The Royal Recruits are 5 years old.

Over five years ago, on August 14th, Arquebusier and Forlorn Hope founded The Royal Recruits.

Initially billed as a sub-clan for The King's Royal Rifles, The Royal Recruits promised full membership to The King's Royal Rifles as an incentive to join, but the clan focused on 'realism' specifically on the use of 'line battle' tactics many deemed too stupid or unwieldy to implement in regular play. Line battles were a specialized way of playing that relied on both teams of soldiers standing in formation and being led into battle by an officer, it had not been attempted since the early days of The Battlegrounds and most who remembered them had disappeared into obscurity.

Most felt that The Royal Recruits were doomed to an early death. But as the Kings Royal Rifles disbanded and as the weeks and months turned into a year the outlook seemed hopeful, that soldiers of The Royal Recruits could continue to be led into battle by their officers, and that maybe this little experiment wasn't destined to fail.

The Royal Recruits thrived, and as it made its transition to Battlegrounds 2 it saw new potential in a new game. Seizing the opportunity, The Royal Recruits made the most of its new surroundings, it developed game content to match its need, and in doing so planted the seeds of a budding community that grew beyond its means and expanded into something larger than its makers.

Throughout our five year existence, we have endured our fair share of hardships.

Not even the most tight-knit community can stave off the ill effects of unchecked ego, disregard the disappearance of stabilizing force, ignore a public conflict, easily rid themselves of a wayward personality, go undaunted as the world around them stagnates, politely taste the bitterness of defeat, or cheerfully watch a rival flourish.

We have taken such blows in stride, and we have fared much better than many of our peers. We may have bent many times, but we have never broken. We have stayed intact precisely because of such trials. Those unchecked egos provide a driving force, turmoil tests our strength and rocks us to our foundation, defeat strengthens our resolve, and being surpassed humbles us.

Our existence depends on acknowledging the absurdity of our existence on such a tumultuous and erratic place as the internet, keeping ourselves entertained by it's insanity, masking our Machiavellian intentions, spending far too much time contemplating pettiness and minutiae, and ensuring that we provide a fair place for those who wish to join our in on our happy madness; playing soldier on the internet.

We have been playing soldier on the internet for five years. I for one look forward to playing soldier alongside each and every one of you for another five.

For King and Country, and God Bless The Royal Recruits,

Colonel Jupa

Hear Hear!

Not many clans stay alive for 5 years. The ones that do are either full of arseholes or are too big to have fun in.

Sterling job everyone

Great post Jupa!

It has been a great time serving TRR and we had our high and lows, but our will was to stay together and we accomplished this although we lost a few people allong the way but we also gained some cool new people.

Great post indeed!

Long live TRR and all its members!

Huzzah! I'd say 'three cheers for the Royal Recruits', but we're not actually cheering, just typing it... so that can wait for the next practice.

And I remember when Arque was still tagged KRR, years and years ago, when I used to play BG1... That was when Battle for the Colonies still existed, too.

HELL YEAH!

Huzzah! FOR THE Royal Recruits!!
Very Great years (1 year for me)
hope that the Royal Recruits still will live on!

Nicely said, Jupa.... I mean... written .

TRR for life, comrades! FOR LIFE!

yeah TRR always provides lots of fun time. glad to know all you members.

I miss all the characters we dealt with, especially in IRC. I think I miss Coolswa the most; how many times did we hold internet court sessions after that guy pressed E or stabbed the ground during practice?

And jumping on heads is still fun, just so we're clear.

I still love you too my friend Remember the two rank dutch formation turned human pyramid formation?

I was looking over youtube when i saw the video, at first i was shocked and then i was amazed to see the small group i once played with has flourished into a small internet army that would make King George cry with joy.

Some of you may remember me as a dick, an idiot, or just thought of me as unpleasant and to those i say I am sorry, Arquebusier started TRR with the best of intentions, as a way for players of BG to socialize, learn history and how it was fought and i treated him with disrespect by doing the things Moltar said and just generally rubbing people the wrong way.

The only reason i re-registered was to say that, and to congratulate you, veterans i fought with and new soldiers alike, you have proved without doubt that you can stamp out discontent and gameruiners without detracting from the overal fun of the group and game.

I take off my hat to you good sirs, and wish you many more years on the fields of the Battlegrounds.