MAG – Doomed For Mediocrity

NextGN writes: "The quality of first-person shooter games that have recently hitting retail has been nothing short of amazing. With games like Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Borderlands, Halo: ODST, and Killzone 2 basically dominating the genre it would be near suicide to release anything that does not blow you away. Zipper Interactive have decided to do something that has never been attempted before – create a Massive Multi-Player Online First-Person Shooter game that can host 256 players at once. In theory this technically impressive, however, this could also be the main downfall of the game."

[Antan]

Funny article.............

The Eurogamer preview i would suggest offers a more indepth analysis.
Having played the Beta.......im totally sold!

This and Mass Effect 2 with be my Jan purchases.

[Sevir04]

The game will get average reviews because everyone is still hooked on Modern Warfare, it's funny because Zipper even has a control scheme that is every bit as responsive as MW, but the original plays better. Going into this game you should dispell any thoughts of running around like a lone wolf, thats how guys get catch bullets from me.

play as a team with Mics and you'll succeed, I cant wait till i'm a squad leader. and It wasn't until last night did i figure out the skill point system and actually began out fitting my soldier.

investing in Med class 3 was perhaps the best thing ever. a team with medics helps level up even faster. I love it.

[Chubear]

Hate all you want but MAG will do well.

See all the hating on SOCOM:Con? Now I have my issues with s6 and how they handled the game but for a game all these reviewers gave 6s to, it's still one the most active online games on the PS3 and with all the exclusive and multiplat online games availible, that's incredible for a game that was slammed.

MAG is a way better product than SOCOM:Con and if SOCOM:Con is supported greatly then there's no fear for MAG.

"Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way!.. mofos" lol

[Reibooi]

having played The Beta I am wondering what you played.

The game was broken almost the entire Public beta. People were getting kicked left and right and towards the end the entire Domination game mode was taken out because it was crashing and was un playable.

Add to the just plain bad game play decisions. Such as having to scroll through various items in the heat of battle to find grenades or med kits.

Having such long re spawn times despite the fact that you already have to spend about 45-60 seconds running back to where you were fighting at when you died.

The skill tree is also VERY small for a game that's supposed to be a massive online only game(This could change in the final version but I don't see why they would hold that stuff back.

The game seems as if it's doomed to have the problems Socom did when it came out which is quite sad. The game had alot of potential.

[Elvfam511]

Next article for the MAG hate lol

Anyways I love the game graphics are good and it plays smooth

Edit Above
Don't know what Beta you was playing I've seen live streams of people playing domination all the time
I'm glad that it crash the servers and people getting kick off left and right by the time launch comes it be fix already

[morganfell]

Wait, there is a PS3 related article with the word doomed in the title? Why am I not surprised.

[Maddens Raiders]

is just another year for some to hang on to an old tradition of hating PS3 exclusives. I guess they didn't get the memo: PS3 exclusives have forever changed the landscape of this generation.

MAG is a wonderful game and I will be playing a lot more after I beat KILLZONE 2 on elite (I know...but there are so many games in my backlog!) From what I've played so far it is a heavily based squad FPS which is just my cup of tea, because I love great teamwork. The only people that are hating on this game are narrow-minded fanboys, softcore game-players, and sites looking for hits from the aforementioned.

Zipper did a great job and is offering players a unique fps experience, that is only available on the PS3.

[joydestroy]

sorry dude, but i enjoyed Socom: Con more than i did the MAG beta. they're very similar. i think the environmental effects were better in Socom than the MAG beta, and i enjoy 3PS more than i do FPS. i'll prob rent MAG to check out the final product though. maybe they will change my mind.

[Reibooi]

@Elvfam511

The beta was still having connections problems right up until when it ended. They are not gonna have this all fixed and sorted out come launch time.

This was a beta and I bet ALOT more people are gonna be trying to play the final release which is less then a month ago. There is very little chance they will iron out all the problems on servers that could not happen less people then the final version is gonna see.

I wanted MAG to be great. It probably will be once it ships and they fix alot of the issues but it seems(unless they delay it) that Zipper is gonna have the ship it now fix it later mentality we see so often this gen and that to me isn't acceptable.

[ProjectVulcan]

PS3 games are typically slow seller, slow burning sales. PS3 is akin to PC in this respect. LBP, KZ2, uncharted 1, GT prologue launches considered failures by the press or overlooked. But all these games have sold over 2 million copies. It takes time, but word spreads around the PS3 community and games do sell well over longer periods.

MAG wont sell a million in the first week- of course not. Its not COD. BUT come back in 18 months and it will probably have surpassed 2 million sales as the word spreads. Heed my words naysayers!

[raztad]

Well, despite all this hate I have MAG preordered and I'm not even that much into multiplayer games.

The last two Betas were extremely enjoyable and game is already building a solid fanbase. Some friends tried me to buy MW2, I said no, just no. Money is on MAG. Need something more than a few guys camping in small maps, rinse and repeat.

I was really sad when I learned the beta was ending yesterday. Looking forward to MAG release.

[Blaze929]

Been playing the MAG beta ever since Sony sent out the private beta codes. IMO it's completely boring. Tried the public beta update recently and it's cool to see the graphics have been upgraded...but it's still boring.

256 players is cool and all but what's the point when you never see more than 10 or get shot and killed before even realizing what happened?

Run...run...run...die...repea t.

That's just my opinion though.

[Aclay]

While MAG may not fly off shelves instantly because it's such a Tactical game, I'm pretty sure it'll still have it's own niche fanbase because it seems like that's the way most PS3 exclusives and most 1st party Playstation franchises in general tend to be.

As far as MAG's graphics goes, inFamous didn't have the greatest graphics in the world when it came out, but in the end, it's gameplay prevailed, it outscored Prototype and I still bought it and enjoyed it. Left 4 Dead got all of these 9's and 10's whenever it's graphics weren't much to scream about, so as long as MAG is a solid tactical FPS (something that isn't easy to come by these days) I don't see why it's graphics will doom it for mediocrity.

If MAG had a Single Player campaign, I might have considered it, but I'm not much of an Online gamer at all. For the most part, I think the SOCOM crowd will be the ones most attracted to the game and I hope it does well in the long run.

[soljah]

mag may not be a huge commercial success but to the target gamer this will be critically acclaimed as a success. and mark my words the tech and what zipper is doing within 2 years will be copied by 3rd parties and ms. like it or not what zipper is doing is part of the future of online fps games.
p.s. from what i have seen in the beta this game, just like lbp will keep evolving over time as long as the community is active.

[vhero]

I hate to say it but even as a fan of Sonys console I played MAG and I hated it. Spawn camping is one of the biggest issues with people popping grenades and mines where you spawn so soon as you spawn BANG! instant death. That's just no fun for me. Sure it adds to realism having no protective spawn zones but it also ruins the fun and games were made to be fun. That's the problem with modern games they lost sight about why games were made in the first place.

[sikbeta]

Like I posted in other article, I don't care if some other Crew + The Entire Media will downplay the Exclusives games of my Console of Choice, but damn they work fast lol

Whatever young kid ruling a half-@ssed fanboy site, say what you want, you don't going to change anything, cuz QUALITY can't be downplayed

[vickers500]

"inFamous didn't have the greatest graphics in the world when it came out"

What the f are you talking about? inFamous had awesome graphics. No not the greatest, but pretty damn good. Good enough to where the phrase "infamous didn't have the greatest graphics in the world" is totally unnecessary.

[morganfell]

It is incorrect to say games have lost site of fun when the Game of the Year nailed fun better than any title in recent memory. Uncharted 2 has a better sense of the classic adventure game than any game made in the past 5 years.

And MAG is a blast. I only canceled my preorder at Gamestop so I could rerun it at Gamecrazy and get the Raven character. I have had a blast with MAG.

Regarding SOCOM it's just a different game and currently the tightest most tactical game in full release on any platform. A far cry from the run-shoot-die-rinse-repeat fest of MW2.

SOCOM is the thinking gamer's shooter as no tactics + run and gun = certain quick death. There is a reason the servers are always booming.

[Darkstorn]

I didn't like the MAG beta. The game just isn't unique enough to hold on to my attention. I congratulate Zipper for the technical brilliance behind this game, but they need to do more to set themselves apart from the hundreds of other copy-and-paste shooters out there.

[Consoldtobots]

dial up ps3 hate article # 98274658697 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, nextttt.

[Christopher]

MAG is for a different online FPSer. Someone who's more into an MMO FPS will be very much into MAG. Your usual hop-around 8 to 16-player FPS more than likely won't.

I'm interested in MAG, but won't be doing anything until I've seen a good amount of feedback from players on how it plays out over a week or two.

Oh, and one of the sad things is that MAG will definitely get a lot of flack for its less than MW2 graphics, no matter that it can host 256 players in a single game at once and therefore has to give on those level of graphics in order to do so.

[akiraburn]

@1.3/1.9, I'm sorry but I can't possibly agree with anything you said there. It doesn't sound like you gave the game an honest decent amount of play time. As I've mentioned in a few other topics, I played a lot of the beta and for a fact I know some of what you said is inaccurate.

For starters, the game was only "broken" (kicking people randomly and not being able to connect/join games) for roughly the first 2 and a half days of the public beta. After that the servers had stabled out and everyone was able to play with little in the way of interruptions. Not that it matters, because the entire point of a beta is to test things and fix them, which they did. It gives you, the player, a general idea of what the game will be like, but not the right to pre-judge the game since it is an incomplete product with some issues that are still being fixed. None of us can possibly know what the final product will be like.

Domination mode was not crashing and unplayable. I didn't play MAG on the last two days of the beta (yesterday and the day before), but I played well over a dozen matches in domination during the beta and never once did myself, any friends, or any squad mates have any connection issues after those first 2 days the beta was up.

The cycling items could have been designed differently, but honestly it doesn't matter that much. Since you don't need to actually pull out the item before you switch it, you can quick tap the cycling button as fast as you can and it will cycle to that number item. And considering you can only have 1-3 items to cycle through (which can be organized), I don't think it's that big of a deal. Everyone else has to do the same, so it's not like it's a disadvantage.

As for the respawn times, on what map is it that you spend more than 15 to maybe 20 seconds running to the battle? None, because no map is set so that it takes more than 15-20 seconds to get to where you need to be. Not to mention that respawn times AND places vary drastically depending on circumstances, and it can also be a key point to winning (especially in domination). Certain things affect spawn time, such as if you are near a squad leader, if the other leaders are using offensive and defensive perks, etc. And if you capture certain objectives, you can paratrooper in, spawn in a helicopter/vehicle, and so on, and that puts you right in the action.

As for skills, after the first 3 or so levels, you generally aren't able to level every single match, and by level 20, even if you take MVP every match you still usually need 3+ games or so until you get a level up, and it only increases from there. So it's not like you're able to power through every branching category of skills. Even if that was somehow the case, there are a lot of categories, with a many upgrades for just about everything, and getting to each of highest tiers of items in their respective categories would take a lot of matches. Not to mentioned that each army is different, so you can make multiple characters and try other armies out and build them up. That's a lot of expansion and gameplay.

I really don't think you had spent enough time to give this game an accurate assessment, so if you honestly want the game to be good and have concerns, I suggest going and renting the game as soon as it comes out and playing it through. I think you will change your thoughts and opinions on this.

[ThanatosDMC]

This isnt MW2. Newbies these days complain about dying too much. Get better or actually shoot or hide or predict your enemies. The game is meant to be like Battlefield 2 if y'all ever played it. Of course there's a ton of snipers hiding there's 100+ players on each side. Use smoke, buildings, boxes, trees, rocks, etc for cover or your own teammates.

Tons of grenades and bullets are always on the front lines which is almost always a stalemate place unless some people actually get through and destroy the enemies' AA guns for paradrops. You can tell some of these people claim to have played it or just assume stuff about the game.

This game shouldnt be compared with Borderlands. Borderlands was a great game for co-op but everything else was got old fast. At least you can duel your friends but it had the same problems as Diablo 2 when it first had duels which keeps the full damage of the guns you have in your arsenal so most of the time it's a one-hit kill duel. They should make it 1/10 or less dmg of the weapons instead to make it more fun. Instead of lightning rocket spamming for instant kill.

[madjedi]

@1.3 it's called a beta for a reason, i was playing up to 30 minutes before they took the serves so plenty of people were playing till they pulled the servers despite the problems, i got to lvl 33 platoon leader qualified before it ended. It's not zipper's fault that you fail @ understanding how mag works.

@1.12 boring, nope only boring when both sides are short of team members to me, not seeing more than 10 (people i guess) attack or defend location c on sabotage, then tell me that with a straight face. You have 64-128 people trying to kill you, your going to die alot, no idea whats going on, sounds like you need a better leader or you need to pay attention.

@akiraburn thank you for pointing out, how little reibooi, knows about mag or has even played the game.

[Reibooi]

@akiraburn

1. I should not have to memorize button press combo's and numbers for actions that most games allow you to do in a single button press I.E throwing grenades. I am aware that everyone has the limitation but I didn't say it was unfair or anything I said it's annoying.

2. You are correct that the majority of the connection problems occurred only the first 2 days of the public beta. Notice how I said Majority. While MOST people stopped having problems after the first 2 days not everyone did and people myself included were still on occasion being booted from the server. As I mentioned there will be FAR more people trying to play the release version. What's the point of the beta if the same problem is gonna happen on a larger scale come launch time?

3. You doomed yourself saying that the Domonation server didn't crash while at the same time saying you didn't play the game the last 2 days because that's when the game mode was locked to everyone because of mass lag, crashing, freezing, kicking and the like. I was told by my friend that the mode went up again for a few hours before the beta itself ended but the fact still stands the mode was unstable at the end of the beta regardless of the reason behind it.

4. As for respawn times there are 2 things I need to clear up here. Firstly I was talking about Sabotage mode(which is pretty much ALL you can play for quite awhile which is very annoying) In that mode you tend to spawn about 15-30 seconds away from the points you are trying to defend/capture and it's really annoying. In Domanation you are pretty much always in the middle of the action so that was not a issue.

What WAS a issue was the other team seemingly in every match having Bloackade up ALL THE TIME making respawn times retardedly long. Now to be fair your team has a ability that speeds respawn but for whatever reason it was hardly used. This good be bad luck on my part or bad balance on the games part I would have to see how it works in the final version to be sure. Lets be honest here when the game has 256 players no one is gonna notice if the respawn time was lower. Even instant. There are so many players there are ALWAYS gonna be hordes of others in the way of your goal that's what makes the mode fun. So why they added these massive needless respawn times that make nearly no difference to the balance is beyond me.

5. Lastly skills. My friend and I figured out quite quickly that being a medic earns you broken amounts of exp and with 3 days we were able to MAX the category for which we wanted to play along with maxing the medic section as well.(For me Medic and Rapid Assualt and for my friend Medic and Sniper.)

This took 3 days of play to do. Now keep in mind that most people are going to want to pick a class/category and stay with it. However you max it out far to quick and there is little to no sense or reward when you max one out. It's pointless to keep playing to unlock other things in other trees that you don't want and will never use. This is supposed to be a MMOFPS and that means it needs to have ALOT to unlock for ALL of the classes. As it stands there is only about a months worth(IF THAT) of content to unlock for all the classes/categories. That's just not enough for a online ONLY game.

As for renting the game I fully intend to do so. It's on my Gamefly list right at the top. As I said I WANT MAG to be good but I'm not gonna be a delusional fanboy and claim the game is great when it's not.

[travelguy2k]

I am soo hooked on it. It feals like a combination of Killzone 2 (because of all the partical effects and the grittyness of it) and Modern warfare.

But i think i like it better than both of those, better than Modern Warfare for sure.

As far as respawn times are concerned. There is a respawn every 20 seconds. all you have to do is time it so you are not qued for a long time. Allot of the maps spawned at :04, :24, :44 seconds. others were different, but once you spawn 1 time you know the pattern and can time you bleed outs appropriatly. give your squad mates a chance to recusitate and if not, bleedout right before a respawn waiting only like 1 or 2 seconds.

Graphics were awsome, i play on a 1080p projector on a 106 inch screen, the explosions and smoke effects were amazing. The projector can make graphics look poor as it is so large, but not mag, looked amazing. And the sound effects were great also. I heard people complaining about how the guns sounded. The sound different depending where you are. Like if you are in a small room you get like an echo effect like you really would (assuming, as i have never shot a assault rifle in a small room...or any room). 7.1 audio is great for shot detection, even if it did not show on you HUD you could hear where the shots were coming from.

[Nikuma]

I enjoyed the beta quite a bit... but I couldn't help but feel like the game was meant to be a Third Person shooter instead of a first. It seemed like it was a FPS to appease the masses of FPS fans. I'll probably pick this game up, but I can't help but wish it was a TPS like Socom. :/

[akiraburn]

@Rei, I am still going to have to disagree with you on this. I'm not on you because I think you are some fanboy trying to discourage the game. If you were, I wouldn't have replied. I just honestly don't think you put enough time into the beta and have made some inaccurate claims based on those experiences. You've made some claims which were speculations and some sound like you are stating them as fact, but none of us can possibly have any idea if they are going to be true or not. That's where my problem is.

You had said, "the game was broken almost the entire beta" and now say that just you and a few other people were having problems. But you also told me that you were easily able to power through multiple skill tree lines. That's contradictory, considering you would have to finish many games in order to get the xp needed to level, even if you could level every game. So you had to have enough access that it wasn't that bad, in order to play as much as you are saying.

You are now telling me that most people stopped experiencing the 'dropped game' issues, which you didn't mention in your original post. You just said that the beta was broken, which it wasn't. You personally had some issues, which really sucks, but a large majority of people weren't. It could have even been an issue with your side of the network. Regardless, there was no reason to call it broken, if it's working for most people.

As for Domination mode, it seems you are basing the last day or so having problems as a translation meaning that the final release will have problems. Why would this all the sudden happen after months of testing without issues? It could be that they were simply bringing down Domination for small tweaks in the code, and initially they thought they could work on the update while keeping the mode active. Either way, you were stating that the final version will have a problems, and there is no way to know that until you actually try it.

And with the respawn times, I have a couple problems with this. There is also a contradiction here you have stated. You told me that it's annoying and takes a while to get to be able to play another mode beside Sabotage, but you also said that it's quick and easy to level. All you need to be is level 10 to play a different mode, so it seems like this complaint doesn't match up. You also initially said "Having such long re spawn times despite the fact that you already have to spend about 45-60 seconds running back to where you were fighting at when you died". Now you've changed what you are saying about this. 15-30 seconds is a lot different than your original statement of 45-60 seconds. That's a more reasonable time-frame, and not something really that needs complaint, especially when you can choose between points you want to spawn at, which reduce the running time even further.

With your problems with the blockade, leaders can only use their skills when they are recharged, which takes a decently long amount of time. In every Domination match I have played, the most times I have seen a blockade in effect has been twice in one match, and the blockade doesn't last more than a minute or two. So it seems you were just unlucky in those matches.

As for skills, being a medic does help a lot to level quicker, but at the same time you are also helping your team a lot more. I believe that this was an intention of Zipper, to encourage more people to at least take a medic gun and be able to heal each other, thus working stronger as a team.

As for how quickly you leveled, I can only say this: I was averaging between 320-500 xp per match and taking top MVP spots every game, and by the time I was level 20, it was taking around 3 or 4 games minimum to level. It took me three days to reach level 20, knowing exactly what I was doing ahead of time in terms of gameplay, and I still invested over a lot of hours into it to get there. Considering I wasn't going to hit the level cap for quite a long while, I still had a lot of ability to expand.

I know what you are saying about only maxing out one specific tree, but there are other trees still to expand that can aid you regardless of what you play. Like improving your side-arm, upgrading your resistance to explosions and upgrading your health, all the grenade/mine related ones, etc. And then, you always have the choice to branch out and try different classes, or as I said try different armies.

Most importantly to me, it still seems like you are still basing your entire opinion on an unfinished product. What you didn't acknowledge in your rebuttal, is what I had said about the beta. The entire point of it, is to test for problems with the game, and to be able to give some interested players a general idea of what the finished product may be like. You get a general idea of it, but it's not a finished product so you really don't have anything to completely base your decisions on or facts about the game on. The finished product in this situation may differ drastically from the beta you played, but in several areas it sounds like you are insisting that the game is going to be bad. Even if you aren't, some things you said were very inaccurate and prejudging the final product all while being based on just a beta.

[Heartbroken-Menace]

MAG is awesome, the only thing holding it back are small little problems and concerns here and there that reviewers will exaggerate to bring the game down. Perfect example=graphics.

[yoghurt]

I do not get all the complaints about graphics, these graphics, in my opinion, easily rival MW2, and this is with a massive battlefield arena

[Chubear]

That's the thing, if you say a lie enough times over and over again, people will take it as gospel after a while even if they can SEE it with their own eyes.

This game has a blend of graphics btw CoD4 & Resistance 2, IMO, and to think people actually believe it looks "like a PS2 game" is staggering to me cause it looks better than ODST or L4D and no one had an issues with the graphics of these games. How stupid they must be to keep saying this when they have eyes to see.

Regardless, I for one will be supporting MAG no matter what reviewers put out there. Those that played the recent beta on sabo mode for a little bit and thought that's what MAG is all about can do as they please. I'm supporting this type of game development over some copy 'n paste glitch fest wrapped in marketing hype.

[sikbeta]

You don't get all the complaints about graphics?

Only the PS3 have to PUSH The BOUNDARIES and INNOVATE in Every Aspect and if is not doing Perfect, Media start downplaying the Games

MAG will not be the exception, first they'll complain about Graphics, then they probably make a nonsense comparison with MAG (128vs128) vs MW2 (lol)

[Christopher]

It's because of the textures in MAG. They are less than the standard PS3 game in order to keep load down. They still look good, but they're not as good as Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, or MW2. People don't care that it looks good when looking to complain about something, though, they look to see that it isn't 'better' in all ways that can be measured.

[BoneIdle]

It will take a while to settle down as it is still full of people used to playing modern warfare and think that you can just run around like an idiot without any setbacks. Problem is unlike MW2, MAG actually punishes bad tactics and rewards good tactics.

You need to work as a team you need to get into cover. You need to use your brain. Thats where a lot of people fall down.

[JL]

Yea I really liked that about the beta. I haven't played it much (only lie 3 rounds), but already I noticed that they did in fact pull that off from what I saw. For instance the first round I played I ended up having the highest kill count on my team, when I look at the scores, I have the second lowest score. The next round I only had a couple kills (one of the fewest) and I got pretty high on the score list, and scored considerably more than I did the first round in comparison.

Still need to get in there and play more to truly get a feel for it and how the game works, but I'm definitely sold on this game.

[iceman06]

Killcount really isn't as important in MAG...unless you are attacking or defending an objective that was set by the squad leader. You can rack up major XP simply by being near a squad leader and following orders. It's really that easy. Plus, the bonus is that the squad leader should have some "area" perks that are given to those around him. It's pretty cool actually. You really need more time to get the true flow and understand WHY you are taking certain objectives or defending and repairing certain objectives. Once you get there...it's instant addiction!

[JL]

^Oh yea, I understand that now. Like I said though I only played a few rounds. So it will definitely take a lil while more to get in the groove of things. Definitely I already like how it's not about just running around and racking up the most kills though. I just didn't have enough time to get a proper feel for it. I'll already definitely be picking up the game when it releases in a couple weeks though.

[Gun_Senshi]

Important: This game does NOT Start until Level 10. Until you are level 10, you can only do Sabotage, which is a mode with 2 objectives only and 64 Players only. The game starts at lvl 10, when you can do Domination, that is where this game starts.

I admit I though the game sucks, until I got to try Domination, since then its one of the best FPS Ever. This game has what most FPS nowdays don't. TACTICAL Shooter, not one man army spray and pray feast pew pew everyone like COD. In MW2 I achive victory but playing alone and using Tactical Nuke.

Tips and Tricks:

- Unlock Medic Gun to Raise people. This will give your team higher success rate

- Do NOT Bleed out if people are around you. Alot of people have basic Medic Raise. There are people like me who have full Medic unlocked, but people still press X Upon dieing in front of me.

- Follow orders, if you do you get double Exp for each action (Frago Bonus)

- Move from cover to cover with your team. In this game teamwork is the key. You run and gun you die. You Camp you get no points (No frago Bonus)

- Follow Squadleader, You get bonuses like faster Reload and higher HP

- A Squadleader makes or break the game

Squadleaders Do and Don't:

Do

- Use Fragos on key objective for team to follow and strive for victory. This also benefit everyone in your squad with frago bonus.

- Use your Assets. Mortar and Guided Missles can save your team from an onslaughter. Or using Transport Chopper when attacking for faster Respawn

- Use Frago Map to see where is the action and which objectives need people on

- Use Mic!

--------

Don'ts

- Move Frago for your own gain
- Use Assets for your own gain
- Use Assets on your own team. Mortar fire kills EVERYONE
- Not caring for your team
- Never change objectives needlessly

Other Tips:

- Never charge mindlessly
- Do not play as one man army
- Run around like headless chicken
- Camp, you will not get anything at all by camping
- Move from cover to cover always

---------------------------

Tactics like which objectives are most important to attack/defense come from expierence, mostly the squad leader has to take care of that. If you have a good squad leader, example me (hehe), this game will be one of the most fun game.

With a good team as me squad leader we got all over 1k Exp each by moving tactically as a team.

PS. I am a Hardcore Battlefield 2 fan. This game is Battlefield 2 on steriods for me.

[madmonkey0]

very good post, bubles.

Add me on psn madmonkey01 i'll play mag with you when it comes out.

[XsteveJ]

Count me in

PSN: XsteveJ

I'll be on MAG day 1. Looking forward to this

[Chubear]

Yeah, camping on this game is a disaster and almost meaningless. lol

Unless you're defending on something like Sabo, you will just get pwned. I don't even know how you can camp on Suppression or Domination cause the game would be over in 2mins lol

Snipers in MAG are like real snipers. Yeah, they'll camp in a nice spot but after 2-3 kills they leave the spot (well, good snipers anyways) and move somewhere else cause once the team communicates where the Sniper is, their snipers will have their cross hairs on that area in a heart beat too.

This is truly the first TACTICAL FPS I've seen on consoles. Others just say they are, this one actually IS. There's no "HA, I just went 50/2, I'm teh uber!!! step up scrumbs! lol"

You can go 50/2 and do very well as a squad mate but it doesn't mean you'll necessarily be top in the squad or the platoon or on the MVP list. Someone else who had fixed tonnes of gates, motars, Anti-Air craft guns, bunkers etc, made 10 revives and 10 health boosts to team mates will going 10/30 can get a better XP rating. This is not about just shooting but using you brain to win for the team and not just for your own XP lvl up prestige.

Sure you can go 50/2 and get MVP but it's not an automatic guarantee like other FPSs

[Chillbilly]

Bubbles, kudos, hats and horns! Totally agree with you. IMO, most of the MAG-hate comes from people who play 30 min, get pissed because they can't "pwn" right away, then go back to MW2 or something else.

You truly have to earn everything in MAG by playing well, not just by camping for killstreaks, etc. I think that's what draws me to it the most.

[Redempteur]

And that's hwo you play mag Simple as that .
i can heard them ..the cries of the fanboys

MAg is destined to fail ..because it only succeded at making a different kind of game from the rest . ( a true squad based fps unlike the one that have auto aim on so you can have fun instead of cooperating if your teammates ...)

[Gameplay999]

I believe that fans of the Battlefield series like me, will really like MAG. I recently read a developer interview in GamePro concerning MAG and it sounds very promising and the gfx for a game of this scale is nothing to balk at.
The Devs basically said that people who just try to do it all by themselves will not get rewarded or move up unless they work as a team obeying their orders given by their platoon leaders and OIC's (Officer In Charge). Excellent this will be right up my alley.

[iceman06]

I was in the private beta...which we know took forever to download completely. Anyway, I finally got in the game...and of course...I was completely lost. Didn't know ANY controls. Didn't know what was going on in the game. Just kinda running around and shooting people. I died many, many times. I ended up playing for about 45 minutes and just kinda labeled it mediocre. Then, it occurred to me that I felt bound to the devs for actually including me in the beta...so I went back in. I spent 2-3 hours playing and getting to understand the flow of the combat. I leveled up several times and got some better weapons. Then, it dawned on me that I didn't want to put the game down...but the beta time was ending. That was when I realized that MAG has a special quality that sucks you in and gets you addicted to the combat. It wasn't really about leveling up or winning...I just wanted to play more and more.

[travelguy2k]

psn id: marovinge

[THE MAX SPEED 21]

big allegations.

[Karooo]

MAG is still only in BETA, so who knows what to expect. Let’s just keep the hype train stationed until late January and hopefully the game will take us by surprise.

[PeterPanParadox]

Come on! The title alone was enough to send the fanboys into fit. The points in this article are valid. I love my PS3 and I love MAG but I really think that game sales might suffer because of the FPS games in circulation right now. I wish people would read before reporting. Also, for all you people who complain about this guy/girl not playing the game -- he said the game gets better the higher you rank.

Let´s just relax.

[redneck_smith]

MICROSOFT DAMAGE CONTROL, DOOMED FOR MEDIOCRISY

[blitz0623]

the author wants a noob friendly game, aka a shooter for bots, you know, kind of like MW2

[chrisulloa]

Anyone who doesn't like a PS3 game is a Xbox fanboy. Droid logic confuses me sometimes, I wouldn't even call it logic.

[3sq]

Cry moar bot. Do you even know what logic is? Then read the fvcking article and see if you can make any logic out of that. You can't cuz there aren't any. That's the LOGIC. But you will never understand cuz you are a bot. :)

[Fishy Fingers]

Domination (unlocked at rank 10) is the way to go, at least from the time I've spent with the beta. It's not going to be for everyone, that's for sure, but those who enjoy a tactical, spam free FPS, then spend a little time with MAG and I'm sure most will enjoy it.

[JonnyBigBoss]

I guarantee it'll average at least 85%. Does that mean it's good? Maybe. Bad? Sure as heck not.

[Morbid Bulldozer]

I guess we can all sleep well now. Random Guy's Guarantee is all I ask for when spending money on games. Cheers!

[NateCole]

MAG is alot of ways like SOCOM but in FPS.

[JL]

And that's exactly the reason I was excited for it from the beginning. Knowing Zipper's work with SOCOM and their desire to make this more of a tactical online game than the run-n-gun stuff, I was sold and had every bit of faith in Zipper.

[NateCole]

x__JL__X : Thats my point. It can never be doomed for Mediocrity

[JL]

I agree. I would never say this was doomed for mediocrity. Just knowing who's behind the development pretty much saves that. Also, here's a point to note: There are tons of SOCOM fans (loyal ones at that). SOCOM hasn't had a real game represent the franchise this gen yet. Yes there was confrontation, but that wasn't made by Zipper, not to mention it got alot of crap in the beginning so it kinda deterred some people. I've said it from the beginning and I'll say it now, I fully expect the SOCOM community to support this game. I mean it might as well have SOCOM written on it cause any SOCOM fan knows what this is and what's going on. This will be the game those SOCOM fans set up on to fill the void til maybe Zipper gives us another campaign style SOCOM.

[NotSoSilentBob]

Aren't all PS3 Exclusives "Doomed for Mediocrity" by the media?

anyone who disagrees for every PS3 exclusive you can find 5-6 reviewers talking about how bad it is going to be.

[dazzalfc]

I don't think the game itself is destined for mediocrity, as, judging from the beta, its a solid game which has suprised me to be honest.

However, from a sales perspective, it may struggle a little. Its coming at a time where millions are still either hooked on Call Of Duty, or waiting for the next Battlefield to come out for the next FPS fix, and once again, there has been very little marketing from Sony. It remains to be seen how an online only FPS will sell, and whether it can be popular or not. Judging from the beta, i think the game will get scores around the 80-90 mark, and i think Sony would be more than happy to see it sell anything over 2million in its lifetime. At any other point in gaming history, that would make the game more than just mediocre.

[MetalGearRising]

Poor mans Game.

[Foliage]

I'll take what you consider a poor mans game, over not having any games. Sucks to be an xbot, doesn't it?

[TheTeam06]

I feel a lot of people expected this game to be chaotic because of the threatening "256" under it's belt. Then, as stated in this article, the skeptics tell you how small-scale it actually feels. Watch the Dev Diaries. They wanted it to feel like you and your teammates are just one team of hundreds, which you are. After all, it's an MMOFPS.

Can you see all of the US Army fighting in a big crowd at once?
Can you see every WoW player in the same space at once?

No, but the actions of one soldier in the battle has the chance to change the whole war, which is what MAG feels like.

The fact that you know you're in a 256 player battle makes planting that one bomb, or destroying the one vehicle, or even killing that one enemy juggernaut that much better and epic. When playing the Beta, I loved how me and 2 other friends taking over this one spot was recognized by the whole army. It's something I only felt in large scale battles like Resistance 2's 60 player ones, only much larger.

So to me, the graphics can stay the same. Killzone 2's amazing graphics didn't make killing someone that much more satisfying (though it was very easy on the eyes). Shooting is shooting, and killing is killing. After getting the perks and additions to my gun, the gameplay kept getting better and better.

And to think I didn't care for this game. That was before the Beta..

[A LIVING LEGEND]

I will decide that for myself but thanks for coming out.
In fact I myself may be doomed for mediocrity......My brother and I both downloaded the beta last night,about 3 minutes before the servers went 'away' lol.Is this temporary or what?.The news post in the menu says january 10th at midnight but doesn't clarify beyond that.Really want to give MAG a go,many of my PSN buds are giving it rave reviews.
Btw,I chose the S.V.E.R.......dangerous looking they are.I hope I am not to late=(

[TheTeam06]

The Beta ended as of last night.

[MGOelite]

my only problem is that the game is too big, i joined a game and didnt have a fuking clue what i was doing, i expect the full game to have like a 30 min tutorial

[mxrider2]

when u go to deploy it says tutorial but isnt available in the beta

[Kalowest]

Its going to be a great game, till Sony gets rid of the servers. thats the only bad thing all MP and no SP.

[SKullDugger]

I played the public beta for at least 20hrs total hit level ten and jumped into domination this game rocks! and those who choose to hate it will be their loss. I must admit I'm not very good yet but I hope with time my gameplay will improve.

[MetalGearRising]

I was hoping for Kill Zone 2 or Uncharted graphics at least but what do we get ps2 graphics I'll guess that's what we get for having 256 players.

[Foliage]

The graphics are almost as bad as a 360 game, if what you say is true. Unfortunately for you, I've actually played the beta. The graphics put some of your best 360 games to shame.

And it has 256 players, the 360 would explode under those conditions. You guys pay 50 dollars a month for lame 4v4 matches. Microsoft would bend you over a barrel if they managed to run a 256 player game on the poor mans console (360).

[OmarJA-N4G]

Still looks miles better than:

Halo 3
ODST
L4D 1/2
.....

Oh it's MGR the retard never mind...

[kingdavid]

It looks around the quality of a ps2 game in HD.

[TheColbertinator]

Screw MAG.Just pick up Bad Company 2 if you want a game that really focuses on teamwork.

Or get Modern Warfare 2 if you are a noob and can't play anything right.

[Silly gameAr]

MAG is just really not for me. I can see hardcore FPS fans getting into it, but I was just a little underwhelmed by the beta, even though I've been in it from the first beta.

Just not my style.

[maniacf40]

MAG may be mediocre, but how do you explain your whole game library of mediocre games???

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Thanks.
My suspicions are now confirmed.My procrastination kills me again !! =(
I should have downloaded it when I had originally intended to.
Either way,I can't ignore the praise it is receiving, especially from veteran tactical shooter players on my friends list.
I took a nice long break from the shooting gallery and now I am ready to return.
End of january release correct?.

[unrealgamer58]

SPOILER ALERT

what do you guy's think will happen to that maya b!tch in infamous?

does she really work for FBI?

what will happen to zeke and cole's friendship ?

I mean cole was right"only an asshole would kill thousands of people for power."

think they'll be dlc? (It has sold over a million, I think sucker punch should close the book on some hard to answer questions.)

wouldn't it be kick ass if we could unlock one of those small island's on the map?

[divideby0]

calling ODST, L4D2 and COD anything but the same crap we have seen, with little to no improvements...than call out MAG with its 256 player online...is just stupid.
Sure MAG is not as good as I expected...but author loses all credibility with ODST and L4D2 as he calls them amazing..
please....lame and silly

[ApocalypseShadow]

the bashing comes from those that don't like it's realistic approach.

in real life,there are no rambos.they would be dead from real combat tactics.but it looks cool on the movie screen.but that's not reality.i was in the militray so i know that working as a team,having a rank structure based on knowledge and experience WORKS.

those that can't play without being the center of attention will hate this game.it's too real in it's approach.it's just like GT5.we have those that complain it's too realistic and would rather crash around in burnout.we also see some fans of realtime rpgs that can't play the technical strategy like rpgs because it's too intricate.

time and time again we see the kids complain and just want to have fun,and the adults wanting something deeper.don't like it?go play something else.

how easy is that?it's not that **HARD** is it?

[divideby0]

^ yea...its LOL funny seeing all the COD players try and play this game like COD and hear them complain in-game..than reading comments..this is strategic FPS, not a run and gun COD online game.. The maps are big and you have to pick your spot and just follow leaders orders vs run and gun and get owned

[TukkerIntensity]

it had far fewer game breaking glitches than MW2.

MAG is a very deep game. It really doesn't cater to casual gamers very much. It is niche in that it is for players who value team work, objectives and communication. One l337 rabmo on your team isn't going to win you squat. The game has a co-op RTS layer where the OIC, Platoon Leaders and Squad Leaders are holding assets and deciding to move units into areas that think are important to victory. The chain of command is excellent, the game play is excellent, the maps are gorgeous.

This game won't unfortunately outsell the simple games like MW2, L4D or Halo but it will have a very strong and dedicated hardcore community that will continue to support this game - very similar to the community that has supported Zippers SOCOM games of the past.

MAG through the betas has become the game I look forward to the most in 2010 (pushing its way past Heavy Rain, Splinter Cell:Convictions, Bioshock 2, GOW3 etc). It accomplishes what other games in the FPS genre don't even come close to.

[IndigoProductions]

I do think MAG is doomed for mediocrity, not because it is a bad game but because of the Sony´s non-existent advertisement campaign and warm up time it takes for someone to get truly immersed in the game.

[Raoh]

the game is great.. but yeah, it wont get great reviews, actually i expect your usual sources like edge etc to slam it..

the release date isn't the best either.. this might of been a better late december release.. might of stole a few COD gamers as well as distanced itself from other blockbuster titles like mass effect 2 and the up coming battle field..

i'm sure people will sleep on this title, i have it reserved though

[Hanilugtehul]

after playing the beta,i was not sold at first, but when i got use to the flow of the game,i stopped running and gunning and began sticking with my squad,and then the real fun starts, the game is much better than i expected:-)

[cheameup]

i was a doubter on MAG and was a late starter to the beta . I got in 10 or so hours over 4 days and i really liked it. It runs great , the graphics are decent ( as good as MW2 to me ) and it takes more thought than just running around

I like the slow re spawns and teh fact it taks you out of the action for a while. adds a bit more consequnce to dying .

there were a few small thing I didnt like( like the no remappiog shooting to the triggers )but I started a doubter and now I'll be buying so it did enough right for me

[ZombieStalker]

Articles like this are a waste of time. Lets take a look at what they compared MAG to: Modern Warfare 2 - great game, fast paced, no strategy; Left 4 Dead 2 - repetitive, need I say more; Borderlands - good game, but still full of bugs!; Halo: ODST - good game, little substance; Killzone 2 - Good game, fast paced, no strategy. Based on this list of games, MAG is different. I agree that the MMO aspect can get lost when playing MAG at times, but for me MAG has tons of strategy, great upgrades...overall, some awesome game play! The editor never really explained his reasoning of why he thinks MAG is "doomed for mediocrity". As I mentioned before, worthless article, regardless if you like or dislike the Beta.

[retrofly]

I thought the beta sucked balls, it had everything bad about FPS's but none of the good, BIG let down :(

[divideby0]

would like to hear what you mean...its not the typically FPS, which so many think it is play, get owned and than say the game aint good..its because they aint playing it right.
I am the first to say MAG is not as good as I expected, but with a good squad I see hours of online fun.
Try and compare this game to Bayonette in terms of value...cant even compare the 2..

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

"I thought the beta sucked balls, it had everything bad about FPS's but none of the good, BIG let down :("

Well, your opinion is wrong and you should be ban from this site forever. LOL.

[The Maxx]

After playing the BETA i was very turned off. I was excited for this game but no longer. Now this is only the BETA but in my opinion, the game needs to be drastically changed, and i don't think that is going to happen with the amount of time left till release.

This game will get mediocre scores.

[unrealgamer58]

you mean like auto aim or breathing BULLETS away are does the good parts? LOL

[kneon]

It had MW2 in it's list of "Amazing" first person shooters, that should have been on the mediocre list.

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

n4g.com – Doomed For Mediocrity

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Really?.,I mean it's opinion and all that but I am hearing the exact opposite from alot of veteran tactical shooter players and they can't surely be mistaken all of them....?
Everything bad imo,is mundane shoot,kill,repeat mechanics in maps hardly bigger than a football field.
Good imo,is carefully executed team based warfare with actual objectives on a large playing field.Of course,this must be accompanied by solid shooting mechanics,relatively lag-free gameplay and a deep character load-out system that provides not only uniqueness but more importantly,functionality in a team role.
I hear MAG allows this,I missed the beta(don't ask lol) but I trust or at least value the opinions of the actual tactical shooter players that I know.MW2 this isn't and for that I am glad.

[Gigalol]

Possible only on Bugstation 2.5

[chidori666]

wow.. bots in damge control again in MAG..

[AliTheBrit19]

Wait is this game out THIS month? what the hell, heard pretty much nothing about it, just a beta.....

I've played it at Eurogamer expo, it is mediocre.. why would anyone want to play such an average game when there is so much better available.

[mullerhun]

It's good that many ppl can see the future:) thank you!

[yogaflame]

I hate the media who kiss M$ ass, how they look down on ps3 exclusives , thats why it alwats influence consumers.

[Shendow]

I see now problem with this game, it feels alot better then cheap COD games, I mean I got sick of campers and people some how living even after I stick them a blow them up.

Key thing about the online problems, it went from close beta to OPEN BETA!!! which means they really put the game to the test, notthing is saying they can't have it ready by the date it comes out.

I think people are just mad that this is a PS3 only game an it seems to turn out better them MW2 is, MW2 had a awesome story but the online just wasn't done well and maybe if MW2 had a beta. It might not needed all the updates it has got.

So in the end, I see you on the battlefield, just open you don't fight Raven.

[bjornbear]

except its Sony that doom all competition with it's exclusive titles and console range.

MAG is extremely competent as a stand alone MP,

and its so strategically complex, to down play it because you don't comprehend it's complexity, is to come out and shout

"I'm a FPS run-and-gun kind of guy, i don't depend on any sort of strategy, just run around shooting everyone"

Silly article considering people who DO play it absolutely love it.

It's a niche multiplayer game - some love it others hate it, but not to be able to accept it is a good game is fault.

[Rhezin]

We ALL know that ps3 exclusives are something special. They always go above and beyond. But THIS game? I'm one of the biggest Sony fanboys, and I really did NOT like this game. Sure big maps....sure 256 (too much chaos)...but if I wanted a game like MAG with those huge maps, I'd go Battlefield Bad Company 2. I'm switching my preorder not because I'm a 360 fanboy, but because the game OBVIOUSLY SUCKS.

[SuperbVillain]

DOOMED!!!!!

[click 2 get virus]

mag will be the sleeper hit of 2010, it will develop a cult following

[Figboy]

game assassination attempts on 360 games.

seriously. i don't.

it's always, "this Xbox 360 exclusive is looking AMAZING! it's really going to be a great gaming experience because of >enter game play features here; mostly centered around Xbox LIVE.<"

but for PS3 pre-release press, it's "this game is going to disappoint, and not be worth buying because of >insert game play features NOT present in the game; mostly centered around Xbox LIVE and what it has that PSN doesn't.<"

i really don't get it.

i'm the first to say that i didn't like MAG back when i got into the beta last year. to the point where i deleted it after 1 day and didn't play it again until this past Saturday.

i'm extremely glad i gave it another chance, because i actually got to see it's incredible potential as an ONLINE only FPS title.

it really is a unique experience in an FPS that i just didn't think i'd get.

no, i didn't get to unlock the massive 256 player battles (i was only level 4 by the time the beta ended), but i got to experience the objectives based sabotage, which had 32 players in each of the 3 factions.

in either case, i got used to the more realistic take on war (ie, a few shots and you're dead), and i appreciated the scale of the maps.

i'm still not a fan (i wasn't a fan of SOCOM either for the same reason: a bit to tactical and realistic for my tastes), but to say it's "doomed" is a bit silly and presumptive.

am i the ONLY one that remembers when game previews were POSITIVE? well, for Playstation games also?

it's like the console has been blacklisted, and no PS3 exclusive, no matter how impressive, is allowed to have good press if there's even a HINT of it doing something different or unique (MAG, with it's 256 player battles, and Heavy Rain, with it's emphasis on character and unique game play presentation).

i'm eagerly looking forward to the "Why The Last Guardian is Doomed" article, because it doesn't have big tits, ass, and multi-player online fragfest action explosions!! /sarcasm

[n4gno]

Retards are always downplaying ps3 exclusives, even when not a single game offer the same thing : 256 players, no noobs auto aim, graphic=mw2 online, etc

better than mw2 online without a single doubt, even in the BETA.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

But you must realise that the Last Guardian is in fact.......complete and utter innovation in a cesspool of mediocrity and status quo.
It wiil fail,Mag has already failed,Heavy Rain can be made to fail and Dantes inferno of cut and paste within Tarterus has brought about the inevitable failure of Kratos.In fact,GT5 will likely fail,WKC must fail for what good can a 'white Knight' truly do,and when the hour strikes,Any upcoming game with reason to innovate will surely fail.
Of course,my failure is conformity.I eagerly anticipate these games.So therefore,I fail.
You get the point and sarcasm aside,I agree with you.Peace.Out. =)

[OGharryjoysticks]

Seems the powers that be don't want this one to make it for some odd reason. Strange thing is the type of player that usually plays these hardcore online shooters on Sony machines doesn't seem to be the person that reads the internet much. All the hatred and negative press didn't stop SOCOM Confrontation from having a huge player base. If anything I assume all the bad news for this game just works on the kid who currently owns a 360...now he won't feel the urge to switch sides because all his websites have been slamming the game making his mind up for him.

[blahblah123]

Bar none, the longer I played the more I liked it. Definitely more squad based, which is a damn good thing. But I still think there are more than a half dozen things that need more polish. The game just feels really unfinished. Hopefully this is a flavor of the beta and not the taste of the final game. If so, nothing Zipper cannot address easily.

1. Graphics aren't bad, just not very polished. The style is half cartoony and half realistic. That aspect doesn't blend well. The color palette is very banal.

2. Missing animations. When you drop from iron sight to hip, there is no animation, the gun just disappears.

3. Music sucks. They need to allow custom soundtrack like KZ2 and SF4.

4. Weapon do not seem to "behave" accurately. Head shots from a LMG half the map away? No sway?

5. Sound in general feels muffled, like you are listening underwater.

6. No destructible environments. After playing Battlefield, there's no excuse on MW2 or MAG for ignoring this.

7. No dedicated grenade button? Seriously very weird, to me anyway.

However in all the hours I dumped into three betas, I never once had lag. Bravo. However, I think Battlefield BC2 has this one beat so far.

[aaronisbla]

yeah, the toggling to get to grenades is a huge no no, im hoping this is corrected, cuz im picking this up day one after pouring hours into the beta

I wish it could have some destructible terrain but with all thats going on already, that would be hard i would think.

Agreed with mostly everything else u said

[spektical]

nah MAG will survive, and be around until KZ3, and/or R3. MAG is being made by Zipper, i trust them in every aspect, especially in making a shooter that actually takes teamwork and skill to win.

[d3nworth1]

I played Call Of Duty Modern Warfare, Halo, Killzone 2,and Socom online and I have to say that MAG comes closer to actually war than any of those games. The Offline campain for all these games simulate war very well but their online multiplayer (though fun) doesnt. I was playing domination mode on the MAG beta and it was awesome!!! Sure you die alot but your never far from the fight and for those people who like to wonder off by themselves in other shooters that wont fly in MAG. There are 128 people gunning for you and for those campers you got not where to hide.

[Nathan Drake2]

preorders are saying otherwise:over 200,000.more then splinter cell,battlefield.

[debuchan]

specially when almost all 4 squads are my clan mates. All people on the squad can rez each other, we have designated driver, gunner, repairer, guys with rpg's, guys with poison grenades two man sniper team and all using headset. Thats why SVER always win.

[chitownzown]

I'm not really into online FPS at all, played KZ2 online for a few months. but MAG will def be a day one purchase for me after putting about 15 hrs into the BETA. it truly is different from other FPS's and has a lot more to offer imho.

SVER FTW

psn: chitownzown

[rbluetank]

i started a SABotage match and my squad leader ran all the way to the other team base. please realized that they did not bother with the objective. they left that for the rest of my teammates to handle. he and a couple of teammates were killing the other team as they spawn/respawn. when you are defending;it is all about delaying the other team. yes they did not get exp points but we got the win.... this tactic will become the norm in sabotage smaller maps. when you reach level ten domination; the game shines. i do not like playing sabotage after reaching level 10. it is hard for me to stay with my squad in domination. i just pick a location with another squad leader and support that location. the best thing to do when you get this game. please save your skill points and get resurrect medic first. you can level up fast with this class best. i love how this game rewards team work. when we are trying to take over an base; i toss out two smoke grenades followed by to regular grenades into their base. lol i can get two to three kills with this scheme. lol MAg is a first day buy. i will be seeing you guys soon. i have been trying to log on for the past two days without luck. is the beta over? i thought we had until jan 25 2010.

[yorkie]

Sorry rbluetank but the open beta ended 11 Jan

[rbluetank]

this beta was fun as hell. i guess i will have to go back to dark sector....dam!!!! thx for info up above...

[mario888]

You could never do this in Mw2 because it has so much auto aim.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I know, I make it look so easy. That is what all my noob friends say when they see me play games with that actually require skill like k2, Socom and uncharted.

[solidworm]

is the best online shooter ive ever played and ive played them all.THE COMMUNITY will be incredible a year from now,....SVER ftw.

[Irishrocket69]

I played the beta, thats all I needed to see, will be up there with HAZE. Nevermind, HAZE was better.

[Blaster_Master]

My take is that its no COD, but it has way better level design. Im gonna have to wait to get it though cause WKC is gonna take too much of my time to even think about anything else. Plus Mass Effect 2 and AVP but by then GOW and FF13 is coming out. I say by summer time I will be enjoying a bunch of MAG after a good days swim at the beach. Ahhhh!

[Morgue]

Moronic Adolescent Gamers

I actually enjoyed the beta and I don't like playing squad based games but a majority of gamers these days, if it's not like HALO or COD MW/2 then it's not good. Maybe another reason people are talking smack is because they own a 360? I mean you can only play 5v5, 8v8 or 12 on 12? Correct me if I'm wrong on that since I sold my 360 and all the games 2 years ago.

[taylork37]

I just don't see how increasing the amount of players is synonymous with making a game better (Oh wait its for the PS3...). Especially in the way that MAG does it. It is a total f*ck fest trying to run into a room with 30 people camping in that room with a resupply point.

Its a gimmick...Its like Natal. It sounds good, but how well does it really work?

[OmegaWolf]

Wow, first I see an article saying GOWIII won't live up to the hype now this. Some Xbox fanboys have there panties in a twist .

[taylork37]

...what if they actually don't live up to the hype... that's not possible is it?

[teto83]

This game is a disgrace not only for the PS3 but for all gamers. As a PS3 owner i have to say that the beta just confirmed that this game is way below average at best. The only thing i liked was the scope of the battles. In my opinion even the good old warhawk looks way better than this puppy. Save some cash and wait for BFBC2 in march.

[peeps]

i'm ok thanks, i'll play MAG at the end of this month and pick up bfbc2 as well when it releases.

the 2 games are extreemly different and can easily live side by side

[peeps]

wow what a title for hits. the points made arnt even that bad and ends with

"On the bright side, MAG seems more and more promising the higher you rank. Players can earn themselves positions commanding a squad, a platoon of soldiers, and even a whole company of a 128 players. The game engine runs smoothly, is lag free, and the shooting mechanics seem tight. MAG is still only in BETA, so who knows what to expect. Let’s just keep the hype train stationed until late January and hopefully the game will take us by surprise."

a paragraph to finish like that doesn't really fit with the title lol

[taylork37]

MAG is average. It is nothing special. Unless something changes from the beta I played, the game is definitely destined for mediocrity.

[The_Nameless_One]

So is your web site my good sir. So is your web site.

[belowradar]

I've been in the beta since Sony was handing out codes for the initial closed beta and at that point there was one freaking map. The controls were really hard to get used for FPS standards. I stopped playing for a while but some of my friends got me back into the beta again and I had a decent time since their were more maps and I had friends that were actually playing and using their headsets.
Now I'm not a stickler on graphics. As long as the gameplay is good and graphics don't have pop-in like Mercenaries I'm cool with it.
The last time I played our group would be dominating a game and we'd all lose connection to the servers and have to regroup all over again. This would only happen when we'd be winning. Seriously! If we were losing of course the game would keep us around till it was over. This happened 3 times over about 6 or so games and at that point I'd had enough.
My other real big complaint was after a match was over and you went back to the deploy screen you'd be basically alone till the game put you back into a match. This is a squad based game and being able to talk about tactics before the game should be important. This should've been a feature in the beta. I don't know if they have that option for the actual release but imo, it should be there.
MAG and ME 2 are the only 2 games I'm really looking forward to. I'd much rather play a MP game over a solo game anyday, but after being burnt on ModernGlitchfare 2: The Cash In, I'm going to wait and see what the reviews are and pick it up around Valentine's Day.
I agree that the industry will be copying what Zipper has done with the server capacity. By the end of the console cycle I bet more than half first party shooters will have over a hundred or so players in a match.
Spawn...run...run...shoot.... .run...run...die(Rinse & Repeat)= MAG

[gololo]

"The quality of first-person shooter games that have recently hitting retail has been nothing short of amazing. With games like Modern Warfare 2"............and I stopped right there....quality and MW2 shouldn't be used in the same sentence unless its "lack of quality"

[Heartbroken-Menace]

Now, if you are a MW2 noob and you run into the open expecting to go all Rambo on the other team I gurantee you that you will recieve a bullet to the head. Now, if you follow your teammates towards the objective, you will understand your role in this huge 128 vs. 128 match. But some people I guess can't understand that. Morons.

[Killman]

The hate on this game is already unbearable. What other console (Or ANY) FPS has lag-free 256 player battles? Not only that, but they also managed to make the gameplay great. Most of the people that are in hate mode probably have not played the Beta for more than five minutes. I will admit, it does start very slow, but once you start leveling up, it becomes great fun.

[UP]

Do any of you hate team based games, socom, or any game that is not a frag fest?

If you do then MAG is just not for you.