Arenaball
orginal concept by Keith Anderson
Track Rules
Size
The track has an outer radius of 10", and an inner radius of 5". The goal circle at either end has a radius of 4".
Track Layout
All track walls are considered indestructible. The inner wall between the track and the pits is 3' high.
The track and goal areas are sloped, and the normal rules for maneuvers apply: bends inwards and drifts outwards are at -D1, and bends outwards and drifts inwards are at + D l. In addition, if the car is facing toward or away from the pits area during the acceleration phase, it will have its acceleration increased or decreased by 5 mph.
The goal at each end consists of three, 3-foot-high indestructible steel plates – a center plate 1/2" wide, and two outer plates each 1" wide. Hitting the center plate with the ball scores three points, but the goalkeepercar will normally be parked in front of this plate. The outer plates score one point. To prevent goalhanging, no more attackers than defenders are allowed within the free-fire semicircle where each goal is situated.
Cars must at all times move counterclockwise, and cannot turn around or stop, with the following two exceptions:
1. Within the circle at either end of the track, defending vehicles can move as they like. This benefit applies as long as any part of the car is within the circle.
2. If a car hits the wall or a goal plate, once the driver has recovered he
is allowed to reverse if necessary to give himself room to maneuver. If a pivot
will clear it for forward movement, that is all you are allowed.
Car Design
Each team captain designs one $20,000 car with a ramplate/airdam/electromagnet combination, and one $20,000 goalkeeper car with similar special equipment. Five copies of the standard car, plus one goalkeeper car, make up the team. There is no minimum range for gas engines in this game.
Car Set-up
The teams take turns placing their cars anywhere on the track. I will randomly determine which team sets up the first car. The team captain sets up the teams. All cars start off at 60 mph, going counterclockwise. Two of the five track cars are not placed on the track initially, but are held in the pits as substitutes.
Firing a Ball
Once the teams have set up, a ball is fired randomly from one of the two guns. The guns retract into the arena wall once fired, so as not to impede the ball.
If the ball goes out of play, either by a goal being scored or by the ball rolling down to the inside of the track, then another ball is fired at the start of the next phase.
Another ball will be fired if the last ball embeds itself in a wreck, or is otherwise put out of play. The ball will be fired at the start of the next turn in this case.
Ball Movement
The ball starts off going clockwise at 100 mph, decelerating by 5 mph per turn. Note that just before entering each goal circle, the ball hits a slightly sharper bend which forces it across the goalmouth until it hits the outer track wall at the other side of the goal circle, then continues round the track. It will move in a curve during the crossing of the goal circle, per the illustration on this page.
If the ball hits a wreck, it has a 50% chance of embedding itself. Otherwise, the wreck slows the ball 10-60 mph.
If the ball hits an obstacle, it will be slowed by 1d x 5 mph. (If this stops it, the ball is dead and I will fire a new ball at the start of the next turn.) In addition, the ball will have its direction of travel altered according to the following table:
Die Roll Effect
1 30 degrees to the left
2,3 15 degrees to the left
3,4 15 degrees to the right
6 30 degrees to the right
Note that if the ball was going around the outside of the track when it hit the obstacle, a roll of 1-3 will have no effect.
Debris has no effect on the ball.
While the ball is not going around the outside of the track, it will undergo the normal 5 mph acceleration toward the center, so it will not be moving in a straight line. When it hits the opposite wall, it will continue round the outside if the angle it makes with the wall is less than 15. Otherwise, it will rebound at the same angle but with its speed halved.
Picking the Ball Up
To pick the ball up, a driver takes a firing action to switch his electromagnet on, then drives into the ball. The collision does half damage to the vehicle (due to the receiving vehicle's ramplate), and is a D3 hazard. The ball is not damaged, and the car's speed is unaffected. The ball can be picked up as soon as it is fired.
If the car carrying the ball is involved in a collision with its ramplate, I will switch the electromagnet off at the end of the turn. This is to allow the defenders to tackle.
If the ramplate armor is destroyed, the electromagnet can no longer function and the ball is dropped.
Scoring
The driver with the ball must now get it past the enemy goalkeeper (and any defenders) and switch off his electromagnet at the right time so that the ball rolls free and hits one of the goal plates. If the goalkeeper has been destroyed, or it is not in position for any reason, a three-point goal may be scored. Otherwise a one-point goal is generally possible, as long as there aren't too many defenders.
Ramming the goal while holding the ball does not count. The ball must roll free into the goal. The ball will move straight out from the front of the car at the same speed the car was moving when it switched off the electromagnet. If the speed is zero, it will roll at 5 mph.
If a car rams the goal, I will switch the carrying car's electromagnet off, and the ball will roll down the track to be picked up by any other passing car. No points will be scored. There is no minimum distance you have to be from the goal.
Winning
The first team to score five points is the winner.
Killing Cars
If a killed car has at least three wheels left, it will roll in towards the center under 5 mph acceleration, then stop when it hits the inner wall.
Substitutes
Two cars from each team must wait in the pits area as substitutes. A substitute can only enter when a car from its own team is killed, or when a car is driven off the track (no re-entry allowed). The substitute car starts from either of the inner gates at 0 mph. It must then accelerate up to 60 mph, and is immune from hostile ramming during that time. However, if the new car takes any hostile action or fails to accelerate, the ramming immunity is lost. The substitute car will be controlled by the player who’s car was lost.
Ramming Rules
Ramming can be done at any time to any car, not just to the
car carrying the ball. (See the shooting restrictions below.)
Special Wall Ramming Rules (due to the continuous bank of the track)
Sideswiping the arena wall is a D2 hazard for each inch of movement along the wall. Each inch also scrapes off one point of armor and slows the car by 5 mph.
If a car is rammed into the wall, the armor on the wall side takes ram damage as if it were rammed at half the speed of the original ram.
Weapon Rules
1. On the normal part of the track, firing is only allowed at the car carrying the ball. This car can shoot at any other car. However, the semi-circular goalmouth area at either end is a free-fire zone, where no restrictions apply. Normal firing is allowed as long as both firer and target are at least partly within this semicircle.
2. Track cars are only allowed one-space weapons, except that a standard flamethrower is allowed. The goalkeeper is allowed two-space weapons, plus the heavy-duty flamethrower. No hand weapons of any kind are allowed.
3. No links, except linking a targeting laser to rockets (which can only be fired one at a time).
4. No tire shots.
5. No offensive dropped vehicular weapons. Non-offensive dropped weapons (i.e. smoke and paint) are allowed. Smoke might obscure the game for the cameras, so air vents are set into the arena floor which disperse smoke clouds after two seconds (10 phases).
6. Metal armor is banned. It creates too much mess on the track, as an obstacle is created whenever a point of metal armor is lost.
Car Design Notes
Any size car or reverse trike may be used. However, all cars must be fitted with a ramplate/airdam combination. Inside this is a powerful electromagnet. Allow $500 and 100 lbs. for the extra equipment. This figure also includes skirts down to near ground level on the other faces of the car, to prevent the ball rolling underneath. All characters are given free impact armor.
Crew members per vehicle are limited to 2 (driver and gunner).
The Referee
If the ball embeds itself in wrecks every time it is fired, I have control of a turreted Heavy Laser (with HRSWC) in a universal turret over the center of the pits area. This can be used to clear the ball's path. In addition, any player who contravenes the rules (intentionally or not) can be warned with a shot into his top armor.
I have a switch to control each player's electromagnet. If the car is made undrivable, or the driver is rendered unconscious or is killed, I will switch the electromagnet off at the end of the turn, and the ball will roll down the track to be picked up by any passing car.
I also control the sweeper truck.
The sweeper truck is a 10-wheeler fitted with large brushes, which keeps the track clear by driving over debris or obstacles at 30 mph or less, and sweeping them up. Any debris or obstacle within 1/4" of the front of the truck is removed from the track, so in effect the truck sweeps a 1" wide path clear. The truck also has a ramplate for moving wrecks out of the way, if (for example) a car gets killed in front of a goal and does not roll down to the center of the track. The truck starts the game going round the track at 40 mph in a random position. It will be placed before the first captain places his first track vehicle.
Sample Vehicles
Track Car – Mid-sized, x-hvy chassis, 200 cid engine, hvy. suspension, turbocharger, 1 gallon dueling tank, 4 PR tires, driver, flamethrower right, electromagnet, spoiler, airdam, improved fire extinguisher, bumper spikes back, HD brakes, roll cage, safety seat. Armor: F60 (ramplate), R40, L40, B50, TO, UO, 10-pt. FPCA around each of driver, plant, flamethrower. Accel 10/15 w/turbo, top speed 85, HC3(4@60+); 5,676 1bs., $19,900.
Goalkeeper – Luxury, x-hvy. chassis, large power plant w/superconductors, light suspension, 4 HD tires, driver, gunner, turreted RL w/incendiary rockets, RL w/incendiary rockets front, electromagnet, airdam, improved fire extinguisher, roll cage, 2 safety seats, 2 SWC (gunner to each RL). Armor: F50 (ramplate), R24, L24, B10, T25, UO, normal CA around each of plant, driver and gunner (together), FPCA around front RL. Accel 5, top speed 90, HC 1; 6,600 1bs. $18,960.