Hundreds of human tribes have scattered across the galaxy, each numbering anywhere from a few thousand to over a million members. A true census of the Tribes of Man is virtually impossible. The largest groups are the Four Great Tribes: The Children of Phoenix, Blood Eagle, Starwolf, and Diamond Sword.

The Tribes of Man, as they collectively refer to themselves, are hardy explorers. They exist on the frontier of the Great Human Empire, in the wilderzone far from the core of civilization. They recognize themselves as part of the great body of Humanity, but they pay only token heed to the sovereignty of Imperial rule. Tribal emissaries negotiate with the Imperial legate at Rho Silvanion IV, but in truth, the Empire exercises little power in the lawless wilderzone. There are those who claim the Empress would like to send magistrates and Knights to tame the Tribes, but cannot because of the great battle against the enemy called the Scourge.

Still, as Imperial settlers and refugees from the Scourge begin to enter the wilderzone, tension increases. The Tribes raid the newcomers, and those Imperial groups who can muster forces retaliate. Taken together with the constant raids and the new political tensions building between the Tribes themselves, the wilderzone is ripe for an explosion. 

Starsiege TRIBES is a unique first-person shooter set in the Starsiege universe. Combining breathtaking visual displays with seamless gameplay, TRIBES revolutionized the world of multiplayer squad-level games.

 With never-before-seen features like the "commander view," full support for team multiplayer games and worlds that stretch out for kilometers, TRIBES revolutionized the way you looked at and played first-person shooters. Introducing game types such as Death Match (DM), Team Death Match (TDM), Capture the Flag (CTF), Capture and Hold (C&H), Defend and Destroy (D&D) and Find and Retrieve (F&R), Tribes took multiplayer to a whole new level.