Allegiance

After the destruction of Earth by an asteroid, warring human factions struggle for resources (specifically Helium3). This is an excellent combination of 3D first person shooter and real time strategy set in outer space. Two teams with dozens of players per side battle it out over the course of an hour or two. The commander builds bases and sets up mining operations, orders bombing runs, and allocates money. Players can switch between ship types on the fly (and even beefier ships if their commander gives them the cash). New players are encouraged to fly scout ships for a few weeks and lay down sensors to spy on enemy movements or keeping other units repaired that are mining or bombing. Good news for new players: they set up servers specifically for new players so they won’t get taken advantage of by veterans while learning the ropes.