Vehicle Creation & Customization

The AADA's Guide to Combat Hot Rodding

Be safe. Drive offensively.


In the autoduelling world, a vehicle is as important as its driver. Combat cars oft have personas all their own, and it's not unknown for some vehicles to develope a celebrity independent of their owners. The most accomplished gain legendary status in the hearts and minds of avid fans.


Vehicle Design Theory

Every duelist has a different theory about vehicle design and what constitutes a superior combat vehicle. Over the years, certain design tendencies have become recognizable among AADA competitors. Note that these design types are not mutually exclusive. For instance, one could drive a vehicle that incorporates the characteristics of a turtle, a wolverine, and a pack mule.

The Turtle: The "turtle" maximizes armor, no matter what. It may have very poor acceleration and top speed - due to a small power plant - but it will be hard to hurt. A true turtle is limited as a courier vehicle, because it has so much arm or that it can't carry a heavy payload. But it can be a deadly arena fighter, just because it can absorb so much damage.

The Rabbit: The "rabbit" is just the opposite of the turtle. With a large power plant and light armor, it seeks to run away from the foe. Most rabbits have smokescreens , oil jets, and other rear-mounted defense weapons. The rabbit must be sure not to get trapped in a corner, where speed is useless.

The Jack Rabbit This is a rabbit-type design with heavy offensive weapons to the rear. The killer rabbit gets in front of foes, and then destroys them as they pursue!

The Man o' War: The goddess Kali had eight arms, all with swords and daggers. The "Kali" car design seeks to pile as many weapons as possible onto one chassis. At least one weapon points in every direction. If one doesn't get the foe, another will!

The Wolverine: This type of design emphasizes one (or two) very heavy weapons, usually front-mounted. It often has its heaviest armor in front. The mauler gets close to foes (or even rams them deliberately) and then blows them away. Low-budget maulers use AT guns, and graduate to lasers if they get rich.

The Pack Mule: A courier design; hauler types have moderate armor, one good weapon (usually front-mounted) and one or two defensive weapons to the side or rear.


Building Your Own Murder Machine!
Each player begins with 50 points to construct an autodueling vehicle. Additional points can be gained by taking one or more Flaws for the vehicle (see below). Any points that don't get used are lost.

When creating a vehicle, you will be forced to work within certain constraints. The space available in the chosen vehicle type, the output of the engine, and the cost of the equipment will all affect your final choices. Too much weight relative to engine output reduces acceleration, but skimping on weapons and armor to keep weight down has obvious drawbacks. Greater size affords better durability and more surface area for modifications, but larger vehicles also tend to be slower, less maneuverable, and less fuel efficient.

There are two ways one can go about vehicle creation. The first method is to build the vehicle from the ground up. This involves going through each of the steps described below. It requires more work, of course, but also allows a player to truly tailor the vehicle to their specifications.

The second method is to use one of the existing vehicle templates listed at the bottom of the post. Various vehicles had already been designed for your convenience. The stats provided for each vehicle are what is considered average for that vehicle type. The player only needs to add some weapons, armor, and modifications, hopefully saving time and legwork.


Vehicle Stats

Size: Size is based on the vehicle's largest dimension (usually its length). It factors into the vehicle's starting Toughness. Size ranges from 1 to 10.

Scale: Size determines the "Scale" of a creature or object. AADA vehicles fall into one of three Scale categories: Normal, Large, and Huge. When vehicles of different Scales attack each other, there is a Scale modifier of +/-2 for each increment of difference between the combatants. The smaller vehicle applies the modifier as a bonus to its attacks, and the larger vehicle subtracts the modifier from its attacks. For example, a Size 2 motorcycle (Normal Scale) gets a +2 to attack a Size 4 hum-vee (Large Scale) and a +4 bonus to attack a Size 9 semi-truck (Huge Scale). Conversely, the hum-vee and the semi-truck attack the motorcycle at a -2 and -4 penalty, respectively.

Scale also affects the vehicle's total Wounds. Scale modifiers are listed on page 179 of SWADE on the Size Table.

Handling: A vehicle's responsiveness and maneuverability. The Handling value is applied as a modifier to any maneuvering rolls by the driver. Ranges from -4 (slow and sluggish) to +4 (turns on a dime).

Acceleration: A vehicle’s capacity to gain speed within a single round (six seconds). This is measured in miles per hour.

Top Speed: This represents the vehicle's maximum speed in miles per hour. To convert miles per hour to Pace, multiply MPH by 1.5.

Toughness: A vehicle's durability. Armor is noted in parentheses. A vehicle's Toughness, before selecting chassis or Armor, is typically 7 (2) plus its Size. That means a Size 3 sedan has a base Toughness of 10 (2).

Crew: The number of crew, plus any additional passengers that the vehicle can transport. Again, this is an average number for vehicles of that type. A notation of "2+8," for example, means that the vehicle requires to crew and can carry up to eight passengers.

Weight: There are two varieties of weight. Curb Weight is the base weight of the vehicle with standard factory features and a full tank of fuel. It does not include aftermarket modifications, passengers, or cargo. Gross Weight is the vehicle’s weight when including modifications, passengers, cargo, and fuel. Gross weight is the value used when determining an engine’s output-to-weight ratio.


Step 1: Vehicle Size
Size factors into the vehicle's Toughness and also dictates its Scale. Select the desired Size for your vehicle. Note that the weight and length listed for each Size represents the maximum for most craft in that category.




Step 1: Vehicle Type
Select the vehicle that your autoduelist drives. Detailed below are the standard traits typically ascribed to each kind of vehicle. Since there is a tremendous amount of possible variation within each vehicle type, the stats reflect what is considered average. Spend points to alter the stats as you see fit. Some vehicles have innate advantages over others and are thus worth more points. Obviously, a more expensive vehicle leaves less points to buy modifications.

Motorcycles
Passenger Cars & Light Trucks

Commercial Vehicles

Emergency & Municipal Vehicles

Miscellaneous



Step 2: Chassis
Standard:

Light:

Reinforced:

Extra Reinforced:



Step 3: Suspension
Standard:

Racing Suspension:

Off-Road Suspension:

Active Suspension:



Step 4: Tires
Standard:

Off-Road Tires:

Racing Slicks:

Run Flat Tires:

Airless Tires:

Huge Tires:



Step 5: Engine Type
The engine, or power plant, is the heart of the vehicle. It provides the power necessary to make the vehicle move. Among autoduelists, gasoline is king. This is followed closely by diesel engines, but electric motors are not far behind. As battery technology continues to improve, EVs have become more and more commonplace in the arenas.

Select one Engine Type from the options below. Your engine determines the fuel that your vehicle consumes.



Step 6: Engine Output
Output is an abstract measure of the vehicle’s horsepower, torque, and RPMs. In other words, it is a measure of how hard the engine works and how rapidly it does that work. In internal combustion engines, output represents a variety of engine characteristics, such as cylinder number and configuration, internal displacement, air intake, valve timing, and the engine's overall tuning, among other things. In electric motors, it alludes to the motor's size, efficiency rating, and voltage.

Output plays a part in determining the vehicle's top speed, as well as how quickly it can accelerate. For the sake of simplicity, output is separated into three categories: Standard, Improved, and High. Note that these categories are relative to each vehicle. What is considered "high output" for a car engine might qualify as merely "standard output" for a big rig's engine.

Select the desired type of output for your vehicle.

Standard Output: This is engine is

Improved Output:

High Output: A high output engine is the most sophisticated power plant available for that vehicle type. This is your classic "high performance" engine. A vehicle with this kind of power plant possesses superior horsepower and torque in comparison to other vehicles of the same type.

High output engines are demanding pieces of machinery. They require a significant amount of maintenance and costly replacement parts. Those with internal combustion engines also need specialized coolants, cleaners, and motor oil. All of this can make upkeep prohibitively expensive. Still, many autoduelists consider these powerful engines worth the extra work and expense. For those who participate in AADA racing events (e.g., "death races"), high output engines are often regarded as a necessity in order to stay competitive.

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Fuel Grades
Specialty methanol or high octane gasoline to function at optimal levels. The use of low octane fuel results in diminished engine efficiency (reduce top speed and acceleration by 10%) and risks doing severe damage to the engine's inner workings.


Output-to-Weight Ratio





Step 7: Armor



Step 8: Armaments
Mount Types

Fixed Mount:

Pintle Mount:

Ring Mount:

Articulated Mount:

Hardpoint:


Fire Controls

Manned:

Remote:

Automated:


Close Combat Weaponry


Ranged Weaponry


Dropped Weapons
Dropped weapons work on the premise that it is easier to take out an opponent by making him crash than shooting him up. They either cause crashes by damaging tires (mines or spikes) or causing a loss of control or visibility (oil, paint or smoke). Dropped weapons are simple and effective. Their drawbacks are that they are short-ranged and indiscriminate, attacking friend or foe. They are also useless if your enemy is in front of you, which means a person relying on dropped weapons should have a fast car. They are popular, not just with autoduelists, but with anyone wanting to discourage pursuit without resorting to gunplay.




Step 9: Special Features
Performance

Offense

Security & Defense

Sensors & Instruments

Utility

Safety

Miscellaneous



Step 10: Flaws




0.8 horsepower per cubic inch

1 cubic inch equals 0.0163871 liters

1 liter equals 61.0237 cubic inches

Sedan = 1.5 liter/91.5356 cubic inches/1,500cc engine = 73.6

50-350 kWh



2013 Honda Civic LX

Displacement: 1.8 liters / 109.843 cubic inches / 1,800cc

Horsepower: 140 hp @ 6,500 rpm / 88 hp

Mileage: 28/39 (city/highway)
Horsepower



Power to Weight Ratio
-- 20 lbs:1 HP regular
--10 lbs.:1 HP mild performance
--8 lbs:1Hp high performance