Project Aus is a PC-orientated multi-gaming clan formed in 2004. in late 2009 we reformed as a more casual clan, focused around having fun and not around hierarchy or laws. We are always welcoming new members, so please feel free to register, have a chat on the forums and jump in Ventrilo. If you want to get in further contact with us through social networking, click on the “Follow Me” icon on the right hand side of your browser window.
If you’re interested in the history of the clan, feel free to read on.
The Beginnings
An Early Halo 2 CTF Clan Match Result
Project Aus was formed in 2004, as a Halo 2 clan. Originally named “Outback Havic”, spelling error inclusive, Halo 2′s in-game clan feature helped recruitment skyrocket, hovering constantly about 80 active members. Upon a community decision to change the name, the new Project Aus clan was even more popular, with 90+ extremely active members. Halo 2′s in-game clan feature had a member cap of 100, and popularity reached a point where a daily purge of even remotely inactive users occurred.
It is of importance to note the context within this situation; at this point in time, Xbox Live was still very underutilized and was definitely not a standard feature like it is today, especially in Australia. To have such a strong community within context of the time we were in was fantastic. Project Aus was one of the largest and strongest all-Australian clans in those early days of Halo 2.
But eventually all good things must come to an end, and as Xbox Live became increasingly popular and Halo 2′s interest among early Xbox Live adopters dwindled, several Project Aus members looked towards the PC platform for the next big thing. They were looking at Battlefield 2.
The Move to PC
The first several weeks of Project Aus’ foray into Battlefield 2 is still regarded as the ‘golden era’ by the senior members of the clan. With the few people who transferred over from Halo 2 recruiting hard, we quickly picked up to a nice clan of about 30-40 members, with 10 fully active. It was in this time that most senior members have their fondest memories, of the very late nights in Battlefield 2, giggling away on Teamspeak. As we grew we decided that we could expand our clan by purchasing a ranked server.
Providing a 16-slot community-funded Battlefield 2 server with an innovative system setup, Project Aus grew to one of the largest Battlefield 2 Australian clans in the community. For 3 years we continued with a strong and friendly userbase, with one of the top non-ISP servers in Australia. With a strong emphasis on heirarchy and stamping out cheaters through constant administration, Project Aus became immensely popular with people of all ages, and many other clans from around the country spent many hours on the clan server. The community enjoyed the wide variety of alternative setups that were used on the Project Aus server; whether it be introducing many Australians to “16 on 64″ gametypes, upcoming community mods or playing the rarely used “co-op” mode.
Server Expansions
Server In-Game Loading Image
When Battlefield 2142 was released in 2006, Project Aus branched out with another clan server for the new game, running in conjunction with the Battlefield 2 server. With many gamers already experienced in Battlefield 2, the 32-slot server for Battlefield 2 was immediately full, once again providing a wide variety of alternative gametypes for the community to enjoy.
Providing the 2 community-funded servers was extremely expensive for a clan with no sponsorship, and it only survived through the community who loved the servers so much, and a lot of help from several long-time members. Their countless efforts in the form of both time and money will always be remembered.
Multi-Gaming
Due to the immense popularity of Battlefield 2, Project Aus decided to branch out into other games. Counter-Strike: Source, Call of Duty 4, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Team Fortress 2, World in Conflict and World of Warcraft all had small Project Aus divisions, many of which enjoyed reasonable success. A sponsored Call of Duty 4 server was provided for several months and enjoyed minor success.
Old Website Banner
Tournaments
Project Aus also branched out into many competitive tournaments, more of which can be read about on our Games page.
Example of ranks from old website
Shutdown
In mid 2008 the clan’s original leadership resigned, some with family illness and others simply with other priorities. The servers were shut down due to insufficient funding, and much of the original group of players faded into obscurity. Eventually, the founder of the clan returned in December 2008 to post a shutdown notice, not wanting to let the clan die painfully for any longer.
The Revival
In 2009, with the iminent release of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the original founder of the clan, along with several long-time members from multiple divisions, decided to revive the Project Aus clan. In it’s new form, it would mainly try to capture the original feeling of the clan before its extreme popularity. The new focus of the clan will be on simply having fun, without any real heirarchy. Competitive gaming will also be a focus, but more as a fun event rather than a serious thing. As the clan moved on, it tired early of Bad Company 2 and instead spread itself out amongst a number of games, trying to find a strong focus.
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