NCR troopers are the main foot soldiers for the NCR in the Mojave Wasteland during 2281.
Background
The foundation of the New California Republic Army, the troopers are men and women who have either volunteered or have been conscripted[1][2][3][4] to serve in the NCR military as the hammer of the republic. Their backgrounds, level of training, equipment and even loyalty vary widely among the thousands of troopers. However, the fact that the NCR fields a substantial army all equipped with firearms has given the NCR the edge in numerous wars. However, the Mojave Campaign pitted the NCR against a determined foe: Caesar's Legion. Though the bulk of Caesar's warriors were forced to do battle with crude blades against NCR riflemen, their superior conditioning, fearlessness and sheer numbers have forced the NCR into defensive positions.
The republic has been hard pressed to deploy enough troops to the Mojave, where the sheer size of the territory requires a great number of personnel to properly secure it. Coupled with the rising death toll at the hand of the Legionaries, the NCR's position is swiftly becoming tenuous. The NCR's most experienced soldiers are being killed daily, leaving naught but recruits rushed out of training and into battle. As a result, the NCR is forced to deal with sagging morale and daily reductions in their troop strength.
Equipment
The standard NCR trooper's uniform is one of the several variants of NCR armor. Composed of a khaki tunic with bellowed hip pockets and khaki breeches, worn with a desert facewrap and hardened leather pauldrons, black leather fingerless gloves, arm wraps, brown boots and khaki puttees. The uniform was designed to resist the rigors of the desert and long campaigns.
The main protection provided by their uniform comes from the thick leather breastplate that covers the torso and the layers of fabric over the arms and legs. Their armor is robust enough to withstand knife strikes and small-caliber firearms.
An average soldier in the NCR army is issued a service rifle and a 9mm pistol. Given its reliability, ease of manufacture and firepower, the service rifle is ideal for the grueling war in the Mojave. However, due to logistical troubles and supply shortages, not all troopers can be issued a service rifle, and instead, they must make do with whatever firearm is available. As a result, small NCR patrols can fairly often be found wandering the wasteland armed with 10mm submachine guns, 9mm submachine guns, 10mm pistols, 9mm pistols and even single shotguns. A few such patrols use First Sergeant Astor's camp near Camp Searchlight as a resting point.
Inventory
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCR armor and trooper helmet Goggles helmet Combat helmet |
Rifles Service rifle Varmint rifle Hunting rifle Sniper rifle Marksman carbine Shotguns Caravan shotgun Single shotgun Riot shotgun Handguns 9mm pistol 10mm pistol 12.7mm pistol Submachine guns 10mm SMG 9mm SMG Melee Knife Combat knife Explosives Frag grenade |
Caps $5 NCR $20 NCR $100 NCR Random skill magazines Miscellaneous items |
NCR dogtags |
Notes
- The Courier can call an NCR trooper in as backup through the NCR emergency radio (Accepted reputation with the NCR is needed).
- They may rarely use marksman carbines, such as one of the NCR troopers guarding President Kimball during his speech.
- If the Courier sides with the Legion during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, the troopers at the dam will use sniper rifles and 12.7mm pistols instead of their regular service rifles.
- In All Roads, NCR troopers that attack Great Khans at Bitter Springs (in Chance's flashback) are seen riding horses, which are never seen in this or any other Fallout game. This is a continuity error between the graphic novel and the game.
- A trooper may spawn with a merc grunt outfit by one of the tents which contain a workbench in Camp McCarran and lean on it, similar to Isaac.
- NCR troops are far more dangerous in combat with the service rifle as of patch 1.3.0.452, due to its increased rate of fire and accuracy.
- At the Strip, NCR troops will sometimes say "just lost a month's worth of caps," although they carry NCR money.
- During the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, troopers can have stimpaks.
- The first time the Courier enters the Strip, a drunk NCR trooper can be found puking on Gomorrah's sign. The Courier can still interact with them, and the trooper will say one of their phrases they would normally say.
- It is possible for the drunk troopers on the Strip to have Rattan cowboy hats or other such non-uniform headwear on.
- Troopers stationed at Hoover Dam usually have more health and are much better equipped than their regular counterparts. Examples of the weapons they may use include riot shotguns, sniper rifles, marksman carbines, 12.7mm pistols, frag grenades and even assault carbines.
- Only two troopers wear combat helmets - Christina Morales, and another unnamed trooper directly outside the McCarran Concourse.
- At the start of the game, there are over 250 NCR soldiers stationed across the Mojave.
- Some NCR troopers inside the Hoover Dam Visitor Center will be wearing black masks and black sunglasses, similar to the recruit helmet for Caesar's Legion, though even when killed, one may not take their armor.
- Besides the Strip, NCR troopers will forgive the player character regardless if they're vilified by them or not and will not attack.
- During the quest G.I. Blues, 3 NCR troopers guarding the NCR soup kitchen are seen wearing merc outfits (2 with cruiser outfits and one with an adventure outfit) and one with a prospector outfit.
Notable quotes
- "Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter."
- "When I got this assignment I was hoping there would be more gambling."
- "It's been a long tour, all I can think about now is going back home."
- "You know, if you were serving, you'd probably be halfway to general by now." – if player has a reputation of 'Liked' or higher.
- "You oughtta think about enlisting. We need you here." – if player has a reputation of 'Liked' or higher.
Appearances
NCR troopers appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Bugs
An NCR trooper called "NCR trooper MP" may randomly approach you in the Strip and attack you which also causes everybody in that area to turn hostile, claiming that no-one messes with the NCR and gets away with it, even if you have a good reputation with the NCR and have done nothing to antagonize them. Stealing from the embassy, even if you do it without getting caught, seems to attract his attention, but not always. Triggering the quest Don't Tread on the Bear! also seems to draw his ire, even if you haven't actually failed it. Killing him out of sight of others will prevent anyone else from turning hostile against you, but you may still receive Infamy with the NCR. It can be somewhat more problematic if he appears in a crowded area, you can bypass him to avoid having a fight with him.[verified]
- Sometimes the NCR trooper MP may just appear and trigger dialogue with you, all you can say is "I need to get going," without turning him hostile.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Joshua Sawyer on Formspring April 28, 2012: "You've said that the Rangers are volunteer, but does the NCR army conscript people?"
"Yes. The majority of troopers on active duty are conscripted. Someone has asked why more troopers don't talk about being conscripted (I think only one of the Misfits does). Generally speaking, volunteers are more enthusiastic than people who are forced into something."
"JESawyer 28 Apr 12" - ↑ Joshua Sawyer on Formspring March 23, 2012: "Why are the NCR troopers divided 50% - 50% into males and females? Wouldnt there be more males like in real life ?"
"Regular NCR troopers are largely conscripted without bias to sex, so no. Rangers are volunteers, but most of them are volunteers from among the troopers."
"JESawyer responded to irenebaumann 23 Mar 12" - ↑ Joshua Sawyer on Formspring April 12, 2012: "Okay lets call them "progessive" views,F2: intro of the Enclave as the bad guys,F3: Andale,FNV:2/4 human compainions are homosexuals,you yourself said you went 50/50 when portraying female to male ratio in NCR troops, and gimme a break only got 255 spaces"
"What does the Enclave have to do with left-wing/progressive viewpoints? I doubt there are many right-wingers/conservatives who would look at the Enclave's views and behavior and say, "Yeah these dudes are great." The Enclave doesn't map to a contemporary political group.
I also don't see the connection with Andale unless "not being a cannibal" is considered a progressive stance.
Two F:NV human companions are, in fact, homosexual. Also all F:NV human companions are white. With four people, you're not going to get a distribution of attributes that perfectly maps to contemporary population demographics. Finally, what's the progressive viewpoint, that homosexuals exist?
NCR troopers are roughly 50/50 male/female overall because the majority of them are conscripts. That's not progressive, just probability.
JESawyer 27 Apr 12" - ↑ Joshua Sawyer on Formspring April 27, 2012: "33% of all IDF forces are female and 51% of all IDF officers are female. Like NCR's troopers, Israel's laws of conscription do not discriminate by sex. However, unlike NCR, Israel's mandatory service is only two years for women, three years for men, which means male conscripts stay in service longer. Israel also still bars women from certain positions, which means only men may occupy them as a career path. NCR troopers have no such restrictions.
In contrast, most Rangers are male. Rangers are also volunteer-only. No one is conscripted into their ranks.
NCR is the most advanced state of large size in the American southwest. Unlike Caesar's Legion, procreation and infant/child mortality were never problems for NCR. This is also why (despite the broadly misogynistic talk of ordinary legionaries), Caesar essentially forces all women into slavery, breeding, or both.
Each of these governments populates its military forces according the principles of the state. NCR is egalitarian in conscription (barring corruption/evasion, though that isn't biased along lines of sex) and leaves elite positions open only to volunteers. Caesar is concerned only with efficiency; all individuals are bent toward the will of the state. The result is all-male slave army that is continually being replenished by forced breeding.
JESawyer responded to MikeGolf 27 Apr 12"