#desert rangers

[newwillinium]

The Desert Rangers of Fallout New Vegas

Okay so I think the NCR Desert Rangers kind of suck, especially in comparison to their direct inspirations from Wasteland. Let me explain.

Okay so ultimately this boils down to the fact that the Desert Rangers. . . do not and never existed in the Mojave or the game world.

So backstory time. So the whole reason that the New California Republic is in the Mojave in the first place is because of their relationship with the Desert Rangers and the potential of using Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam to solve their resource issue back home.

It was their treaty with the Desert Rangers that gave them the mission and duty to secure the region from the hostility of Caesar's Legion after the Desert Rangers were pushed out of Arizona all the way into Nevada and the California wastes.

The survivors agreeing to merge themselves into the New California Republic's Ranger Corps a few years before game start.

And when we come to New Vegas and exploring it's gamestate what do we find?

Not a single bit of evidence that the Desert Rangers ever existed outside of the Monument at the Mojave Outpost. No letters, no computer logs, no Rangers who walked away rather then join a Imperialist power, no Ex-Rangers, No Centurians wearing bits of Ranger armor (The Centurians of Caesar's Legion form their uniforms out of the enemies they defeat up to and including a BOS Chapter and they have the hipplates of the NCR Ranger armor incorporated), their Chief is a NCR Ranger from Redding, every generic Ranger only has dialogue referring to the NCR Rangers as a whole and the NCR.

The Desert Rangers do not exist and did not exist in the game world as designed. There is no evidence of them anywhere in the game, and only exist to be poster-boys for the NCR and to be talked about how badass and cool they are.

And I would like to contrast with their direct inspirations.

The Desert Rangers from Wasteland 1, 2, and 3.

The Desert Rangers of Arizona are descended from the Army Corp of Engineers and they basically exist to be problem solvers. They are Diplomats, Monster-Hunters, Vigilantes, Engineers, Detectives, and feel whatever role they are required to do in order to help nurture communication, traded, and the growth of civilization in Arizona, New Mexico, California, and eventually Colorado.

And the Desert Rangers fuck up. A lot.

Perhaps the most infamous point of this is when they kill a rabid dog, and then kill the dog's furious owner when he charged them with a pellet gun. Unknown to them, the Kid survived, and as he grew so did his hate and he formed a rival group to the Desert Rangers known as the the Red Scorpion Militia.

The Desert Rangers do not rule >!this is a major issue in Wasteland 3!<, they do not conquer. They protect those independent townships that agree to be under their banner, and survive off of their own foraging, donated supplies, and the weapons and armor they themselves manufacture.

They're basically. . .think Fallout 4's Minutemen under a more centralized structure.

And the thing is that it's clear that the Wasteland Desert Rangers are implied to be the same as those in New Vegas. The Lore doesn't line up between the two now franchises, given the hundreds or so years between their nuclear apocalypses and modern day, but this is a inspiration for the series dating back to Fallout 1 with the companion Tycho whose grand-daddy was a Desert Ranger.

And with how important the Desert Rangers are to the impetus of the major main story conflict in Fallout New Vegas, how much they are the poster-boys for the game and NCR faction as a whole, and whom they are directly inspired by.

The Desert Rangers suck in New Vegas.

Because they do not and never did exist.

[salamanderpie]

@deadwapiti's Denver and Samuel for Artfight 2023

[steelcirclecosplay]

[sleights-of-hand]

A quick drawing of Nick and his auntie Anya, both of whom were desert rangers. 

They still visit from time to time; Nick and his mother insist on coming up to Jacobstown at least once a year so they have an excuse to act like fools and jump around in the snow. 

[thedumbasscourier]

having more desert ranger thoughts since i’ve got my head thinkin about Zac and Beaumont.

I’m thinking the desert rangers had quite a few of their own ranger stations stretching the entire territory they covered. Mainly intended for use for shelter for the night or during a storm, to restock on supplies, drop off anything important, regroup, anything of the like. 

There’d always be one ranger who stayed there as to make sure supplies never ran out, to greet anyone seeking shelter, or to help organize whatever rangers were near enough that the radios would pick them up. 

These stations didn’t advertise that they were ranger stations, but rather went under the pseudonym of Reverse D R Ranch, after the brand used on their mounts. While the name may of only just vaguely hidden the fact it was the rangers, it was still enough for when people need to seek the rangers but not outright say that they were looking for the desert rangers. No, they were only simply looking for the Reverse D R Ranch. 

[m-mcentire]

My ranger squad from Wasteland 2

[steelcirclecosplay]

Desert Rangers Etched Glass Bottle

[anarcho-karlachism]

Fallout: Radio Caesaris - Midwestern BOS & New Desert Rangers’ T-51b Power Armor The New Desert Rangers is made up of both ex-Desert Rangers and ex Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel Members and they are lead by High-General Ezekiel; a former Midwest BOS paladin and Ranger. After the fall of the Desert Rangers, he reformed the remaining few who didn’t join NCR or go their own way into the New Rangers, later he convinced some outcast Midwestern and Mojave brothers & sisters of Steel to join his new order.  

[thedumbasscourier]

Hm. I think desert rangers always worked in a pair. No big patrols, no single person. Just a pair. Makes it easier for quick gets ins and get outs, less to haul, only have to make sure one other person is up and ready to flee if it came to it. 

Course there’s bigger groups for bigger threats, but the pair have to find that big threat first and relay it back before a larger group of rangers is put together. Until then, it’s just the pair. 

Usually you didn’t have your partner swapped up on you just to switch it up. The only time you ever got a new partner was if injury/death was the cause. Occasionally a ranger left before then, but it was always the same partner until both rangers retired or injury/death happened. 

[tehfrostydude]

Okay, so here is the first character finished, Frosty (where did you get that awesome name from? :O), along with the info I’ll put in the character editor.

Bio: Born amongst the rangers. His strict officer training combined with his empathy allow him to adapt and understand his surroundings, making him a good fireteam leader while working with the Combat Engineers. Controls the battlefield and provides fire support with his marksman rifle.

[Stats] [In-game portrait]

The stats were made with this awesome character creation toolkit, at also has tools for other RPGs

[steelcirclecosplay]

Desert Rangers

[steelcirclecosplay]

Desert Rangers Bottle