MAG

[patsu]

They waited too long to make the maps neutral. As a result, too many people joined SVER. I suspect because of the talent pool advantage, SVER almost always performs better than the other two, even after the maps have gone neutral.

I'm a MAG fan. It's been a while since I played it.

I think I saw someone else playing MAG yesterday, cbarcus ?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Had another look this weekend, trying out other weaopns. The change in the LMG is pronounced, so it is a sit-down-and-fire weapon. That makes sense, but is let down by the complete lack of team-work or organisation. If MAG is based on realistic combat, you need a leader to sensbile pick tactics. "I want two snipers on that hill, the LMG covering that pass, yadayada." Without that, it's down to the individual to guess where to go, sort of thing. So you can take an LMG into a fight that warrants an assault rifle, or where the enemy are so pushed back you never find them. Also tried the shotgun, which I found completely useless in the original flavour, and it didn't seem any improved. 4 rounds at moderate distance wasn't enough in a one-on-one encounter. I never got to try it in a close-packed room.

All in all, it didn't feel much different.

 

[patsu]

It should play similarly. The outcome should be slightly more balanced because the maps are rotated and the gears are more tuned. Team coordination is still the most significant factor in deciding the outcome though. And SVER likely remains the dominating faction for historic reasons.

They should have splitted the SVER team somehow. ^_^

 

[fearsomepirate]

Shifty's post is funny because my favorite weapons in MAG are the LMGs and shotgun. The shotgun in particular is peerless for bunker defense if you hang out behind the bunker and catch people in corners or trying to plant. And it has a huge effective range, too (from 3 to 5 hits at range, which, when fully leveled up, is pretty wicked)...after a few days playing MAG, I can't even use COD's shotguns. The LMG is great for providing suppressing fire, although you've got to watch out for snipers. I used to love finding a high point, taking out the bunker turret with an RPG, and laying down fire with the T2 or T3 LMG as my squad advanced.

But your post illustrates a basic limitation of the concept. For a tactical game like that on that scale to reward coordinated team play, it has to punish poor team play. It means it has to be literally impossible for one player to be the key difference-maker that wins the game.

MAG tried to straddle the line between a true MMOFPS and a COD-style casual shooter. With such huge matches and persistent contracts, they needed to go more to the MMO side and structurally change things to really promote clan membership, including ways of actively promoting individual clans in-game.

 

[patsu]

I think the game has an interesting balance between arcadey gunplay and tactics. What's bad is the steep learning curve and inadequate help. They stood their ground when users complained about unbalanced faction maps. Would be better if they gave us tools to improve the experience. The GAF folks loved KZ2 because of custom matches and high quality visuals.

My usual gears are the APEX LMG and the AM 500 Heavy Sniper. I also tend to carry an RPG, Claymore, or the toxic gas grenade.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Shifty's post is funny because my favorite weapons in MAG are the LMGs and shotgun. The shotgun in particular is peerless for bunker defense if you hang out behind the bunker and catch people in corners or trying to plant. And it has a huge effective range, too (from 3 to 5 hits at range, which, when fully leveled up, is pretty wicked)...after a few days playing MAG, I can't even use COD's shotguns.

We hadn't invested any points in SG, which may make the difference. As there's no way to test equipement without spending your points in it, it's not a straightforward investigation to make.

 

[fearsomepirate]

I remember the code for the underbarrel grenade launchers being really wonky. If you had much lag and were moving, your grenade would spawn inside your body, explode, and kill you.

 

[patsu]

We hadn't invested any points in SG, which may make the difference. As there's no way to test equipement without spending your points in it, it's not a straightforward investigation to make.

There is a way to respec your character. I used it once to try out shotgun and decided it's not for me. I suck at shotgun in almost all FPSes.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

You have limited respec points though. I think if we respec'd, we'd be stucj with that build until we played enough to change.

 

[fearsomepirate]

It takes maybe 4 or 5 games to earn enough points to respec. That's another thing they changed...it used to be that the points required to respec doubled each time, forcing you to eventually vet.