Vehicle Security.

There you are, all set to have a wondrous time out on the town. You have your anti-theft system all primed, flechette dischargers ready to go, and what happens? Some bugger attempts to break into your car, sets off the grenades, paints the town red (literally), and you get slapped with a manslaughter charge (or worse in some areas), and bang, there goes your partner and the better part of your life, and you still have to worry about whether the deceased had any friends who want to get some revenge.

Well, no longer! Car Wars has only one thief deterrent in the game. Pretty understandable when you think about the fact that it's mainly a road combat game, but if you're using GURPS Autoduel, or you play characters outside their vehicles, then that one anti-theft system may not be suitable or adequate for you. So, here for the security minded, I present some more ideas on how to protect your vehicle, and for you cheap skates, how to break into the system...

The venerable anti-theft system:

Currently the system is useless without being linked to some dischargers on the outside of the vehicle, but why just link dischargers when there is a plethora of other non-lethal items available?

For an extra $50, you can link the system to the vehicles horns and lights, so that if an attempt is made and failed the car lights up and sounds awful, or for an extra $100, you can get a real ear-piercer of an alarm which will let everyone in a few blocks radius know your car is under assault. Or, if your car is that extra bit special, link the alarm to a kamibomb (resulting in the destruction of the vehicle), or a small block of plastique explosive, just enough to meltdown the engine...

Alternately, for that extra special guest, there is the false door handle, which instead of opening the door is wired directly to the cars power plant and is ready to send a hefty jolt of electricity into any would be thief's hand. Such a system requires the owner to carry a pocket electromagnet so that they can open the door and requires either the cut-off switch in the vehicle to be pressed, or the power plant to be disconnected, which can be done by any number of ways, including blowing a sodding great hole in the bonnet. This system costs $1,000 and drains 1 PF per half hour of use. Pocket electromagnets cost $300 and weigh 2 lbs. They take no GEs, although they are one-handed items when in use.

Physical immobilisers:

So the thief knows how to get inside the car, well that's okay, we know how to get rid of them too!

The simplest way to protect the car is to get a physical immobiliser which clamps onto the steering wheel and physical prevents it being used. Depending on whether you like the idea of gear sticks or not (as written off in "State of the Art 2039 Part 1" in ADQ 7/2), physical immobilisers can be acquired for them too, locking them in place. Immobilisers cost about $75 each, and weigh about 5 lbs. Electronic lock versions cost around $200 and upwards.

Getting into them depends on how you go about breaking into locks. If you have the time and equipment, you can simply cut through them. Most car thieves don't have that time and must attempt to pick the lock, with a successful Theft roll being needed to succeed. High security immobilisers (costing twice the price and upwards) give the thief a -1 to their roll. Electronic lock versions have a keypad and require a code to break.

Ignition immobilisers:

The ignition immobiliser is a very simple and practical deterrent for beginning thieves. It is basically a break in the ignition circuit, which is controlled by a switch. For the ignition to work, the switch must be depressed. The switch can be placed anywhere in the car and disguised as any other type of switch.

The work needed to do this takes about an hour in any half decent mechanics shop, and costs about $200 at a professional garage (all labour, so the staff would have you believe).

The only way to deactivate this system is to find the switch and press it. You could attempt to hack your way into the ignition, but without knowing where the break in the circuit is, this becomes a lengthy (but by no means impossible) task. New thieves are often fooled by this, but any decent thief or one with mechanical knowledge will have no trouble knowing the problem and finding the switch after a little time.

[Note from the author: My dad used to actually install these on family and friends cars, and they do work for the casual thief. One was caught in the process by police and stated that he had no idea why the car wasn't starting. However once bitten, twice shy . . .]

Alternately the ignition may simply be hardwired to an electronic keypad requiring a code to be entered for the system to work. This costs around $750 and is a Very Hard task for a Mechanic to disarm.

Ignition alarms:

Then there is the other type of system that needs to be deactivated before the ignition will start. Unlike the ignition immobiliser, there is no break in the circuit, instead the alarm is wired into the ignition and unless deactivated will be set off when the ignition is started.

These systems cost $750, plus the cost of whatever is linked to the alarm.

Some examples:

+ $50: A simple link to the cars lights and cars which will be activated when the alarm is sounded.
+ Cost and weight of interior discharger. Sure, you'll damage your car unless you use a nerve agent or tear gas, but no one expects dischargers to go off inside a car! A concussion discharger in an enclosed space is one of my favourites...
+ $100: A link to an ear-piercing alarm. May be set to sound outside the vehicle (in which case the sound may be heard for several blocks), or may be mounted inside the vehicle...

More extreme measures include links to kamibombs, plastique, radio beacons, or to send a message straight to the local police station.

Ignition alarms are not visible to the naked eye (although well respecting citizens will have warning stickers on the outside windows), and to disarm is a Very Hard task for a mechanic.

There, I hope that's given you some extra ideas on car protection, for if you haven't got a car, how are you going to Drive Offensively?

Vehicle Security
There you are, all set to have a wondrous time out on the town. You have your anti-theft system all primed, flechette dischargers ready to go, and what happens? Some bugger attempts to break into your car, sets off the grenades, paints the town red (literally), and you get slapped with a manslaughter charge (or worse in some areas), and bang, there goes your partner and the better part of your life, and you still have to worry about whether the deceased had any friends who want to get some revenge. Well, no longer! Car Wars has only one thief deterrent in the game. Pretty understandable when you think about the fact that it's mainly a road combat game, but if you're using GURPS Autoduel, or you play characters outside their vehicles, then that one anti-theft system may not be suitable or adequate for you. So, here for the security minded, I present some more ideas on how to protect your vehicle, and for you cheap skates, how to break into the system... The venerable anti-theft system: Currently the system is useless without being linked to some dischargers on the outside of the vehicle, but why just link dischargers when there is a plethora of other non-lethal items available? For an extra $50, you can link the system to the vehicles horns and lights, so that if an attempt is made and failed the car lights up and sounds awful, or for an extra $100, you can get a real ear-piercer of an alarm which will let everyone in a few blocks radius know your car is under assault. Or, if your car is that extra bit special, link the alarm to a kamibomb (resulting in the destruction of the vehicle), or a small block of plastique explosive, just enough to meltdown the engine... Alternately, for that extra special guest, there is the false door handle, which instead of opening the door is wired directly to the cars power plant and is ready to send a hefty jolt of electricity into any would be thief's hand. Such a system requires the owner to carry a pocket electromagnet so that they can open the door and requires either the cut-off switch in the vehicle to be pressed, or the power plant to be disconnected, which can be done by any number of ways, including blowing a sodding great hole in the bonnet. This system costs $1,000 and drains 1 PF per half hour of use. Pocket electromagnets cost $300 and weigh 2 lbs. They take no GEs, although they are one-handed items when in use. Physical immobilisers: So the thief knows how to get inside the car, well that's okay, we know how to get rid of them too! The simplest way to protect the car is to get a physical immobiliser which clamps onto the steering wheel and physical prevents it being used. Depending on whether you like the idea of gear sticks or not (as written off in "State of the Art 2039 Part 1" in ADQ 7/2), physical immobilisers can be acquired for them too, locking them in place. Immobilisers cost about $75 each, and weigh about 5 lbs. Electronic lock versions cost around $200 and upwards. Getting into them depends on how you go about breaking into locks. If you have the time and equipment, you can simply cut through them. Most car thieves don't have that time and must attempt to pick the lock, with a successful Theft roll being needed to succeed. High security immobilisers (costing twice the price and upwards) give the thief a -1 to their roll. Electronic lock versions have a keypad and require a code to break. Ignition immobilisers: The ignition immobiliser is a very simple and practical deterrent for beginning thieves. It is basically a break in the ignition circuit, which is controlled by a switch. For the ignition to work, the switch must be depressed. The switch can be placed anywhere in the car and disguised as any other type of switch. The work needed to do this takes about an hour in any half decent mechanics shop, and costs about $200 at a professional garage (all labour, so the staff would have you believe). The only way to deactivate this system is to find the switch and press it. You could attempt to hack your way into the ignition, but without knowing where the break in the circuit is, this becomes a lengthy (but by no means impossible) task. New thieves are often fooled by this, but any decent thief or one with mechanical knowledge will have no trouble knowing the problem and finding the switch after a little time. [Note from the author: My dad used to actually install these on family and friends cars, and they do work for the casual thief. One was caught in the process by police and stated that he had no idea why the car wasn't starting. However once bitten, twice shy . . .] Alternately the ignition may simply be hardwired to an electronic keypad requiring a code to be entered for the system to work. This costs around $750 and is a Very Hard task for a Mechanic to disarm. Ignition alarms: Then there is the other type of system that needs to be deactivated before the ignition will start. Unlike the ignition immobiliser, there is no break in the circuit, instead the alarm is wired into the ignition and unless deactivated will be set off when the ignition is started. These systems cost $750, plus the cost of whatever is linked to the alarm. Some examples: + $50: A simple link to the cars lights and cars which will be activated when the alarm is sounded. + Cost and weight of interior discharger. Sure, you'll damage your car unless you use a nerve agent or tear gas, but no one expects dischargers to go off inside a car! A concussion discharger in an enclosed space is one of my favourites... + $100: A link to an ear-piercing alarm. May be set to sound outside the vehicle (in which case the sound may be heard for several blocks), or may be mounted inside the vehicle... More extreme measures include links to kamibombs, plastique, radio beacons, or to send a message straight to the local police station. Ignition alarms are not visible to the naked eye (although well respecting citizens will have warning stickers on the outside windows), and to disarm is a Very Hard task for a mechanic. There, I hope that's given you some extra ideas on car protection, for if you haven't got a car, how are you going to Drive Offensively?

	Vehicles