In the beginning there were THE TRANSFORMERS. Giant living robots from the far-off world Cybertron with the amazing ability to literally transform from mechanoid to vehicle or device. Split into two factions; the heroic Autobots led by the peaceful Optimus Prime, and the evil Decepticons ruled by the maniacal Megatron, they were locked in a civil war which raged across their planet for centuries

In their search for precious energy the two forces crash-landed on the planet Earth where they lay dormant for four million years until reactivated by a volcanic explosion in the present day and given the alternative disguises of Earth vehicles, weapons and equipment. Once again they continued to battle, with Earth's own resources hanging in the balance...

Such is the story of the greatest phenomena of the last century. Designed in 1984 as a best-selling child's toy which then spread to its own successful cartoon-series, comic books and full-length movie


THE TRANSFORMERS were the Pokemon of it's day. With constantly evolving characters and robot types the series continued for many years, from the original and superior Generation One, to Generation 2 and then Beast Wars and Machines before almost disappearing from sight forever.

Although no longer in vogue, the fandom of the TRANSFORMERS lived in the hearts of many and was never truly forgotten....

The RID (Robots In Disguise) clan was formed in October 2002 after the meeting of two Transformer fans, OPTIMUS (from the UK) and GRIMLOCK (from Canada), in a game of Aliens vs Predator 2. They decided to create a social home for online game players, drawing on the concepts created in the TRANSFORMERS saga, to inject some of that fun into the gaming experience. Players would be able to choose the identity of their favourite Transformer character and fight alongside others who shared their enthusiasm for the great toys they played with as kids (and some still do as adults!). As the main mission of the clan was to introduce a more fun element into online game play there would be no rank system beyond those of the Command positions, everybody would essentially be equal and fight together.

For many months the two founders fought alone until word of their idea spread and began to attract other like-minded players, mostly from the European regions. With their ranks increasing they also gained their first web-site and, with THE TRANSFORMERS currently going through something of a rebirth with new comic books and cartoon series, their reputation grew in stature as one of the retro-coolest clans around.

Since then RID has continued to grow and evolve in the online gaming world. Divisions for other games such as Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam, World Of Warcraft and Counter-Strike: Source have come and gone and it's membership roster has grown considerably, including having an Australian Division for a couple of years. It has gained respect from many other clans and organisations for the honourable attitude and skill of its members.

In 2005 RID transformed from a specific gaming clan into an online casual gaming community, opening it's doors to many new members and gaming opportunities. It is now supervised by a council of commanders operating under the guidance of founder OPTIMUS and long-standing founding member FRENZY. RID has come a long way but it's mission remains the same...