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Testimonial: This game consistently delivers dynamic game play and heaps of fun. The only game I have played that I have not gotten bored of, even after 5 years.
- |JPL| Kamber

Frequently asked questions

What is Empires?

Empires is a total conversion modification for Half-Life 2. By total conversion, we mean that all content is completely new, all new artwork and gameplay. Nothing is used from Half-Life 2.

What do I need to play Empires?

You need a copy of Half-Life 2 and the Empires client.

Who are the two opposing sides in Empires?

You have the choice of either playing as the Northern Faction or the Brenodian Empire. The Northern Faction is a rebel group consisting of remnants of the Jekotian Empire which was swallowed by the Brenodian Empire in a previous war. They are very resourceful and capable for a group low in resources and man power, and only recently have they come back from the brink of annihilation thanks to a new discovery which remains unknown to the Brenodi. The Brenodian Empire has a very large and well trained army and is backed up by a large reserve of resources to dedicate to the war effort. Their technology is slightly more advanced and elegant than the Northern Faction's, and they are solely dedicated to eliminating the remaining malicious elements of the fallen Jekotian Empire before completely integrating the Jekotians into their empire and wiping history of their existance.

What's the reason behind their conflict?

The general theme behind the conflict is that each side has embarked on the research and development of artificial methods for the evolution of their race. This created a new military race to engineer the ultimate soldier. The Northern Faction/Jekotian Empire focused on genetic manipulation through the use of viruses and bacteria, essentially organic methods. The Brenodian Empire chose their own method of furthering human enhancement via the use of implants and nanomechanical devices. The two methods are incompatible, and this has led to continued fighting even though the Brenodian Empire had essentially gained control of the Jekotian Empire at the end of the previous war. To go back even farther, there are elements of sibling rivalry which erupted after the fall of their ancestors' great empire and grew from the Faction Wars which lasted many years and produced the two empires currently fighting.

How does each team gain money for purchasing better equipment and vehicles?

Like all typical real-time strategy games, there will be resource nodes on the map in the form of a geothermal vent which will supply the team with income and minerals once a refinery is built on them.

Who gets to choose what gets purchased?

The commander can lock his team's factories to prevent anyone but himself from constructing vehicles, or he can leave them unlocked so that players can walk into the factory and purchase a unit.

Can I be a tester?

Please visit the forums to inquire about becoming a tester.

Can I join the development team?

Visit the Join Us section and see if you have skills that match any of the open positions. Then, submit samples of your work to the team.

How long has work been ongoing for Empires?

We officially started work in February of 2003 for the Battlefield 1942 engine. Work ended for the Battlefield 1942 engine in April of 2004, and all work thereafter has been aimed at a new engine, the Source Engine.

Why did you stop developing for Battlefield 1942 and why not continue with Battlefield: Vietnam?

Battlefield 1942's coding capabilities are very limited. We attempted to stretch its scripts beyond what they were designed for. As a result, the game became very unstable which was impossible to fix without greater access to the code. Moving to Battlefield: Vietnam would have kept us in the same situation of being unable to create a stable mod.

Will you be utilizing the normal mapping capabilities of the Source engine?

Yes, all of our models will feature normal maps.

How is the commander for each team chosen?

At the start of the mission before any action begins, players are given the option of nominating themselves for the commander position. The player with the most votes wins the role of commander.

Is there an official IRC channel for Empires where I can discuss the mod in depth with other fans?

Yes, it's located on the IRC.US.GameSurge.Net server and channel #empiresmod. If you have no idea what IRC is, download the mIRC client and read the FAQ located at its site.