The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
[MAGame On!]NEW FREE DLC ANNOUNCED - Fast Attack Pack!~!
Bamelin
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Updated April 22 2010
Fast Attack Pack Details:
http://blog.mag.com/blog/2010/04/mag-free-dlc-fast-attack-pack-on-april-29/
Updated April 19, 2010
Patch Incoming Today!
Notes:
NEW DLC COMING MARCH 25TH AND DOUBLE XP UNTIL 28th!
http://blog.mag.com/blog/2010/03/mag-free-dlc-and-extended-double-xp-march-25/
PATCH NOTES Feb 25th 2010, important points bolded:
Most PA'ers are playing SVER and we have a clan called the Merchenaries. If you want to play with PA'ers roll SVER. Except for me. I couldn't resist the siren call of Raven. *runs*
PA Clan
UPDATE Jan 29/10 -- Great Respec Calculator: http://www.maggametools.com/skills
Link also has fully detailed weapon stats/weight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGtv7I_-IGM&feature=player_embedded
MAG – So what type of game is this?:
MAG is an online only FPS which features up to 256-players in epic objective based battles. The game revolves around three PMC’s (SVER, Raven, Valor) whose prosperity you choose to fight for in tournaments called the “Shadow War”. The game features a MMO-like skill tree to help custom tailor your character to whatever play style you prefer. But to be a good squadmate you’ll want to create several loadouts to prepare for any need. If you want to heal or revive your teammates, invest in the medical tree. If you prefer to provide distanced support, build up your sniper skill set. Feel like decimating vehicles or battle installments like AA-guns or repairing crucial assets for defense? Want to dabble in a little here, a little there? MAG allows you to do all of that and more in giant battlefields where teamwork plays a bigger role than ever before. To help with that element, the game also features “leadership” positions to help guide the fight. These leaders provide vital “perks” to those around you and can call in powerful strikes that dramatically alter the tide of battle. Multiple insertion points via hard spawns, APCs, Helo drops, and parachute provide access to strategic areas. If you’re looking for a game where teamwork shines at the same level of your individual achievements then MAG is your final destination.
The Shadow War:
“The year is 2025. The optimism and harmony of the 2010s were completely eradicated by 2020. A global crisis loomed. Food shortage sparked riots, currencies plummeted, fuel reserves dwindled, and oil producing nations began to ration what remained. It’s a dark future.
After riots stopped a nuclear war, the governments call off their “petty wars”. However, with governments still needing to carve out their interests but remain peaceful in the eyes of their citizens, a thriving market for professional soldiers emerged. These soldiers operate under no nations flag, but are used by the world’s powers to protect their foreign interests. The Shadow War is the secret conflict waged by the “big three” PMCs. They strike out against one another in unofficial battles fought out of the knowledge of the general public.
Soldiers without a country, the contractors fight wars that never happened. This is the nature of the Shadow War.”
The PMC’s:
Raven – Based in Vienna Austria, is a PMC on the cutting edge of technology. They feature some of the most high-tech weapons available, their gear is highly modernized, but they are lacking in real-life experience. Most of their training was done via VR simulations. Despite their lack of on-the-ground experience they know what it takes to get the job done.
Valor – Founded by former US Army officers and headquartered in the Alaskan wilderness, this PMC is based on tried and true principles. Their gear and weaponry was considered standard in the Third World War and is more that effective. They draw extensive first-hand combat experience from their ranks of former U.S., British, and Mexican Special Forces.
SVER – Based out of Grozny in the Chechen Republic, their gear and weaponry may be dated, but it’s proven its lethality over decades of use. They’re out for an adrenaline rush as well as getting paid of course, and consist of former soldiers as well as private citizens, some with rumored criminal backgrounds, who felt lost before joining SVER’s cause. Though disorganized at first glance, they have some of the better implemented defenses in map lay outs to make up for their lack of cutting edge equipment.
Your In Game Objectives AKA Understanding What The Hell is Going On (thanks Stabbity STYLE)
Assets
This information is about assets, which provide benefits for the defenders. They are found in Aquisition and Domination game modes.
Bunker: The bunker is one of the most important assets in the game. When defending, the bunker is your initial spawn point. They are the front line of defense and holding these is usually your top priority. There are four bunkers per front with one per squad, meaning a platoon covers an entire front. We have come up with shorthand for the bunkers, with them being numbered from left to right along the front (with the perspective of left/right/front/back being of the bunker/front). The two middle bunkers cover the gate (more on that in a second) while the outer bunkers generally cover infantry trying to pierce the front from the sides. The bunkers provides a turret, which can be manned and is very effective at suppressing the enemy and routing their paths to cover. Additionally, the bunker has rockets that are good at taking down armor, but the 2 rockets that it shoots before reloading aren't enough to take out an APC, so either another bunker or infantry with rockets/mines need to assist in taking them out. The bunker also provides a supply point, which you can use by entering the bunker on the right side.
Gate: There are two types of gates: Main gates and Infantry gates. The main gate is found in between bunkers 2 and 3 in the middle of the front. On Acquisition maps, the main gate is how you get the transport out of the defenders base. Attackers often try to bring an APC forward down the middle road to try and blow the main gate during the initial offence to breach the front and gain access to the base. This only really works if the attackers have already destroyed some of the bunkers or the defenders are doing a poor job of defending. When attacking, we generally avoid the gate until around the time we take down the AA (more on that in a bit). The other type of gate is the Infantry gate, which is found on Domination maps. Infantry gates block the attacker's path to the control points on Domination maps. Keeping these up prevents the attackers from gaining an easier entry to the point, but is generally a lot harder to keep up than the main gate because with the gates up there is no close exit to get out and defuse charges. Overall, the Infantry gate is a much lower priority asset than the main gate, but is still good to maintain.
Anti-Aircraft: The Anti-Aircraft battery (known as AA or triple-A) is right up there with the bunkers as a high priority asset. If the AA goes down, the attackers get a new forward spawn behind the defenders front line in the form of either parachuting or a helicopter. This effectively passes the bunkers (though the forward bunkers still allow the defenders to spawn forward and the turrets can take out parachuter's and the helicopters). There are usually a lot of attempts at infiltration behind the front line to take it out since even if you don't keep the forward spawn up for long, the more attackers behind the front line you can get, the more damage you can do to the enemy either in taking out assets or flanking the bunkers from behind. Since it can cause such havoc with the defenders, both sides need to keep an eye on it. Bunkers 2 and 3 are closest (since it's situated just a bit behind the main gate) and keeping an eye on it usually falls to them, but since you never really can tell who's competent on your team it's good to have someone on your squad available to get over there at any sign of trouble. Additionally, AA also prevents the attackers from calling in air strikes and UAV's. This provides an additional incentive for both sides. Any plane-based command ability (Squad Leader's UAV and Cluster Bombs, Platoon Leader's Precision Strike and Strafing Run) will be shot out of the air before carrying out their mission. Also, if you're calling in a Strike on another platoon's front (side of the map), their triple A needs to be downed.
Artillery: The Artillery, also known as the Mortar, is used by squad/platoon leaders for calling in bombardments. Taking this out means the defender can't call in strikes on your position, which is very useful. After taking out the bunkers and AA, this is generally the first asset we go for. While not quite as game changing as the AA or Bunker, it's still good to have up. Generally if someone has taken it down and the squad can spare a man, dispatching someone to fix it is a good idea.
Sensor Array: The platoon leader can call in a sensor sweep which I believe works the same way as a UAV (not sure, haven't actually used it before). Anyway, it's useful to keep up and the same rule for repair as Artillery applies here.
Motor Pool: The Motor Pool spawns transport vehicles, all of which have turrets. There are a number of uses the transports have, which I'll elaborate on. The first is blocking paths, such as putting two together on the main road to block an APC coming far behind our lines after the Main Gate is blown. They can also block the infantry entrances to the base behind the bunkers, which some squads choose to do. Another job is enemy harassment, since all transports have turrets on them. While not as durable as APC's, they come in handy once the enemy has broken through the defenses front line. They allow you to take out moderate amounts of enemies and draw their resources into fighting the transport instead of the proper assets that you're trying to defend. Since the Motor Pool is by the defenses rear spawn, destroying it after the front line has been destroyed is very difficult. The best two ways to take it out are either going behind their lines while the front line is still up or calling in a precision strike as Platoon leader after the AA is down. Priority on repairing it after being destroyed is fairly low when the front line is still active, so I'd recommend repairing it only if the Sensor Array or Artillery are down as well. However, if the front line is down, the Motor Pool becomes a lot more useful and should be given more priority, especially since it's so close to spawn.
Burn-Off and Cooling Towers: The Burn-Off and Cooling Towers are only found in the Domination game mode and are the main objectives before the capture points become active (more on that in a bit). The Burn-Off Towers are found in front of the main line of defense. However, with the bunkers still up capturing the Burn-Off Towers is pretty tricky. We generally try to take out the bunkers before going on the Burn-Off Tower (or get the Tower while the bunker is distracted by an assault). The Cooling Tower is found between the front line and the capture points and usually go down pretty quickly if the bunkers are already down. Your best bet at defending them is with your bunkers still up, but if they're not, you're pretty screwed. If you still have the bunkers up, you should send a man or two down to the tower that your half of the platoon is covering (there is a tower on the left and a tower on the right and the squads on the corresponding side generally cover their tower). Both towers need to be captured simultaniously (ie the attackers need to be in possession of both towers) in order to move on, which means that either your squad needs to cover both towers, part of your squad needs to harass the enemy at the other tower, or you hold your tower well and hope the other squads aren't a bunch of silly geese.
Capture Points: Also only found in the Domination game mode, Capture Points are labeled A through H. There are two points per platoon (much like the Burn-Off and Cooling Towers). The Capture Points are locked until the Burn-Off and Cooling Towers on that front are taken, so that the attackers can't sneak past your line and take the point. The points are pretty close to the defender's rear spawn, so defending them is relatively easy. The Infantry Gates I mentioned before are in front of these Points and help stall the enemies advance. Once at the Capture Points, there are a number of things going on. The defenders are going to try and get some of their assets up, which are in front of the Capture Points and by this point in attacker territory. They're also going to try and send a man or two to try and stealthily repair the bunkers and AA, though the main force of the squad should be focused on controlling the point.
Roadblock: Roadblocks are pretty ancillary, but they help you a bit. Mainly used on Acquisition (can't remember if they're on Domination as well), they block the path of the transport that is being defended. Keeping these up slows down the attackers as they try and leave with the transport. Their value for repair is dependent on how close you feel the enemy is to getting your transport.
Prototype Transport: The Prototype Transport, also known as the transport (not to be confused with the transport from the motor pool) is the main objective for the attackers in the Acquisition game mode. These are pretty fragile, so getting one out needs the bunkers down (at least the ones by the main gate). You'll also need the main gate down, and taking down some roadblocks wouldn't hurt. Getting in a position to get the transport out safely requires a lot of teamwork and coordination.
Bridge: A lot less common, it's sort of like a reverse roadblock. The defenders want the bridges blown so the enemy can't bring anything across them and the attackers want to repair it. Around the same priority as the roadblock on Acquisition maps. There is one on the SVER Domination map on one of the fronts that has a lot higher priority since it basically acts as a secondary main gate in front of the line, but keeping it down requires a lot of coordination.
All right, that's basically it for assets. The squad leader should have a good idea about how all of these play together and can issue orders accordingly. Hope this has been helpful.
Character Progression/Skill Tree:
MAG offers an unparalleled level of fine tuning for your soldier. Instead of relying on a rigid class system, MAG allows players to define their character’s specialty with skill points. Each time you earn a level you gain a skill point which is used to unlock additional abilities, weapons and gear in the Skill Tree. The Tree includes unlocks such as the Resuscitation ability to “Rez” your teammates, more powerful weapons, optics, quicker reloads, acoustic locators and gas grenades, but the list goes on and on. These unlocks help you tune your character to your preferred gameplay style. If you have any MMO experience, and you love shooters, you’ll appreciate this aspect greatly.
Another feature MMO fans should recognize is “Respec”. For those not familiar, it allows you to reset your character’s skill trees to zero (your performance stats remain), but you have all your prior skill points available to place them anyway you choose. If you find you’re not liking your role, you’re just one click away from a clean slate. One catch to this though. Not unlike MMO’s there’s a fee to pay here, just it’s not gold, but rather you earn “respect points” as you play. Each time you respec, the cost to do it goes up though, so you may want to be careful when doing this. Make sure it’s something you want to do for sure.
Leadership/Chain of Command:
Once a player reaches level 15 they gain the ability to lead their teammates in battle. After opting in for leadership, your skill in guiding your teammates is tracked by “leadership points” which are accumulated by calling in successful strikes, winning battles and players following your orders. Once you’ve gathered enough “leadership points” you’ll be able to opt in for Platoon Leader, and Officer in Charge positions.
Each leadership level carries unique strikes and Leadership Auras. Some of these strikes include Gas Bombardments, Strafing Runs, UAVs and Cluster Bombs to help turn the tide of battle. But it doesn’t just stop there; you also get powerful abilities that affect your whole squad: “Leadership Auras”. When your teammates are within a certain radius of you they get further enhancements to their combat readiness. Faster reloads, movement, increased stealth, regenerating health, are some of the very-powerful perks at your disposal.
Frago System:
Simple and intuitive, this system is at your disposal when you’re in the squad leader role. You mark or “Frago” an objective which alters the primary objective for your squad. To help encourage squad mates to follow your orders, bonus XP is awarded for not only completing the objective but taking any actions in its vicinity including kills, revives, heals, etc. It adds up really fast, so players who want to quickly advance their character should follow orders and work as a team to achieve their objectives!
Overview of features:
- 64, 128, and 256 player team based FPS battles.
- Persistent battles where contracts are awarded to the best performing PMCs granting them additional perks and buffs.
- Character leveling and progression trees similar to other MMO’s allowing you to custom tune your soldier to your desired play style / role.
- Leadership roles for eligible players, granting perks to your teammates as well as devastating special abilities that can swing the tide of the battle.
- 15 maps available at launch ranging from 256 square meters to 1 square kilometer in size.
- 5 game modes available: Training, Suppression, Domination, Sabotage and Acquisition.
- Each PMC has their own unique customizable look, weaponry, vehicles, environments, user interface and music.
- Clan support along with party system available for you and your friends.
- Comprehensive stat tracking.
- Voice chat and in game messaging.
- Online only, requires PSN id and broadband internet service.
- Trophies, medals and ribbons to help you stand out from the masses, or get your OCD fix.
*Future DLC/Support plans TBA post-release.
Release Dates:
NA - 1/26/10
EU - 1/29/10
JP - 1/28/10
*Australia rumored 1/28/10*
Pre-order bonuses: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/09/mag-pre-order-bonuses-choose-your-pmc/
*NOTE - The Valor model is from Pre-ordering via Best Buy, it's not listed there.
Dynamic XMB Themes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERqxmegYDYs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix7HYKqS0t8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SCx5snfzog
Official Site: www.mag.com
Facebook Fun found by BradleyUK:
S.V.E.R. PMC
Valor Company, Inc.
Raven Industries[/QUOTE]
Gameplay Videos:
Preview & Dev interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuTyFOV_7ho
Preview & Dev interview: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/01/mag-ces-event-and-new-tournament-details/
Command & Control: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-command-mag/52372
Weapons & Loadout: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/weapons-and-mag/58819
Mission Walkthrough: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/dynamic-mission-mag/58817
Click's Wallpapers
Trophy Whor... Collector's List
Bronze
* Angel of Mercy – 25 enemies killed in their in incapacitated state over a career
* Boom Town – Earn the Mortar Demolition, Total Blackout and AAA Demolition Ribbons
* Close Call — Earn three Bomb Squad Ribbons
* Clown Car – Awarded when a player destroys an APC or a Bunker, killing two players
* Commandon’t – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Commando
* Coughing Killer – Killed an enemy while affect by poison gas grenades
* Dropping Like Flies – Destroy five enemy helicopters
* Duteous Maximus – Be on the winning faction for 10 Directive matches
* Efficiency Engineer – Earn three Bunker Buster Ribbons
* I Drink Your Milkshake – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Field Support
* I Got 5 On It – Kill 5 enemies with a single Strategic Strike, excluding Poison Gas Barrage
* In Your Face – Earn five Combat Melee Ribbons
* Jack of One Trade – Awarded when a player reaches the bottom tier of a skill tree
* Junkyard Jockey – Earn three Mr. Badwrench Ribbons
* Lil Buddy – Earn two Purple Sidekick Ribbons
* Mia Culpa – Kill 50 enemies in a turret over a career
* Out of Scope – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Sniper
* Screeching Halt – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Rapid Assault
* Target Practice – Awarded when a player shoots down 25 paratroopers over a career
* The Harder They Fall – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Direct Action
Silver
* A Whole Lotta Hurt – Earn five Combat Machine Gun Ribbons and five Combat Fragger Ribbons
* Baby Need a Bandage? – Earn 5 Silver Cross Ribbons and 5 Golden Cross Ribbons
* Chest Candy – Awarded when a player has earned one of every ribbon
* Devil Dog – Earn 5 Combat Assault Ribbons and 5 Combat Sidearm Ribbons
* Double Trouble – Earn the Golden Cross Medal and the Grim Reaper Medal
* Hammer of the Gods – Called in 50 cluster bombs or mortar barrages
* Headhunter – Earn 5 Silver Bullet Ribbons, the Longshot Ribbon and the Sniper Master Specialist Medal
* Precious Cargo – Destroy 20 Escort Vehicles over a career
* Silent But Deadly – Awarded when a player kills 25 enemies with Poison Gas over a career
* Steamroller – Have a 3-to-1 Kill-to-Death Ratio in any match
* Take Me to Your Leader – Earn 1 win as a squad leader
* The Streaker – Earn the Streaker Medal
* Triple Threat – Earn 5 Silver Cross Ribbons, 5 Master Engineer Ribbons and the Grim Reaper Medal
Gold
* Commandant in Chief – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a Raven character
* Eager Beaver – Awarded when a player has earned one of each medal
* Prima Noyan – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a S.V.E.R. character
* Sergeant Major – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a Valor character
Platinum
* Massive Action Gamer – Won All Trophies
Special Thanks to: BruceLeeRoy, Cagen, Click, Das-J and a big thanks to j-rzez at GAF whose official thread op from over there I 'borrowed' He kinda borrowed from me first so it's a circle of life thing
Fast Attack Pack Details:
Mark April 29 on your calendars now, because it’s the day you’re going to see our next 100% Free MAG DLC add-on! Known as the “Fast Attack” Gear Pack, our latest downloadable extra will likely cause marksmen to swoon.
Why? Two big reasons — First, we’re adding three brand new Special Edition Sniper Rifles (Raven’s HM 90 SE, SVER’s SASR M, and Valor’s MK 14 Mod 1 EBR) that include a number of performance adjustments and visual variations to our already-popular long-range weapons. Second, you can expect to get your hands on a collection of new armor types! All three factions can now choose to equip Improved Light Armor in their loadouts for the bargain price of just 400 in-game credits.
Oh, and did we mention that the “Fast Attack” Gear Pack is free? Yes, we did, but we’re saying it again anyway. Look for it to appear in the PlayStation Store the afternoon of April 29, alongside all other scheduled PSN updates.
http://blog.mag.com/blog/2010/04/mag-free-dlc-fast-attack-pack-on-april-29/
Updated April 19, 2010
Patch Incoming Today!
Notes:
Patch v1.05
Available April 19, 2010 | 40MB (TPPS), 39MB (DLS)
Gameplay
Improved the automatic Leadership selection criteria to make players with microphones more likely to be selected than those without them (note: this does not prevent players without microphones from being selected as leaders)
Adjusted automatic Leadership selection criteria to include Leadership point total in preference formula.
Technical
Repaired bug that prevented players who were incapacitated and then revived from throwing grenades until they reload.
Fixed issue with the game lock-ups caused by “hanging” black screen following the conclusion of a gameplay round.
Repaired crash that sometimes occurred after playing more than 15 consecutive rounds.
Resolved issue with rare game crash that occurred during playback of intro video.
Numerous localization changes for in-game text.
Weapons
Adjusted iron sights to give player clearer view for the following weapons: AK-103, M4A1, PKP MG, Apex 100, RTK-74, Boudini 12 Gauge, and T-195.
Improved accuracy on all iron sights and red dot sights.
Increased upwards-recoil to all machine guns.
Slightly increased accuracy for pistols, PDWs, and SMGs.
NEW DLC COMING MARCH 25TH AND DOUBLE XP UNTIL 28th!
MAG Free DLC and Extended Double XP March 25
posted by Jeremy Dunham, March 18, 2010 2:08 pm
On behalf of everyone here at Zipper Interactive, I’m pleased to announce that beginning March 25, our first official MAG downloadable add-on will be made available to players worldwide absolutely free of charge!
Valor rocks the new stuff.
Dubbed the “Trooper Gear Pack,” our first DLC addition to the MAG universe will offer a number of cool goodies for veterans and first timers alike. Out of everything in the pack, the most popular will likely be the oft-requested “Flashbang Grenade” that can be used to confuse, disorient or distract your enemies in a single throw.
Of course, there’s more to the Trooper Gear Pack than Flashbangs. We’ll also be including new special edition Light Machine Guns for each PMC. Raven’s APEX 100SE, SVER’s RTK-74 Vla, and Valor’s Mk 46 Mod 1 weapons will provide both a new look for your favorite LMGs and a number of performance adjustments as well.
The last element of the pack will be two additional uniforms – “Trooper Dark” and “Trooper Light.” Available to all three PMCs, these uniforms are specifically designed for urban and interior combat situations and give you two more aesthetic options to diversify your character with.
The best part of the Trooper Gear Pack? It’s just the beginning of our ongoing commitment to MAG. In the coming months, you can expect to see plenty of other add-ons and goodies that we can’t quite tell you about yet (but know you’ll enjoy).
But that’s not all. To commemorate the release of our DLC, we want to throw in a little extra. And so, as a thank you to all of our fans, we’re offering Double XP to any and all MAG players starting March 25. Simply log in at 12am Pacific/ 3am Eastern/ 8am GMT and play MAG as you normally would. Every time you complete a game your experience doubles, and yes, this bonus stacks for Veterans who already have an XP bonus to begin with! Just make sure you actually complete the games you play – if you quit early, your bonus won’t apply.
Expect the Double XP promotion to run until 11:59pm Pacific time on Sunday, March 28. Be sure to take advantage of it as much as you possibly can until then.
http://blog.mag.com/blog/2010/03/mag-free-dlc-and-extended-double-xp-march-25/
PATCH NOTES Feb 25th 2010, important points bolded:
fyi:
Patch 1.03
Patch v1.03
Available February 25, 2010 | 41MB (TPPS), 49MB (DLS)
Gameplay
* Overhauled tuning of multiple weapons of all types (see “Weapon” section below)
* Improved speed of weapon and gear swapping by approximately 500 milliseconds.
* Fixed bug in SVER’s Aralkum Mechanical Acquisition map and Absheron Refinery Domination map that allowed players to defuse a charge planted on a repaired gate or door.
* Added a “solid tone” sound effect near the end of a charge’s beeping detonation timer so that players know when the charge can no longer be defused and that they should vacate the area.
* “Medium Improved” Armor now works as intended with the speed properties of Medium Armor and a defensive value greater than Medium, but less than Heavy Armor.
* Changed resuscitated player’s camera orientation to match the last camera direction used while incapacitated instead of the pre-harm camera.
* Players no longer lose XP if a teammate is killed by an objective explosion caused by a charge they planted.
* Respec Point requirements in Barracks have been changed from 3K, 5K, 10K, 17K, 26K, and 26K-Repeat to 1K, 2K, 3K, and 3K-Repeat.
* Lowered the amount of damage necessary to kill an incapacitated enemy
* All fired projectiles (RPGs, Turret Rockets) have been given a steadier aim.
* Mines that haven’t been triggered are no longer removed from the map when the dead player that deploys them respawns unless that player changes their Loadout (note: The maximum number of mines you can plant cannot exceed the number you initially spawn with).
* Fixed bug that prevented “fully-resuscitated” players with more than 100 health points from receiving their full HP.
* Fixed bug that caused players to take unnecessary damage from both friendly and enemy vehicles when touching them.
* Players no longer lose leadership points after entering “Veteran Mode.”
Weapons
* “From the hip” firing for Light and Medium machine guns have stronger recoil and are less accurate when moving.
* Tuned weapon damage for all three factions.
* Modified all short-ranged weapons (pistols, PDWs, shotguns, SMGs) so that they’re less effective at long distances.
* Made Battle Rifles more effective.
* Reduced accuracy bonus for using iron sights and reflex sights so that players can no longer snipe with weapons that aren’t intended to do so.
* Increased damage values for all rockets to make them more effective (ex: three rockets can now destroy a DE turret).
* Shooting through thin materials (fences, tents, etc.) will be more consistent.
* Increased spread on shotguns.
* Improved animations for rocket launchers.
Graphics
* Fixed bug that caused the recoil animation to end early or stop animating if a player was firing their weapon for a long period of time.
* Changed detonation time on smoke and poison gas grenades to prevent them from exploding in mid-air.
* Added realistic fogging effects to sky-domes.
Technical
* Fixed most conditions that caused players to be caught in a “respawn loop” which kept restarting the respawn queue when the countdown clock reached 0.
* Changed in-game conditions to make it less likely to experience in-game freezes.
* Improved client-side stability.
Most PA'ers are playing SVER and we have a clan called the Merchenaries. If you want to play with PA'ers roll SVER. Except for me. I couldn't resist the siren call of Raven. *runs*
PA Clan
List of players' PSN:
WolfGeneral349
BombBoyGT
owengjones
Dirtmuncher6
Malechai
Grillaface
zero3002
Djiem
AcidLacedPenguin
Litany-
elvenshae
magicprime
PolloDiabloC
CryixD
lostwords
Isleninja
Sciencepiggy
corin7
Faez_One
Dhaval
Stealtharcadia
elliotw2
Loupa
PooglyWoogly
lpburk2
AddaUK
bg5000
blaklaw
blikbok
Masked_Unit
WickedDemiurge
Aarnog
Jesp
Vanderbrent
Spannerx1970
KlatBlutig
Stabbity_Style
Khaczor
WolfGeneral349
BombBoyGT
owengjones
Dirtmuncher6
Malechai
Grillaface
zero3002
Djiem
AcidLacedPenguin
Litany-
elvenshae
magicprime
PolloDiabloC
CryixD
lostwords
Isleninja
Sciencepiggy
corin7
Faez_One
Dhaval
Stealtharcadia
elliotw2
Loupa
PooglyWoogly
lpburk2
AddaUK
bg5000
blaklaw
blikbok
Masked_Unit
WickedDemiurge
Aarnog
Jesp
Vanderbrent
Spannerx1970
KlatBlutig
Stabbity_Style
Khaczor
UPDATE Jan 29/10 -- Great Respec Calculator: http://www.maggametools.com/skills
Link also has fully detailed weapon stats/weight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGtv7I_-IGM&feature=player_embedded
MAG – So what type of game is this?:
MAG is an online only FPS which features up to 256-players in epic objective based battles. The game revolves around three PMC’s (SVER, Raven, Valor) whose prosperity you choose to fight for in tournaments called the “Shadow War”. The game features a MMO-like skill tree to help custom tailor your character to whatever play style you prefer. But to be a good squadmate you’ll want to create several loadouts to prepare for any need. If you want to heal or revive your teammates, invest in the medical tree. If you prefer to provide distanced support, build up your sniper skill set. Feel like decimating vehicles or battle installments like AA-guns or repairing crucial assets for defense? Want to dabble in a little here, a little there? MAG allows you to do all of that and more in giant battlefields where teamwork plays a bigger role than ever before. To help with that element, the game also features “leadership” positions to help guide the fight. These leaders provide vital “perks” to those around you and can call in powerful strikes that dramatically alter the tide of battle. Multiple insertion points via hard spawns, APCs, Helo drops, and parachute provide access to strategic areas. If you’re looking for a game where teamwork shines at the same level of your individual achievements then MAG is your final destination.
The Shadow War:
“The year is 2025. The optimism and harmony of the 2010s were completely eradicated by 2020. A global crisis loomed. Food shortage sparked riots, currencies plummeted, fuel reserves dwindled, and oil producing nations began to ration what remained. It’s a dark future.
After riots stopped a nuclear war, the governments call off their “petty wars”. However, with governments still needing to carve out their interests but remain peaceful in the eyes of their citizens, a thriving market for professional soldiers emerged. These soldiers operate under no nations flag, but are used by the world’s powers to protect their foreign interests. The Shadow War is the secret conflict waged by the “big three” PMCs. They strike out against one another in unofficial battles fought out of the knowledge of the general public.
Soldiers without a country, the contractors fight wars that never happened. This is the nature of the Shadow War.”
The PMC’s:
Raven – Based in Vienna Austria, is a PMC on the cutting edge of technology. They feature some of the most high-tech weapons available, their gear is highly modernized, but they are lacking in real-life experience. Most of their training was done via VR simulations. Despite their lack of on-the-ground experience they know what it takes to get the job done.
Valor – Founded by former US Army officers and headquartered in the Alaskan wilderness, this PMC is based on tried and true principles. Their gear and weaponry was considered standard in the Third World War and is more that effective. They draw extensive first-hand combat experience from their ranks of former U.S., British, and Mexican Special Forces.
SVER – Based out of Grozny in the Chechen Republic, their gear and weaponry may be dated, but it’s proven its lethality over decades of use. They’re out for an adrenaline rush as well as getting paid of course, and consist of former soldiers as well as private citizens, some with rumored criminal backgrounds, who felt lost before joining SVER’s cause. Though disorganized at first glance, they have some of the better implemented defenses in map lay outs to make up for their lack of cutting edge equipment.
Your In Game Objectives AKA Understanding What The Hell is Going On (thanks Stabbity STYLE)
Assets
This information is about assets, which provide benefits for the defenders. They are found in Aquisition and Domination game modes.
Bunker: The bunker is one of the most important assets in the game. When defending, the bunker is your initial spawn point. They are the front line of defense and holding these is usually your top priority. There are four bunkers per front with one per squad, meaning a platoon covers an entire front. We have come up with shorthand for the bunkers, with them being numbered from left to right along the front (with the perspective of left/right/front/back being of the bunker/front). The two middle bunkers cover the gate (more on that in a second) while the outer bunkers generally cover infantry trying to pierce the front from the sides. The bunkers provides a turret, which can be manned and is very effective at suppressing the enemy and routing their paths to cover. Additionally, the bunker has rockets that are good at taking down armor, but the 2 rockets that it shoots before reloading aren't enough to take out an APC, so either another bunker or infantry with rockets/mines need to assist in taking them out. The bunker also provides a supply point, which you can use by entering the bunker on the right side.
Gate: There are two types of gates: Main gates and Infantry gates. The main gate is found in between bunkers 2 and 3 in the middle of the front. On Acquisition maps, the main gate is how you get the transport out of the defenders base. Attackers often try to bring an APC forward down the middle road to try and blow the main gate during the initial offence to breach the front and gain access to the base. This only really works if the attackers have already destroyed some of the bunkers or the defenders are doing a poor job of defending. When attacking, we generally avoid the gate until around the time we take down the AA (more on that in a bit). The other type of gate is the Infantry gate, which is found on Domination maps. Infantry gates block the attacker's path to the control points on Domination maps. Keeping these up prevents the attackers from gaining an easier entry to the point, but is generally a lot harder to keep up than the main gate because with the gates up there is no close exit to get out and defuse charges. Overall, the Infantry gate is a much lower priority asset than the main gate, but is still good to maintain.
Anti-Aircraft: The Anti-Aircraft battery (known as AA or triple-A) is right up there with the bunkers as a high priority asset. If the AA goes down, the attackers get a new forward spawn behind the defenders front line in the form of either parachuting or a helicopter. This effectively passes the bunkers (though the forward bunkers still allow the defenders to spawn forward and the turrets can take out parachuter's and the helicopters). There are usually a lot of attempts at infiltration behind the front line to take it out since even if you don't keep the forward spawn up for long, the more attackers behind the front line you can get, the more damage you can do to the enemy either in taking out assets or flanking the bunkers from behind. Since it can cause such havoc with the defenders, both sides need to keep an eye on it. Bunkers 2 and 3 are closest (since it's situated just a bit behind the main gate) and keeping an eye on it usually falls to them, but since you never really can tell who's competent on your team it's good to have someone on your squad available to get over there at any sign of trouble. Additionally, AA also prevents the attackers from calling in air strikes and UAV's. This provides an additional incentive for both sides. Any plane-based command ability (Squad Leader's UAV and Cluster Bombs, Platoon Leader's Precision Strike and Strafing Run) will be shot out of the air before carrying out their mission. Also, if you're calling in a Strike on another platoon's front (side of the map), their triple A needs to be downed.
Artillery: The Artillery, also known as the Mortar, is used by squad/platoon leaders for calling in bombardments. Taking this out means the defender can't call in strikes on your position, which is very useful. After taking out the bunkers and AA, this is generally the first asset we go for. While not quite as game changing as the AA or Bunker, it's still good to have up. Generally if someone has taken it down and the squad can spare a man, dispatching someone to fix it is a good idea.
Sensor Array: The platoon leader can call in a sensor sweep which I believe works the same way as a UAV (not sure, haven't actually used it before). Anyway, it's useful to keep up and the same rule for repair as Artillery applies here.
Motor Pool: The Motor Pool spawns transport vehicles, all of which have turrets. There are a number of uses the transports have, which I'll elaborate on. The first is blocking paths, such as putting two together on the main road to block an APC coming far behind our lines after the Main Gate is blown. They can also block the infantry entrances to the base behind the bunkers, which some squads choose to do. Another job is enemy harassment, since all transports have turrets on them. While not as durable as APC's, they come in handy once the enemy has broken through the defenses front line. They allow you to take out moderate amounts of enemies and draw their resources into fighting the transport instead of the proper assets that you're trying to defend. Since the Motor Pool is by the defenses rear spawn, destroying it after the front line has been destroyed is very difficult. The best two ways to take it out are either going behind their lines while the front line is still up or calling in a precision strike as Platoon leader after the AA is down. Priority on repairing it after being destroyed is fairly low when the front line is still active, so I'd recommend repairing it only if the Sensor Array or Artillery are down as well. However, if the front line is down, the Motor Pool becomes a lot more useful and should be given more priority, especially since it's so close to spawn.
Burn-Off and Cooling Towers: The Burn-Off and Cooling Towers are only found in the Domination game mode and are the main objectives before the capture points become active (more on that in a bit). The Burn-Off Towers are found in front of the main line of defense. However, with the bunkers still up capturing the Burn-Off Towers is pretty tricky. We generally try to take out the bunkers before going on the Burn-Off Tower (or get the Tower while the bunker is distracted by an assault). The Cooling Tower is found between the front line and the capture points and usually go down pretty quickly if the bunkers are already down. Your best bet at defending them is with your bunkers still up, but if they're not, you're pretty screwed. If you still have the bunkers up, you should send a man or two down to the tower that your half of the platoon is covering (there is a tower on the left and a tower on the right and the squads on the corresponding side generally cover their tower). Both towers need to be captured simultaniously (ie the attackers need to be in possession of both towers) in order to move on, which means that either your squad needs to cover both towers, part of your squad needs to harass the enemy at the other tower, or you hold your tower well and hope the other squads aren't a bunch of silly geese.
Capture Points: Also only found in the Domination game mode, Capture Points are labeled A through H. There are two points per platoon (much like the Burn-Off and Cooling Towers). The Capture Points are locked until the Burn-Off and Cooling Towers on that front are taken, so that the attackers can't sneak past your line and take the point. The points are pretty close to the defender's rear spawn, so defending them is relatively easy. The Infantry Gates I mentioned before are in front of these Points and help stall the enemies advance. Once at the Capture Points, there are a number of things going on. The defenders are going to try and get some of their assets up, which are in front of the Capture Points and by this point in attacker territory. They're also going to try and send a man or two to try and stealthily repair the bunkers and AA, though the main force of the squad should be focused on controlling the point.
Roadblock: Roadblocks are pretty ancillary, but they help you a bit. Mainly used on Acquisition (can't remember if they're on Domination as well), they block the path of the transport that is being defended. Keeping these up slows down the attackers as they try and leave with the transport. Their value for repair is dependent on how close you feel the enemy is to getting your transport.
Prototype Transport: The Prototype Transport, also known as the transport (not to be confused with the transport from the motor pool) is the main objective for the attackers in the Acquisition game mode. These are pretty fragile, so getting one out needs the bunkers down (at least the ones by the main gate). You'll also need the main gate down, and taking down some roadblocks wouldn't hurt. Getting in a position to get the transport out safely requires a lot of teamwork and coordination.
Bridge: A lot less common, it's sort of like a reverse roadblock. The defenders want the bridges blown so the enemy can't bring anything across them and the attackers want to repair it. Around the same priority as the roadblock on Acquisition maps. There is one on the SVER Domination map on one of the fronts that has a lot higher priority since it basically acts as a secondary main gate in front of the line, but keeping it down requires a lot of coordination.
All right, that's basically it for assets. The squad leader should have a good idea about how all of these play together and can issue orders accordingly. Hope this has been helpful.
Character Progression/Skill Tree:
MAG offers an unparalleled level of fine tuning for your soldier. Instead of relying on a rigid class system, MAG allows players to define their character’s specialty with skill points. Each time you earn a level you gain a skill point which is used to unlock additional abilities, weapons and gear in the Skill Tree. The Tree includes unlocks such as the Resuscitation ability to “Rez” your teammates, more powerful weapons, optics, quicker reloads, acoustic locators and gas grenades, but the list goes on and on. These unlocks help you tune your character to your preferred gameplay style. If you have any MMO experience, and you love shooters, you’ll appreciate this aspect greatly.
Another feature MMO fans should recognize is “Respec”. For those not familiar, it allows you to reset your character’s skill trees to zero (your performance stats remain), but you have all your prior skill points available to place them anyway you choose. If you find you’re not liking your role, you’re just one click away from a clean slate. One catch to this though. Not unlike MMO’s there’s a fee to pay here, just it’s not gold, but rather you earn “respect points” as you play. Each time you respec, the cost to do it goes up though, so you may want to be careful when doing this. Make sure it’s something you want to do for sure.
Leadership/Chain of Command:
Once a player reaches level 15 they gain the ability to lead their teammates in battle. After opting in for leadership, your skill in guiding your teammates is tracked by “leadership points” which are accumulated by calling in successful strikes, winning battles and players following your orders. Once you’ve gathered enough “leadership points” you’ll be able to opt in for Platoon Leader, and Officer in Charge positions.
Each leadership level carries unique strikes and Leadership Auras. Some of these strikes include Gas Bombardments, Strafing Runs, UAVs and Cluster Bombs to help turn the tide of battle. But it doesn’t just stop there; you also get powerful abilities that affect your whole squad: “Leadership Auras”. When your teammates are within a certain radius of you they get further enhancements to their combat readiness. Faster reloads, movement, increased stealth, regenerating health, are some of the very-powerful perks at your disposal.
Frago System:
Simple and intuitive, this system is at your disposal when you’re in the squad leader role. You mark or “Frago” an objective which alters the primary objective for your squad. To help encourage squad mates to follow your orders, bonus XP is awarded for not only completing the objective but taking any actions in its vicinity including kills, revives, heals, etc. It adds up really fast, so players who want to quickly advance their character should follow orders and work as a team to achieve their objectives!
Overview of features:
- 64, 128, and 256 player team based FPS battles.
- Persistent battles where contracts are awarded to the best performing PMCs granting them additional perks and buffs.
- Character leveling and progression trees similar to other MMO’s allowing you to custom tune your soldier to your desired play style / role.
- Leadership roles for eligible players, granting perks to your teammates as well as devastating special abilities that can swing the tide of the battle.
- 15 maps available at launch ranging from 256 square meters to 1 square kilometer in size.
- 5 game modes available: Training, Suppression, Domination, Sabotage and Acquisition.
- Each PMC has their own unique customizable look, weaponry, vehicles, environments, user interface and music.
- Clan support along with party system available for you and your friends.
- Comprehensive stat tracking.
- Voice chat and in game messaging.
- Online only, requires PSN id and broadband internet service.
- Trophies, medals and ribbons to help you stand out from the masses, or get your OCD fix.
*Future DLC/Support plans TBA post-release.
Release Dates:
NA - 1/26/10
EU - 1/29/10
JP - 1/28/10
*Australia rumored 1/28/10*
Pre-order bonuses: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/09/mag-pre-order-bonuses-choose-your-pmc/
*NOTE - The Valor model is from Pre-ordering via Best Buy, it's not listed there.
Dynamic XMB Themes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERqxmegYDYs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix7HYKqS0t8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SCx5snfzog
Official Site: www.mag.com
Facebook Fun found by BradleyUK:
S.V.E.R. PMC
Valor Company, Inc.
Raven Industries[/QUOTE]
Gameplay Videos:
Preview & Dev interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuTyFOV_7ho
Preview & Dev interview: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/01/mag-ces-event-and-new-tournament-details/
Command & Control: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-command-mag/52372
Weapons & Loadout: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/weapons-and-mag/58819
Mission Walkthrough: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/dynamic-mission-mag/58817
Click's Wallpapers
Trophy Whor... Collector's List
Bronze
* Angel of Mercy – 25 enemies killed in their in incapacitated state over a career
* Boom Town – Earn the Mortar Demolition, Total Blackout and AAA Demolition Ribbons
* Close Call — Earn three Bomb Squad Ribbons
* Clown Car – Awarded when a player destroys an APC or a Bunker, killing two players
* Commandon’t – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Commando
* Coughing Killer – Killed an enemy while affect by poison gas grenades
* Dropping Like Flies – Destroy five enemy helicopters
* Duteous Maximus – Be on the winning faction for 10 Directive matches
* Efficiency Engineer – Earn three Bunker Buster Ribbons
* I Drink Your Milkshake – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Field Support
* I Got 5 On It – Kill 5 enemies with a single Strategic Strike, excluding Poison Gas Barrage
* In Your Face – Earn five Combat Melee Ribbons
* Jack of One Trade – Awarded when a player reaches the bottom tier of a skill tree
* Junkyard Jockey – Earn three Mr. Badwrench Ribbons
* Lil Buddy – Earn two Purple Sidekick Ribbons
* Mia Culpa – Kill 50 enemies in a turret over a career
* Out of Scope – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Sniper
* Screeching Halt – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Rapid Assault
* Target Practice – Awarded when a player shoots down 25 paratroopers over a career
* The Harder They Fall – Awarded when a player kills 50 of a certain specialty: Direct Action
Silver
* A Whole Lotta Hurt – Earn five Combat Machine Gun Ribbons and five Combat Fragger Ribbons
* Baby Need a Bandage? – Earn 5 Silver Cross Ribbons and 5 Golden Cross Ribbons
* Chest Candy – Awarded when a player has earned one of every ribbon
* Devil Dog – Earn 5 Combat Assault Ribbons and 5 Combat Sidearm Ribbons
* Double Trouble – Earn the Golden Cross Medal and the Grim Reaper Medal
* Hammer of the Gods – Called in 50 cluster bombs or mortar barrages
* Headhunter – Earn 5 Silver Bullet Ribbons, the Longshot Ribbon and the Sniper Master Specialist Medal
* Precious Cargo – Destroy 20 Escort Vehicles over a career
* Silent But Deadly – Awarded when a player kills 25 enemies with Poison Gas over a career
* Steamroller – Have a 3-to-1 Kill-to-Death Ratio in any match
* Take Me to Your Leader – Earn 1 win as a squad leader
* The Streaker – Earn the Streaker Medal
* Triple Threat – Earn 5 Silver Cross Ribbons, 5 Master Engineer Ribbons and the Grim Reaper Medal
Gold
* Commandant in Chief – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a Raven character
* Eager Beaver – Awarded when a player has earned one of each medal
* Prima Noyan – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a S.V.E.R. character
* Sergeant Major – Awarded when a player reaches level 60 with a Valor character
Platinum
* Massive Action Gamer – Won All Trophies
Special Thanks to: BruceLeeRoy, Cagen, Click, Das-J and a big thanks to j-rzez at GAF whose official thread op from over there I 'borrowed' He kinda borrowed from me first so it's a circle of life thing
Bamelin on
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Posts
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
If it's any consolation, I'm told it's not very good.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Yeah, the hype for this one mysteriously went pffft.
Kudos for trying, I suppose.
ah well, there's always 2011
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Oh well, I can preload the fuck out of it and wait.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
My team of 32 or however many goons got steamrolled. I had no idea what was going on or how to use any of the commands. I will be doing more research on it tonight.
But as a snap judgment: thumbs up.
I'll have to give it a shot after work.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
It's not a Modern Warfare "jump in and start murdering" type of game.
What pissed me off more than anything about it was the ridiculous size and (lack of) speed for downloading the updates.
If they sort that out I'll probably end up buying it.
Live - MrObersmith
PSN - Obersmith
Maybe we should get a names list going in the OP?
My PSN ID is Adytum.
PSN Is Grimmsy- (With the dash) if anyone wants to play.
psn in sig.
First thing, get the hand-grip and reflex sight for the rifle. Makes it a whole new weapon.
I don't see what all the negativity about the game is about. It seems like a solid shooter. The weapons are good, they are decently accurate, the customization on the kit is nice.
I like the gameplay more than Killzone 2.
I joined up with Valor.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
I said "no thank you" and played some more Uncharted 2
Maybe I'll actually let it download this time. The concept intrigues me
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
Unsurprising, since there is probably a lot of people trying to get in on it.
Honestly most of the negative impressions i've seen on PA seem to stem from the fact that it's a beta and people expect beta's to play like finished, completely polished games
Twitter - discolouie PSN - Loupa Steam - Loupa
It doesn't help that the BC2 PS3 Beta happened at about the same time and was sigificantly more polished with better balanced gameplay. And that I waited for an hour before giving up on the queue to get into the 256 game
It's two gigs
PSN is so damn slow that shit won't be done downloading until the game comes out. Shame, I was gonna check this out when I got home. Well, not anymore!
136 minutes left. This is going to take all night.
At least i'll have something to do tomorrow after I get done having some teeth yanked out.
Do you live inside the server room where the data is kept?
Also, do you have an ethernet cable jacked into the back of your skull?
Because that is amazing.
Four fucking hours.
See, when confronted with this on a PC, I'm cool with it, because I can do other things while it's going
But on a console? Fuck that noise
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
The initial 399MB download: 4mins.
The 34mb download: Not even worth mentioning
The 1.8GB download was like 35mins and I was heading to bed since I just got home at that point from work, but it was done and on the main screen when I got up.
Thank god for a 28MB down connection + early morning download queue probably being pretty empty.
I haven't tried playing it, yet.
Media / Social Monkey
GregRedHastings.com
Now available for iOS - Coming Soon for Android / Ouya
Fuck. That. Noise. It was enough for me to give up on the beta last time. I did DL it this time so I'm hoping I get some time to get on it this week.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
This game has stopped me wanting to buy MW2 now. Good fun. Servers screw up sometimes but kinda expected with a beta.