GURPS Car Wars 4e

[dataweaver]

From 4th Edition Vehicles:

Originally Posted by LokRobster

MMMM Autoduel vehicles, for the GURPS gearhead. Sounds fun to build from either starting point.
For 4e GURPS Autoduel, I've gone to stat-line research (especially Pyramid 3/40's "Hot Rides", thanks Pulver!) to guesstimate up 4e armed and armored cars lots of times and then moved on to other things instead. I've only stat'd out a couple of specific cars for my Infinite Worlds campaign.

I wondered what form the 4e Vehicles would take, since everything else steers so far from the in-depth 3e robot/vehicle system. I have to say that this approach/product concept has me very hopeful.

I look forward to the eventual pdf!

as we eagerly await Car Wars 6e too.. I'd imagine CW6e releases first.

GURPS/Car Wars tie-in!?

While the nostalgia buff in me would love to get an update of the Car Wars setting, I've got to admit that the setting hasn't aged well. What I'd like to see instead would be a reboot:: scrap the existing timeline (we're well past several world-changing developments in the original timeline) and tech assumptions, many of which were ad hoc rationales for neat toys in the original board game with little thought or into how realistic they may or may not be (hi, X-Ray lasers and Gold Cross centers!), and instead start over at the basics: a world set 50 years in the future (as opposed to a divergent reality that split off from ours a couple of decades ago) where gun culture, car culture, and a dose of survivalist culture have combined to produce an America where armed private vehicles are commonplace.

But beyond that, don't feel beholden to past publications. You don't need to keep Gold Cross around, for instance, nor plastic armor or even widespread electrical vehicles, unless you want to. Conversely, we have technology in modern cars that the original Car Wars didn't make available until the mid-2030s.

[Refplace]

I'm ok either way.
Autoduel 4E
After The End: Car Warriors (to reduce confusion between brands)

I dont see anything really wrong with the old setting, though I admit its been years since I looked at it.

[johndallman]

Probably best to see what Car Wars 6e does to canon before making plans. Hum ... could that be what PK is working on? He did write AtE, which would be a useful framework for creating a new canon setting.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Probably best to see what Car Wars 6e does to canon before making plans. Hum ... could that be what PK is working on?

Its been one of my thoughts, timing it to release with the new Cars Wars could be a nice bit of cross promotion.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by Refplace

I'm ok either way.
Autoduel 4E
After The End: Car Warriors (to reduce confusion between brands)

Not After the End; that's predicated on a complete breakdown of society, and not the sort of setting where car manufacturers are still very much selling their products to consumers (albeit products with integrated weapon systems), where people still commute to work, where truckers still travel the highways shipping goods over long distances, where you can go to the corner store to pick up guns and ammo; and in general where some semblance of civilization still exists.

Yes, there needs to be a partial breakdown of society to justify the new environment where road rage incidents now include gunfire and where truckers have to fight off armed bike gangs; but in general it should be a setting where enough infrastructure still exists that people aren't having to scrounge for their next meal and the Car Warriors aren't driving Mad Max style salvaged cars with makeshift armor plating welded on; in particular, it's not a setting where wealth is measured in how much ammo you've managed to scrounge; there's still a viable monetary system.

But yeah; I'd be okay with the GURPS supplement being called “Car Warriors” rather than “Autoduel”, as the latter puts more emphasis on the armed demolition derbies than on the “armed civilians” aspect.

[Phantasm]

We'd still have the classics of the setting such as Fnord Motors, right? :)

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

We'd still have the classics of the setting such as Fnord Motors, right? :)

I think I used that in an IOU game (well, IOU-inspired game, it was a 'high school and below' that fed into IOU).

[Neonpico]

Funny that this thread started up; I've been running a scenario-generator campaign for a completely different system when a couple of the players started reminiscing about Car Wars. So I've started considering running a Car Wars campaign with the same campaign system.

Looking back at the game, I agree that several things in the storyline and equipment lists haven't aged well. One thing that stands out is that several accessories are considered standard equipment on today's cars: Anti-lock brakes, Steelbelted Radials, Overdrive, etc.

There are some things that are right-on for today's roads, though. The Autopilot is a startling good facsimile for today's self-driving cars. And so is the Computer Navigator for today's GPS.

As Dataweaver noted, Gold Cross needs some story-help. But it is obviously a bone thrown to the players to keep their characters in a universe that is particularly violent. It's also a balance factor, giving the characters something to throw gobs of money at that would otherwise translate into extreme wealth.