Mendel-Gruman Corporation

Overview

Image Gallery

Mendel-Gruman Corporation
Overview
Type	Mega-corporation
Location(s)	Terraformed planet
Affiliation	Roland Kane

The Mendel-Gruman Corporation is a futuristic transnational mega-corporation. Supplying Roland Kane with financial and military support, they are first featured in Turok. Along with financial and military support, they also appeared to have terraformed an entire planetary biosphere on an otherwise lifeless and worthless world. Under the command of Kane, the military section of this organization was tasked with hunting down and killing Whiskey Company.

Gameplay

This corporation provides the backbone of Turok's human combat through a diverse array of soldiers referred to in short as MG. MG units come in multiple variants, with Turok featuring two distinct classes. A non-combative role existed through the scientists of Mendel-Gruman, however, they were not encountered in Turok's gameplay.

Light-armored

Main articles: MG Grunt, the MG Sniper, and MG RPG.

A general light-armored, basic class exists alongside a niche, heavy-armored specialist series of units. The light-armored units consist of Grunts, Snipers, and RPGs. All of these units feature a similar aesthetic and loadout, with Sniper and RPG units rarely actually handling their namesake weaponry, instead opting to use FP9 SMGs and Enforcer shotguns respectively.

MG Grunt

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ORO FP9 SMG
ORO HOG 9mm handgun
ORO RedFist RPG
TRIGLAV 92 Stalker sniper rifle

MG Veteran

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ORO FP9 SMG
ORO HOG 9mm handgun

MG RPG

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ORO Enforcer shotgun
ORO RedFist RPG

MG Sniper

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ORO FP9 SMG
ORO HOG 9mm handgun
TRIGLAV 92 Stalker sniper rifle

Heavy-armored

Main articles: MG Elite, the MG Pyro, and MG Heavy Weapons.

The heavy-armored units consist of the MG Elite, Pyro, and Heavy Weapons. Unlike light-armored units, these three handle unique, specialized weaponry exclusively and also feature armor befitting of their title and loadout.

MG Elite

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ORO L66 pulse rifle

MG Pyro

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ESUS Fireblade flamethrower

MG Heavy Weapons

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ORO War Horse minigun

Non-combat

Main article: MG Scientist.

Not encountered in Turok's gameplay, MG Scientists featured a basic white attire fitting of their role within the organization.

MG Scientist

History

At some point prior to Whiskey Company's arrival on the backwater planet, Mendel-Gruman and Roland Kane would find common ground in researching the planet's ecology through a species of subterranean insects. It was discovered that the insects released a highly effective toxin that killed anything near it within seconds, before dispersing, with Kane's scientists working to harvest and modify it into a biological weapon. At this point, the organization was set up on the planet's surface, with surface-to-air missiles and multiple large complexes set up in various locations.

As Whiskey's ship arrived in orbit, they would be shot down by these emplacements, with Mendel-Gruman's men becoming immediately hostile to their presence on the planet. Many of the men in Whiskey would be killed in the immediate chaos, with a small squad remaining active in a crash site in a dinosaur-infested valley. Survivors included Joseph Turok and Slade, who would infiltrate and destabilize MG-20B, a large, multi-story base, on their way to regroup with Whiskey.

While Whiskey would regroup and set out to find a way off the planet's surface, Mendel's forces would begin a search for survivors, being posted up in nearby jungles and cliffsides. MG forces would nearly kill Cowboy who would be saved by Turok, although John Grimes, affiliated with Gruman, would seriously wound the former with an arrow. Following this, Foster, Gonzales, and Turok would venture into Mother Superior, finding the company's reach extending to the edges of a Tyrannosaurus rex's nest, and later the same day, they would find Whiskey's crash site.

The attack on Whiskey would leave Cole, Henderson, Lewis, and Parker dead, with the remaining forces moving out of the area in an attempt to take over an MG complex hosting a space-capable transport. Mendel-Gruman forces would happen upon this ragtag group later, as dissent in the ranks spurned on by Logan resulted in a large firefight, and Logan's death. Whiskey would later attack two Mendel-Gruman strongholds, one of which was mostly abandoned, the other was a large, fully-functioning base. The company would mount an efficient defense, resulting in Jericho, Reese and Cowboy's deaths, but would lose both bases, with the latter being forced into a meltdown by Turok's use C-4. Following this, many Mendel personnel would evacuate the area, with some staying in an attempt to kill Turok. While they would be unsuccessful, and Kane and Grimes would be killed, the company would remain active.

Production notes

Turok

Early screenshots of Turok showed light armored MG Soldiers without helmets, some of which used Logan's head as a placeholder. Full face masks were added to de-humanize the soldiers. Additionally, all MG units underwent a visual overhaul during Turok's development. In addition to the fully armored helmets that were added, original MG units featured a more stylized series of armor, unique to each class. Many of the models for these MG units can be found in Turok's PC port in various states of completion.

The original MG Grunt model.

The original MG Veteran model.

The original MG Elite model.

The original MG Sniper model.

The final MG Grunt model.

The final MG Veteran model.

The final MG Elite model.

The final MG Sniper model.

Turok originally featured a much more distinct series of MG units in gameplay, with pre-paintover concepts detailing individual units and their specific loadouts. For example, the sniper-dedicated unit was intended to only carry a sniper rifle and a handgun, however, the final title would have them mostly using the FP9 SMG, taking on a more fluid role akin to a Grunt. Another notable change occurred between the Grunt and Veteran, with the latter originally being a shotgun-specialized soldier with an entirely unique armor set. The final game would shift direction with the Veteran utilizing retooled Grunt armor, and sharing a loadout with them.

Concept sheet of early MG variants.

Turok featured a slew of cut artistic and gameplay elements, chief among them being multiple MG variants. Some wouldn't even make it past the concept art stage, while others would have near-complete models created.

MG Bio Weapon Unit

MG Captain

MG Medic

MG Shocktrooper

With Turok's origins being rooted in James Cameron's Aliens, Mendel-Gruman is likely analogous to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. The corporation also likely derives its title from Gregor Mendel, a biologist famous for founding the modern scientific field of genetics. Gruman may be derived from Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defense technology corporation.

Turok 2

Mendel-Gruman was intended to return in the sequel, with the pitch being that following the events of Turok, the remaining personnel established on the planet had fallen into disarray. Concepts for the company's soldiers were much more varied, with the idea of the company using mechs being tossed around.

Concept art featuring planned MG elements in Turok 2.

List of appearances

• Turok (First appearance)
• Turok mobile
• Turok 2