PlotIn this time, humanity is nominally united in an Empire, led from Earth by the Immortal Emperor Solomon Petresun. Petresun's policy is the defence of Earth at all costs. While Earth is prosperous and well protected, the colonies on Luna, Mars, and Venus suffer from increasingly harsh regulations and production quotas.The combat units of the Empire are represented by the Imperial Police and the Imperial Knights. The former paramilitary group is responsible for maintaining order in the colonies. The Knights, led by Grand Master Caanon Weathers, are the military's elite and are provided with the best pilots and equipment; naturally they are based on Earth. The Knights have customized versions of the standard HERCs.The inequality between the colonies and Earth foments rebellion. In 2802 there are two guerilla movements on Mars, the Free Martian Alliance (FMA) and the Martian Liberation Front (MLF). The FMA concentrates on destroying and capturing Imperial infrastructure and supplies. The MLF focuses on killing Imperial personnel and sympathizers. Both groups operate from underground bases and make do with modified mining HERCs and tanks. The rebels partially offset their disadvantages with superior weapons taken from the alien "Tharsis Cache"; an underground stockpile of alien technology discovered by rebels while digging new tunnels. Eventually the rebellion becomes too great for the police to contain and the Knights are deployed to Mars to crush the insurrection.The Cybrids are a race of sentient robots responsible for the first Earthsiege. They are led by the first Cybrid, Prometheus, who is revered with god-like status. The Cybrids established themselves in the outer solar system after being defeated two centuries before during the first Earthsiege. Since then they have built up their strength for another bid to destroy humanity and claim Earth for their own. Like the Martian rebels, the Cybrids discover their own cache of alien weapons and adapt it to use, but their cache is inferior to the Tharsis Cache.Notable Cybrid units include the elite Platinum Guard - those closest to Prometheus - and the heretical Metagen. The former have access to customized HERC designs. During the Cybrid campaign, the player is ordered to destroy Metagen units. They are little mentioned in the human campaign; in the final mission Cybrids supposedly guarding Prometheus abandon their posts and refuse to fire on humans for "unknown reasons."
GameplayAs a simulation, Starsiege offers players the ability to pilot a wide variety of massive bipedal war machines known as HERCULANs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation) (or 'HERCs' for short), as well as several tanks. Set in 2829, Starsiege contains an array of advanced technology, and numerous upgrades are available for each vehicle. Starsiege takes place across a number of planets and moons in the solar system, offering a range of different locations throughout the game and in multiplayer battles, including Earth, Titan, Luna, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. There are two campaigns, Human and Cybrid. The human campaign places the player as a member of the Free Martian Alliance.Gameplay in Starsiege revolves around mechanized combat - piloting HERCs and tanks in combat against opposing vehicles. Both types of vehicles can be controlled via any combination of keyboard, joystick, or mouse. Every vehicle has a unique performance, though this can be modified somewhat through customization of parts. Customizing the player's vehicle is an important element of gameplay, particularly in multiplayer - a proper balance between all of the components is necessary to assure the player a reasonable chance of success.Multiplayer gameplay includes classic modes deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag.
ImperialDriven by some of the best-trained pilots in the Imperial forces, these vehicles are quite formidable, sporting a wide range of weapon mounts and capabilities. Very few have met up with Imperials and have survived, since they are kept so well-equipped by the Imperial Fleet.Apocalypse Mk.5 (my favorite) Basilisk DisrupterGorgon Minotaur MyrmidonPaladin TalonImperial Knights The Imperial Knights, known simply as the "Knights," are the best of the best that the Imperial Forces have to offer. Their training and skill are unparalleled in the Sol system, and their opponents often surrender when they hear the Knights are on the the way. The Knights' vehicles are equipped for the heaviest weapon mounts, have a higher load capacity than other Imperial HERCs, and are faster than any other human-built HERC. Formidable by any standard; don't screw with the Knights.Apocalypse(same as above)Basilisk(same)Disrupter(same)GorgonMinotaurMyrmidon(same)Paladin(same)Talon(same)Rebel The Rebellion forces are equipped with whatever Mole Command has been able to find for them. Most of these vehicles are retrofitted mining or cargo haulers, or, in the most unusual case, totally alien in origin. Being experts in mining technology, and having found a cache of advanced weapons and equipment, this rag-tag group of poorly-trained pilots is reminiscent of the TDF of the Fire.DreadlockEmancipator (fast little mofo)Hammertank (non drivable)Harabec's Predator (anti grav tank) OlympianCybrid (meet these guys later on in the hooman career)Built with technology developed over the course of two and a half centuries, the Cybrid vehicles are built for speed and performance, and are produced in such massive numbers that thay often easily overwhelm anything even the Imperial Knights have to offer. Ranging from light assault platforms to heavy siege platforms built to last seemingly indefinitely in battle, Cybrid HERCs strike fear into the hearts of every human alive.AdjudicatorBoloExecutionerGoadPlatinum Guard Adjudicator(same)Platinum Guard Executioner(same)RecluseSeeker
Starsiege and Tribes 2 are free. I don't know about the online for Starsiege, but for T2 there is TribesNext.
Starsiege Tribes is free, but I don't think Starsiege is.
