Empires is a revolutionary mod currently in development for Half-Life 2. It'll be combining the genres of first-person shooter and real-time strategy. Two key players will be present in each game, one player per team will be the commander, playing the game from a top down perspective with the ability to construct bases and give orders to his team, and all remaining players will be soldiers, playing the game from a first person perspective either on foot or in an aircraft or vehicle. The commander can choose to control his team with an iron fist, restrict his team's purchasing ability for buying upgrades and vehicles, and punish anyone who disobeys, or he can be completely nonchalant and allow his team to do what they like with no fear of reprimand. Ultimately, it is up to the commander to determine his team's strategy which will inevitably determine whether his team is victorious. There will be many forms of help when taking on the seemingly monumental task of being the commander. In-game help and NPC characters will offer advice and keep the commander aware of events on the battlefield.