NOVA WORKS
A day in the sun! Solar Panel Armor: Increases the cost and weight of armor by 300 and 50% respectively. Solar panels are embedded in the armor, allowing each vehicular side to act as a solar panel. For each side exposed to sunlight 20 power units are generated per hour. This armor can be made fireproof at 600% normal cost but cannot be made radarproof or laser-reflective. Example: Regular luxury car armor cost and weighs 20/10 per point. Solar panel armor changes that to 60/15 and FP solar armor is 120/15 per points. 2053 X-Fighter: Mid-size, x-hvy, chassis, hvy. suspension, large power plant, 4 PR Radial tires, driver, XL front, Sticky Foam Sprayer linked SD w/explosive loads rear, XL linked to SfS/SD, HRSWC, HTMs. Solar Armor: F40, L35, R35, B40, T4, U10. Accel. 5/10 w/HTMs, top speed 92.5, HC 4; 5,758 lbs., $34,172. THE WORLD "OUT
THERE"
After several years the Dueling Debate Board run by SWAT has shut down due their provider, Delphi, going out of business. Now the only debate board left is at the SJG website. Still no sign of the Car Wars 5th Edition vehicle design rules. Were the sales of the division packs lackluster, thus delaying or even canceling the release the of rules? Only time will tell. On February 9, 2003 Mike "DeathKnight" (a.k.a. Blood and Guts) Garrity was called up for service by the National Guard. He most likely will be deployed the Middle East for about a year. To pass the time he took some of his Car Wars material with him. Late Breaking News - The Dueling Debate is still up and running, but isn't seeing as much activity as in previous years. Meanwhile at SJG Scott Haring has taken over Car Wars 5th Edition. This will be Scott's fourth go at Car Wars. In late March Mike Garrity returned home because of equipment difficulties. However, he was called back in early. THE 10 O'CLOCK
NEWS
January 3, 2053: ARF and ASP battled outside of Springfield, Illinois. The battle lasted five hours before broken up by the National Guard. January 8, 2053: BLUD held a huge duel on the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Lasting a full hour, the duel saw the participation of 500 duelists. All that was found by authorities hours later were wrecked vehicles and BLUD cards. January 14, 2053: ARF and ASP locked horns near Columbia, Missouri. Again, the National Guard broke up the fight a few hours later. January 23, 2053: The National Guard went on alert as ARF, ASP and BLUD activities increased dramatically nation-wide. Those groups were expected to be particularly active in the Midwest and mountain west. January 27, 2053: In Salina, Kansas the National Guard break up a two-hour battle between ARF and ASP. The Nebraska National Guard (NNG) went on alert for possible ARF and ASP activities. February 4, 2053: The NNG stopped all ARF/ASP battle near Grand Island, Nebraska. February 8, 2053: BLUD members raced north through Florida for destinations unknown, causing several accidents and deaths in the process. The FNG and State Police were unable to halt these racers. February 9, 2053: The DeathKnight was recalled for National Guard service in Arizona. Operations of DeathKnight Industries was turned over to his vice president. DK may be deployed for as long as a year. February 11, 2053: Another ARF/ASP battle happened, this time next to Denver, Colorado. The National Guard put an end to the fight, and nation-wide all National Guard were placed on heighten alert, due to the frequency of these ARF/ASP fights. February 14, 2053: Valentine, Nebraska bears witness to an ARF/ASP battle for an hour. Both the Nebraska and South Dakota National Guard broke up the fight. Authorities agree that this was no way to celebrate Valentine's Day. February 18, 2053: Several citizens of New Omaha reported seeing the Lightning Bug in the city. The Police went on a high alert against any possible terrorist acts. February 19, 2053: BLUD held a huge duel outside the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada. Several hundred duelists were in attendance. A combined State Patrol/National Guard force broke up the duel an hour later. February 20, 2053: The Oregon National Guard reported breaking up a four-hour battle between ARF and ASP. Location of the battle hasn't been released at this time. All NG units in the western states have been put on alert. March 3, 2053: The Ohio National Guard broke up an hour-long battle between ARF and ASP outside of Akron. East coast National Guard units went on alert. March 8, 2053: The AADA announced that there was nothing new to report on when it would be up and running again, placing the current year's world championship in limbo. March 10, 2053: The Black ASP announced that he would gladly run the AADA and could do so in a month. The AADA flatly refused the offer. March 15, 2053: Nebraska Intelligence reported that the Lightning Bug may be back in the state. This is based on sightings of LB dressed in his Darth Vader costume and in the company of several boiler android troopers. March 30, 2053: DeathKnight returns home in Arizona. April 11, 2053: DeathKnight is recalled to the NG again due to the ARF/ASP war across the country. In related news the Free Oil States have closed their borders in response to the war. April 15, 2053: NOVA celebrated its 17th anniversary as a Car Wars chapter at its HQ. Both current and past members were in attendance. Attendees included Joseph Ratner, Recoilless Ranger, No-Gun, Bill the Cat and others. Sadly, DeathKnight couldn't attend due to National Guard service. All NOVA members look forward to their 18th year together. The general public attending enjoyed the guarded celebration with NOVA. MOVIE RELEASES
Now Playing: Daredevil Spring: The Core, Dreamcatcher, Holes Summer: The Incredible Hulk, X-Men 2, Terminator 3, 2 Fast 2 Furious Christmas: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King and Harry Potter 3 Prequels: Star Wars: Chapter III (Vader Rising??)--2005 Sequels: Spider Man 2, Matrix 3, Batman 5, Aliens 5, Blade 3, XXX 2 and Mad Max 4 On Cubes: Formula 51, The Bourne Identity, The Transporter CONVENTION
CALENDAR
Origins 2003: Columbus, OH, June 26-29, 2003; possible site of the Dueling Worlds Gen Con 2003, July 24-27, 2003 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Possible site of the World Racing Championships. Nuke-Con 2003: October 3-5, 2003 in Omaha, NE. NOVA will run an event here. Origins 2004: July, 2004 m Columbus, Ohio. Possible site of the World Racing Championships. GenCon 2004: August 5-8, 2004 in Indianapolis, Indiana. GenCon 2005: August 11-14, 2005 in Indianapolis, Indiana. GenCon 2006: August 10-13, 2006 in Indianapolis, Indiana. RETURN FIRE
Web Sightings!
Subject: about yer site From: Colletta Cpl Richard M <collettarm@mcbbutler.usmc.mil> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 00:36:32 +0900 To: "drjake@novia. net" <drjake@novia.net> Yeah, I was looking at your site and for the ever loving life of me I couldn't figure out what the hell it is you guys do. I looked at the cars section and you're talking about armored cars that are costing thousands of dollars, then I look at your gencon pictures and you guys have a bunch of hotwheels. How do you play? Do you guys make Vroom sounds and ram each others cars or what? Seriously, could you explain it or show me where to go to find how you guys this stuff'? Thanks, Richard Colletta NUTS & BOLTS
Legal Cannonball Run: One Lap of
America
by Norman McMullen The last few years has seen the country‑ plagued by a coast to coast race known as the Cannonball Run. During the course of this race several accidents and deaths have occurred. Both the AADA and law enforcement agencies have identified BLUR (Big League Unlimited Racing) as responsible for running Cannonball Run events. If the race could be held in a legal way, then it would receive more popular support. Cannonball Run The original Cannonball Run started in Darien, Connecticut and ended at Long Beach, California. New York City, New York and Stamford, Connecticut have also been used as alternative starting points. The first race was run back in the mid-1970's by Brock Yates and his friends to protest the newly-enacted national 55 mph highway speed limit. Starting in Darien, Connecticut, Yates made the 3000 mile trip to Long Beach, California in 36 hours. The first racers exploits were make famous in such films as Cannonball, Cannonball Run, and the Gumball Rally. In the mid-1980's the race was changed to the more legal One Lap of America. In Car Wars terms, this long race makes a regular convoy adventure look dull. Cannonball Run Rules Only street legal cars (no racing bodies), trikes, and cycles. No weapon limits of any kind, and any vehicle can have as many gunners and passengers that could fit. Dirty tricks between drivers are legal, but usually these are limited to slowing opponents down. Forcibly taking out another Cannonballer is frowned upon by the other racers, and may' lead to the offending party being banned from future racers. Cannonball Run Route New York City, New York to Columbus, Ohio. Columbus, Ohio to St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis, Missouri to Denver, Colorado. Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada to Los Angeles, California. One Lap of America Same basic rules as the Cannonball Run, except the vehicle crew is limited to driver and gunner only. Rivalries between racers is frowned upon as the race organizers want as many racers as possible to finish. Race length is usually five days with stops at racetracks. Top speed on the open roads are limited to 75 mph. Sample Routes Day 1 - Chicago, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri. Day 2 - St. Louis, Missouri to Muskogee, Oklahoma Day 3 - Muskogee, Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas. Day 4 - Amarillo, Texas lo KC-I, Missouri. Day 5 - KC-I, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois. Deathrace Rules Limited in vehicle types like the Cannonball Run, except that body blades must be used. Only light direct-fire weapons ( l d6 or less) and non-explosive dropped weapons are allowed. Crew is limited to driver and gunner only. Rivalry between racers is common, but active feuds is frowned upon until the last section of the race. An illegal variant of the Cannonball Run, this event is usually run by BLUR or groups of high-powered gamblers with a taste for bloodlust. Cash bonuses are given the racers the score the highest amount of pedestrian kills. A Deathrace usually goes the same general route as a Cannonball Run, but often takes side routes to avoid law enforcement (for obvious reasons). IN THE ARENA
Bill Grush Memorial Arena Division 20 Duel January 25, 2053
The first duel of the 2053 season was held at the Bill Grush Memorial Arena. Attending were Andy Koehler, Don Jacques, Marty Koehler, Norman McMullen, and Nick. Vehicles were inspected and gates chosen. Prompted by the starting buzzer, the duelists entered the arena. Andy entered from the northwest gate, Don the southeast, Marty southwest, Norman south, and Nick from northeast. Andy turned to engage Nick while Marty turned for the jumps. Norman angled for Marty and fired a round from his blast cannon, but missed. Don went straight and fired at long range at Norman, doing only minor damage to Norman's right side with VMGs. Marty turned to go in-between the jumps and was followed by Norman. This time Marty's right side was hit by Norman's blast cannon, doing moderate damage. In turn, Don scored another hit on Norman, but the metal armor on Norman's side deflected the potential damage. Norman followed Marty in-between the jumps and scored a hit on Marty's back armor for moderate damage. Meanwhile Andy fired his blast cannon at Nick's front for some damage. Nick replied with a laser-guided heavy rocket, rubbing off some of Andy's front armor. Back at the jumps, Marty turned northwest at the center, still followed by Norman and got more damage to his back armor in the process. Don circled the jumps from the west, building up speed. Andy completed his circling maneuver and re-engaged Nick. Marty, emerging from the jumps, went for Nick as well. The rate of closure was great, since Nick was planning on entering the passage between the jumps that Marty just used. Shots were fired and Marty t-boned Nick. The sonic cannon on Marty's car did full damage to Nick's left side, and in turn took minor damage to his front from Nick's recoilless rifle. Not far behind, Norman scored another hit on Marty's back armor, but the blast cannon shell inflicted only minor damage. As a result of the t-bone collision, Nick's driver was killed and the vehicle spun down the passageway between the jumps, becoming the first kill in the arena. Maneuvering at speed, Andy got behind Marty and fired his blast cannon. The shot got through the remaining plastic in the process, and what was left went on to kill Marty's driver. Avoiding the debris left from the earlier fighting in the area, Norman turned west to engage Don. After passing Marty's vehicle Andy went west as well. Don and Norman trades shots, resulting in moderate damage to Don's front while Norman's front metal armor shrugged off VMG rounds. Don turned east around the jumps and was followed by Andy. A blast cannon shell did some damage to Don's back armor. In reply, Don fired his left-rear paint-loaded gas streamer, coating Andy's windshield with target-hindering paint. Turning south, Don continued his trek around the jumps with Andy in pursuit. Norman, after transiting between the jumps, emerged to fire at Don's front, doing heavy damage. Again Norman's front metal armor took the return VMG fire with no damage. Turning left to pass Don, Norman went head-to-head with Andy. Despite the penalty, of his paint-coated sensors, Andy's blast cannon managed to hit Norman's front. The HESH-equipped warhead did heavy damage to Norman while the return shot did minor damage in reply. Don fired his right-rear gas streaming, coating both Norman and Andy in paint. Andy kept his focus on Don and followed him around the jumps, firing and scoring another hit on Don's back armor for moderate damage. Norman started to circle the jumps to re-engage Don and Andy on the other side of the arena. Turning west, Don started a sharp circling turn in an effort to get Andy in his sights. Still with his targeting penalty and coated with another load of paint, Andy managed another hit, breaching Don's back armor and killing the driver. With his second kill under his belt Andy was declared the winner. Time elapsed: 17 turns. Finishing Positions: 1st - Andy Koehler (2 kills - Marty and Don) 2nd - Norman McMullen 3rd - Don Jacques (killed by Andy) 4th - Marty Koehler (killed Nick and killed by Andy) 5th - Nick (killed by Marty) QUOTES
"Work harder on yourself than you do at your job. When you work at your job, you make a living. When you work on yourself, you'll make a fortune." -- Jim Rohn, motivation speaker "Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have a dream don't have much." -- Steve Price "No dream is too high for those with their eyes in the sky." -- Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut "There's only one comer of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self:" -- Aldous Huxley, British author "Dream as if you'll live forever." -- James Dean, legendary actor "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still." -- Dale Carnegie "Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goals." -- E. Joseph Cossman "Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open." -- Sir James Dewar "So, often times it happens, we live in chains, never knowing we have the keys." -- Already Gone by the Eagles CUBE LOGS
Reign of Fire Magic in Car Wars comes to the big screen. In the near future dragons awaken and start taking over the Earth. Mankind must battle them with tanks, helicopters and paratroops to save the world. The movie feels like a mix of Mad Max and Dungeons and Dragons. It's slow and plodding at times, but the dragon effects are great. Good performances are provided by Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey and lzabella Scorupco. Rent it for a rainy day. ** Minority Report In the future there's a law enforcement agency called Precrime, using science-aided psychics to detect and stop murders before they happen. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is Precrime's top agent, ready to make his agency go nation-wide. However, John was framed for a murder that he will ultimately commit. The rest of the movie is spent on John's search on the who and why he was framed Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton also star in the movie. * Special effects are excellent but the plot is, well, plodding. Rent it as a last resort or wait until it airs on TV. lncidentally, the movie was based on a novel by Philip K, Dick. Star Trek: Nemesis Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and crew are sent to Romulus to arrange a peace treaty with the new Praetor, Shinzon (Tom Hardy). Finding that Shinzon is a younger, clone copy of Picard is one of several surprizes and shockers in this movie. A little bit of all previous Trek films can be found in this one. Ron Perlman, of Beauty and the Beast fame, makes an appearance as the Praetor's Viceroy. *** XXX Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is an extreme sportsman recruited by the NSA to infiltrate and gather information on a Prague anarchist group. After a brief and intense selection process Xander gets the assignment and, having initial success, continues on Later in the film Xander uses his extreme sports skill to take down the bad guys. Samuel L. Jackson plays the part of Xander's recruiter/supervisor Gibbson. This is a 21st century Bond-like film with all the fancy gadgets. One of the best is a fully-loaded 1969 GTO, complete with machine guns and rockets. It doesn't reach the glamor as portrayed in Bond films, but it delivers the goods. ** The Tuxedo Jimmy Tong (Jackie Chan) is the driver for secret agent Clark Devilin (Jason Isaacs). When Clark is injured Jimmy steps in to finish Clark's assignment, To that end, Jimmy wears an ultra-advanced cybersuit that's designed like a tuxedo. Thanks to Chan's stunt ability, he's able to portray Jimmy as a man not quite in control of the suit's advanced combat capabilities. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars as Del Blaine, Jimmy's partner, and Ritchie Costen appears as the villain of the piece, Banning. *** The Great Race The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) compete in a race from New York City to Paris, circa 1908. Directed by Blake Edwards (of Pink Panther fame), the film has a Car Wars style car in the form of Fate's car, the Hannibal Twin 8. This wacky vehicle is equipped with a smokescreen, cannon~ and heat cone, all of which come into use. Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, and Keenan Wynn round out: the cast. A great Car Wars film and a good comedy. *** The Bourne Identity Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is rescued out of the Mediterranean Ocean. Suffering from amnesia, and working on the few clues in his possession, Jason goes to the American Embassy in Zurich. Assassins strike, but Jason escapes due to some combat knowledge he had to have from somewhere, spurring him on to find his true identity and the mason why people are trying to kill him. Franka Potente, Clive Owen, Brian Cox and Chris Cooper complete the cast. A slow, almost comical spy story, reminiscent of a solo Top Secret adventure. * Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever Two assassins go up against each other in Vancouver when a boy is kidnapped and a deadly secret is stolen. Ecks (Antonio Banderas) is recruited to save the kid and stop Sever (Lucy Liu) from obtaining the secret. What follows is plenty of action, most of which is over the top. Fun to rent, but not to be taken seriously at all. Talisa Soto, Ray Park and Gregg Henry also star. * Gen-Y Cops Sequel to Jackie Chan's Gen-X Cops, this film is also known as Metal Mayhem. The stars, all from Hong Kong, are Mark Hicks, Paul Rudd, Maggie Q and Johnnie Guy. Match, Alien and Edison, Hong Kong cops, are assigned to guard an advanced FBI robot being displayed at a police technology expo in Hong Kong. The robot, the RS-l, is stolen and causes mayhem. An old friend from the past shows up (and turns out to be the villain), explosion, robots, and chases abound. A good film to rent on a slow night. ** THE SHOWROOM
Heavy Metal! Damischel Tread Works Zeus: 230 space AFV hull, giant oversized gas engine w/tubular headers and blueprinting, truck turbo, 200 gallon dueling gas tank w/fuel, driver, gunner, 44 rounds of 140mm ammo (20 HESH, 15 APFSDS, 7 HE, 2 Beehive), 4 extra magazines for turreted AC, AA Ladar, infrared/thermograph, image enhancement, telescopic optics, sonic sensors, military radio, 2 safety seats, improved fire extinguisher, NBC/Infrared shielding, hazard detector, IFF, galley, passenger accommodations for 3, assault ramp rear, 42 charges of reactive armor. Laminate AFV armor: F 160/240 (20%), RF 50/75, RB 50/75, LF 50/75, LB 50/75, B 60/90 (10%), TB 50/75, UF 20/30, UB 20/30. 10 points of FPCA for driver, 10 points of FPCA for gunner, 10 points of FPCA for gas engine. 4 10-point tread skirts. 152,098 lbs., $1,963,350. Turret: 60 space AFV turret, gunner, long-barreled 140mm TG w/flash suppressor, weapon/auto stabilization and one round APFSDS, coaxially mounted AC w/long barrel and flash suppressor, long barreled HVMG w/magazine switch and HD ammo in universal 4-space turret, HVMG magazine w/explosive ammo and proximity fuzes. 2 5-space REWPs w/jettison joinings, 5 laser-guided 7" rockets on each REWP, hi-res computer, infrared/laser rangefinder w/LGL, CASM (TG), improved fire extinguisher, safety seat, 4 corner-mounted hot smoke projectors, 30 charges of reactive armor. Laminate AFV armor: F 160/240 (20%), [,60/90 (10%), R60/90 (10%), B60/90 (10%), T50/75.77,902 lbs., $1,526,850. Accel. 2.5/5/10, top speed 75, 120 DP treads, cargo capacity - 18 spaces, 28,375 lbs. Total cost $3,490,200. CLOSING FIRE
Next issue we'll have the results of the club championship, an event to be held in the near future. It should bring some surprizes with the developments of the last year. Who will be the champion? We'll just have to wait and see. "DRIVE OFFENSIVELY" Norman McMullen Don Jacques NOVA President NOVA Secretary CREDITS
NOVA Works: Solar Armor by Norman McMullen The 10 O'clock News: Norman McMullen In The Arena: Norman McMullen Nuts and Bolts: Norman McMullen Other Sections: Norman McMullen The Showroom: Zeus HBT by Norman McMullen Typesetting & Page Layout: Don Jacques Editors: Norman McMullen and Don Jacques The NightMessenger is published quarterly by the New Omaha Vehicular Association, 2524 Madison St, Bellevue, NE 68005. All material is copyright 2003 by the New Omaha Vehicular Association. All rights reserved. Car Wars, Dueltrack, Boat Wars, Car Warriors, Crash City, Truck Stop, Convoy, Uncle Albert's Catalog From Hell, Autoduel and AADA are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or are used under license. The above trademarks, and the characters and situations of the Car Wars background are the exclusive property of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated and are used in NightMessenger under permission. Reproduction of any material published in the NightMessenger without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any reproduction of Car Wars articles published in the NightMessenger, or any unauthorized publication of fiction using the Car Wars background without the express written permission of Steve Jackson Games is strictly prohibited Subscription rates (for 4 issues) are: Regularly attending club members: $4.00, U.S. subscribers: $6.00, International subscribers: $12.00. Website Address:
http://novacw.com/
E-mail Address: nova-cw@cox.net |