MAG

[tabs]

Mass coordination is unlikely. Squad hopping until you find a group that satisfies your needs should be enough to ensure a good time. Worked well enough in BF2. Co-op ing nicely with even one random player can make games like this a really pleasing experience. Less restrictive rules the better IMO, just focus on quality map design, like the aforementioned Strike at Karkand. Spawn camping needs to go though, but only for uncappable points or last flag situations. Players having a good time is most important.

 

[patsu]

Yeah, if the game is inherently more fun by playing together as opposed to playing separately, it will help to overcome other deficiencies. The concept has to be obvious up front though. Otherwise people will just continue what they have been doing for years.

 

[Delta9]

Some pics have been released. Looks great and can't wait for some real war

full set- http://www.flickr.com/photos/37044807@N02/sets/72157616227223753/

 

[Arwin]

The bigger shots don't look so hot, in terms of what we've been getting used to in terms of graphics, but the 256 multiplayer will have to make up for it. I like the idea of spawning with a parachute though, and being able to determine where you land. It will make spawn camping a lot more difficult, at least if it isn't too easy to man a turret and play paratrooper (anyone remember that old game?)

 

[Neb]

There is an excessive amount of sharpening applied to those small screenies. :S

 

[Deepblue]

Not really feeling the graphics. I'm also pretty skeptical that 256 player MP will work well on a map of the size shown in the overhead view. I do like the parachutes, since I've always wanted to play a MP game that handles respawns in a semi-realistic manner. I think I need a video to make any real determinations though.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

My gut feeling, this will either be hilariously silly, running around like gunning-totting lemmings with a life expectancy measured in milliseconds, or completely rubbish as gameplay is random, devoid of tactics, and just a case of hoping you find someone to shoot first before you get shot from any of a thousand different directions.

 

[Delta9]

Not really feeling the graphics. I'm also pretty skeptical that 256 player MP will work well on a map of the size shown in the overhead view. I do like the parachutes, since I've always wanted to play a MP game that handles respawns in a semi-realistic manner. I think I need a video to make any real determinations though.

The graphics are great if its really 256 players. Looks on par with COD4 to me with not as good lighting.

The map shown looks like it could fit 256 easy I think. Each little section looks like it could hold around 25 people no problem.Anyway, just like all games you probably can play with less people if you want.

Parachutes will be one awesome sight to see with that many coming down

 

[Deepblue]

My worry is that the setting demands realistic weapons and quick kills. And with 256 guns on the battlefield, I'm not exactly sure how Zipper is going to avoid random "WTH?" death syndrome (IE, 16-player CoD4 on Shipment).

 

[minimoke]

I think the key to making this game playable is to make the character movement accurate i.e. I shouldn't be able to go from one side of the map to the other in 5 minutes!

 

[patsu]

How did Planetside play out ?

Is this going to be an arcadey game or a RPG-ish one ? There's really very limited things we can do in shooters (which is not a bad thing). Have games tried to give shooters more verbs ? Like doing your own camouflage from plants on the map (like the real thing !), more expressive fire movements (leopard crawl, the 8-day moves), and cover design (destructability and all).

If it's really 256 player, may be it's one life only ?

 

[ChainsawFilms]

http://www.play3.de/wp-content/gallery/mag-040409-1/3409712239_3025676114_b.jpg

http://www.play3.de/wp-content/gallery/mag-040409-1/3409712073_bfca0cd876_b.jpg

Did they have to repeat the planes and parachutists in the air? Same in both shots, bar a little twist. Photoshopped on

 

[Graham]

I'm getting quite the Frontlines vibe from this (not quite as much brown ). Although that game turned to custard once the player count really ramped up to (?) 64.
What concerns me is all these shots look staged, but the 'this would never, ever occur in the real world' kind of staged. Snipers on the roof!
These shots also seem to suggest a heavy tilt towards run and gun shooting. Frontlines did a good job mixing it up, with drones, vehicles and the nutty air strikes (Nothing like taking out a helicopter with a Fuel Air Bomb )... It encouraged and supported variety in play style which I feel is critical for games with large player counts.

 

[ShadowWolf64]

The overall look of the game seems to be very dull and generic looking.Heck, even the name of the game itself is also pretty boring sounding as well.

 

[patsu]

Yes, that's why I was asking if there's anything special about the game.

I don't see it being just a normal FPS but scaled to 256 players. However, the shots seem to indicate so.

 

[Aeoniss]

So, on the technical level- how does this work? Is the map so large that the PS3 and the engine only has to concern itself with rendering small "Chunks" and shortening the draw distance? Like small battles of 8v8 and stuff- never having to render more than (Unless people all got together to crash the game) 16v16?

Also:

I recall hearing or reading (I'm probably wrong) that not all 256 players will be in the game at once- some will serve as "Reinforcements" and will be "Waiting" ?

 

[patsu]

Do these shots come from MAG gameplay ? or simply for showing the concept ?

 

[Acert93]

What is the gameplay model to justify such a large game and/or ensure a fun, balanced experience? I am ALL for huge games, but it has to have the mechanics (notibly spawning and objectives) to work it out right. A simple approach would be to break the map into sectors and you could only spawn in captured sectors. Allowing air drops anywhere could be a recipe for constant chaos and no structured teamplay (just get behindthe front lines and cause massive havok).

Any news on how they intend to balance the game?

 

[obonicus]

Since it's from Zipper, I'm hoping that the MP will be very constrained and controlled, since it's what they seem to know best. I'm guessing we'll be looking at dynamic objectives spaced across the map, but maybe more similar to what ET:QW had, in which squads will be able to decide which objectives to tackle based on their location and situation, rather than being assigned an objective by some AI mission-wrangler.

Here's hoping there's some way to have PTT 'squad leaders' chat, like in BF2, as well as always-on squad chat.

But either way I'm betting the bar for entry for this game will be fairly high -- SOCOM's pretty atypical for a console shooter and I'm betting MAG will be too.

 

[Mobius1aic]

Looks like the bastard child (graphically) of BF2 + Frontlines: Fuel of War + a bit of STALKER.