MAG -Massive Action Game

[Choze]

Hit over 65 hours already now. Great community to the game. Teamwork is exemplar and I am insanely addicted. Constantly in awe at the design.

 

I love how the game uses proximity chat like Killzone. You can hear enemies talking tactics thinking they are not being heard Bi-pods are also brilliant in this game. This is how you do bipods! Thanks to the scale and player count this game makes good use out of all the weapons and abilities. Everything counts.

 

Bought( ) Interdiction. New game mode like Battlefields Conquest mode. With alot of APC's and 128 players. Again good fun. Glad I got it. Adds even more variety to the game. They have done so well with these game modes and level design.

 

Thinking about joining a clan. Anyone here know afew major ones or I will advertise myself elsewhere?

Edited August 6, 2010 by Choze

[Cookyman]

Right you lot you can now get this for a mere £17.99 Here!

 

 

I absolutely love all the updates MAG is getting.

 

Patch Alert: MAG v1.07

 

It’s that time again! Beginning today, August 12, our latest patch, MAG v1.07, is yours to download!

 

The best part of our patch news? What’s actually in it! There are all sorts of cool goodies to enjoy with this one — including a new “Happy Hour” bonus that gives players a 100% XP bonus the first hour of every 24-hour play period and a “Faction Neutral” version of the Suppression game mode that makes it possible to attack any Suppression map with any PMC. Other additions, like updated Flores Basin Transfer and Alyeska Terminus Domination maps, new lighting effects, and a number of key bug fixes make this MAG update a real keeper.

 

To get the patch, simply log on to MAG as normal and it will automatically begin the download. The complete list of items included with patch v1.07 can be found below, and the entire history of MAG fixes and patches can be found by visiting our official patch notes page located at http://blog.mag.com/blog/patch-notes/.

 

Patch v1.07

Available August 12, 2010 | 38MB (TPPS), 142MB (DLS)

 

Gameplay

 

•“Happy Hour” XP Bonus has been added to give players a 100% XP bonus for their first hour of gameplay every 24-hour period

•All “Suppression” mode maps can now be attacked by all PMCs

•All “Sabotage” mode maps can now be attacked or defended by all PMCs

•Added functionality that allows each game mode to have its own unique XP bonuses

•Fixed bug that would sometimes delay the proper initial spawn times.

•Repaired bug that sometimes inverted a player’s control scheme following a parachute drop

•Reduced helicopter settle time and significantly increased health to strengthen their use as a forward spawn point

•Slight increase to bunker turret damage vs. vehicles

Weapons

 

•Shotgun overhaul with reduced maximum, effective and headshot ranges; small increase in magazine size, shot spread, and shoot speed following reload (12 Gauge Pump, Boudini 12 Gauge, T-195)

•Increased initial magazine count for Sub-Machine Guns, Assault Rifles, and Sniper Rifles

•Corrected a tuning error with assault rifle and light sniper rifle foregrips, returning them to their previous level of recoil

•Slight decrease in reload time for KP5 Sub-Machine gun

•Updated Light Machine Gun muzzle flash effect and increased reload time by 15% (MK46 Mod0, Apex 100, RTK-74)

•Increased reload time by 10% for Medium Machine Guns (KP45 MG, MK43 Mod 1, PKP MG)

•Slight decrease in crouch-fire spread for AK-74U Assault Rifle

•Minor increase in fire-spread for ATAC 2000 Assault Rifle

•Pistols are now held closer to the center of the screen (M9, F57, IZ-443)

Map – Alyeska Terminus

 

•Repaired glitch in which players could walk through the wall on into Vent Station F without destroying the gate

•Fixed bug that made snipers laying prone on the balcony of the “Great Wrangler Café” immune to damage

•Various collision and art fixes that prevent players from gaining access to areas that were not intended to be accessible

Map – Flores Basin Transfer

 

•Remapped all Objectives to more closely match other Domination missions

•Extended to roof cover for Objective buildings in Platoons 1 and 3

•Added cover to railing in Platoon 1 building for additional Defender-side protection

•Added additional roof panels to Objective buildings in Platoons 2 and 4

•Added roof cover to the Defender spawn exits

•Removed some cover located on top of the boats in Platoon 2 to improve AAA and bunker sightline

•Changed the access points leading onto the AAA boats in Platoon 2

•The flank route on the left side of Platoon 1 has been cut off

•Partially obstructed segments of the flank route on the right side of Platoon 1

•Added more sightline obstructions between the Objective building doors and the Defender spawn exits in Platoon 3

•Blocked the direct sightline at Objective B

•Added sight-line obstructions at Objective C and G buildings

•Reduced the number of access points that attackers have in all Objective buildings

•Repositioned Bravo bunker in Platoon 2 to eliminate long sightlines on multiple Attacker spawns

•Repositioned Delta bunker in Platoon 2 to improve AAA sightline and give Attackers better spawn protection

•Pulled back the tank traps in Platoon 1 to the Defender’s side of the bridge

•Various collision and art fixes that prevent players from gaining access to areas that were not intended to be accessible

Interface

 

•Added display to all game mode queues that show the current XP bonus attached to that queue

•Added countdown timer to Bleedout screen to show how many seconds are left before the player’s next PMC spawn wave begins

•Fixed display issue with “Sabotage” wherein the incorrect number of player dots were shown on the mode side-panel

Audio/ Visual

 

•Improved lightmapping effects for Alyeska Terminus and Flores Basin Transfer Domination maps

•Added “surface” sounds when driving vehicles to reflect what kind of terrain is being driven on

Technical

 

•Updated patching technology to allow for smaller patch sizes when updating maps

•Repaired crash bugs associated with spending too much time in the CNI or being killed via headshot while using it

•Fixed display issue that resulted in dead players appearing to “float” above the location in which they died

•Fixed bug that prevented Squad Leaders from receiving points for destroying enemy vehicles with air strikes

•Various localization updates

Edited August 13, 2010 by Cookyman

[Choze]

Now thats how you do a patch! Game gets even better. There are other hidden improvements as well.

 

Over 110 hours of gameplay already. Best online fps this gen imo.

 

With Valor right now. But i have to say SVER and Raven play alot better on average.

[Cookyman]

With Valor right now. But i have to say SVER and Raven play alot better on average.

 

I'm Valor too!

[MATtheHAT]

Valor is for gays.

[Cookyman]

Valor is for gays.

 

 

So when you joining us?

[Cookyman]

Another week - another shit ton of MAG news!

 

From MAG.com

 

MAG “Moves,” Plus Our New Beta Program

posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 17, 2010 11:15 am

If you’re a fan of our massive 256-player first-person shooter, MAG, then today’s news should be of great interest to you.

 

Truth be told, we have so many tremendous revisions coming to our “ever-changing global war” that it’s almost impossible to tell you about everything we have planned in a single article… but we have to begin somewhere, and we’re starting with PlayStation Move!

 

That’s right, later this Autumn MAG will offer full compatibility with the PlayStation Move! This added support means that users have another way to experience the most ambitious first-person shooter out there. Pinpoint accuracy and easy access to all of the game’s mechanics ensure that players of any type — be they hardened veterans or new recruits — can enjoy a shooting experience unlike any other.

 

But PlayStation Move support isn’t all we’re working on. Because our upcoming content is so important to the game and its future, we want your assistance to make sure we get it right! With that notion in mind we’re pleased to announce that, one week from today on August 24, we’re inviting existing MAG owners to take part in the all-new MAG Beta program!

 

Raven, SVER and Valor chill on Silverback Ridge.

 

What are you going to play and test, you ask? How about the oft-demanded “Clan Deploy” feature that allows clan leaders to choose any game type and queue up to 128 clan members for matches as a team? Sure, that’s a great start but we’re also bringing in a brand-new Skill tree system that improves how our character customization system works — complete with new skills and new abilities. What’s more is that we’re introducing an in-game economy system that allows users to earn “Credit Points” by completing objectives, finishing missions, and killing enemies. They can then spend those points to purchase new weapons and gear.

 

MAG Beta testers will also have the opportunity to try out our upcoming DLC game-type, “Escalation,” well before it becomes available. The most frenetic MAG game mode yet, Escalation offers three brand-new faction-neutral maps with never-before-seen environments that pit a total of 96 players from all three PMCs against each other simultaneously. For the first time ever, Raven, Valor and SVER will be on a single map going after the same objectives at the same time. It’s complete insanity and a whole lot of fun, and we can’t wait for you to try it out. As an added bonus, we’re including nine all-new weapons that add even more firepower to your already-sweet arsenal as well.

 

Radiant Barrens is hot!

 

That’s not all, of course, as we have plenty of other surprises in store for the new MAG Beta program that we haven’t mentioned yet — like the beta’s ability to support multiple character slots so that players can check out each PMC — but some things are best left for you to discover on your own.

 

To participate in the new MAG beta, all you have to do is download the client software from the PlayStation Store when it becomes available next week, insert your MAG disc into the PlayStation 3, sign-in to the beta client and… BOOM! You’re good to go. Reminder: You must have the MAG disc in your PS3 in order for the new beta client to work.

 

Amazingly, today’s announcement only scratches the surface of what’s planned for MAG’s future. That’s why we’re updating the Official MAG Blog constantly over the next few weeks with new and more detailed information of what you can look forward to. We’re even holding a special edition of our popular Zipline Podcast this Friday that will answer your questions about our future plans with special guest, Zipper Game Director Seth Luisi (if you have a question for the podcast, post it here)!

 

As always, the entire team at Zipper Interactive would like to thank you, our fans, for your feedback, loyalty and enthusiasm. Your continued support is what makes MAG what it is today, and it’s what inspires us to to make it better.

 

Bloody Hell!

Edited August 17, 2010 by Cookyman

[Choze]

Yes Hell! 1.070was insane as it is but this is just too much!

 

3 way battles!

 

Beta next week i hope.

 

MAG is just too awesome!

 

lvl 59 on Valor now. So near to going back to Raven or SVER.

[Cookyman]

Loving the sound of this!

MAG Escalation: A Closer Look

posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 18, 2010 10:29 am

If you caught our previous blog update, you already know that the upcoming “Escalation†game mode will be available for play in our new MAG Beta program starting August 24. What you don’t know, however, is what Escalation is and how it works, which is exactly what we’re about to show you.

 

Simply put, Escalation is a simultaneous three-faction battle for resources that supports up to 96 players, or one 32-man platoon for each PMC. The ultimate goal for each Escalation map is to earn the maximum number of points before time runs out or, if time does expire, to have the most points overall. Whichever team meets this goal wins the map and some additional Shadow War points for the cause.

Isla de Magma

 

Points are gained as Raven, SVER and Valor vie for control of wind, thermal and solar energy objectives — but it’s not as easy as just “running to all your objectives†and holding them until the end. Instead, Escalation is made up of two phases:

 

For the initial phase, all three teams fight it out to hold the map’s A, B and C objectives — but when any of the three teams gains control of two of these objectives, the second phase kicks off. In this second phase, the original three objectives are locked and a brand-new fourth objective (D) is opened up. The mission now challenges the PMC that took the two objectives originally to defend D against both attacking groups as long as possible; if the D objective is lost, then play reverts back to phase 1 again and the war continues on until we have a winner.

 

Radiant Barrens

 

In practice, Escalation is a ton of fun and has been the subject of countless post-game “wow†conversations internally here at Zipper. Of course, one of the main reasons our reactions have been so strong — outside the obvious madness that comes with all three factions battling it out at once — are the maps that go along with it. All three Escalation environments are all unlike any that have been seen in MAG before. Whether it’s the sunny beaches of “Isla de Magma,†the mountains of “Silverback Ridge,†or the desert wasteland of “Radiant Barrens,†the locales are as fascinating as they are colossal. Besides, any MAG game mode that lets you fight out in the heart of a sweltering volcano gets automatic fun points — it’s just a fact of life.

 

To check out Escalation for yourself, be sure to download the new MAG Beta client from the PlayStation Store for free starting August 24. Keep in mind that you will have to have the retail version of MAG in order for the client to work and that the time and access to the beta may be limited, so you won’t want to miss it.

 

Silverback Ridge

 

Before we go, please enjoy these closer looks at the Escalation maps and be sure to check back for more updates on the official MAG blog in the coming days.

 

You can get MAG for £17.99 now - yet sadly hardly anbody on here has it - I've no idea why as it is one of the most supported and continually evolving games on the PS3. It's improved a lot since it's initial release and I would recommend you lot give it a shot!

 

My reaction to the lack of support MAG gets with our community here can be summed up in the picture below!

 

[Aimless]

You can get MAG for £17.99 now - yet sadly hardly anbody on here has it - I've no idea why as it is one of the most supported and continually evolving games on the PS3.

Because it's not very fun to shoot things in MAG. The developer support is admirable, the networking impressive, but moment-to-moment gunplay just felt rather flat. If it had the audio and heft of BFBC2 you wouldn't be able to get people off it!

 

Still, I think I'll give it another try when Move support is added.

[Choze]

Because it's not very fun to shoot things in MAG.

 

You could not be more wrong. MAG is the most fun shooter I have played in ages! I explained abit about the gunplay here earlier but it works really really well.

 

Maybe that is a good thing? MAG will knock people off their feet when they least expect it. For me its now one of the the games that define the PS3 like LBP.

 

I never ever imagined I would be more excited for a MAG beta/dlc over everything at Gamescom. Thats how much my perception of MAG turned around compared to the beta (That was a rough beta Sony, dont EVER do that again). Only had it 2-3 weeks and its like Crack.

 

Its very much like when Battlefield games on pc were new, most didnt give them a chance because they looked worse than other fps yet had had higher requirements. But you got tons of pioneering stuff other fps never did. As a long time BF fan I have to say MAG really delivered more for me than any other fps game this generation.

 

With 1.06 and 1.07 more people are joining MAG coming from other games complimenting how much better it is. May it continue. Its my most refreshing game experience in a long while. FPS right now are playing it rather safe, its really nice to see an accomplished shooter developer such as Zipper pushing the boundaries with MAG. May the new 3 team game mode also do well! Move?... well lets see.

Edited August 19, 2010 by Choze

[Aimless]

You could not be more wrong. MAG is the most fun shooter I have played in ages!

I am not "wrong", although you're welcome to your opinion. I played the Beta and picked up the game soon after launch, yet I wouldn't describe either iteration's gunplay as particularly engaging; if I had to sum it up in one word it would be clinical.

 

Maybe things have improved since then, I guess I'll find out when I try the game out again. I expect a game's core mechanic to be at the centre of attention, though; having 128 people to gun for doesn't mean much to me if none of them are particular fun to shoot at.

[Choze]

I am not "wrong", although you're welcome to your opinion. I played the Beta and picked up the game soon after launch, yet I wouldn't describe either iteration's gunplay as particularly engaging; if I had to sum it up in one word it would be clinical.

 

Maybe things have improved since then, I guess I'll find out when I try the game out again. I expect a game's core mechanic to be at the centre of attention, though; having 128 people to gun for doesn't mean much to me if none of them are particular fun to shoot at.

 

Edit nvm. They changed shooting mechanics in patch v1.03 which was after release but before you could LMG snipe. Which according to zipper was a tricky bug so they redid it from scratch.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Choze

[Cookyman]

Even more info - it just keeps coming! MAG.com

 

MAG Character Customization: The New Standard

posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 19, 2010 10:45 am

 

This has been an exciting week for MAG, and we’re continuing that momentum today with a closer look at the improved character customization that’s debuting in our new MAG Beta program starting August 24.

 

To begin with, the MAG Beta will support up to three different character slots per PSN ID so that players can try their hand at any PMC without having to start over again. Please note that when you boot up the beta for the first time your existing MAG character will be auto-copied to “Slot A.†However, this copied character is now completely independent of your original character and he exists solely in the beta universe. In other words, whatever happens to the beta character after the copy process does not affect your character in the retail game.

 

Another new feature premiering in the MAG Beta is the increase in level cap. Whereas your character stopped advancing at level 60 in the retail version, the beta now allows him to keep going until level 70. Pretty sweet, we know.

 

You can access the supply depot from your primary menu screen

 

Of course, the biggest difference you’ll find in the new MAG Beta versus the retail game is the progression system. Broken into two main parts, the improved progression offers both an in-game economy and an enhanced skill tree. Combined, they allow players to create and upgrade their alter egos in ways that weren’t possible in MAG before.

 

MAG’s in-game economy works just like a storefront; Currency Points (CP) are earned by netting kills and completing objectives and are then used to make in-game purchases which outfit and equip your character. Especially important is the fact that weapons and gear are no longer unlocked via the skill tree, because they are now unlocked via your character’s level and Currency Points. Once characters have achieved the level necessary to unlock a weapon or gear item, that item is then made available for purchase in the “Supply Depot.â€

 

Paying for the weapon you want is easy!

 

The Supply Depot is a new menu item where all Currency Point purchases are made. Here, items that are currently available for procurement are shown with their CP cost highlighted next to them, while items not yet accessible are shown grayed out. Items that can be bought here include everything from most weapons and gear (divided into classes for easy navigation) to wearable goodies like hats, uniforms, and glasses. Plus, as an added benefit for players who may not like their choices as much as they’d first hoped, all items can be “returned†to the store for a percentage of their original cost. Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t have enough CP to buy what you need just right off the bat — CP doesn’t max out, so you can continue to earn the points even after you hit the level 70 cap and buy what you want when you can afford it.

 

Because of the beta’s new CP setup, the means of upgrading your character has been enhanced to support it. For example, players no longer have to save skill points to unlock skills since all skills now cost only 1 Skill Point to unlock (or more specifically, you can add one new upgrade with every “level upâ€). Sure, each individual upgrade may be smaller but now you can control your pace and end more specialized and powerful in the end.

 

Our updated skill tree is much more customizable.

 

 

In addition, we’ve also introduced a number of extra skills to the tree. “Improved Repair Speeds, Health Kit Recharge Rates†and “Sprint Speed†are just a few of the abilities you can expect to see for the very first time. Plus, we’ve categorized skills into classes for better navigation. In fact, here are the meta-categories you have at your disposal:

 

•Assault

•Marksman

•Close Quarters

•Spec Ops

•Medical

•Engineering

•Athleticism

•Vehicles

•Resistances

Alert! Here’s a “thanks for reading this far bonus!â€

As our little message above says, as a thank you for reading the entire article so far (or for skipping ahead, whatever!), we’re including one last bit of bonus info in this post — namely, the additional weapons that the MAG Beta is going to let you test out. Totaling nine in all, the bonus guns come in sets of three for each PMC (one Assault Rifle, one Machine Gun, and one Sniper Rifle). The following checklist tells you what they are, and you can click on each one to see what they look like.

 

Raven: Gotha Elite (Assault Rifle) | KP21 (Machine Gun) | Kinmark SRS (Sniper Rifle)

SVER: Tamsen MK2 (Assault Rifle | Ariet SFW (Machine Gun) | Rubakho SVR (Sniper Rifle)

Valor: M31 CIR (Assault Rifle) | M245 (Machine Gun) | Sentinel M421 (Sniper Rifle)

 

Obviously, there are number of other elements to our improved character customization system that we didn’t cover here, but we have to leave something for you to discover on your own. Even so, we’re confident that this updated setup makes MAG the most immersive and customizable shooter available for PlayStation 3 and we’re anxious to let you try it out. August 24 can’t get here soon enough!

[MATtheHAT]

Really have to play this again. Although I fear with all these patch's I may be watching update screens for a while.

[Choze]

Well i joined at patch 1.06 so it wasnt too bad. Alot less worse than joining the original disk version of LBP right now i imagine :p

 

Big changes. The rewards system is interesting with the currency system. Lets see what it does.

 

Right now existing users can get a 400% bonus on xp with happy hour for silly xp.

[Wesley]

Is there a demo for this?

[Choze]

Is there a demo for this?

 

Stupidly, no.

 

Would need ot be a long demo though. At least up to level 40 imo. 20 and below hardly gives you anything.

 

Beta starts tommorow. Requires Game Disk.

[Cookyman]

Even more MAG goodness - amazing!

 

Expand Your MAG Army on August 31

 

We’re happy to report that our MAG Beta is quite a success in its early days of existence and we’re even happier to announce that we’re already bringing one of its most useful features to the retail game.

 

Starting next week on August 31, we’re giving players the option to create and maintain multiple characters in the MAG universe! Though players are limited to one character at a time in our current setup, our new multi-character option gives you up to two additional slots to house your alter egos. This means that, for the first time ever, you’ll have the ability to float characters on Raven, SVER and Valor at the same time and never have to worry about leaving one team to try another. Of course, you can always choose to use all three slots for characters from the same PMC if you want, but that’s entirely up to you!

 

So how do you get these extra slots to work? It’s easy – From August 31 forward, two additional slots will appear on the character log-in screen with links to the PlayStation Store. For $0.99 (US) per additional slot, you can click the space of your choice and unlock the extra character. Your new subscription will last for 30 days from the day you purchased it, giving you a full month to try out your extra warrior. And don’t worry if you don’t renew one month, and decide to come back later – even if you don’t use your additional characters from month to month, he is never actually deleted – just asleep until you come back to claim him again in a future subscription.

 

Note: Though the two additional character slots will appear in North America on August 31, the characters themselves may not be immediately available for purchase until later in the day following the normal PlayStation Store update.

 

We hope you enjoy the added freedom that our extra character slots potentially provide and look forward to fighting with and against you once again!

 

MAG Escalation Video Flythroughs

 

If you’ve been following MAG lately, then you already know that we kicked off our new beta program this week and jam-packed it with content. One of the most popular aspects of the beta so far are the maps from our upcoming 96-player game mode, “Escalation. As a special “thanks†for those of you that have been testing our new game-type — which will be included as part of a DLC pack scheduled for later this year, by the way — we have created three unique video flythroughs of each battleground to give you the views of the land that are normally not possible in-game.

 

We hope you enjoy the footage, and look forward to your continued help with our beta.

 

Click here for awesome footage!

 

[Choze]

Did abit of the beta. So far its quite good but some stuff needs to be changed. It has that rough quality much like the original beta lol. lots of glitches including reloading animations etc. But i am not worried given how well Zipper handled the game.

 

They changed afew things around. Grenades are now marked by an icon like most console fps now. Skill trees now resemble that of a MMO. Its much tougher using a broad set of skills compared to the old system. IMO it also punishes new users much more. The gun requirements are too high for now for example. You would need to be lvl 30-40+ to start seeing decent weapons.

 

Only tried afew new guns but they seem good should please the PMCs by adding more variety. 3 way mode is very impressive, good job Zipper! The maps are very nice if abit more barren than current maps(beta yet) but the design is good and more terrain based. It hurts when your side is attacked by both teams though. Tactically its quite different. I enjoyed playing despite dieing alot.

 

Also at the start you get a Move notice like in Wii games. People with Move are saying it controls well. Going by videos its like Socom/KZ3 but fixes the gun when you zoom in. So it kind of has both types of shooter method. I look forward to trying it out but it does look like there is a learning curve.

 

We need to recruit in advance

 

First ingame screen:

 

Sounds like this is the place for Battlefield type game fans in the future. Sounds like a dream come true.

 

Haha changing the opening topic to something better. Game really delivered in the end.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Choze

[Choze]

MAG with Move detailed impressions. The guy is still updating for Monday. SO its incomplete but its still very good.

 

http://forums.mag.com/t5/Beta-General-Discussion/PS-Move-Options-window-UPDATED-WITH-BOUNDING-BOX-PICTURES-AND/td-p/713541

[The fish]

I really, really love the idea of MAG, but I really don't like the PS3 controller at all. If I could find a way to use a 360 controller - or, for that matter, a keyboard and mouse - I'd buy it on the spot.

 

Actually the idea of, say, one side being PS3's and the other being Xbox 360's would be an entertaining one. =P

 

But, yeah - I love the idea, but, ahhhhhhhhh! Meh.

[dwarf]

It's a matter of affiliation.

 

Kinda.

[The fish]

It's a matter of affiliation.

 

Kinda.

 

Haha, yeah, kinda...

 

I've heard that there are possible plans to make the new Red Orchestra a similar kind of scale, over entire districts of Stalingrad. I really, really hope it happens.

[Choze]

I really, really love the idea of MAG, but I really don't like the PS3 controller at all. If I could find a way to use a 360 controller - or, for that matter, a keyboard and mouse - I'd buy it on the spot.

 

Actually the idea of, say, one side being PS3's and the other being Xbox 360's would be an entertaining one. =P

 

But, yeah - I love the idea, but, ahhhhhhhhh! Meh.

 

Best you can do is get an adaptor or 3rd party pads. Move is a different alternative to controllers altogether.