AutoDuel: Compact Heat-Unleashing Drifter

I decided that I am not ready to face the lawless interstates until I've saved up enough for a clone and a backup, which will take a good amount of scratch; $13,000 plus the cost of a vehicle and fuel/ammo/maintenance.

Until then, I'll earn my cash at the NYC Arena. Amateur nights earn $1,500 per victory, and I figure that after winning three of them, I'll be able to afford a $5,000 vehicle and enter the lowest semi-pro leagues. Unfortunately, amateur nights are only held on Fridays and some Saturdays, so I'm left with not a lot to do during the week but drink and listen to rumors. The world doesn't hold much for people who don't own their own cars.

And I don't really learn anything that isn't common sense or in the manual.

 

Eventually, I win my three victories without dying and am henceforth banned from amateur nights. Time to get some entry level wheels.

   

The car designer is pretty in-depth for a c1985 computer game, and reminds me a lot of MechWarrior, with a need to meet weight requirements, space requirements, and in this game, cost. Here, I've designed a heavily armored compact dubbed CHUD with strong suspension and wheels, two flamethrowers mounted on the side and rear, but weak engines, no underside armor, and no space for cargo. At just under $5,000, it can compete in Division 5, and hopefully outlast quicker but weaker opponents with drive-by and leading tactics.

And, well, it works, but the flamethrower is less damaging than you might hope for, and this setup is lousy for winning cash prizes. Division 5 pays $2,200 per victory, but you are responsible for your own ammo and repairs. Flamethrowers are cheap to buy but expensive to refuel, and heavy armor repairs can eat the entire payout. You can earn more from salvage, which isn't an option on Amateur Night, but the flamethrower tends not to leave much left of your victim's cars.

I very quickly found myself selling the flamethrowers to buy a single machinegun, and then once I picked up a second (and shed some armor to make room for it), found myself winning these matches much more easily, and much more profitably.

Salvage is the real prize, TBH.

After one particularly good haul, I invested in a series of mechanic lessons, and my hauls got better from there.

Before long, my mechanic skill is maxed out, and with two more victories, I make my $13,000 goal.