History of the NGRU

The NGRU or Northern Guerilla Reaver Unit Gamers Association came about much in the same way all Internet gaming clans do: A group of individuals meet online and find that they all share a common love for gaming as well as a firm respect for one another’s skills. This is the foundation on which the NGRU is built.

Activision and Dream Pod 9 pooled their resources to create a game which will be remembered fondly by those who helped found the NGRU. That game is Heavy Gear. Heavy Gear became a hit in the Internet multiplayer gaming community and was a “hotbed” for the formation of new gaming clans. Activision provided servers and an “online war” storyline that drew the NGRU together.

Based on the Terra Nova Polar Government story line, the NGRU was formed. Most of the first members were partial to the “Confederated Northern City States” Gear designs and from there came the idea for a “Northern” clan. In any war, guerilla warfare is a constant: local inhabitants of occupied cities angered about the encroachment on their freedom and it was from here the “Guerilla” warfare idea came about. Reavers are individuals who take what they want by force and violence, but in the case of a guerilla fighter this means taking back a way of life that was taken by violence. It was from this concept that the word “Reaver” made its way into the NGRU name. Finally, since we fought as a group, the word “Unit” was added. These chosen words made up the name of the then newly formed gaming clan: “Northern Guerilla Reaver Unit”.

Time passed and the original members of the NGRU moved on to other games leaving only one of the founders of this clan. It was that man who continued the NGRU tradition at Mplayer.

Mplayer, realizing the popularity of Heavy Gear, provided servers for gameplay and a thriving community sprang up around the Heavy Gear game. On April 17th of 1999 the NGRU was refounded by NGRU Storm at Mplayer in the midst of conflict between two of the most memorable of the Mplayer Heavy Gear clans (DOD and XDC).

From a total of five members to the current NGRU roster of over one hundred, the NGRU has grown into various games and made their presence felt through skill, honorable gameplay, and a decided stance against hacking or cheating of any kind.

All games eventually pass on to a gamer’s growing pile of old games.  But as these games collect dust, new games are developed to replace them.  Following those trends the NGRU has moved through many games and genres.

Every gaming clan deals with its share of disappointments as has the NGRU. The loss of “units” due to misunderstandings and differing points of view, the loss of members due to disciplinary actions for violations of clan code of honor, coup attempts by seditious powermongers. These things the NGRU has dealt with and come out stronger and wiser, but not without the scars and enemies created because of it all.

Some of these enemies still continue to besmirch the NGRU honor through their actions as a clan, and actions of individual clan members. The NGRU and its allies continue to see through this standing firm in the belief that perhaps one day all gamers will realize it’s only about a game after all and not about personal convictions.