Greetings, fellow duellists. We bid you welcome to yet another installment of the Nightmessenger. Whether or not this issue will be another chapter in the "Great American Novel" (like the last few) is anybody's guess. In this issue, we'll cover the Central Regional Championships and our road trip to the World Championships at Gen Con. On the local front, New Omaha is still dealing with the mysterious criminal know as the Phantom. His (??) ability to come and go without being detected has caused some to call his crime spree the "Phantom Menace". No one knows where he'll strike next. BLUR and the Neo-ASPs are also in the news. Our old "friends" in ARF are still trying to make inroads on the political scene. Whatever happens, the next few years are going to be rather interesting, especially since it seems that the AADA doesn't care about what's going on out there.

The one thing that everyone wants is more power. To this end, we present two new types of power plants that are sure to make one's vehicle get up and go. On the armaments front, the latest offering from our weapons labs is sure to please the firepower junkies out there.

Super Sport Power Plant: $9,000, 1,500 lbs, 7 spaces, 13 DP, 4,500 power factors.
    This power plant is intended to bridge the gap between the sport/super power plants and the Thundercat power plant.

Racing Power Plants: 3x base cost, ½ base weight, spaces remain the same. DP double and power factors increase by 50%.
    Racing power plants are available in all sizes from small to Thundercat. The modifications listed here are made to each power plant at the time of manufacture. For example, a racing version of the large power plant would cost $6,000, weigh 450 lbs and take up 5 spaces. It would have 20 DP (instead of 10) and 3,000 power factors (instead of 2,000).

Variable-Fire Weaponry: 1.5x weapon cost, no additional weight. Does not affect the cost modifier for long barrels. For LMGs, MGs, HMGs, VMGs, HVMGs, ACs, GCs, HACs, MMLs, RLs, RRs and BCs.
    This modification increases the rate of fire for the weapons listed here, allowing the user to fire 1-3 shots per turn (his choice). The weapon is treated as if it were a VFRP, meaning that it can ripple-fire at different targets in the same arc of fire with the same penalties (-1 to-hit penalty for any target after the first). Weapons that cause a D-hazard when fired have the hazard increased by 1. For example, a variable-fire HVMG (which gives a D-1 hazard to cars when fired) will now cause a D-2 hazard. VF autocannons now cause a D-1 hazard. Variable-fire rocket weapons and recoilless weapons do not cause a D-hazard when fired. Variable-fire weapons are military-issue only.

BLUR continues to make life interesting with its Cannonball Runs and deathraces. These highly-illegal events are frustrating police departments and terrorizing the public across the country. The deathcount has now surpassed several hundred. We have heard that DEATH is looking into this problem, but have no substantive information yet.
    A few months the second Car Warriors book was published. Titled "Back from Hell", it was written by Mick Farren. Be sure to check it out at the local bookstore.
    MJ Daniels won the Racing Worlds, which were run by CADC. He also ran the Duelling Worlds. Gen Con saw another one of our long-running Godzilla events. This year, it was the "MechaGodzilla Battle Simulation". Next year, it will be "A Monster grows in Milwaukee". The year after that; "2051, A Godzilla Odyssey. NOVA's own Mike Garrity won the World Duelling Championship. He's the first player in the history of Car Wars to have held both the Duelling and Racing titles.
 
 

Fall: Bicentennial Man, Galaxy Quest, Universal Soldier 2

November 19, 1999: The World Is Not Enough (the next James Bond movie).

December 17, 1999: Supernova

Sequels: Highlander 4, Godzilla (U.S.) 2, Mad Max 4, Batman 5, Terminator 3.

Prequels: Star Wars: Episode II (the Clone Wars??)-2002, Episode III-2004/2005.
 
 

Nuke-Con 1999, October 1-3, 1999 in Omaha, NE. NOVA is expected to run several Car Wars events here.

Cy-Con 2000: April 2000 in Ames, IA. Car Wars events with the Iowa Underground

Origins 2000, July 13-16, 2000 in Columbus, OH. Likely spot for the World Racing Championships.

Gen Con 2000, August 10-13, 2000 in Milwaukee, WI. The most likely location for the World Duelling Championships. NOVA will be running other Car Wars events here also.
 
 

June 5, 2049: Mike Garrity wins both of the Central Regional championships.

June 6, 2049: 30-40 cars sped westward from New Haven, CT. They were last seen moving at a very high rate of speed. State police in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana were alerted to this, but were unable to stop them. Several hundred accidents resulted as motorists tried to avoid encountering these speeders. Fortunately, there were no deaths recorded.

June 7, 2049: The high-speed chase continued through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado today. Police had their hands full dealing with the accidents caused by the racers. They estimated that there were 30 cars invloved in the race at one time or another.

June 8, 2049: The "race" continued through Deseret, Nevada and California. Hundreds more accidents occurred in all three states. The possibility of BLUR's involvement in this event is almost certain.

July 6, 2049: A Deathrace began in New York City today, despite the NYPD's best efforts to stop it. Some 40 vehicles of various descriptions headed west, causing dozens of accidents and hundreds of injuries as they went. The racers stopped somewhere near St. Louis, MO. State police and Federal authorities attempted to stop the racers, and killed about ten of them in a running battle. Examination of the wreckage afterwards conclusively proved that BLUR was behind all of the previous deathraces, as well as this one.

July 7, 2049: The deathrace continued with just 20 vehicles today. Law enforcement authorities managed to detain another 10 vehicles before they started. The remaining 20 cars spread out all over the central U.S, which will make it much harder to track them.

July 8, 2049: The deathrace reached Salt Lake City today, with just 15 cars of the original 40 remaining. Accidents, arrests and road combat have thinned their numbers considerably in the last three days.

July 13, 2049: Psycho announces that he is building an arena in West New Omaha. It is expected to open later this year with the name "Psycho's Extreme Arena". The arena will feature half-pipes, street spines, ramps, platforms and other related obstacles. It was designed for pedestrian and cycle/trike events, but some car duels will be staged there.

August 5, 2049: Mike Garrity wins the "Friends, Lend Me Your Guns" tournament held at Gen Con. He later went on to win the first running of the MechaGodzilla battle simulation

August 6, 2049: Mike Garrity won "The search for the Golden Transmssion" event held at Gen Con. Dan Gilland won the second running of the MechaGodzilla event.

August 7, 2049: Mike Garrity wins the first round of the 2049 World Duelling Championships. Norman McMullen won the second round, defeating Mike Garrity in the process.

August 8, 2049: Mike Garrity wins the 2049 World Duelling Championship, becoming the first time any single player has won both World Championships. He won the World Racing Championship in 2044. This is also the first time that any single AADA chapter has had the champions of both Worlds.

August 21, 2049: Norman McMullen defeated Don Jacques in a friendly Division-20 duel at the Central Park Aqua-Arena in Battle, Nebraska. After several circling passes and chases, Norman managed to breach Don's rear armor and destroy his power plant. In return, Don put two of his four torpedoes into Norman's bottom armor.
 
 

New Arena/Race Circuits

Royal Crown (RC): UK, Ireland, Scotland

Red Star (RS): Russia

Old World (OW): Europe

David's Star (DS): Israeli Empire

Dominion (DN): Dominion of South Africa

Banana (BA): South America/Brazilian Empire

Samurai (SM): Japan, East Asia

AADA Circuits: Atlantic Armor (AA), Canadian Crown (CC), Deseret Mountain (DM), Dixie Duel (DD), FlashFire (FF), Great Northern (GN), Host Asphalt (HA), L'Outrance (LO), Overdrive (OD), Quebecois (QU), Royal Flash (RF), Shooting Star (SS)

Most people have heard of triathlons, where the athletes go through three different events one after the each other. These are swimming, biking and running. The obvious question is "why not do something similar for Car Wars?". The duellists or racers begin with a boat duel or race, then go to one on land between cars. Finally, they end up in an aerial battle. The duellists use triphibious grasshoppers. Each segment will last as long as necessary (certainly no shorter than 10 turns or so). The duellists will then have a certain period of time to transform and reach the next event. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. If racing is the basis for all three events, the time factor also doesn't apply for getting between events. Suggested divisions for each event range form Division-40 to Division-100.

Maps used: 1 Boat Wars map & 1 Car Wars Tanks map.

Alternate Method

The tri-duel event can be done using three vehicles: one car, one boat and one helicopter. The boat duel lasts for 10 turns, the car duel lasts for 10 turns and the helicopter duel lasts 10 turns.

2050 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-10 preliminary round/Division-20 final round Vehicles used: trikes

2051 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-5 preliminary round/Division-10 final round. Vehicles used: motorcycles.

2052 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-15 preliminary round/Division-30 final round. Vehicles used: boats.

2053 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-20 preliminary round/Division-40 final round. Vehicles used: hovercraft.

2054 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-25 preliminary round/Division-50 final round. Vehicles used: helicopters.

2055 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-50 preliminary round/Division-100 final round. Vehicles used: Oversized or buses.

2056 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-30 preliminary round/Division-60 final round. Vehicles used: microplanes.

2057 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-40 preliminary round/Division-80 final round. Vehicles used: grasshoppers.

2058 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-?? preliminary round/Division-?? final round. These are both pedestrian events.

2059 Worlds
Duelling & Racing: Division-10 preliminary round/Division-20 final round. These are both team events.

2060 Worlds
Duelling: Division-20 preliminary round/Division-60 final round. Vehicles used: duellist's choice.
Racing: Division-20 preliminary round w/ sprint cars/Division-60 final round w/ Indy cars

Sub-compacts: D5 to D20, Compacts: D5-D30, Midsizes: D10-D30, Sedans: D15-D30, Luxuries: D20-D40, Station Wagons: D20-D40, Pickups: D25-D50, Campers: D25-D50, Vans: D25-D50, Formula-1/Indy: D30-D100, Can-Am: D30-D100, Sprint Cars: D20-D60, Funny Cars: D30-D100, Dragsters: D30-D100, Cycles: D5-D30, Trikes: D5-D30, Trucks: D30-D150, Buses: D30-D100, Boats: D5-D100, Hovercraft: D10-D100, Helicopters: D25-D100, Microplanes: D10-D100, Airplanes: D20-D200, Jets: unlimited.
 
 

"Ah, no kiss-kiss, no kill-kill. And you were doing so well. Now, don't you have a job to do? Don't you hear a thought repeating in that barbaric brain of yours?-The name is Friendly, Edgar Friendly. Don't you have someone to kill?"
    --Dr. Cocteau to Simon Phoenix in "Demolition Man"

"The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning"
    --Pele

"I have a challenge for you, Sark. A new recruit. He's a tough case, I want him treated in the usual manner. Train him for the games, let him hope for a while then blow him away".
    --The Master-Control Program in "Tron"

"Always do more than is required of you".
    --General George S. Patton

"You can check out, but you can never leave"
    --The song "Hotel California", by The Eagles

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"
    --John Maxwell

"Anytime, baby!!"
    --Crew motto, F-14 Tomcat fighters

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"
    --unknown
 
 

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
    This movie is perhaps the most eagerly-awaited sequel in history. It opens with the peaceful planet of Naboo being blockaded by the Trade Federation. The Supreme Chancellor sends two Jedi Knights (Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kewnobi, played by Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor respectively) as ambassadors to defuse the situation. They quickly get involved in the invasion, but manage to wisk Queen Amidala away to safety. As the ship they used was damaged in the escape, they head for Tatooine for repairs.
    Once on Tatooine, they run into the very-young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who helps them with repairs to their ship and also pays for the parts by entering a dangerous pod race. Anakin wins his freedom from slavery by his victory in the race. The main villain, Darth Maul tries to interecpt the heroes before they get to Coruscant (the capital of the Galactic Republic), but is unsuccessful. While on Coruscant, our heroes deal with a host of political problems but finally win in the end. This is a must-see film. *****
 

FutureSport: Starring Dean Cain (Ramzey), Vanessa Williams (Alex) and Wesley Snipes (Fixx).
    FutureSport is the biggest game in the world and Ramzey is the best player. The game is a cross between street hockey and football/basketball, and is played on skateboards and rollerskates.
    Ramzey and Alex get tangled up with a group called the Hawaiian Liberation Organization in the context of a possible war between the North American Alliance and the Sino-Asian Combine. Ramzey comes up with the idea of settling the issue in a winner-take-all game of FutureSport. The action flows quickly and the emotions involved run very high.
    This movie is worth one sitting. It resembles a made-for-TV movie, probably because it naver hit the theaters and could have gone straight to video. **
 
 

June 5, 2049: The NOVA faithful showed up for the first regional championship to be held in Nebraska in years. Don Jacques, Mike Garrity and Norman McMullen (NOVA Club Racing Champion) attended. Norman won the pole position, with Mike in the middle and Don on the outside. The starting speed was 100 mph and the trio proceeded to race down the 1.18-mile Aerodrome racetrack (a 6x scale version of the Airship Arena). Everyone accelerated as they made the first turn. Mike and Norman crowded each other for first place, while Don took up the rear.
    Norman and Mike continued to race side-by-side until the third turn. Norman's higher top speed eventually began to make the difference. By the time that the trio entered the first inner straightaway, both Mike and Don had reached their top speeds. Norman had a higher top speed, and he kept accelerating.Not wanting to be left behind, Mike and Don pushed their power plants. The dice were brought out as they both kept going faster and faster.
    Things didn't change until everyone completed the first lap. Weapons were now free and combat began. Mike fired on Norman with an MG, hitting the rear armor. In turn, Don fired on Mike's rear armor and scored some damage. Down the back straightaway, Don moved into second place as Mike eased off on his power plant. Norman was targeted by Don, whose LMG rounds finally breached the rear armor and did some damage to the power plant. Rounding the corner on the inner straightaway, both Don and Mike experienced the effects of pushing their power plants. Mike eased off on his acceleration, but Don's last rolls exceeded the remaining points left on his power plant. On the third of four rolls, a one was achieved. This caused Don's car to explode and litter the track with debris.
    With Don's demise, Mike moved into second place on turn 28. Mike fired on Norman again, finally destroying his power plant on turn 32. Coasting, Norman crossed the start/finish line to complete his second lap. Mike caught up to Norman and passed him, thus winning the regional.

Finishing Positions

1^st Place: Mike Garrity (2.33 laps completed)
2^nd Place: Norman McMullen (2.33 laps completed)
3^rd Place: Don Jacques (1.33 laps completed)

Gunracer (Mike Garrity): Streamlined sedan, hvy chassis, hvy suspension, thundercat power plant, 4 PR racing slicks, driver, MG (F), Swc, HD shocks, overdrive, spoiler & airdam, Sloped Armor: F25, B10, R10, L10, T2, U3. Acceleration: 15 (10 w/ OD), HC: 5 (6 @ 60 mph+), Top Speed: 222.5 mph (242.5 mph w/ OD), 5,170 lbs, $22,538.

Warp IID (Norman McMullen): Streamlined sedan, light chassis, hvy suspension, thundercat power plant w/ SCs, 4 std racing slicks, driver, HD shocks, overdrive, spoiler & airdam, Sloped Armor: F10, B10, R5, L5, T1, U2. Acceleration: 15 (10 w/ OD), HC: 5(6 @ 60 mph+), Top Speed: 245 mph (265 mph w/ OD), 4,587 lbs, $24,714.

Asphalt Assimilator (Don Jacques): Streamlined sedan, std chassis, hvy suspension, thundercat power plant, 4 HD racing slicks, driver, LMG (F), HrSwc, HD shocks, overdrive, spoiler & airdam, Sloped Armor: F16, B16, R12, L12, T2, U2. Acceleration: 15 (10 w/ OD), Top Speed 225 mph(245 mph w/OD), HC: 5 (6 @ 60 mph+), 5,100 lbs, $23,638.
 
 

June 5, 2049: Due to technical problems, the Brannon Braga Memorial Arena was unavailable for the regional duel. The back-up arena (Washington Park) was used instead, Sadly, only NOVA members attended due to a scheduling problem with the members of the Iowa Underground. Those in attendance were Mike Garrity (NOVA Club Duelling Champion), Don Jacques and Norman McMullen.
    Mike entered the arena through one of the north gates, and started to circle the walled & paved area along the eastern passage. Don entered from the south while Norman entered from the west. Don and Norman tarded shots with each other as they approached. Some minor damage was don to Don's front armor. Changing course, Don went towards the paved area.
    Mike angled in, fired his blast cannon at Don and did less-than-average damage. He followed Don into the paved area. Don maneuvered and got behind Mike's car. Vulcan rounds from Don chewed into Mike's rear armor, doing moderate damage. In response, Mike laid a trail of napalm mines. Unable to avoid the mines, Don set off a pair. The mine explosions damaged both Don and Mike.
    Three of Don's tires were set on fire, along with his underbody armor. Mike's right-rear tire was set on fire also. Norman entered the paved area through another entrance, thus avoiding the mines. Don and Mike continued their battle for several turns, then Mike decided to go after Norman.
    Norman left the paved area by the east entrance. Mike was in hot pursuit, doing hard maneuvers to keep Norman in view. With shells from Mike's blast cannon hitting his rear armor, Norman laid down a trail of spikes which ended up as a permanent patch of spikes on the arena floor. Mike worked his way around the spikes at 80 mph and T-boned Norman, killing the driver.
    Don left the paved area, losing one tire and having the remaining tire catch on fire. Mike suffered similar problems, as the burn modifiers from his napalm mines caused his underbody armor and left-rear tire to catch fire. Don's underbody armor burned through and the fire entered the vehicle proper. Already heavily damaged, Mike's rear tires burned off. This caused his vehicle to eventaully drag to a stop. Norman's vehicle sailed between the remaining combatants and slammed into the arena's west wall, coming to a dead stop.
    The other three tires burned off Don's car, grounding it hard on the arena floor. Don's driver was killed in a combination of underbody damage and the internal fire. Mike's troubles were not over yet, as the fire on his underbody armor burned through and went internal. He left his vehicle in a hurry and was clear when the fire caused the power plant to explode. With two kills to his credit, Mike emerged as the winner of the Regional Duelling Championship.

Finishing Positions

1^st Place: Mike Garrity (2 kills)
2^nd Place: Don Jacques (killed)
3^rd Place: Norman McMullen (killed)

Napalm Neutralizer (Mike Garrity): Sedan, x-hvy chassis, O/R suspension, large power plant w/ PCs, 4 PROR tires, BC w/ extra magazine F, 2 linked MDs (B) w/ proximity-fuzed napalm mines, HrSwc, Armor: F70, B50, R45, L45, T8, U8. Acceleration: 5, HC: 2 (3 O/R), Top Speed: 92.5 mph, 6,119 lbs, $23,628

Excalibur 2049 Scythe OR (Don Jacques): Pick-up, hvy chassis, O/R suspension, large power plant w/ upgrades, 4 OR solid tires, driver, 2 VMGs linked F, SWC, spoiler, no-paint windshield, Sloped Armor: F54, B50, R50, L50, T7, U9. Acceleration: 5, HC: 2 (3 O/R, +1 HC @ 60 mph+), Top Speed: 90 mph, 6,900 lbs, $24,474

BlastFighter XXXII (Norman McMullen): Sedan, x-hvy chassis, O/R suspension, large power plant w/ PCs, 4 OR solid tires, driver, BC w/ extra magazine F (all ammo is HESH), SD w/ extra magazine B (all spikes are explosive), HrSwc, weapon link (BC/SD), HD brakes, overdrive, Sloped Composite Armor: F18/10, B7/10, R7/10, L7/10, T0/4, U0/4. Acceleration: 5 (2.5 w/ OD), HC: 2 (3 O/R), Top Speed: 92.5 mph (112.5 mph w/ OD), 6,112 lbs, $24,631.
 
 

We weren't fully on our stride this year. The same could be said for all of the Car Wars events at Gen Con. Our road trip to and from the convention was filled with wrong turns, minor goof-ups and just plain leaving things behind. So, we had to double-back and pick them up. This caused us to arrive late at Mike Garrity's house.
    Our pre-registration form got in late. Mike Garrity wasn't sure if  he would be attending this year until just two weeks before the Con. We had a fourth person who wanted to go, but he backed out at the last minute due to scheduling problems and car trouble.
    The Worlds themselves were last year re-visited in some ways. All the event scheduling was late and not logically planned (in my opinion). The format was posted late and went by the book (more on this later).
    We stayed in Sandburg Hall on the UWM campus, which was three miles northeast of the new MECCA.
    Each day on our trip into town, we got to see some of the more interesting parts of Milwaukee (ones that you wouldn't want to stop in after dark). We had to pay to park on campus and in a lot down the street from MECCA, which ended up draining our wallets faster than we originally anticipated.
    In 1997, the new MECCA building started going up down the street from the old one. This year, we got to be in the new one. It was vastly different, and at times we missed the old MECCA. However, such is the price of progress. ANDON had put the exhibition hall in the upper level of the new building. The miniatures games were in Bruce Hall (2 blocks north of the new building). All of this made for some long walks. As we did not go to Gen Con in 1998, we were surprised to see that the old MECCA building had been completely demolished, and that other parts of the new one were still under construction. Next year' Gen Con should be rather interesting. We are forced to wonder whether or not Bruce Hall will be demolished. Only time will tell for sure.
    The road-Kill count was rather thin this year, with just a few squirrels, raccoons and un-identifiable lumps. Along the way back, we also spotted a few accidents. One in Wisconsin involved a car & an boat trailer that it had been towing. The trailer had fishtailed (obvious loss of control here), with the boat falling off it and onto the shoulder of the road. Another accident in Iowa involved a van whose right-front tire was smoking (possible fire modifiers??)

This year's Worlds had some elements of the previous year's debacle. It suffered from poor planning in several ways. The announcement of the format wasn't made until late June (!!). Moreover, the location of the event itself wasn't publicized until late April (!!!). As a result, NOVA had to scramble to get pre-registered.
    This was only the beginning of our problems. The Worlds were an on-site event, meaning that we couldn't pre-register for it. When we arrived, we tried to get tickets for the Worlds, only to be told that it was sold out. This was due to a clerical error on the part of Andon. Also, the on-site schedule failed to list the Friday-night preliminary. Attendance as a result was the lowest in the entire history of the World Championships. Five players competed in the first round, seven players in the second round and just five players (??) in the final round. MJ Daniels did a very good job in running the Worlds. There were no real rules problems, considering that he went "by the book " (which proved to be). For the first round on Saturday, MJ had his friend Matt run the event. Matt handled things very easily, considering that there were only five duellists competing.
    The competition was mainly between NOVA and a few others. The first round could be viewed as two separate duels, one between the members of NOVA and the second between the other players. Near the end, the survivors mixed it up, and Mike Garrity won easily by wasting Norman McMullen's car with a fire (started by incendiary ammunition) that went internal and caused it to explode.
    The second round saw more players and a new arena. Duelling was fast and furious, with Norman acting as the Harbinger of Death. He earned this nickname because vehicles were exploding all around him, but strangely not becuse of his weapons fire. It finally came down to a contest between Norman and Mike. Earlier, Norman had rammed Mike and removed most of the armor on the side he hit. Then, Norman chased Mike through the un-littered side of the arena and up onto the raised central platform. Mike lost control coming down off the platform, said loss of control being caused by his attempts to get out of Norman's front arc. He fishtailed and vaulted. Mike's car was confettied when it landed, thus giving the win to Norman.
    The final round started with just the three NOVA players. After the first three turns, two more players showed up (Darrin Marquez and Glen C.). Entering the fray by mutual consent of the participants and the referee, the twosome began to mix it up immediately. Don lost control of his vehicle and rolled onto his side. Darrin fired a round from his blast cannon into Don's underbody armor, scoring the first kill of the event.
    Mike's vehicle lost control as he maneuvered to avoid the spikes that Norman was dropping. Mike was also trying to get Glen off his tail. The resulting fishtail cost Mike 20 mph of speed and had him facing towards the central platform and the six-pack. Glen shot past Mike at his original speed. Slowing down even further, Mike decide to go for the beer (with whoever picking it up being declared the winner). Darrin and Norman rammed into each other head-on, with each of them losing half of their front armor. Glen lost control tried to maneuver towards Mike.
    Norman pivoted so that he could fire on Mike, but Glen's rolling car got in the way. Norman fired on him, penetrating the top armor and demolishing the gas tank in passing. Glen ended up on his top, and Norman moved away to get a shot at Darrin. While this was all going on, Mike slowed to a stop and got out of his truck to pick up the beer. He succeded, and the event ended. Mike took first place, Darrin second, Norman third, Glen fourth and Don fifth.
    All rounds were done in MicroMachine scale with miniatures. Arenas were simple in layout, thus easing play. The Cloverleaf arena was damaged in transport and was not available for use in the second round. Movement was a bit tricky due to the scale difference and lack of experience playing in this scale. Overall, this year's Worlds were much better than last year. Attendance could have been much better, but this was due to poor advertising and the late announcement of the location in which the Duelling Worlds were to be held. Hopefully, this can be used as a learning experience for next year.

Other Events

There were only three other Car Wars events at Gen Con this year. Only one vent was registered, this one being "Friends, Lend Me Your Guns". It was done in 1/24th scale, and Mike Garrity did the most damage in the first running. He managed to eliminate one-third of the vehicles on the field without being scratched.
    The other on-site events were "The Search for the Golden Transmission" and the "MechaGodzilla Battle Simulation". The Search event was similar to the "Friends" event. Also held in 1/24 scale, it was a duel in a junkyard. The main difference was that there was a prize to be claimed, namely the Golden Transmission. Again, Mike Garrity did the most damage. Eight of the other vehicles in the event fell to his guns.
    Lastly, there was the MechaGodzilla event. This year, the U.S. G-Force was tasked to evaluate some new equipment and tactics. On Thursday night, MechaGodzilla was defeated easily (only completing half of his mission. Mike Garrity won the first MechaGodzilla event.
    On Friday night, another group defeated MechaGodzilla. Led by Dan Gilland, G-Force took down the mechanical beastie, suffering only moderate casualties. However, MechaGodzilla did manage to destroy all of his targets. Both nights were light-hearted and good-natured events. In fact, NOVA got some good ideas on how to pull off a large-scale Godzilla event; something that we are still working on.
    Even though there weren't as many Car Wars events this year as in previous years, we still had a good time. We met old and new friends and had a good time. We enjoyed meeting Elizabeth Lindsay and MJ Daniels and also discussed SJ Games' token appearance at Gen Con. Overall, it was a good convention. Next year, we hope that the Duelling Worlds will return to Gen Con. We also plan to run a race and another Godzilla event.

This issue we feature vehicles used in this year's Duelling Worlds. Some are from the first and second rounds, others are from the final. Read on MacDuff and damned be he who first cries "Hold, Enough!!"

2049 Big-Gun I: Mid-size, hvy chassis, hvy suspension, 200 CI gas engine w/ 5-gallon economy tank, 4 PR tires, driver & gunner, BC w/ HEAT** ammo F10 pts CA on driver, 2 4-pt wheel hubs F, 2 4-pt wheelguards B, Composite Armor: F12/18, B3/36, R0/32, L0/32, T0/6, U0/6. Acceleration: 5, HC: 3, Top Speed: 62.5 mph, Base MPG: 35, 4,893 lbs, $14,998.
    **: allowed by MJ Daniels in his stock designs for the Worlds.

FightBlaster C-2: Streamlined mid-size, x-hvy chassis, hvy suspension, large power plant, 4 solid tires, driver, BC w/ HESH ammo F, HrSwc, Sloped Composite Armor: F18/20, B7/19, R7/18, L7/18, T0/3, U0/3. Acceleration: 5, HC; 3, Top Speed: 100 mph, 5,758 lbs, $18,442.

Hardnose 5-C: Pick-up, x-hvy chassis, O/R suspension, 300 CI gas engine w/ 7-gallon duelling tank, 6 OR solid tires, driver, ATG w/ HEAT ammo F, SD w/ explosive spikes B, SWC, weapon link (ATG/SD), spoiler, Composite Armor: F18/50, B0/50, R045, L0/45, T0/5, U0/10. Acceleration: 10, HC: 2 (3 @ 60 mph+), Top Speed: 80 mph, Base MPG: 22, 7,797 lbs, $29,405.

World Ranger: Sedan, x-hvy chassis, hvy suspension, large power plant w/ PCs, 4 SBPR tires, driver, BC (F), 3 MMLs (1 R, 1 L, 1 B), SWC (to BC), spoiler, Sloped Armor: F60, B50, R50, L50, T5, U7. Acceleration: 5, HC: 3, Top Speed: 92.5 mph, 6,113 lbs, $19,746.

World Ranger II: Pickup, x-hvy chassis, O/R suspension, 300 Ci gas engine w/ 5-gallon duelling tank, 6 SBPROR tires, driver, BC w/ extra magazine F, spoiler, Armor: F78, B65, R65, L65, T7, U7. Acceleration: 10, HC: 1 (2 O/R), Base MPG: 22, 7,617 lbs, $29,999.

World Ranger II-A: Replace BC w/ ATG & extra magazine (all ammo is HEAT), add SWC and increase gas tank to 8 gallons. 7,717 lbs,$27,694.
 
 

There have been many groups associated with NOVA over the years. Some are still friends with us, and still others are long gone. The associations began as soon as NOVA came into existence and have kept going ever since. We'll try to put them in chronological order. Most of these clubs were (or are) New Omaha-based.

OMEN (Omaha Metropolitan Enforcement Network)--Presidents: Matt Bowerman & Don Viner. The chapter was founded by Bowerman to compete with NOVA, but only lasted one year (2035). A few years later, Viner reformed it to compete with NOVA again. This newer version suffered the same fate as the older one.

SWORDS (South-West Omaha Racing& Duelling Society)--Presidents: Chris Kusel and John Scheibler. This chapter began before NOVA ever formed. After NOVA was up and running, they merged with us. They later broke away (in 2040) to compete with NOVA again, but were short-lived.

LOAD (Lords Of Auto-Duelling)--President: Ben Scott of Denver, Colorado. Founded by Ben Scott in Denver in 2037, but only lasted about a year or so. Noted for their great buttons and logos.

Ground-Zero RADS (Road-Arena Duelling Society)--Presidents: Keith Fair and "Elvis" Presley. Started in Bellevue in 2037and lasted several years. This chapter was noted for a Division-100 duel which heralded the BlastFighter armor package; also for the road trip to Name-That-Con II in St. Louis, Missouri for the 2039 Regional Duelling Champioship.

Lincoln Avengers & Hammer's Slammers--President: Tim Jacques. The Lincoln Avengers were started in 2037 and lasted until 2040 when Tim graduated from UNL. The Avengers and NOVA were very close, running several campaigns and tournaments together. Hammer's Slammers was formed in 2044 and lasted about a year. Their roster was mostly composed of old Avengers members and a few independents.

GameMasters (NOVA South)--President: Daniel Sloan. This chapter was founded in Florida in 2043 after Daniel met us at Gen Con. They did not understand what NOVA was all about, and so were called NOVA South in name only. GameMasters lasted for about a year, partially because of conflicts with us.

NOVA Chapter Alliances/Associations

SANDTrap
DRAW
SWAT
GODS (defunct chapter)
GHOST (defunct chapter)
 
 

All the saints be praised, NOVA finally has T-shirts with out club logo on them. We have worn them to several conventions and have received favorable comments about them. We have even been asked where we had the work done. We have not updated or projects list in some time, so our current projects are as follows:

1) NOVA flag: Fall 1999

2)The first Godzilla article: Winter 1999

Works in progress include adding one Nightmessenger and one arena or racetrack to the website each month. Another project that we have given some thought to is compiling all of our duelslang and combat rock. More on this in a later issue.
 
 

Aren't you glad that we didn't have to go through the scare over the change of the Century/Millennium that our grandparents went through. No riots or computer crashes or anything like that. Because for us, it has already happened. We've been there and done that in the world of Car Wars, meaning that the future is as bright as we can make it. Each of us has to decide what to do in this regard.

In our next issue, we will feature NOVA's club championships, as well as other news of interest. The Neo-ASPs, BLUR and the rest of the alphabet-soup gangs are sure to keep us busy. The same can be said for the mysterious Phantom.

Until the aforesaid next issue, may you live in interesting times.

"DRIVE OFFENSIVELY"
 
 
 
 

Norman McMullen	Michael Garrity
NOVA President	NOVA Secretary

NOVA Works
    Super Sport Power Plant & Racing Power Plants: Norman McMullen

Variable-Fire Weaponry: Michael Garrity

The 10 O'clock News: Norman McMullen

Nuts & Bolts: Norman McMullen

Quotes: Norman McMullen

On the Track & In the Arena: Norman McMullen

Gen Con Road Trip & Convention Report: Norman McMullen

The Showroom
    2049 Big-Gun I: MJ Daniels, FightBlaster C-2 & Hardnose 5-C: Norman McMullen
    World Ranger (both versions): Don Jacques

Typesetting & Page Layout: Michael Garrity

Editors: Michael Garrity & Norman McMullen

The Nightmessenger is published quarterly by the New Omaha Vehicular Association, 2524 Madison St., Bellevue, NE 68005. All material is copyright 1999 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.

Editor's Note: This issue is dedicated to John Lafreniere, a long-time friend (18+ years) of our own Mike Garrity. John was severely burned in a fire at his apartment on Friday, September 17. As of press time on this issue, John is in critical but stable condition. Tragically, John's 10-year-old son Jonathan later died from injuries sustained in the fire. We in NOVA ask that you think well of John in the days that follow.
 

Back to Nightmessenger Page

Back to Front Page