In this issue, we will catch up with the sections we left out of last issue and some more of our regular sections. As many of you probably notice, we left out the Showroom and Local Hero sections out of last issue; they will be printed in their entirety this issue.
    New Omaha is expanding westward and changes are everywhere. The NOPD is discussing a testbed program in the new expansion. See "The World 'Out There'" and the "10 O' Clock News" sections for more details.
    We can't forget the Protectorate War still filling headlines around the world. Well, we can still try to forget the dumb old war, can't we?

NOVA Works is still going, even with the Protectorate war raging. Uncle Al is trapped in Hawaii -- what a time for a vacation! Lt. Colonel Jeff Stevens is also caught in Hawaii. No brains.
    Well, NOVA is still coming out with dueling items for the civilian and military markets, along with our latest catalog, available soon.

Heavy Anti-Tank Gun (HATG): To-hit 8, $3,500, 700 lbs., 4 spaces, 6 DP. 4d6 damage, 10 shots, CPS $100, WPS 15 lbs., loaded cost $4,500, loaded weight 850 lbs., burst effect. May use HEAT, HESH, APFSDS, DPU and Beehive ammo. This weapon is a larger, more powerful version of the standard AT gun. It is sometimes referred to as the "Hate Gun".

Concealed Ramplate: Treat as a normal ramplate, except cost is 2x the cost of the front armor. Cannot be distinguished from a normal bumper from over 15' (1" game scale) away.

Ramrod: $2,000, 1,000 lbs., 20 DP of metal, 2 spaces. The Ramrod is a large steel rod which, when activated, will shoot forward and lock into place. It does the DP of the Ramrod plus ram damage, and takes damage as metal armor.

Reverse Gears:

Heavy-Duty Reverse Gear: +20% of body cost*, +5% of body weight*, no space. This is a body modification; retrofitting it in a used car is next to impossible (i.e. impossible for a standard arena; possible, but very difficult if you're running a campaign game). It raises the top reverse speed to 50% of the car’s top speed, instead of the standard 25%.

Super Reverse Gear: +50% of body cost*, +l0% of body weight, no space. Same as above, but with this one, top reverse speed is the same as the standard top speed. Also known in Europe as "the Italian Gearbox", in reference to a WWII joke which said that Italian tanks had four reverse gears and one forward. Why the forward gear? In case the enemy attacks from behind . . .
    What's the use of such a system? One of my fellow Car Wars players, the infamous Serge-Alain (the one who invented the "wall-dropper" tactics in the NBDA, among others), has this nasty habit of doing most or all of the arena in reverse gear, just to confuse people. And it works
awfully well!

* weight and cost BEFORE chassis and suspension mods; not compatible with HD transmission.

Automatic Gyroslugger (AGS): To-hit 8, $2,000 (unloaded), 25 lbs. (unloaded), 5 GEs. The AGS has two different ammo clips available -- a 15-shot rotary clip, which allows the bearer to select shots per the Rotary Magazine (CWC2, p.84), and a 30-shot box magazine which does not allow the selection of a particular shell. Each clip costs $50 unloaded; there is no extended version of either type. The AGS also has an 'automatic fire' option built in. It may fire 1,2 or 3 shells with one firing action, as an AGL (UACFH, p.18); it may be fired in a 'ripple salvo' (CWC2, p.77) across a 90-degree arc. This weapon is for military use only.
 

In a controversial mid-air T-bone, Mike Montgomery won this year's World Championships. This makes a record-setting fourth Championship win for Mike.
    Several duelists that attended the game were angered by Ken Scott's decisions. Protests are expected. The point of controversy is Montgomery's mid-air T-bone maneuver against another car, when he barely had the speed to make it as far as the collision. What happens next is going to be
interesting.
    Some more bad news: SJG will not be publishing a new Car Wars item until 1994. Unfortunately, it will be GURPS Autoduel II. Not good, definitely not good. What happened to Golden Spike, Chassis & Crossbow, The GHOST Arena book, etc? All have been put on hold until Autoduel II is completed.
    Car Wars is being shoved into a corner in favor of GURPS. It's time for actions, not words. If we like the game, then we better tell them through letters, phone-calls, faxes or whatever. If you meet Steve Jackson or an SJG employee at a convention, tell them how you feel. Car Wars is a one-of-a-kind game. Tell everyone you know who plays Car Wars to write SJG. Address letters to the SJG President c/o SJG, P.O. Box 18957, Austin TX, 78760-8957. Let's save Car Wars!
    Chris McCubbin, the last ADQ editor, has become a freelance writer/editor after recently leaving SJG. We wish him the best of luck.
    Midwest Regional winners are -- Dueling: John Scheibeler, Racing: Chris French. John was surprised by his win, which was awarded a week after the event. Michael Garrity's duel-winning design was over the division cost limit, losing him his win during vehicle inspection.
    Chris fought off Norman for Racing Regional win, with a top speed of 277.5 MPH in the final phase of the race. Each of them are looking forward to the NOVA Racing Championship this fall.
    New Omaha has just completed its new defense perimeter, which allows the city to expand westward. The city is currently setting up new police and fire divisions for the area. Settlement is expected to begin early next year.
    Bellevue, La Vista, Papillion and Ralston have re-applied for city status with the state recently. There are a few radicals who are fighting this action. The state is supposed to decide later this year.
 

March 27: Non-Protectorate terrorists manage to interrupt a federal shipment of technical plans to Denver. When roadways are blocked off, two terrorists take their booty and attempt to make a river getaway. Due to complications beyond their control, the government offers a $1 million reward to civilians on the river for safe return of the briefcase containing the plans. However, pursuit cannot catch up with the fleeing terrorists who manage to make it to a hidden port several miles away. It is estimated that the terrorists sold the plans for more than $1 billion dollars.

March 10: Two people are found brutally hacked to pieces in the northern district.

March 18: Another hacked-up corpse is found. Police refrain from notifying the public to avoid 'undue panic'.

March 27: Three more bodies are found in New Omaha, one beaten to death. Investigators are calling it a killing spree.

April 14: Three NOPD officers found dead, shoved into a dumpster at Crossroads, all hacked to bits.

April 20: Hierarch donates $100,000 to disadvantaged sections of the NOPD.

April 28: Two more NOPD officers found dead, hacked up and stuffed into a locker at the YMCA. Detectives considering vacations.

April 30: The fourth GE1 division rolls out of Toytown, headed for Domestic Defense on the west coast.

May 1: Twelve NOTS members discharged from the hospital. After being shown the bill, they are readmitted.
        G&G donates 3 High Pursuit helicopter units to the NOPD.

May 5: A lone sniper atop the UNO campus belltower kills 3 and injures 25. Police eventually talked the sniper; a distraught Japanese student; down.

May 8: Caliber Industries defeats a Protectorate saboteur force attempting to sabotage production facilities.

May 12: The Revenger I and III root out a Protectorate saboteur nest, which is destroyed by the National Guard.

May 14: Two victims of the serial killer found in a shallow grave just outside of the walls. Local citizens demand NOPD take action.

May 18: A 'mysterious benefactor' pays the NOTS' hospital costs.

May 22: The Revengers VI and VII, a.k.a. Blood Brothers Hans & Francis, observe suspected Protectorate saboteur activity at the New Omaha water purification plant. They manage to halt all nefarious proceedings, and discover several OOPS agents among Protectorate forces.

May 25: NOTS permanently disbands OOPS. "Oops is right," says a spokesperson.

May 28: Serial killer kills 3 more people, one of whom is an investigator on the case.

May 30: The fifth GE1 division follows, the fourth to the west coast.
        Hierarch Industries announces that studies have shown De-Tox to be only 50% capable of removing physiological addiction, and entirely incapable of removing psychological addiction.
        The newest vigilante to the New Omaha area introduces himself to the media and to NOVA. His name is Speed Racer, and he vows to use his skills to help clean up the town.

July 10: All seven of the Revengers, Maverick, Speed Racer and The Master were found handcuffed in their underwear to a children's merry-go-round in Hanscom Park this morning. An NOPD officer commented, "You don't want to know what it looked like they were doing. It’s not natural."
        The NOPD reports all the vigilante's vehicles were parked in the surrounding neighborhoods. No word on where their body armor was found, or if it was. Police Commissioner John Smith commented, "We know who did it and why. That's all I will say."

July 11: The vigilantes hit the streets again today, with a vow to keep doing their patrols.

July 12: The NOPD found all seven of the Revengers again, handcuffed in their underwear to a children's merry-go-round in Benson Park. Their vehicles were found wrecked nearby.
        Speed Racer, Maverick and The Master were found in similar conditions in Hitchcock Park with their vehicles wrecked nearby. NOPD had no comment on the incident.

July 13: The Revengers, Speed Racer and Maverick publicly announced the end of their present patrols. No word from The Master on his future plans.

July 14: The NOPD announced the arrest of the serial killer that has plagued the city over the past few months. They thank the Black Rose for his help with the case.

July 15: The serial killer is revealed to be John Night, a distraught, out-of-work janitor. In a hearing today, his bond was set at $10 million.

August 1: The Master restarts his patrol by stopping and killing several members of the Raven gang.

August 2: The Pandora Lounge in south New Omaha blew up tonight, killing several Raven gangmembers. The building eventually burnt down. There are rumors of Mob involvement in the fire.

August 3: The Revengers take up their patrols again, capturing and killing criminals all over the city. "It's great to be back on the streets again," they said.

August 4: Maverick restarted his patrols tonight with the killing of 4 Mob members.

August 5: Speed Racer returns to the streets by stopping a carload of illegal weapons. The Impersonator has also been seen on patrol.

August 11: Speed Racer's 'Mach 5' is stolen by parties unknown. The police have no leads.

August 12: All seven Revenger vehicles are stolen by parties unknown. The police are investigating.

August 13: The Master's vehicle is stolen. The only clue the NOPD has is "a peculiar humming noise".

August 14: Maverick's vehicle is stolen; again, the only clue is "a low, peculiar humming".

August 15: The Impersonator’s vehicle is stolen. The humming was heard yet again, and some computers in the area were completely scrambled. Certain groups claim extra-terrestrial involvement.

August 18: "The Mystery of the Vanishing Vehicles" is solved -- all of the stolen vehicles (or, rather, the stripped and burned remains) were found at "Carhenge" outside of Alliance, Nebraska.
        In other news, Elvis gave a concert at Carhenge. The proceeds from the concert were donated to the NOPD's Anti-Auto Theft campaign. Concert goers got to see the rare site of fifty Elvises onstage at once.
 

Combat Rock goes heavy metal -- no, we don't mean trucks or tanks. Just real hard rock.

Megadeth: Although Megadeth's heavy metal sound is all primo for combat rock, Countdown to Extinction (the CD) is recommended. Extreme II: Pornograffiti and Extreme: III Sides to Every Story. Particularly the first track on Extreme III, "Warheads." For those of you who are thoroughly confused, flip your LP over to side B. Will someone please tell me where the songs are?

ZZ Top's Greatest Hits: a primo combat rock group.
 

No new news -- RoboCop 3 has been delayed again (seemingly for the millionth time) until October or November. The release is now timed to coincide with the new TV series. The RoboCop 3 storyline is based on an unpublished RoboCop 2 story by Frank Miller.

October: Demolition Man and RoboCop 3 (tentative)

Fall: Ghost in the Machine (tentative)
 

The fall convention schedule is filling up quickly, with NOVA running tournaments or having challenge matches
all over the area.

Nukecon 3: October 9-10, 1993, in Omaha. NOVA will be running a Car Wars tournament and a racing event.

Fields of Honor 2: October 16-17, 1993, in Des Moines.

NOVA/SAS Zebra challenge race -- Can-Am Ruan Grand Prix through the city streets. Keep your children inside for this one.

Andromeda One: April 22-24, 1994, in Lincoln. The announced location of the 2044 Midwest Regionals (dueling and racing), which hopefully will be a blowout with a lot of duelists from all over in attendance.

Contretemps 8: June 17-19, 1994, in Omaha. NOVA will be running a Car Wars tournament. It was at Contretemps 5 that NOVA started running tournaments -- the circle closes.
 

The Car Wars system has never been completely perfect. Too many hands in the mixture. The best solution is a complete rewrite from the ground up, but we aren't going to see that any time soon. So, we must make minor changes to slowly realign the game.

Revised Carbon-Aluminum Frame: Takes a +l per die of collision or ram damage done to a vehicle with a CA frame. This puts it in line with the revised ramplate. Funny thing -- they changed the ramplate but not its worst enemy. Doesn't figure, does it?

Continuous D Maneuvers: They make some sense for hazard conversion, but they have their limits. A continuous D6 is not sound, due to the automatic spinout at high speeds. The same goes for D4 and D5 maneuvers. Hence the greatest continuous maneuver that can be pulled is a D3. It does tax the momentum vectors greatly but is feasible.
 

This issue we cover racing and championship ideas -- sometimes irrelevant, but so be it.

Tank Racing: Yes, believe it! Fifty tons of military hardware racing against equally massive opponents. Frightening, isn't it? Divisions done by weight, not cost, and combat is allowed during the race. Warning: Not recommended for city road courses, unless the city is already wrecked.

Hovercraft Racing: Another 'say it isn't so!" idea. Great cross-country racing idea with the hovercraft's ability to deal with differing terrain. Classes set up by divisions, or sizes, or both. All hovercraft start at one city and race to another several hundred miles away. This is not recommended for any road course events, especially cities, since the first turn will be the winner due to the hovercraft's turning abilities (or lack thereof).

The Other Worlds: No, not Mars or anything like that. I was recently asked why there weren't any world championships for any vehicles besides cars. The answer, I'm sorry to say, is that SJG hasn't promoted them. To them, there's no money in it, so why bother? It would be nice to see the Airplane World Championships, or the Boat World Championships, etc. . . .  Imagine world championships held in all different vehicle classes. A list of tournaments that fill a magazine, and the writeups of each -- what a concept.

It would be a real shot in the arm for Car Wars as a game, if promoted the world over. This is something to bounce off SJG a time or two.
 

Another poor showing for the second regional this year. SAS Zebra, MADD, and most of the local duelists didn't show. The four racers that did participate were Michael Garrity, Mike Martini, defending Champion Chris French, and Norman McMullen.
    Chris French qualified for the pole with a top speed of 247.5 MPH. Garrity and Martini qualified second and third, respectively. Radius Motors entered McMullen as a manufacturer sponsor in the fourth qualifier with an unknown top speed. With the starting positions set, the field crossed the starting line at 100 MPH. Chris took the lead early on, with Garrity, Martini and McMullen bringing up the rear.
    On the second straightaway, Martini rear-ended Garrity with a ramplate (yes, a ramplate), ripping off half of Garrity's rear armor. All cars kept accelerating into the second turn and third straightaway. Martini rammed into Garrity again, doing more rear armor damage.
    French and the field completed the first lap and combat began. McMullen continued on the outside to pass Garrity and Martini. Garrity hit French with MG fire, doing heavy damage to the rear and right side. Martini hit Garrity with his AVR, piercing Garrity’s rear armor and hitting the component armor. French fired his SMG, doing minor damage to Garrity’s front.
    Martini started to push his engine as the field went into the second lap. His transmission broke and he started to lose acceleration. He fell into last place. McMullen took second place from Garrity, who fired his MG into McMullen's rear, doing minor damage. Subsequent hits penetrated the rear armor and damaged the powerplant.
    Halfway through the third lap, the race was called. French won by a few carlengths.

Finishing Positions

• 1st: Chris French
• 2nd: Norman McMullen
• 3rd: Michael Garrity
• 4th: Mike Martini

Average speed: 200 mph

Vehicles

Nuclear Banana V (Chris French) -- Streamlined IndyCar, std. chassis, T-Cat PP, 4 racing slick PR tires, driver, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam, HD shocks. Sloped plastic armor: F10, L0, R30, B19, T0, U0 (59 points). Accel. 5, Top speed 247.5,  HC 8 (9 at 60 mph +); 4,000 lbs, $29,178. Personal eqiupment: Body armor, SMG with extended clip.

Warp X (Norman McMullen) -- Streamlined Indy, std. chassis, T-Cat PP with overdrive, 4 racing slick PR tires, driver, RL front, SWC, spoiler, airdam, HD brakes. Sloped plastic armor: F9, L9, R9, B8, T2, U3 (40 points). Accel. 15, Top speed 247.5 (267.5 with overdrive), HC 8 (9 at 60 mph +); 4,000 lbs, $28,868. Personal equipment: Body armor.

Scorpion (Michael Garrity) -- IndyCar, std. chassis, sport PP (with PlatCats, SuperCons and overdrive), 4 SB racing slick HD tires, driver, MG (with HD ammo) in sponson turret right, SWC, plastic spoiler, plastic airdam. Sloped plastic armor: F18, L24, R24, B28, T3, U2 (103 points), 10 pts. plastic CA around PP, 10 pts. plastic CA around driver. Accel. 10 (5 with overdrive), Top speed 185 (205 with overdrive), HC 8 (9 at 60 mph +), 3,905 lbs, $29,896. Personal equipment: None.

Martini's IndyCar (Mike Martini) -- IndyCar, std. chassis, 500 ci ICE with turbocharger and 2-gallon economy fuel tank (price of gas included), 4 racing slick std. tires, driver. Metal/plastic armor: Fl0/10 (ramplate), L0/37, R0/37, B0/12, T0/0, U0/0 (10 points/96 points). Accel. 20, Top speed 180, HC 8; 4,000 lbs, $27,398. Personal equipment: Impact armor, AV rifle.
 

"Well, hello, fellow garners, and welcome to the Chamonix Ice-racing Arena, with the magnificent Mont-Blanc, Europe's highest mountain (over 13,000 ft.) towering above the scenery. Tonight, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of ice-racing here in France, and for this occasion, the Chamonix Ice-racing Week hosts the Swiss-French Corporate Autoduelling Championship.
    This event is a Division 20 trike race. Six contestants are present, with three of them racing clockwise and the other three racing counter-clockwise. Victory will go to the first one to complete one lap (note -- at our speed of play, even this takes a few hours), with no shots allowed for the first two turns. This, combined with the fact that some of the corporations seem to be completely oblivious to ice-racing rules and equipment, will make for a quite exciting event.
    As planned, the first two seconds were spent on acceleration. Stephane "Uncle Alias" GALLAY rocketed to 50 MPH with his gas-burning light trike, while Martin "S.M.F." JENNINGS, last year's champion, and Cyril "Timbre-Paste" MARTIN de FOUCAULT et d'AURE (etc.) also floored it, though with lesser results. Surprise came from Serge-Alain "S.A.S." SCHOCHLIN, who started backwards, side-by-side with Nicolas "R.E.D.C.A.B.S." ROCHE, another previous champion. There was a sixth competitor, whose name escaped everyone, so let's call him the Newcomer.
    The next second went smoothly, with just two close calls for Stephane and a few stray shots, but this was the calm before the storm as Nicolas had the unpleasant surprise to see Timbre-Poste on his juggernaut, metal-armored, reversed heavy trike homing in at high speed on his right side. The subsequent T-bone totaled the 2041 champion, while Cyril headed for his second victim. Meanwhile, Martin had to cross the path of the Newcomer, who nuked both his front armor and half his gas engine with a couple of armor-piercing heavy rockets. Swearing, cursing and fuming, Martin left his gas tank on the track and tried to finish on momentum.
    Back to the main action, where Cyril, driving over the remnants of his previous opponent, faced the twin heavy flamethrowers of Serge-Alain (come to think of it, his starting maneuver wasn't too surprising -- of course, you don't know Serge-Alain as we do . . . ). Flames upon flames on a badly damaged front, metal armor or not, usually ends up in disaster, and Timbre-Poste is forced to surrender due to an onboard fire. He skidded to a stop in the snowbanks where the safety squad covered his wreck with foam.
    Stephane was then in the home stretch, but had to pass the Newcomer and his dreaded Evil Eye. Despite the small size, sloped armor and high speed of the target, the two rockets managed to score a direct hit on his right side, putting an abrupt end to his engine. But at 80 MPH, he was assured of crossing the finish line if no one came to hit him.
    On another route, SMF was also headed towards the finish line, but all three contenders had to face the Final Trial: Serge-Alain and his Double-Trouble High-Temperature Weenie Roaster. A few shots to dispose of the Newcomer, and he chose Martin as a target, while Stephane crossed the finish line on his battered but drivable trike. Poor SMF got toasted before he even had a chance to cross the finish line, leaving Serge-Alain alone to make his lap and earn second place.

Final Results

• 1st: Stephane GALLAY (N.E.PHI.LIM.)
• 2nd: Serge-Alain Schochlin (S-AS.)
• 3rd: Martin Jennongs (S.M.F.)

Synopsis: The Federal government wants to break the monopoly on agricultural research held by the ConTexCo/SoyBoy consortium. Due to certain political conditions, the government is unable to act directly. Accordingly, they have secretly financed a group of indepentant agricultural companies and duelists, building them up to the point where action can be taken.

Conditions: Each team (Consortium/Independents) has $1 billion to spend on any type and quantity of vehicles they choose. They may also outfit as much infantry as they can. The teams will meet in the Midwest CCZ, located in southern Colorado. Vehicle crews are 100 points each (no more than 40 in each skill). Infantry have 70 points each. The objective is to force the other side to surrender.

Restrictions: No nuclear weapons or biological agents.
 

Something we haven't done in a while -- report on our correspondence. Hideous! Yes, we get plenty of mail from duelists around the world. This issue will endeavor to clear out some of it, including The Notmessenger. On to the correspondence:

Leadfoot here. Just when you thought you could shut him up with a great newsletter and a large soyfry (no ketchup), he's right back in your face. So . . . nyaaahhhhyyyhhh.
    Sorry about that, but I just made two rednecks in Fnord pickups eat a high density sandwich, and I'm feeling pretty good about myself. On to other realms . . .
    Thanks a lot for the personal response, it was exactly (somewhat) what I was looking for. The newsletter both shocked me and excited me (something like being stuck in an electric socket with the Soy Girls fondling me), and I was very impressed with the . . . uh, yeah. Just kidding. I'm a little short on cash now, in fact I owe what must be some 300+ dollars. Just keep me informed on when your next issue is coming out, and 1'11 be sure to pay you back then. I always pay back my debts.
    I almost split my IBA when I read the Notmessenger. I will truly cherish the memory forever. Truly a work of art, however grotesque.
    What war?
    Famous last words, "I recently traded in my old, rusty, beat-up '38 Dodj Combat Camper for three brand new Honduh luxury cars. The dealer seemed really nice, and really in a hurry to get the cars off the lot. I have to admit I have gotten some funny looks from my neighbors, though. Maybe I should take the "Made in Japan" Rising Sun sticker off of each rear bumper . . . " War? What war?
    Well boys, it's time for me to be signing off now. I'm leaving for Charleston, SC in the morning. The drive through southern WV can be hell. Wish me luck tonight! I plan to clean up some of those drunk slobs. Actually, the only thing I think will be clean will be my own skin. Safe Fun driving! And again, thanks!
 

Leadfoot

P.S. Who the hell is this Chris French guy, anyway?
 

This letter has been started around January, completed in February, then the file has been lost between the University and here, either by sheer stupidity on my behalf or Just Another System Crash" . . . Anyway, I just want to apologize for all this waiting time. Things here have gone from bad to worse, and then, as state Murphy's Laws, the cycle repeated itself.
    For starters, I had exams. Which I crashed, as usual. Mom wasn't too wild about it; heck she was mad at me! Then, I went to Crunch Mode in order to finish the second version of Tigres Volants (summary of last episodes: my own home-made, home-produced, home-distributed science fiction RPG . . . ) release it on time for the Paris convention. Which I did, yet barely, leaving more than a few bugs in the final version. Well. that will do for a version 2.01 or 2.1 . . .
    Paris convention was in fact little more than a very big selling fair. Times changed. I remember fondly previous conventions, when there were tables and chairs for people wanting to play, room where to sit and talk and even start a bootleg stand . . . Now the few tables are located on the stands themselves, and of course reserved for the company's demo games. The motto is "Sell! Lots!"
    Perhaps next year, there won't be walkways: visitors will go directly from stand to stand . . .
    First, I met a NOVA member on Internet. Surprise! He operates under the name "Uplink" and we swapped a bit of e-mail on Car Wars-y subjects. Hey, that could be a great way to send new stuff! I wonder if there are other clubs that can get net access.
    I got Uncle Al's Catalog From Hell. Big, neat book. How many time will it take to become obsolete ? . . . I had a hard time to get it, but I managed to have a bit of luck at the right time for once, as I was in Paris. This gave me some ideas for new gadgets, as follow:
    Back to our regular features . . . I am still waiting for the new Pyramid. The king is dead, long live the king! With Autoduel Quarterly gone, I feel like it's the end of Car Wars as well. If not the end, at least the confirmation of a decline. I'm more than a bit worried about the new formula. I was even more before I read the paragraph stating lifetime subscriptions to ADQ would also pass to Pyramid. Now, the trouble is, we have a Steve Jackson Games product which is selling really well and other products that are selling, well . . . less well . . . So my fears are that Pyramid will be a 40-pages GURPS magazine, leaving a few pages for Car Wars, Illuminati, or Ogre . . .
    I hope I am wrong, but several signals in the gaming community everywhere (not only in Europe; did you know that SJG went under a big restructuration? . . . ) are alarming. i.e. crisis time = support what's selling and dump the rest. Such a signal could also be found in the new AADA Chapter Policy. I mean, the idea is fine: lots of new targets . . . er, fellow garners. Us truly, the Association pour le Sport Automobile Suisse (ASAS -- a.k.a. "Double AS", in English "double ace") included . . . But that could also mean that it was becoming more and more difficult to find "real", old-fashioned chapters, with five subscribers and all . . . And even if it's wrong, in the eyes of some marketing people, less chapters = less players = loss of popularity = "we have N months to bring back players to Car Wars, otherwise we'll have to dump it."
    Oh, well, I might as well stop whining. I begin to sound like some friends of mine. Maybe I'm getting too old for that kind of things?

Until the next time, have a good time!

"Fire in Harmony!"
 Stephane "Alias" GALLAY

P.S. Congratulations for your successful ASP Hunt. May the snakes to cross your path in the future become roadkill.
 

This issue, Quotes cuts straight to the bone and then some . . . Any questions? Good, thank you.

"I used to play Car Wars . . . I used to play Car Wars . . . used to play Car Wars . . . " -- Derek Pearcy, Pyramid #2
"I used to be a magazine editor." -- Norman McMullen, N.O.V.A. President
 

This is a new section added to give an overview of different conventions and their effect on those who attend them. I know it's not news that there are both good and bad cons around the country. We hope to be fair-minded to all concerned and only cover cons we attend personally.
This simplifies things greatly.

Impact 3: This convention was badly organized and badly executed. It's a shame; the con had big name guests -- Larry Niven, Lucy Synk -- but was scheduled opposite the Offitt Open House. Attendance was sparse and the con staff apathetic or hostile.

The game room, like everything else, was poorly run and sparsely populated. Impact 3 was D.O.A.; the running joke was "Where’s the con?" Big clouds are on the horizon for Impact 4, if there is even going to be one. *

Pseudo-con I: This effort to help bring back ConTreTemps was a small, friendly con. Primarily a science-fiction convention, it did offer a small game room in which N.O.V.A. hosted a tournament. Frank Drier (a rookie) won the first round and Chris French took the final round.
    While there, we talked to both ConTreTemps and Andromeda One con staffers. Both want N.O.V.A. to run tournaments at their events, which we are more than happy to do. At Andromeda we will be running the regionals, and at ConTreTemps we’ll host a tournament.

ConTreTemps has been known as a party con. Its absence for the past few years has changed it somewhat. The partying has died down a little bit, which will give Impact some unwanted competition.
 

This issue will feature military vehicles of all sizes. We are doing this because of the Protectorate War and the shifting of industrial efforts to war production.

Vulcan LBT-1000

Construction: 60-space AFV hull, large AFV PP, tank driver, 2 gunners.

Weaponry: 2 BCs in EWPs front, 2 SRs in EWPs front, 2 AGLs in pop-up turret front, 2 linked ATGs, VMG front, HDFT front, 2 linked MDs (each napalm mines and extra remote sensors magazine) back, 2 linked SSs (each with hot smoke) back, 3 FDs (non-specified locations).

Accessories: IFE, thermograph, image enhancement, 3 HRTCs, radar, radar detector, radar, jammer, 2 vehicle decoys, military radio, anti-theft system.

Metal/plastic AFV hull armor: F40/30, RF25/34, RB25/34, LF25/34, LB25/34, B20/30, TF10/34, TB0/34, UF0/34, UB0/34 (170 points/332 points),
10 pts. plastic EWP armor on each EWP.

AFV Turret: 20-space AFV turret, 3 HRs in rocket platform, 6 MGs front in side EWPs, LB TG9 front (with 10 standard, 10 HEAT, 10 HESH, 10 APFSDS rounds), 2 LB ATGs linked front, VMG front, 2 smart links (turret ATGs and hull ATGs, turret VMG and hull VMG). Metal/plastic armor: F40/30, R25/34, L25/34, B25/30 (115 points/128 points), 10 pts. plastic armor on each EWP.

Statistics: Accel. 5, Top speed 55, DM 14, HC 5; 60,000 lbs., $386,220.
 

The Vulture is the newest addition to the arsenal of the U.S. Aerospace force. With only two prototypes constructed as yet, its primary mission is that of a limited-range recon/scout aircraft. Full-scale construction is scheduled to begin in early 2043 with a production run of 25.

The Vulture -- Small jet fighter with forward-swept wings, 30,000-PF high-performance jet engine, 55-gallon dueling fuel tank in each wing, 15-gallon dueling fuel tank in body, pilot with g-suit, copilot with g-suit, retractable landing gear, 6 standard truck tires, VMG with HD ammo in each wing (linked), HRSWC (copilot to VMGs), afterburner, terrain-following radar, aircraft radio, radar altimeter, radar, vehicular camera, radar detector, radar jammer. Metal/FP plastic armor: F6/15, B6/10, L0/20, R0/20, U8/20, T0/15. FP plastic wing armor: LW20, RW20. Accel. 25, Top speed 900 (1,125 with afterburner). Stall speed 150, HC 1; 19,905 lbs, $1,881,325.

Dark Angel -- Std. helicopter, super aircraft PP with PlatCats and SuperCons, helicopter pilot, gunner, VFRP (with AP rockets, 2 extra AP magazines and magazine switch) and IRTL in universal turret, 2 cluster B100s under, LGL for all aerial bombs and rockets, ITA, CACR, dive brakes, LD radar, aircraft radio, IRSS, extra pilot controls, 2 pairs of ejectable maneuver foils. StealthKote/LR metal/FP plastic armor: F1/25/20, R1/25/20, L1/25/20, B1/25/20, T1/25/20, U1/25/20 (6 points/300 points/120 points), 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each maneuver foil, 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each rotor. Accel. 5, Top speed 250, DM 5, HC 3 (5 at 60 mph +); 20,769 lbs, $177,015.

Military Options -- Upgrade TL, radar and radio to military models. Add thermograph, IR shielding, radar jammer linked to detector, telescopic optics, 2 HRTCs, IFF, computer navigator and no-paint/tinted windshields. Adds $77,550 to cost.

Death Angel (L-DeA2) -- Streamlined std. helicopter, standard aircraft PP with PlatCats and SuperCons, helicopter pilot, CACR, ITA, dive brakes, improved controls, retractable landing gear, 2 pairs ejectable maneuver foils, aircraft radio, radar. Cargo capacity: 5 spaces. StealthKote/LR metal/FP plastic armor: F1/15/15, R1/15/15, L1/15/15, B1/15/15, T1/15/15, U1/15/15 (6 points/90 points/90 points), 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each maneuver foil, 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each rotor. Accel. 5, Top speed 285 (with landing gear retracted and streamlined EWPs), DM 3, HC 4; 13,904 lbs, $252,325.

L-DeA/HAC -- Add HAC (with APFSDS ammo and 20-pt. FP plastic gunshield) on open mount front and gunner. Reduces cargo capacity to 2 spaces, adds 1,545 lbs. to weight and adds $13,050 to cost.

Military Options -- Upgrade radio to military model. Add radar jammer linked to radar detector, IR shielding, telescopic optics, light amplification, HRTC, IFF, computer navigator and tinted/no-paint windshields. Adds $21,050 to cost.

Military HAC Options -- Expand open mount by 2 spaces. Add extra magazine of APFSDS HAC ammo, long barrel, weapon stabilization, auto stabilization, flash suppressor and HRTC. Adds 615 lbs. to weight and adds $38,900 to cost.

Predator Angel is our new tankbuster. Its armor can shrug off the AA capability of even a MacArthur tank, and its missiles can kill light AFVs in a single shot. Given the 2-dimensional nature of battlefield vehicles and their crews, what better to launch a Hellfury missile at an unsuspecting LBT or two, and still be able to down a puny Hunter class chopper before heading home, safe and sound?

Predator Angel (L-PA3) -- Std. helicopter, super aircraft PP with PlatCats and SuperCons, helicopter pilot in safety seat, ML and IRTL in universal turret, 4 magazines for ML (all shots LG HEAT), LGL, CACR, ITA, dive brakes, LD radar, aircraft radio, IRSS, 2 pairs of jettisonable maneuver foils. Cargo capacity: 2 spaces, 90 lbs. StealthKote/LR metal/FP plastic armor: F1/25/25, R1/25/25, L1/25/25, B1/25/25, T1/25/25, U1/25/35 (6 points/150 points/160 points), 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each maneuver foil, 10 pts. FP plastic armor on each rotor. Accel. 5, Top speed 250, DM 5, HC 4; 20,849 Ibs, $210,175.

Military Options -- Upgrade TL, radar and radio to military models. Add thermograph, IR shielding, radar jammer linked to radar detector, telescopic optics, tinted/no-paint windshields, HRTC, IFF, computer navigator. Upgrade missiles to high-speed LG HEAT. Replace cargo with either improved controls (+1 HC, + $229,650) or civilian NBC shielding and 10 pts. plastic CA around pilot (+ $169,650).

EWPs are sold individually. When pairing EWPs, remember to order identical sizes and facings, and to link the ejection systems. The customer may want to add more links. Both pods must be streamlined to eliminate drag. All pods have ejection systems, one layer of StealthKote and 10 pts. of FP plastic armor.

Tankbuster (L-TBP): AC on 3-space EWP. + 1,044 lbs., + $9,800.

General Purpose (L-GPP): GG (with extra magazine) on 3-space EWP. + 959 lbs., + $13,600.

Ground Attack

• Cluster (L-GAPKB): 3 linked LG cluster B100s on 3-space EWP. + 894 lbs., + $3,860.
• Armor-Piercing (L-GAP/AP): 4 linked LG AP B100s on 4-space EWP. + 1,044 lbs., + $5,280.
• Napalm (L-GAP/N): 4 linked LG napalm B100s on 4-space EWP. + 1,044 lbs., + $5,680.

• (L-RP20): RL (with AP magazine and magazine switch) on streamlined 4-space EWP. + 959 lbs., + $11,225.
• (L-RP30): RL (with AP rockets, 2 extra standard magazines and magazine switch) on 4-space EWP. + 1,024 lbs., + $18,125.

• (L-ADP/Cr): 3 linked LG  cluster B100s on 3-space EWP. + 894 lbs., + $3,000.
• (L-ADP/S4): 3 linked LG scatterpack B100s on streamlined 4-space EWP. + 959 lbs., +$11,160.
• (L-ADPMD): MD (with 2 extra magazines; all mines proximity fused) on 4-space EWP. + 974 lbs., + $8,750.

• (L-RlP): Search radar and sound enhancement on 4-space EWP. + 950 lbs., + $34,250.
• (L-R2P): 2-holocube vehicular camera with holocubes, telescopic optics, image enhancement (optics and enhancement serve the camera; the crew can use them by viewing the camera but the camera cannot use optics on the chopper), second camera with holocubes and MD (with camouflaged remote sensors) on 4-space EWP. + 994 lbs., + $18,250.
• (L-EWP): Military radar jammer, radio jammer and HARM SR with link on 3-space EWP. + 894 lbs., + $120,200

• (L-AAP): Anti-air radar (not for missile; tied to other weapons on fitting), LR AAM with proximity fuse on 4-space EWP. + 994 lbs., + $38,550.
• (L-AAP/M): Upgrade radar to lidar. + $58,550.

Fed up with the blundering incompetence evinced by the New Omaha Police Department (see "Focus: NOPD", Nightmessenger 7-l), the Mayor's office has hired an independant security specialist to rebuild the police force and put it on the right track. The contractor hired is unorthodox, to be sure, yet in the few months since his hiring, the rate of felony crimes has plummeted.
    Usually, contractors of this breed are extremely reticent. Thus, when a request for an interview was granted, the journalist's pool was utterly surprised. I was given the assignment and set out for NOPD headquarters.
    It as a great shock to find my quarry parked outside the office; it was even more surprising when I was greeted by name (I'd only been here a week). His voice, covered by a voder, drawled slightly.
    We drove to an isolated location south of Omaha. As we got out of his vehicle, he said, "I like privacy."

The interview went as follows:

HM: Thank you for granting this interview. Most security contractors avoid the limelight.

JS: You're quite welcome. To paraphrase The Pirates of Penzance, "The public's mind 'tis long been nored by the cankering tooth of mystery; better have it out at once."

HM: First question people ask about you is your name. What is it?

JS: Believe it or don't, it is John Smith. No, my friends do not call me "Hannibal."

HM: Fascinating. What about your past? What did you do before becoming a contractor?

JS: I was a cop. Worked in Vehicle Interception for a major metro force. However, I did dabble in other areas, from Traffic to Internal Affairs.

HM: How long?

JS: Seven years. Got about thirty vehicle kills -- thirty-seven to be exact. Plus about seventy ped kills -- seventy-one, exactly.

HM: Not bad. What happened to end your law-enforcement days?

JS: Figured we'd get to that. March 15, it was. Guess Julius Caesar wasn't the only one who should've been told "Beware the Ides of March."

HM: I didn't mean to pry.

JS: It's your job, just like danger is mine. Anyway, some gang of idiot kids hit a convenience store. They lit out in a Hotbox van. Back then, I ran a Puma X -- VP turbo, blueprinting, tube headers, flamer-ammo A-cannon, the works. So, I'm leadin' the pursuit, I got a rookie wingman riding about a foot from my bumper, things are gettin' cozy. I unload an AC shot into the van's left front from squarely behind -- one in a million, really. The van's airdam digs in, the thing executes 90 degrees of steering to the hard left at 105. You can guess what happened next -- that thing flew. It slowed a little faster than I'd figured. I called "Wreck!" on the Taccom and went to max braking -- I'd had H-D/ABS installed as well.

HM: So, what happened next?

JS: That idiot wingman swerved right, but managed to nail my right-rear comer. With the hard decel -- well, a spoiler/airdam combo can only do so much. I ended up spinning into the van's wreck.

HM: Ouch.

JS: Incendiary A-cannon, FOJ, fuel tank, damned right 'ouch'. Another five minutes and I wouldn't be here. The doctors did what they could, but I didn't have a clone available. So (indicating the full-coverage MBA and ISH), here I am . . . more or less.

HM: So you were 'retired'.

JS: 'Retired'. You'd make a great Blade Runner. Yep, I was out. Got my pension, worker’s camp, a settlement from the PD, and a paid vacation.

HM: Where did you go?

JS: Pretoria, Dominion of South Africa. Beautiful city. I spent two years there, recuperating and testing vehicles part-time. I ended up acquiring a not-inconsiderable reputation as a law-enforcement troubleshooter. So, when I came back, I opened my business. I teach everything, from  basic police procedure to SWAT operations. And I do not allow failure; anyone on my program is required to succeed. Difficult, but it works.

HM: You anticipated my question, "What do you teach?" You’ve been in town for a while; what do you think of the various groups?

JS: Oh, boy. You are trying to get me in trouble today. Okay. The various groups as I see them. The NOPD is a good group, but they needed a firm hand. I was that hand. They are shaping up nicely. A few malcontents, as ever, but they're being removed swiftly. Burn away the useless material to get a pure product.
    NOVA is nice enough, no major problems there. Their assistance has been invaluable.
    I suppose you want me to talk about the corporates.

HM: Yes, please.

JS: Oh, dear. I'm gonna get killed for this . . . I suppose this will be considered biased, but the only corporation I actually trust is D.G.A.G., Ltd. They've been quite cooperative, assisting with training, re-equipping; they even expanded on the "rail-vehicle" concept, building this (indicates the RailCruiser we'd been in). They haven't given me any problems. I wish I could say the same for the other corp's. They howled when IU
had the Industrial Park placed in Southwest Division and put the Corporate Investigations Division under Special Investigations Command. They screamed about my mothballing the DKI Police Pursuit Units, the jet interceptors, and all, even though there is no way in hell to make those things cost-effective. None. They've griped about every single action I've taken. I wonder why . . .

HM: And the vigilantes?

JS: A mixed blessing. They eliminate the criminals we can't, by law, get to, but they contribute to a general feeling of lawlessness and police ineffectiveness, which does not help the morale of the P.D.

HM: What would you consider your most difficult task?

JS: Getting the Department to think of itself as one police force, rather than several different divisions. "Morale is to physical as three is to one", as Napoleon put it.

HM: Do you think the changes will stick?

JS: I hope so. There's only so much I can do.

HM: What do you hope to accomplish in your life?

JS: Get my face on the $1 bill. No, I just want to be able to get enough for a clone. Then, maybe, I can finally live my life outside this shell (indicates his suit).

HM: Again, thank you.

JS: No problem.

John Smith is roughly 6', perhaps 30 years old. He wears a full set of matte-black Mil. BA, with matching ISH.
 

Shot any good books lately? Thought not. Well, we'll take care of that!

Road Kill Cooking: An actual cookbook with two volumes available. They contain recipes for those motorist cooks in all of us and some wild game recipes for those of you who actually want to cook.
    It's comical and witty at times. Written by Jeff Eberbaugh and available at all major bookstores. * * *

Stormrider Series: This new post-holocaust book series is set in the 21st century after an asteroid slams into the Earth. Outlaw biker gangs make walled cities the norm, with the Homeland Defense Force roaming the plains.
    Tristain Hardrider (last of the Hardriders gang) fights for his way of life against the Cities, rival gangs and various other threats. The first book covers his early years in the City, his escape to become an outlaw of the plains. The second and third books cover his further travels around what's left of America.
    At times, the biker gangs remind you of the Old West's American Indian tribes. But then the real Indians show up, shattering the image. The books are written by Robert Baron, and make up a good series. The Stormrider series includes Stormrider, River of Fire and Lord of the Plains.
 

Some or you might be wondering why we call this our deja-vu issue. Well, last issue was labeled Vol. 7 No. 3, until corrected to No. 2. So we jumped the gun by a bit, hence the title. Murphy got us again.
    So we close yet another issue. The silliness will continue next issue with reports on the Club and World Championships, along with our regular sections. Just so there is no confusion, there will be two fall issues this year for a total of five issues. Next year we'll have six issues as we go bimonthly (as discussed earlier this year.

Drive offensively!

Norman McMullen                Tim Jacques
NOVA President                    NOVA Vice-President
 

NOVA Works

• Heavy Anti-Tank Gun: Michael Garrity
• Concealed Ramplate: Leadfoot
• Heavy-Duty Reverse Gear: Stephane Gallay
• Automatic Gyroslugger: Chris French
• Ramrod: Norman McMullen

On the Track: Norman McMullen

European Report: Stephane Gallay

Adventure: Michael Garrity

Combat Rock: John Scheibler

The Showroom

• Vulcan LBT-1000: Ward Black
• Vulture: Brian Morrison
• Dark Angel (military version): Ian Knights

All other sections: Norman McMullen

Typesetter and typist: Ben Scott

Editors: Norman McMullen and Ben Scott
 

The Nightmessenger is published quarterly by the New Omaha Vehicular Association, 701 South 22 Street #73, Omaha, NE 68102. All material is copyright 1993 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 situations and characters of the Car Wars background are the exclusive property of Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated, and are used in The Nightmessenger by permission.
    Reproduction of any material published in The Nightmessenger without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Any reproduction of Car Wars stories published in The Nightmessenger, or any other unauthorized publication of fiction using the Car Wars background, without the express written permission of Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated, is strictly prohibited.
    Annual subscription rate is four dollars per year. Individual issues are one dollar each.
 

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