Summary
When one thinks ofFallout: New Vegas, whether they’re a fan or just familiar with the game, the image that comes to mind is likely a New California Republic (NCR) Ranger shooting their trusty revolver or rifle. The NCR is one of the most highly regarded factions, not just inFallout: New Vegas, but also the entire franchise. This is because they function pretty well as an army founded after a nuclear apocalypse. They protect every citizen of the NCR from slave-driving tribes and other criminals without asking for much in return. During the events ofFNV, the NCR Rangers’ influence spread to the neighboring state of Nevada because of an agreement known as the Ranger Unification Treaty.
Fallout: New Vegasis a spin-off title released a few months after the mainlineFallout 3. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment instead of Bethesda’s in-house studio, and despite a developer change,Fallout: New Vegasis one of the most successful games in the series mostly because of its thrilling story ofthe Courier(the player character) seeking to recover a package that they lost after being shot and left for dead while doing a delivery across the Mojave Desert. During this process, they find themselves in the middle of a multi-sided war across the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada.
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A History of the Desert Rangers and New California Republic Army
Despite having a similar name, objective, and renown, the origins of the two Ranger organizations inFallout: New Vegasare quite different. The more popularNCR Rangers inFalloutwere founded in 2161 by Seth, a former captain of the Shady Sands Town Guards during the events of the firstFalloutgame. It is a volunteer special forces team that started with a mission to abolish slavery within and outside its borders.
As the Rangers grew in numbers and popularity, because of their success in freeing people from slavery, their focus widened to protecting the people of theNew California Republicfrom tyrannic rule. Now, they operate as a strike force that deals with threats that are too strong for the regular NCR army while securing the borders of the republic. They also go on clandestine missions to gather information and sabotage enemy strongholds.
The Desert Rangers are less structured, but just as competent as their NCR counterparts. This organization is made up of survivalists living in Nevada and Arizona who were inspired by the original Texas Rangers to help and protect the people of the wasteland. They did a splendid job during their early days, keeping Raiders and other violent gangs away from Nevada using their superior weapons and training. However, the Desert Rangers met their match when they faced off againstCaesar’s Legion, who outnumbered them.
How the Ranger Unification Treaty Came to Be
The clash between the Desert Rangers and Caesar’s Legion reminded the former that a few well-trained soldiers and elite weapons aren’t enough to win a war against the latter’s larger army. They need more boots on the ground. As such, they sought out the help of the NCR Rangers, who were more than happy to assist in their fight against theslave-driving Caesar. The neighboring organizations signed the Ranger Unification Treaty in 2271 to integrate the Desert Rangers into the NCR Rangers.
Because of the treaty, the Desert Rangers gained access to the NCR Rangers’ elite training and gear, making the members even more competent in combat and tactical situations. The integration also meant that the NCR Rangers’ forces grew even larger, with battle-hardened and loyal soldiers joining their guard. The treaty also expanded NCR Ranger territory to Southern Nevada, Hoover Dam, and New Vegas to stamp out any attempts of Caesar’s Legion to invade the area. To commemorate this historic agreement, a monument was created just outside the Mojave Outpost, showing sculptures of a Desert Ranger and an NCR Ranger shaking hands.
Fallout: New Vegasis available now for PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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