MAG Catch-All.

Alright guys. Tomorrow night is the 2nd ever installment of Monday Night MAG! Get hype folks. I'm going to start the organized game at 8PM Central ST (9PM Eastern ST). If you're in the clan and online any time between 7:50 - 8:10PM CST that's when I'll start sending out group invites. We'll launch our first game at around 8:10PM.

It looks like we've got enough folks in the clan to fill out more than one squad. If there's a ton of folks online (and I hope there are) I'll have one of the more veteran players start up a second squad.

I hope to see you all there. If you still haven't gotten a clan invite post a quick note in this thread and I'll make sure an invite is sent before MNM gets underway.

Also if you have yet to play in a full, organized squad, you are in for a treat. It's a transformative experience.

Do you use the PSN chatroom to organise things?

1Dgaf wrote:

Do you use the PSN chatroom to organise things?

Yeah, we did last time. It'll probably be especially helpful this time, as we are likely to have more than a full squad, and therefore can't all group up together.

1Dgaf wrote:

Do you use the PSN chatroom to organise things?

I didn't need to use it much last week since the mics were working fine. I'll likely set one up if we have multiple squads so that the group leaders can coordinate.

Mark me down for MAG monday, just need a clan invite. PSN: Lucky_Wilbury

Looking forward to playing with everyone - I may not be able to be there tomorrow night due to family commitments that are still in motion. I've seen a few on already and its so nice to have "GWJ" in front of my name on the board (even though I'm usually towards the bottom of the scoreboard!)

Thanks to Zoidberg for adding me to the clan. See everyone in game sometime.

I switched my build to largely electronic. SMG, Acoustic Locator, and Sensor Jammer. The enemies won't see us coming.

Awesome, I will try to be on for it tomorrow!

One benefit of being in a clan is you can see who is online and join their game without waiting in a que (as long as it's not full).

Added this to my Gamefly que and now patiently crossing fingers...If it doesn't come through that way, then I'll just buy it in two weeks and see you guys then!

So I take it I have to get to level 4 before I see the Clan invite? (I mean I looked under 'Community' and all I saw was how to create one, not accepting invitations. I looked around, but didn't see anything. I will try and make 4 tonight. Looke forward to tomorrow night...hopefully!.

Donan wrote:

So I take it I have to get to level 4 before I see the Clan invite? (I mean I looked under 'Community' and all I saw was how to create one, not accepting invitations. I looked around, but didn't see anything. I will try and make 4 tonight. Looke forward to tomorrow night...hopefully!.

You pretty much get to level 4 by joining a game and falling over.

Donan wrote:

So I take it I have to get to level 4 before I see the Clan invite? (I mean I looked under 'Community' and all I saw was how to create one, not accepting invitations. I looked around, but didn't see anything. I will try and make 4 tonight. Looke forward to tomorrow night...hopefully!.

I don't think your level matters for accepting invites, but I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure we had a guy last week that had just created his character and played with us. Either way, getting to level four won't take long.

I must apologize to Thirteenth and Keegs - I saw Keegs in a couple of my games the other night, but was still so "what's going on" that I didn't realize it until the end. Tonight, Thirtheenth sent me a message that either never popped up, popped up the one time I stepped away to finish laundry or popped up without me knowing what the heck it was.

I'm so clueless on this game - played only suppression and sabotage, b/c I was overwhelmed when moving to the next mode. Anyway, I'm not snobbish guys, just clueless (and feel pretty neutered without a keyboard to type on). I'll try to watch harder (and get my headset on - haven't done that yet).

Take care!

Why do my squad mates always drive the APC straight up the road to the gate at the beginning of a round of Acquisition? It has a life expectancy of about 3 seconds if it doesn't hit any mines. The greatest value of an APC is as an advanced spawn point. Just move it closer and hide it behind some cover out of the way.

Also the guided RPG rockets are oh so sweet for destroying bunker turrets. They are must have items for an attacking squad.

The game really opens up once you play in a leadership position. I had to start thinking about the value of each objective on the map, but then realized I had no idea on what priorities to set. Eventually, I found a post explaining the function of each objective. The in-game tutorial really should do a better job at explaining these basics.

@Cymbrogi

I can assure you that you were not alone in feeling clueless in the face of Acquisition and Domination (to be honest, it took me a while to work out Sabotage too). Zipper have deliberately and IMO cleverly made the objectives, tactics and rules for those two game types fairly opaque. The only way to survive long enough to learn what's going on is to work with your squad and follow your squad leader's instructions. I did little of either in my first few games (a legacy of MW2, I suspect) and died... often... and in ugly ways.

It's also worth taking a purely supporting role in Acquisition or Domination early on. By not being in on the frontline you'll get a better idea of the objectives and the tactics. As a rule of thumb, I specialise in repair when defending, and in medic-ing when attacking.

And those aren't unimportant roles either. Killzone2 toyed with both concepts, but they're incredibly well implemented in MAG. Repair specialists slow down enemy attacks (and in the case of Anti-Aircraft batteries repairs, deny them a forward spawn point). And medics can ensure that an entire squad survives intact from objective to objective (believe me there are some LONG walks in Domination if you have to respawn). In addition, carrying out repairs and rescucitating comrades earn more XP than kills! Which is a nice bonus for those of us who are too old to twitch shoot with any degree of success.

However, if you think Acquisition and Domination a bad as are new player then wait until you take command... I've had one go at squad leader on Suppression, and it was pretty much the most stressful experience of my gaming life (except perhasp for 1-3 in Demon's Souls which almost made me cry). I can't imagine what it's like to be Officer in Charge on Domination.

Other advice? Erm... don't bother with assualt rifles; everyone is packing LMGs and you will be outgunned in every firefight if you don't have one. Until they nerf them, LMGs are the only way to go.

Also, let go of the K/D ratio obsession if you have one. It's a team game, and my view is that your K/D will track more closely with your team's overall success than with your personal shooting prowess. As a long-suffering Raven player, I can tell you from bitter experience that losing your AAA and being pushed back to your rearward spawn point with 10 minutes still to play will see your K/D ratio utterly destroyed. And you won't even care because defeats like that hurt much, much more.

Finally... use your headset. You and your team-mates will survive much longer if you do.

Hmm. I've gone on longer than I expected, but I think it's because I'm really loving this game. It's tactical. It lets me feel that I can add value even if I don't pile up a mountain of opposing team bodies. And - if Zipper's latest statements are to be believed - there's a lot more to come. I can see myself playing this one for years.

PSN - detroit20

Cymbrogi wrote:

I must apologize to Thirteenth and Keegs - I saw Keegs in a couple of my games the other night, but was still so "what's going on" that I didn't realize it until the end. Tonight, Thirtheenth sent me a message that either never popped up, popped up the one time I stepped away to finish laundry or popped up without me knowing what the heck it was.

I'm so clueless on this game - played only suppression and sabotage, b/c I was overwhelmed when moving to the next mode. Anyway, I'm not snobbish guys, just clueless (and feel pretty neutered without a keyboard to type on). I'll try to watch harder (and get my headset on - haven't done that yet).

Take care!

Haha No problem! I'm still just figuring it out too. I also got an invite from someone too just as I was turning off my console :p

Looking forward to playing tonight! I will be on eventually if I'm not there at the beginning.

Keegs wrote:

Looking forward to playing tonight! I will be on eventually if I'm not there at the beginning.

This brings up a good point what to do if you show up late. The short answer is send me a message. I'll respond with an approximate amount of time in our current match. After each match we usually take 5 - 10 minutes of down time which is when I will try to get you invited into a group.

If I'm not on your friends list but you're in the clan you should be able to send me a message using the in game clan interface without friending me up via XMB, but that is an option as well.

Sorry about my abrubt exit last night. I've been having internet troubles, hopefully all is well this evening.

Thanks AZ. If it's not full I know I can just jump in to the game. I don't know how to change squads once i'm in if that's even possible, though.

Keegs wrote:

Thanks AZ. If it's not full I know I can just jump in to the game. I don't know how to change squads once i'm in if that's even possible, though.

I don't believe you can switch squads midgame. But in the platoon screen before a game launches you can push yourself into a squad with an open slot by highlighting that squad and clicking join.

Thanks for the Clan invite--I had a lot more fun last night playing with a few people I could specifically focus on working with.

One question: I have been using the assault rifle with great success, especially now that I have the reflex sight, and a few talents giving me stability and reload speed. Is the LMG really as much better as everyone keeps saying? I didn't notice it being that much better when I tried it, which is why I landed on the AR.

Could someone who has tried at least tier 3 of the assault rifle, then switched, comment? Thanks.

philosofrenzy wrote:

Thanks for the Clan invite--I had a lot more fun last night playing with a few people I could specifically focus on working with.

One question: I have been using the assault rifle with great success, especially now that I have the reflex sight, and a few talents giving me stability and reload speed. Is the LMG really as much better as everyone keeps saying? I didn't notice it being that much better when I tried it, which is why I landed on the AR.

Could someone who has tried at least tier 3 of the assault rifle, then switched, comment? Thanks.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'd highly recommend staying with the assault rifle if it's working for you. The LMG is overpowered, and they'll fix that soon enough. The biggest difference I found was clip size. The LMG has a 75 round clip, so I don't have to reload all the time, which makes all the difference in a firefight.

@philosofrenzy

I haven't upgrade to Tier 3, so I can't make the comparison you want. However, my own experience is that the (Raven) LMG carries has as great a practical range as the Tier 1 assualt rifle, does more damage, and has a much larger magazine, but almost no encumbrance penalty and little recoil. (I also read that the Valor LMG has almost not recoil, but I can't confirm that.) The only thing it can't do is take a suppressor.

The result is a weapon that, like the Stey Aug H-Bar in MW2, can effectively be used to snipe, assualt and close quarters battle... except with a 100 round magazine.

One result of this imbalance is that it has created a viscious cycle. So many players now carry them that other players can ill afford not to do the same. CQBs happens all the time in Domination, and the rather loose MAG controls mean they inevitably become Spray n' Pray affairs. Having to reload during one of those all but guarantees an unhappy ending. For the same reason, heavy armour is becoming very common...

I started on assault rifles, but unless and until the LMGs are given a tweak I won't be going to back to them.

PSN: detroit20

How go I get a clan invite? I'd like to join in. I've wanted to play some games with the GWJ community and this is the first opportunity I've had. My current PSN name's Hard1Victory and I've got a SVER in the 40's.

Thanks for the replies. I am finding the added accuracy and quick reload of the assault rifle *is* working for me, but I've scavenged a few LMGs off of enemy corpses, and they seemed to be pretty good--not good enough to make me feel like I needed to make the switch though. They seemed to have substantially more recoil, though having a bigger, louder gun might have just caused me to notice the recoil more.

I'll have to play with it more to see if, for example, it slows my running down or makes me tire faster. If it does, it will make my suicidal medic runs turn into suicidal runs tout court.

***ORIGINAL POST TEXT***

My gut reaction to MAG was exactly the same as the sentiment I hear from a lot of journalists; 'Sure, it's cool that you can, but why?'

After seeing some videos of gameplay demos from E3 I've started to turn the corner on this title.

I've never been a huge multiplayer player but my favorite online mode lately has been the skirmish mode of Resistance 2. I like the idea of working towards goals and completing missions. I like the feeling of being a part of a larger conflict. That is why MAG has started to dig it's way into my consciousness. The idea of being able to play a small role in a large conflict, and to follow orders that I know are being dynamically assigned by other players rather than some randomized AI.

Certainly there are very real concerns that need to be addressed. It doesn't look jaw dropping. It will be important that there is enough variety in the mission structures and maps so that it doesn't become boring. Also the experience will only be as good as it's servers.

Right now I'm just hoping for a public beta. I think they're going to need it just to stress test the servers, but also I want to get my hands on this game before I buy in. I'm resistant to dropping money on a multiplayer only game unless I'm sure that I'll get sucked in.

EDIT: Changed the title to reflect the fact that no one at Zipper acknowledges that the acronym MAG stands for anything.

***END ORIGINAL POST TEXT***

Duoae wrote:
AmazingZoidberg wrote:

Certainly there are very real concerns that need to be addressed. It doesn't look jaw dropping.

Really? I think it looks okay.

OK but not spectacular. My major concern is that everything I've seen seems very brown and gray. And I'm just hoping it will be visually interesting.

As for spawns, it seems like squads spawn on the most forward spawn point their side has captured not on leaders.

One of the good things I see them doing is offering bonus experience for completing objectives assigned by squad leaders. This provides and incentive to play well with your team. This seems very useful so even if you don't have a headset you have an in game means of knowing what your leaders want you to do (waypoints) and a reason to do it (experience). Of course squads who can communicate and coordinate should be much more successful.

I've edited the original post in this thread to be more relevant now that the game has released. It now contains a brief description of how Monday Night MAG works and some links to resources that have cropped up in the thread that might be useful to new players. Let me know if there are resources you think I should add.

Also I did not completely delete the original text, it has been moved to my first reply in the thread (post #3 I believe) so if you're an interweb historian archiving this discussion hopefully it won't be too confusing.

Finally I picked up my top tier, lock-on-and-blow-em-up RPG. I'm itching to try it out tonight.

philosofrenzy wrote:

I'll have to play with it more to see if, for example, it slows my running down or makes me tire faster. If it does, it will make my suicidal medic runs turn into suicidal runs tout court. :)

I'm pretty sure the only thing that slows you down is the freekin' RPG, which makes you shuffle your feet like they're encased in lead. I guess armor weight also plays a role but I can't say that it's enough to be super-noticeable. I swap between my loadouts on the fly without a thought as to maneuverability and I've never thought to myself "self, if you had chosen lighter armor you could have made that turn just fine."

Speaking of loadouts. Let's talk about them a bit. Anybody got any favorites, any strategies to share? My primary loadouts all look almost exactly the same, LMG, RezGun, _________, heaviest available armor. The blank alternates between grenades for attacking, repair gun for defending, and anti-personnel mines for being obnoxious.

I have one standout loadout. I call it my 'Bunker Buster' loadout:
First tier LMG
First Aid Kit
Top tier RPG
Heavy Armor

As my only loadout to exclude a RezGun this is designed to be a unitasker. A loadout I pick up on the fly when bunker turrets or APCs need to get blowed up, then discarded as soon as they done been blowed up.

I haven't played extensively with this last loadout (I just picked up the top tier RPG) so it will be interesting to see how well it works.

I was chatting with Amazing Zoidberg and the COunselor today, discussing the pros and cons of various builds.

I've been thinking about upgrading my assault rifle with a reflex site or going for the sniper, getting a grip and bipod.

However another thought has crept in. I suppose you could call it the Sun Tzu Build. Improved stealth, sensor jammer, perhaps building up towards motion sensor. Ideally with a silenced weapon.

Why call it the Sun Tzu Build? Well, he apparently he put great emphasis on spies. Knowing what the enemy would do, where they were etc. Of course the counter to this is that he wanted to keep his movements secret.

One of the problems I can see with this, is that would only work in very specific situations. Trying to flank to get objectives back in domination; sneaking around to shoot attackers in the back. And so forth.

Also, it's likely to take me away from FRAGO points and the rest of my team. Which feels somewhat selfish.

Any thoughts?