MAG is big! In the MAG beta I've played in the 256 player matches. It is hard to describe all the shooting, confusion, and death going on.
The large number of players is MAG is its charm and its curse.
Because of all the players, you need organization. Each 8 man squad is headed by a squad leader - the amount of fun is directly proportional to the skills and personality of the leader.
For example, the best squad leader I had began the game by announcing, "Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jim and I will be your squad leader for this evening." I knew as soon as he spoke, that this would be fun. The best leaders have
- A mic and use it - please give updates - just talk!
- Set objectives and suggest spawn points
- Learn the names of the members of their squad
- Act as a medic - one guy declared, "Don't bleed out, I will be right behind you to heal you."
Zipper tries to control the player density by spreading out the spawn points, but it still can get very crowded. Without coordination, everyone runs around without purpose and quickly dies - no fun.
Another thing I don't like are the red arrows above the opposing teams head. It is really easy to spot them and kill them - and therefore, it is easy to spot ME. You can't hide in grass or behind a rock - the arrow gives you away. I hope they make a 'hardcore' version which removes the arrows and makes stealth an important component to gameplay.
As I grow and progress - and maybe become a squad leader myself - I'll give you further updates. Until then, I'll be pushing through the crowds with my 127 teammates.
I like linear stories that take place in a non-linear world. You can do whatever you want, or you can follow the path (a gold path in this case) and focus on the main quest. I did just that.
The surprising thing was the diversity and quantity of NPCs with whom to interact. Yes, I heard repeating comments, but it was still a huge variety. Very impressive. It was not repetitive at all – every quest, territory, and character was different (unlike Assassin’s Creed).
I built a female character and in the end chose to keep my dog.
According to "Achievements," I only finished 42% of the game. But I don't want to re-do the entire game just to make a different choice in the end. Ugh!
I am anticipating Fable 3 coming out at the end of 2010.
I started playing on drums (Easy) with El Mico on lead guitar (Expert) – both of us are Beatles fans. One funny thing happened near the end of our session that evening: the red pad on the drum kit quit working. This has happened before – it is a pain to re-solder the connection. But I did not want to stop to do that exercise again, so I played a couple songs pressing the CIRCLE button on the keypad with my finger and drumming with the stick in my other hand. It worked out just fine – though awkward.
I have not finished the story mode yet. I have unlocked some challenges and extras (like the Christmas album from 1960). The Beatles are very accessible to many generations – I will launch this game the next time company comes over.
I am really enjoying this “interactive documentary” of one of the best bands ever.
(Click the links in the story; it is worth your time.)
The Elika character was the best part of the game - it made it unique. In PoP, you don't 'die,' instead Elika grabs you if you fall or uses magic to push a foe away at the last minute. You know you messed up, but the continuation of gameplay is seamless.
Also, the dialog with her character reveals the background story (based on a Zoroastrianism myth) and the details of your next objective. The conversations are well written and well acted. I looked forward to the 'talk' icon that would appear in the bottom left corner. Another interesting feature is the dialog cut scenes were optional - but I think I heard them all.
