Car Wars Reloaded

[sir-talen]

Here's the idea. Over the course of it's heyday (1980 to 1992) the Car Wars universe developed a rather... convoluted... future history. From the days of Crazy Joe Harshman to Japan's invasion of California (and the less said about that the better), the history of autoduelling world was not merely fleshed out, but occasionally stetched to the breaking point. More to the point, major events that had a profound effect on the Car Wars universe have in theory already happened, making the old history out of date.

So, let's start over. Assuming the world of Car Wars is set fifty years into the future, as it always has been, how would you write history to bring the ubiquitous, heavily armed, electric powered and plastic armored rolling pieces of death that we love into the world?

[Aahz.]

Honestly I would rather just see it build on what is already there than a completely revised history. I like the old books and background, all I want is some current support. It is *the* game that got me into SJ Games and the way it languishes is depressing.

Aahz.

[Saxondog]

hmmm...

In 2024 a number of radical groups in the mid-east decide the easiest way to get the westerners and their influence out of their countries would be to get rid of the main thing that kept them there. While they were at it, it was decided to strike a blow around the world. Nuclear devices were set off in most of the oild foelds of the middle-east as well as a number in Russia and Mexico. The results were almost immediate.

The worlds oil reserves were used up very quickly. Oil companies were going broke. Un-employment went up. Without oil, auto makers began to go broke. Un-employment went up. Parts makers and dealers were broke. Truckers lost their jobs. Un-employment went up.

There weren't enough explosions to bring about a true nuclear winter but it was enough to lower temperatures a few degrees. Crops began to fail. People began to starve. What food was produced had fewer options for delivery. More people began to starve.

The world we had known was gone.

By 2040 the worlds population was about 20% of what it had been. Things had started to turn around. More railroads had been built to transport food. Temperatures had returned to normal. The human race being the inovators they are, new ideas had started to be developed. Algae based foods, and non-fossil fuel power systems were two of the biggest and most important developments.

Over most of the world, governments had failed and fallen or in some cases, like in the US, they had just lost power over much of their territory. State governments and even local authority began to take more and more power unto themselves. Confederations and alliances were formed. The federal govenment lacked the power to stop these developments and parts of the country seceeded. Some peacefully, some violently.

With little or no central authorities the lawless element became bolder and began to have as much power as some of the new governments. People began to look out for their own safety. No one left their homes un-armed in much of the world. By the time things had stabilized, this was the accepted norm and people were NOT willing to give up their weapons.

Life was cheap. Life was violent. Sports got more violent too. Crazy Joe won his destruction derby and the world of Car Wars was here.

.........................
Long winded but.....

[Piecemaker]

I was gonna go that route as well, but tie it into Moslem terrorists launching repeated and succesful attacks on North America, Europe, and Russia, reducing the population by using WMD's- NBC style.

After a brief and violent war- fought mostly in the ME but with some skirmishes here in the US, Mexico, and Canada attempting to invade the US (Hey, may as well stir the pot!) the American populace is reduiced by upwards of 35%. Riots occur, as most cities do not have any sort of regular food coming in.

Washington DC was completely destroyed by a series of briefcase nukes, and the entire financial district on Wall Street was destroyed as well. This throws the world's markets into a downward spiral- compounded with inflation, and a fliught from US equities, the US loses market capitalization, and the remaining pieces of the government decide to default on all outstanding debt.

The US is now little more than a third world country. Armed citizens make their own laws- and states governments are all that remain of this once great culture.

Autodueling is a natural byproduct of the degrading society- and people quickly start modifying their cars (a la Mad Max) with enclosed guns.

So forth...

[Aahz.]

Originally Posted by Piecemaker

I was gonna go that route as well, but tie it into Moslem terrorists launching repeated and succesful attacks on North America, Europe, and Russia, reducing the population by using WMD's- NBC style.

Painting them with a wide brush like that is kind of harsh for the Muslim people who play this game isnt it?

Aahz.

[Saxondog]

He didn't say all Muslim people were terrorists. I personally know a few who are quite nice people. On the other hand, It is fact that the vast majority of such attacks are made by Muslim peoples. There are others of course. Some Irish, some Basque, some South American drug figures might count and a few smaller groups around the world, but most are Muslim.

Also, the Muslim extremists are about the only one's who would have a desire to strike out at the western world as a whole. The other groups are more locally oriented and don't care what goes on outside of their sphere.

[Aahz.]

Originally Posted by Saxondog

He didn't say all Muslim people were terrorists. I personally know a few who are quite nice people. On the other hand, It is fact that the vast majority of such attacks are made by Muslim peoples. There are others of course. Some Irish, some Basque, some South American drug figures might count and a few smaller groups around the world, but most are Muslim.

Also, the Muslim extremists are about the only one's who would have a desire to strike out at the western world as a whole. The other groups are more locally oriented and don't care what goes on outside of their sphere.

The only reason I mentioned it is most Germans I know of are sick of always being painted as villians, no reason to pick a different group for the same brush.

Aahz.

[owenmp]

While talking about automotive combat and suitcase nukes, here is a piece of old data you might find interesting.

Joe Dever, author of the "Lone Wolf" fantasy gamebook series, wrote a four-volume post-apocalyptic gamebook series titled "Freeway Warrior" in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The series had the reader drive a convoy of refugees from Texas to California.

The premise of the world was terrorists had stolen nuclear warheads and detonated them when their base was infiltrated. The resulting chain reactions of targets being destroyed (such as nuclear power facilities and other nuclear weapons sites) created a nuclear winter.

If anyone is interested in helping convert the combats of the series to Car Wars, GURPS, d20 or another game system, let me know. I was thinking of posting some conversion notes to my Web site next year.

[schoon]

I generally agree that the Car Wars history wouldn't need a complete overhaul, so much as a few tweaks here and there to get it a little more on track with events since the game came out many moons ago.

[Parody]

Phase 1: Today.
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: Cars with guns, 50 years in the future!

Good enough for me. :)

Now if I had to go with the thread title...

It's 50 years in the future. Geo, the world's greatest autoduelist, is searching for a way to save Scion from the automated factories that have taken over the world. Before getting to that, though, he and his buddies have to drive their tractor/trailer back to Scion and get recharged. After the big rave, Geo heads back to the duel arena and blows stuff up for a while. Then he drives on the road and blows up tons of cars, trucks, cycles, trikes, and a couple hovercraft that have a huge arrow floating in front of them. Eventually he makes it to AADA HQ, breaks in, and talks to a man in white who is known only as 'SJG'. The man explains that to find knowledge of the past and the key to the saving Scion, Geo must go talk to the factories directly! Oh, and he saves his girlfriend Infiniti from not making the jump at Hammer Downs.

Watch Geo learn about the world in Car Wars Revolutions!