Car Wars Time Line

Time line for Car Wars up to 2033

It's a rough world...and "Drive Offensively" is its motto.

2000: Federal government moves to nationalize dwindling supplies of oil and natural gas production. Legislatures in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana react by seceding, and move to nationalize these resources themselves. Pitched battles with federal forces follow, resulting in the destruction of several oilfield sites on both sides of the newly-established border.

2003: U.S. forces stopped in the hills of central Texas, ending bloody "Gulf or Bust" campaign. Rebel forces begin to retake lost territory.

2004: Texarkana Accords are signed, ending the Second Civil War. Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana become three separate sovereign nations, referred to as the Free Oil States.

2012: Grain blight breaks out in Nebraska, spreading rapidly to neighboring areas. A simultaneous blight takes root in the Ukraine. Accusations fly, charging deliberate biological war, followed by nuclear warheads. To everyone's surprise, satellite defenses stop most of the missiles. Meanwhile, the world's stock of grains, excluding barley and sesame, has been devastated. Severe food shortages spring up across the globe. The U.S. is in better short-term shape than most, since the blight apparently has no effect on foods with preservatives in them.

2016: The Food Riots. "Fortress" towns develop. National government fails to keep order throughout much of the U.S.

2018: Gangs rule most of the U.S. outside of the fortress towns. Country real estate becomes worthless; algae farms make up lost food production.

2020: Many large cities totally abandoned. National government regains authority but enforcement decentralized. Economy weak but stable, with food rationed and unemployment at 37%.

2022: Supreme Court decision decriminalizes manslaughter in arena games. "Death sports" become popular. Television becomes nation's number-two industry, just after food production.

2023: "Crazy Joe" Harshman wins Fresno destruction derby by mounting a surplus .50-caliber machine gun in his Chevy. Term "autoduelling" first used by sportswriters.

2024: Armadillo Autoduel Arena opens on site of former shopping mall in Austin, Texas.

2025: Autoduelling becomes most popular TV sport, edging out combat football and private wars. Eight more autoduel arenas open in North America. The American Autoduel Association (AADA) is formed.

2026: Utah autoduellists form vigilante group to counter Badlands cycle gangs. AADA holds first sanctioned "National Championship" in Austin, Texas. AADA also begins issuing area advisories and helping duellists organize against cycle gangs and other hazards, upsetting local police forces.

2027: Police admit inability to deal with duellist-armed vehicles in highway use. Informal duels increase in numbers.

2028: Many localities legalize vehicular weaponry of a "defensive nature" - very loosely defined. Duelling outside city limits now legal in 14 states and tolerated in most others.

2029: A variety of weapons becomes available as "factory options" on all U.S. makes of cars and several imports.

2030: Statistics show "smash-and-grab" cycle and car gangs much reduced. Rural real estate begins to rise in value. Law enforcement officials credit vehicular weaponry of private citizens, but most point out that "The gangs that are left are now better armed than we are ..." Autoduelling now legal in 39 states, as well as the Free Oil States.

2033: Autoduel Quarterly, "The Journal of the American Autoduel Association," is first published. Autoduelling now legal in all 47 states in the U.S., as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, most Canadian provinces, the Republic of Quebec, Australia and Mexico.

Links to other info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Wars - Good background summary here.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2795

http://www.sjgames.com/carwars - Official Site

http://www.talesofadventure.net/carwars/1showroom/show_vehicles.php?var1=93&var2=1 - Premade cars to view and print

http://www.sjgames.com/carwars/adq/4/1/bandits.htm - How is it that car factories (i.e. heavy industry) can exist while governments are still struggling to impose law and order?