Microsoft/Terratools’ Urban Assault did this in 1998; sci-fi dystopia, no people on the battlefield except for you and the enemy in your respective flying comma

Microsoft/Terratools’ Urban Assault did this in 1998; sci-fi dystopia, no people on the battlefield except for you and the enemy in your respective flying command posts, battle fought with drone vehicles which you can guide around in typical RTS fashion, or alternatively you can hop into any vehicle you’ve built and lead from the front. The game becomes an FPS/RTS Hybrid, with you in command of a vehicle, simultaneously issuing orders to your other squads of tanks, jets, bombers and helicopters. It’s a bit clunky, limited as an RTS and odd as an FPS, but I loved it. I never managed to play it against anyone online when I finally got my hands on a copy