Demotivational Poster: Winning the Commute

Remember boys and girls.  Always drive offensively.

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Ask Me Anything: Snippets from my Formspring.me page

I’m enjoying this little website.  It’s like Twitter but less demanding.  It doesn’t require you to sign up for anything to ask me a question.  Just click here and go Ask Me Anything

Q. Hollywood is giving away classic film and television automobiles. Which one do you claim as yours for everyday driving?
A. Just one? I’ll take Ecto 1.

Q. Imagine, if you will, you’re in a dimension not of sight, or of sound, but of mind…what do you look like?
A. Brilliant neon green. A pulsating orb of energy.

Q. How are y’all today?
A. Still numb.

Q. Do you have an accent (as reckoned by your friends and co-workers)? What kind?
A. Nope. Midwesterners are pretty accent free (until we travel to other parts of the country).

Q. Would you rather be right, or be happy? No weaseling by claiming they are always compatible, please.
A. I’d rather be right. But I’m not going to fight someone over it. I’ll let them wallow in their ignorance.

Q. What do you sleep in?
A. in bed with my wife.

Q. Why where there no sheets on the bed in TOS?
A. Sophisticated room sensors provide maximum comfort without needing to drape the body.

Q. Would you rather be really hot or really cold?
A. Cold. You can always add another blanket or layer of clothes. There’s a limit to how much you can strip off.

Q. What is the RPG or RPG product you where most disappointed by?
A.The Car Warriors comic book series produced by Marvel Comics about the Car Wars line.

Q. All-time favorite screen villain?
A. Colonel Stuart from Die Hard 2.

Q. Banjo or bagpipes?
A. How about Banjopipes.

Q. Borg or Klingon?
A. As to which would I rather be? Klingon. Most fearsome threat? Borg

Q. If you roleplay, do you speak in character? Do you use funny voices?
A. Absolutely. Among my other talents, I’m a puppeteer. Funny voices come second nature to me.

Q. What is your all-time most favored character that you have played in an RPG?
A. A Gnome Cleric by the name of Nevets Belin.

Q. What’s the best place near you to get a drink?
A. The Boss’ fridge.

Q. What’s your favorite sport?
A. NASCAR

Q.  Are you a gamer? I mean an old school one, none of these newfangled computer things.
A. My interest in computer games ended when the old Atari 2600 joystick became obsolete. Yes I am an old-school gamer.

Q. Flight or super-speed?
A. Flight. Do you know how much money I’d save on gas for the morning commute?

Q. Super-strength or Super-speed?
A. As long as it was controllable, Super-speed

 

Q. Revenge is a dish best served _____?
A. Cold. It is very cold in space. (ancient Klingon proverb)

Q. What is your favorite cartoon character?
A. Bugs Bunny

Q. What did you eat for breakfast today?
A. Waffles made by the best cook in the world (as attested to by my growing waistline).

A. Do you dwell on things or let them go?
Q. Unfortunately I dwell on things. It took me nearly 17 years to pick up a pencil again after an off-hand comment by an Art Teacher in high school.

Q. What’s your favorite type of character to play (or read about if you don’t play RPGs)?
A. I like Gnomes and I like Elves.

Q. Have you ever written fiction not as a school assignment? Longer than a short story? Published it yourself? Been published by somebody else? Made a living at it?
A. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, and No. I’ve written the adventures of Stev the Vulcan for the better part of 20 years. Older stories were published by the club I joined at the beginning. I’ve re-published some of these over at Fan Fiction.net

Q. If you could change the ending of one movie, which one and how?
A. Just one? Right now I’ve plenty of bad movies running through my head and not one of the stands out as being repairable by changing the ending. You have given me an idea for Database post.

Q. What do all your friends love that you just don’t get?
A. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Q. Do you have any fantasy jobs? (Like a dream job, except you know you’d hate the non-idealized real-life version of it.)
A. Actually being able to support the family with my puppeteering.

Q. Suppose you lived in an ideal world, with no war, crime, poverty, disease, etc. Would your current job still exist?
A. I’m an ad man for a local paper. No poverty? My job would probably be more in demand.

Q. “X, why did it have to be X?” For you, what is X?
A. Needles… brrrr

Q. “What is best in life?” If I’m following you, you probably know Conan’s answer. What is yours?
A. My wife’s cooking, as evidenced by my larger waistline after I married her.

Q. What fictional universe would you most want to live in?
A. Star trek universe. I’ll be in Montana in 2063 anyone care to join me?

Q. If you could have lunch with any one in the world who would it be and why?
A. Weird Al Yankovich, I’ve always had an affinity for his music, fashion sense, and rather bizarre outlook. The way his character ran Channel 62 (UHF) would be awfully similar to the type of shows I’d come with.

Q. What was your favorite Robert Culp role?
A. Demon with a Glass Hand from the Outer Limits

Q. If you could have a sexual and/or romantic encounter with a fictional character who would it be?
A. Dream dates? Discretion, not to mention my wife (whom I love desperately) require me to abstain on this answer.

Q. What one book do you think everybody reading this should read?
A. Whether you believe it or not, The Bible, at least once. It was a very important book to our founding fathers. It is revered as Holy by the three top religions of this planet.

Q. Who should I follow on Formspring?
A. Besides me? VulcanStev – cleireac, Canageek, trollgodfather, UncleDark, BerinKinsman, CydoniaRaven, geweller, WyattSalazar, NewbieDM, cartoonlad, Voyage2k, Viriatha, StargazersWorld, drcheckmate, nevermetpress

Q. What one thing would you tell your younger self if you could?
A. Wait until I was sure what I wanted to do with my life before going to college.

Q. Have you broken any bones? If so, how?
A. I broke the bones in one of my toes. I kicked an exposed water pipe full force.

Q. If you suddenly inherited an Ice Cream parlor, which flavor would you be constantly out of, because you’re dipping into the stock?
A. Cookies -n- Cream

Game Balance: Do you have it?

According to my friend Dr. Checkmate game balance is when your actual gaming matches your desire for it.  Unfortunately my desire and actuality are way out of whack right now.  Probably due in no small part to the new job.  I’d love to be playing more and getting the games in planning actually up and running.  How about you?  Have you achieved Game Balance?

Playing:
Quest for the Staff of Genesis (AD&D)
The Eerie Exploits of Ranger Company X(Risus PbP)

Running:
Stargate SG-21 (Savage Worlds)
The Omega Resistance – A Necessary Evil Campaign (Savage Worlds)

In Planning:
Vulcan Transporta Car Wars type game (PbP Risus)
TwitteRPGa D&D type game (PbP Risus)

My Top 5 RPGs

Zachery over at RPG Blog II is compiling a list of the top 25 RPGs of all time.  Thought I’d share my list with you and give the reasons behind those choices.

1. Savage Worlds Explorer’s Edition
The rules are simple and easy to learn.  This is the rule set that brought me back to the RPG hobby after a nearly 25 year hiatus.  It’s also given me something I share with all of my children.  It gets the top spot because it’s so easy (didn’t I say that already) and we (my kids and I) ‘Savage’ other games (Stargate, Serenity) to play using these rules

2. Car Wars
My very first RPG.  Yes, I know that when it first appeared it wasn’t technically an RPG.  However, over the years it evolved into much more than a simple vehicular combat game.  I introduced PITs #2&3 to this game after shelling out big bucks on ebay to replace my flood destroyed collection.  My boys and I spend the off season of NASCAR playing Car Wars.  My proudest moment was when my 10-year old (PIT#3) built his own car and proceeded to (literally) smoke his old man in an arena.

3. Savage Worlds Pirates of the Spanish Main
What started as buying fleets of tiny little boats for our in house pirate (PIT #3), morphed into a purchase of the RPG rules.  All three children took to it like ducks to water.  This got PIT #1 interested in other RPGs.  She joined a Sunday afternoon D&D group.  Three months ago I was invited to join this same group.  For all the good times I’ve had playing  this game with my kids, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

4. D&D 2e
This is the version of the game that PIT#1 started playing.  Because it’s the version I play with my children without my DMing it gets a high place in my list.  I fail to understand the lack of love for this game amongst the D&D community.  But then I’ve never played 3.5 and it’s been nearly 25 years before this that I played D&D

5. Stargate
I’m a science fiction fan.  If it’s SF, I’ll read it, watch it, play it.  My daughter, (PIT#1) and I are Trekkers.  She has watched every incarnation of Trek with Daddy all the way back to first run episodes of TNG.  My youngest, (PIT#3) prefers Star Wars and he will sit and watch the movies with me.  PIT#2 will watch NASCAR with Dad (he’s 14 and too big to say Daddy anymore) till the cows come home.  Stargate is ONE show we all agree on.  When I found the rulebook online and told the kids it was coming home, they all three camped out by the mailbox waiting for it to arrive.  This is the game I ran on Friday evenings at the Youth Center.  Granted I am running a “Savaged” version of the game but it’s still Stargate.

If you noticed the recurring theme of my reasons behind the whys for my top five, you saw that each involves my family.  My family is an importatnt part of my life.  Anything I do with my family is going to rank pretty high on any list.  The other thing is that I’m doing my part to make sure that RPG as a hobby is passed on to the next generation.

The remainder of my list as submitted to RPG Blog II
6. Mutants & Masterminds
7. D&D 4e
8. James Bond
9. Risus
10. Gurps
11. Champions
12. Necessary Evil
13. Serenity
14. Being Berin Kinsman

Why only 14 and not 25?  Honestly the top 13 are the only games I’ve ever played.  Number fourteen is on the list because I owe a lot to Berin Kinsman.  He’s the one who encouraged me to start writing my own blog.  Soon as I’ve got the extra money Being Berin Kinsman is joining my collection.

Inspiration where does it come from?

Inspiration, The Muse, that sudden flash of “Ah-ha”, where does it come from?  Mine is hard to find.  I’m amazed at the consistency that I can immediately see possibilities in the ideas created by others but have difficulty coming up with my own ideas.  Dr. Checkmate came up with a RPG setting that combines elements of Robin Hood with your favorite post-apocalyptic settings.  I immediately saw how I could rework some of my Car Wars material into this setting.  But coming up with the original hook awes me.  I could list a number of my on-line buddies who have come up with ‘orginal’ concepts or mash-ups that I could immediately see how to implement but I have difficulty arriving at the same flash of inspiration.

I marvel at the ability my Captain over at Starships of the Third Fleet has in coming up with new prologues every three months.  I can immediately grasp how Stev will handle the proposed problem.  I’ve written a number of Stev stories but haven’t been able to write a successful prologue as yet.

My GMing experience runs the same gamut.  My gaming group wanted to run a Stargate game.  I spent  a lot of time working with Ron Fricke’s conversion of Stargate to Savage Worlds.  The I picked up a copy Sean Preston’s RunePunk for Savage Worlds and have successfully used that as a major Stargate campaign.  I’m doing something similar with the Serenity RPG and Slipstream.

My inspirational forte seems to be in seeing how I can best use the work of others to achieve what I want on my own.  How about you?

Car Wars: Arena Info, The Dome

The Dome (PR .5)

The Dome was called the Uni Dome during the heyday of college sports. When college sports were abandoned in the early 21st century due to the danger of transporting teams and the sagging TV ratings because of the non-violent nature of collegiate sports; the Uni Dome sat unused for years. When the college began fortifying itself following the grain blight, the dome was used as an ammunition dump due to its defensible nature.

After the legalization of Autodueling in Iowa following the coup which removed the Amanites from power, The Board of Regents voted to turn the Uni Dome into a dueling arena.

Arena Schedule
Sunday……. Team Arena Ball (see below)
Monday…… Amateur Night
Tuesday…… Divisionals
Wednesday.. Tag Night (see below)
Thursday….. RC Night (see below)
Friday……… Collegiate non-lethal night
Saturday…… Justice Night (motorcycles only see below)

Arena Notes:
The enclosure of the field is 15’ high and has 75dp (being reinforced permacrete) The stands look down on the field and can only be targeted by a universal turret. Firing into the stands is cause for disqualification from your event and will subject the duelist to a vengeful mob after (s)he exits the arena

Arena Ball: AB is played using the old football field. Similar to soccer and polo, only using vehicles instead of horses, each team tries to get the ball across the opponent’s goal line. No dropped weapons are allowed and no weapons fire is allowed in the first quarter.

Four vehicles per team attempt to move the ball by colliding with it. One vehicle is the goalie and is not allowed to maneuver beyond the half-way point of the field. One point is scored every time the ball crosses the goal line.

The Ball: is a resilient rubber sphere weighing 300lbs and is 7.5’ (1/2” in CWC scale). Firing line of sight cannot be traced through the ball.

Because of its resiliency, collisions with the ball do not affect a vehicle’s speed or direction. The ball does no damage to a colliding vehicle, and it is also invulnerable to collision damage. However, it can be damaged by weapons fire; the ball has 6 DP and is targeted normally, but weapons fire will not cause it to move or change direction. Assume it’s been coated with a fireproof paint, so it will not burn. Also, destruction of the ball is grounds for disqualification; a new ball is introduced into play after the disqualified duellist leaves the arena. Teams cannot replace a disqualified duelist.

Moving the Ball
Duellists move the ball by colliding with it in their vehicles. The collision procedure works differently from the usual method, though, because a ball can travel in any direction and change directions much more easily than a vehicle. Here’s how to figure the ball’s new direction after it collides with a vehicle:

The ball’s direction and velocity depend not only on its previous movement, but also on the speed and direction of the car that hits it. The key idea in accounting for all this is to use the squares of the map-grid. Do it in three steps:
(1) The vehicle that hits the ball is called the “colliding vehicle.” Trace a line straight out from the front of the colliding vehicle’s counter in the direction it was moving before it hit the ball. Extend the line one square (1/4″) for each 10 mph of the colliding vehicle’s speed (round up). Remember where the line ends.
(2) From where the line ends in step 1, trace a straight line parallel to the path of the ball before it was hit, going in the same direction as the ball was. Extend the line one square for each 10 mph the ball was moving before being hit, just as in step 1. Remember where this second line ends – it’s called the “end-point.”
(3) Now trace a straight line from the point of collision between ball and car to the end-point in step 2. This is the ball’s new direction. Also, the length of this new line of direction tells how fast the ball is going: For each square (1/4″) of length, the ball moves 10 mph. If the line is three squares long, the ball’s new speed is 30 mph; five squares, 50 mph, and so on. Round fractions to the nearest 10 mph.
For example, look at the diagram. The colliding vehicle is moving 90 mph north, and the ball is moving 20 mph southwest. From the collision point “A,” count north 9 squares (one square per 10 mph for 90 mph). Now count southwest 2 squares (for the ball’s 20 mph speed and southwest direction). The end-point is labelled “B.” Trace a line from “A” to “B.” The line’s direction is the ball’s new direction, and the line’s length of 7 squares tells you the ball’s speed – 70 mph. To keep track of the ball’s direction, draw an arrow on the counter representing the ball, and keep it pointed the right way.
The ball slows down as it rolls. It decelerates 2.5 mph at the beginning of each turn.

(The above ball movement rules and diagram are from ADQ 4.3 Fall 2036, Bicentennial by Allen Varney)

Teams are limited $100,000 for their five vehicles. Body styles mid-size and smaller. Games are only permitted between vehicles of like size.

Wrecks are left on the field until the game is done. The referee determines the length of the game (ie first goal wins, 4 quarters of pre-determined time, etc)

Tag Night: TN is played on the Track and Field floor. 2 contestants at a time compete in an elimination bracket. You lose if you are tagged twice or are destroyed. You are considered tagged when you are hit by the opposing vehicle.

One competitor enters from each gate (see arena). Each competitor tries to either ram his opponent twice or destroy his opponent. The middle of the TF floor is littered with mines and spikes to discourage players from cutting across the middle.

Radio Control Night: The University’s R&D department is trying to perfect remotely controlled vehicles to use as escorts to their transportation department. Four identical cars are deployed on the field. The duelists are in mock-ups of the cockpit away from the arena floor. Combat is as normal but all maneuvers and targeting at -3.

Collegiate Non-lethal Night: The University misses the big bucks that were generated through ticket sales from the football program. Network TV won’t pay for airing non-lethal football, basketball, baseball or any of the other staples of 20th century college sports. Colleges, unwilling to pay for Gold Cross coverage of their students, developed systems for non-lethal dueling. UNI has a college dueling team and is a member of the Big Midwest conference, or Big M as it is customarily called. Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, SMSU, Northwestern and Purdue are all members. The Big Midwest conference sanctions all non-lethal forms of dueling. In non-lethal duels all dropped weapons except mines, explosives or flaming are legal, all weaponry is loaded with paint pellets and do no damage to vehicles. Armor is considered destroyed when the number of paint hits equals the number of points of armor.

The vehicle is considered disabled when 3 more additional hits are taken on any side where the armor is “destroyed”

Justice Night: Campus Security is the police force for Uni. This is something of a misnomer as the security force is better trained and equipped than the average police department. Rather than spend money on feeding and housing prisoners, Campus Security takes all law breakers to the arena on Saturday night. Each prisoner gets one motorcycle from the impound yard. Once the prisoners have their bikes and each has a full load of ammo the prisoners enter the arena one from each corner (4 prisoners / duel). All duels are to the death, no surrendering is allowed. If the survivor’s bike is destroyed (s)he is given another from the impound yard. The survivor has 30 minutes to strip ammo and supplies from the kills before the next set of four emerge. Destroyed bikes are left on the arena floor as obstacles for the next round. The survivors from each of the first rounds then battle, continuing on until only one prisoner is left. The last survivor is given 30 minutes to clear out of the arena with the bike.

There are no judges in Uni. There are no lawyers. All violations of the law are treated equally from vandalism to drug trafficking (murder is difficult to prosecute as the survivor can always claim it was a duel). Given the fact that Campus Security is wont to believe that out-of-towners are at fault, visitors will need to make sure they violate no local ordinances while in town.

Excerpts from the AADA Guide Uni, Iowa 2057

Excerpts from the AADA Road Atlas and Survival Guide: Uni, IA (formerly known as Waterloo/Cedar Falls)

Uni is the largest city in northeastern Iowa. It is the result of the citizens who stayed after the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls fortified itself and downtown Waterloo was abandoned.

Waterloo and Cedar Falls were originally two separate cities whose borders eventually touched as the cities grew. Cedar Falls was the University town and home to the wealthier portion of the population. Waterloo’s population was more working class as the city’s economy was based on the food production and manufacturing jobs in the area.

History:

Yadda yadda yadda

When the Grain Blight hit in 20?? Waterloo’s economy took a nosedive as many of the food production facilities shut down. The manufacturing jobs were mainly agricultural and that portion of the economy took a hit as well. Waterloo faced a similar situation in the 1980’s when a major food producer went bankrupt. Many citizens left but the city eventually recovered. The food riots however took a far larger toll and the downtown was eventually abandoned (use City Blocks 2 for any duels in downtown Waterloo).

Cedar Falls, being a university town fared much better. However, the university began beefing up the defenses of their agri-business department in an effort to stave off raids by the rapidly forming gangs based out of Waterloo’s East Side.

The fortifications at the University were expanded and built upon until most of the remaining citizens in the area were protected. The fortifications are not always a wall there are pace where the streets are open but protected by fortified bunkers and gates. Eventually most of the well-to-do-neighborhoods of both cities are now protected. The citizens decide to carve a new identity from the old.

Today:

Uni is haven for those that can afford the housing within the fortifications. Those who cannot afford to live within the fortifications enjoy the semi-protection afforded by living on the outskirts of the fortified city limits or the Outer Zone as the area is known to the locals.

After a brutal Darwinian process that has culled the weaker gangs, there are only two left. The gangs do not prey on each other rather they engage in a friendly competition preying on convoys entering and leaving Uni. They also prey on the citizens and business that are outside the city fortifications. Uni’s security forces do not patrol outside the limits of the fortifications.

Travel:

The main route to get to Uni is US218 north of US20, Unfortunately, you need to run through the Waterloo ruins to get there. Gang activity is very heavy along this corridor of 218.

Points of Interest:

The University of Northern Iowa is the third largest college in the state. The research facilities in their agri-business department are trying to cure the grain blight. They have also been very successful in making many different food types from soybeans, the state’s other main cash crop, which was not affected by the grain blight..

The Dome Dueling Arena located on the grounds of the university. This used to be the football field where the UNI Panthers played until the demise of college sports in 20??. It was converted to a full-fledged dueling arena in 2040 after the legalization of Autodueling in 2038.

John Deere Manufacturing: The site of the famed tractor maker’s factory in downtown Waterloo did not survive the implosion of the farming economy. The factory just south of Cedar Falls did survive and shifted the focus of its construction to soybean based agriculture. Tours of the factory and testing grounds are given on an appointment basis only.

The Waterloo Greyhound Dueltrack used to be a greyhound racing facility until it went bankrupt in 199? It sat vacant and unused until 2038 when the reconvened Iowa Legislature legalized autodueling. Investors bought the unused facility and had it operational for amateur events within six months.

Facilities:

One Hospital located within fortified city complete with Gold Cross facilities. One functioning Hospital located in the O.Z. no Gold Cross but it can handle most mundane emergencies. There is an abandoned hospital on Waterloo’s East Side rumors of strange goings on at the hospital have never been confirmed due to the gang activity.

There is one fortified Truck Stop 2 miles west of the I-380 US20 junction. The mechanics at this facility are not the best. The garages and repair facilities in the O.Z. are substandard. Facilities within the fortified city are better but charge 50% more to non-locals.

The Dome Dueling Arena is part of the L’Outrance Circuit. It has a prestige modifier of .5

Organizations:

The Flaming Skulls and the C.R.U.D. are two cycle gangs based out of the East side. They are surprisingly well-funded for cycle gangs. Rumors that these two gangs are connected to strange goings on at the abandoned hospital have never been proven.

The AADA has a branch office in downtown Uni. Other than the storefront office, there is no official AADA organization within the city.

Campus Security is the nominal police force. They are well armed, well trained, and well funded. They only patrol within the fortified borders and never venture into the O.Z. Only the fact that the O.Z. has nothing of value keeps them free from attacks by the Skulls and CRUD.

Vulcan Transport is Brotherhood certified transport and courier service. They have the contract for transporting vital research out of the university and other items of value past the cycle gangs. VT is a highly successful business and has never lost a shipment. The corporation is currently sponsoring two up-and-coming drivers on the pro-dueling circuit.

Car Wars: Iowa 2000-2059

2000 Ethanol production expands. Iowa’s economy gets a boost.
Second Civil War, Free Oil State Secession

2004 Texarkana Accords

2012 The Grain Blight hits Iowa hard. Though soybeans are still a common crop, the “tall corn state” is no more. All sections of the economy linked to corn-production take a severe hit. Many family farms go under. The Iowa population, dropping steadily for over fifty years, dives to 40% of the 2000 population. Most small towns disappear. All major universities have a large anti-Blight research section.

2014 The Amana Society decides to take a more active role in the state government, since their population comprises five percent of all Iowans. Six Amanas are elected to the state legislature that same year, campaigning with a platform of “Rebuilding Iowa.”

2015 Amana policies are wildly successful in regaining lost population. A few small towns are reincorporated. More Amana candidates are set to run in 2016.

2016 The Food Riots. Riverfest ’16 in Iowa City erupts in a civil disturbance. The Iowa National Guard is called in to help, but arrives too late to prevent the complete destruction of the old Capitol Building on the University of Iowa campus.

In Ames where Viesha is currently underway, the violence escalates to the point of including the local citizenry, hundreds are killed or hurt. Ames is leveled, but the campus of ISU is preserved.

In Cedar Falls on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, the board of regents begins the fortification of the campus. By the end of the year all three campuses are heavily fortified. Since the cities themselves are unfortified, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Ames and Iowa City (locations of UNI, ISU, U of I) become havens for gangs to prey upon family farms. Isu, Uni, & Fort Iowa are the fortress cities eventually built out of Ames, Cedar Falls, and Iowa City.

2017 Waterloo becomes a war zone as many gangs base out of the East side.

Grain companies take over the many abandoned small farms. Weapons are
installed on tractors to defend against gang attacks.

Independent farms begin arming tractors as well, though they do not have the same resources to draw on. Independent farms band together in defensive co-operatives.

The cities of Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, & Dubuque fortify themselves against gang activity. Hearing of the desolation in Ames and Iowa City and seeing firsthand the desolation of Waterloo, citizens of Cedar Falls beg the University of Northern Iowa to expand the fortifications to include the remainder of the city. Uni, Iowa becomes a fortified city.

Seeing the success of Uni, the remaining citizens of Ames petition ISU for similar treatment, Isu is incorporated. Fort Iowa forms shortly thereafter.

Upset with the Amanites heavy handed policies, Davenport and Bettendorf along with Moline and Rock Island, Illinois fortify themselves and band together as The Quad, declaring themselves separate from Iowa and Illinois. I280 becomes a toll road patrolled by the Quad’s Militia.

2020 Des Moines is the only population center larger than the Amana Colonies. Amana legislators dominate the Iowa Senate and the House. First accusations of misrepresentation are voiced. First Amana governor elected.

2021 The ruins of Waterloo are largely abandoned and are taken over by two of the three largest gangs in the state.
2035 Car Wars

2024 Anti-duelling laws passed. This reduces highway violence, but does not prevent it completely.

Enforcement of the ban is overseen by the Iowa Department of Inbound and Outbound Transportation (I.D.I.O.T.).

2029 Iowa borders closed. Because of the reduced traffic through the state, most of Iowa suffers economically. Many people move to Minnesota and other bordering states.

2030 Minnesota threatens legal action, citing hindrance of interstate trade.

2031 The Supreme Court rules in favor of Minnesota, forcing Iowa to open its borders. The Iowa Congress responds with a complex system of disarming vehicles at the border. Gangs flourish in the interior of the state, away from the heavy concentration of Highway Patrol near the major population centers. Incidents of road violence increase unexpectedly. Patrolling of the border is done by the Iowa National Guard.

2032 ISU sociology professor Sampson Pennel offers a class on what he calls the “Tyranny of the Peaceful,” saying the Amana Society is responsible for all of the troubles in Iowa in the last fifteen years. Pennel disappears after four lectures and the class is cancelled. Soon after, the University Book Store mysteriously recalls all of the textbooks for the class, citing poison ink used in some of the books.

Statewide, local sheriffs report being overwhelmed by roving gangs everywhere in the state, along with some illegal autodueling. The legislature ignores the requests for funding, denying that such violence could be possible in a pacified area.

2036 The gang problem is now out of control. Finally coming to their senses, the legislature realizes they don’t have the funds to reinforce the Highway Patrol.

IDIOT’s head George Robert Farley wants to legalize Autodueling within the state and begins campaigns.

2037 Pro-dueling candidates begin running for office.

2038 Unable to gain control of Iowa Legislature after the elections due to Amanite tampering of the ballots, IDIOT decides to “remove” the Amanites from power.

IDIOT stages a coup. IDIOT’s forces nuke the Amana colonies and attack the state capitol building. Most of the senators are killed. Since the Iowa National Guard is busy patrolling the state’s borders the coup is briefly successful. Very few Amanites survive.

The Iowa National Guard pulls back from border patrol and counter attacks the new dictatorship.

IDIOT’s leader is captured and summarily executed.

Iowa holds emergency elections to replace the decimated legislature. Iowa National Guard now secures the capitol.

Pro-dueling candidates are overwhelmingly elected.

Ban on autodueling as a sport is lifted. Vehicular weaponry is now legal but regulated. Autodueling on Iowa’s roadways is still illegal. Iowa National Guard patrols the major highways (I-80 I-35 I-380 US218 US30 US20) and will prosecute any duelists they encounter (1 in 4 chance of running across Iowa National Guard).

State Agency in charge of Autodueling is DRIVE (Dueling Regulators Iowa Vehicular Enforcement). In accordance with old state laws gambling on dueling is allowed.

2040 Eager to garner Autodueling and gambling money, Iowans convert old racetracks and stadiums to dueling arenas.

2051 Iowa Duelway in Newton, The Dome Autoduel Arena in Uni, Knoxville Dirt
Dueling and the track at the Iowa Fairgrounds join the L’Outrance Dueling Circuit. There are many local dirt tracks and Figure-8 dueling is very popular in the state.

2058 – Universities having some success in creating non-blight affected grain. Unfortunately this new grain tastes terrible and is unusable for distillation into fuel.