Ultimate Matt X
CAGiversary!
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At this point should I drop Valor and go Raven so I can find CAG players? Or are there still some Valor guys on here?
Today is the day that MAG fans have been waiting for as our first major DLC, “Interdiction,” is now available for purchase from the PlayStation Store for $9.99 US (prices in other regions may vary)!
If you missed our post detailing Interdiction a few weeks back, allow us to sum it up for you:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/sceablog/videos/1061/2.368
MAG Interdiction is a brand new game mode built for 128 players. In it, two rival attacking factions fight to gain control of three different command posts while using armored convoys for every squad on the map (that’s right, 16 APCs onscreen at once!). To earn the victory, teams must capture and hold as many objectives as possible to increase their score while simultaneously decreasing their opponents’ score across three all-new “faction neutral” maps (Iron Creek Quarry, Lake Bayano Spur, and Sovot Motorway).
In addition to the new maps and gametype, Interdiction will also include the most powerful protection in the game, the “Heavy Improved” armor set, as well as a number of new in-game ribbons, medals and trophies. Here’s a reminder of what you can expect:
Ribbons
Medals
- Jump Start – Capture 2 Command Posts in a round of Interdiction
- Mowing the Grass – Get 10 kills with a vehicle turret in one round
- Dashed Hopes – Destroy 2 mines with gunfire in one round
- Cannonball Rally – Become an MVP (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in a round of Interdiction
Trophies
- Roadside Assistance – Capture 10 Interdiction control points over your career
- Landscape Architect – Get 50 kills with a vehicle turret over your career
- BOD – Destroy 20 mines with gunfire over your career
- Designated Driver – Earn 5 Interdiction MVPs over your career
As a special “thank you” to everyone who’s playing MAG this week, we’re also bringing back our popular “Double XP” promotion over the weekend. That means that whether you purchase our new Interdiction DLC or not, you can expect to grab twice as much experience for your battlefield efforts starting Friday, June 25 at 12:01am Pacific Time (3:01am Eastern, 7:01am GMT). Just be sure to finish any game you start in order to benefit from the additional XP, as folks who leave a game early won’t receive the bonus. Our Double XP Weekend ends on Sunday, June 27 at 11:59pm Pacific Time (2:59am Eastern, 6:59am GMT).
- King of the Hills (Bronze) – Earn the Roadside Assistance medal while playing Interdiction
- Red Ball Express (Silver) – Earn the Designated Driver medal while playing Interdiction
- Road Runner (Gold) – Capture 3 Interdiction control points in a single round
Oh, and one final note: All MAG players will have to download a small “Interdiction Activation Patch” starting today. It’s only 4MB in size and prepares your copy of MAG to be compatible with the Interdiction game mode. Again, Interdiction itself can be downloaded later today from the PlayStation Store for $9.99 US and weighs in at 440MB.
Thanks to all our fans for keeping us going these past five months – see you on the Sovot!
If you consider yourself the type of person who likes getting new video game features for free, then our next MAG patch — version 1.07, due in early August — is definitely something for you.
Yes friends, in just over a week from now, players will be treated to a number of features that you’ve been asking us for all summer in addition to a few surprises. Like what, you ask? Like these…
Of course, there are a number of other additions and fixes coming with MAG v1.07, but the points listed above should whet your appetites while you wait for the full list of changes closer to the update.
- A new “Happy Hour” Double XP bonus that’s applied to the first hour of any player’s gameplay session in a 24-hour period
- Suppression will join Sabotage as a “Faction Neutral” gameplay mode, allowing any PMC to battle each other on any Suppression map!
- Faster download and patching code that allows us to update MAG with more content and bigger file sizes in a speedier way
- Redesigned versions of the Flores Basin (Raven) and Alyeska Terminus (Valor) Domination maps that include new obstacles and repaired exploits
- New lighting effects for more attractive and realistic environments
- Various fixes to address bugs or glitches to improve MAG’s overall performance
We have tremendous plans for our “ever-changing global war” that is MAG — and we’re starting with PlayStation Move!
That’s right, later this Autumn MAG will offer full compatibility with the PlayStation Move! This added support means that users have another way to experience the most ambitious first-person shooter out there. Pinpoint accuracy and easy access to all of the game’s mechanics ensure that players of any type — be they hardened veterans or new recruits — can enjoy a shooting experience unlike any other.
But PlayStation Move support isn’t all we’re working on. Because our upcoming content is so important to the game and its future, we want your assistance to make sure we get it right! With that notion in mind we’re pleased to announce that, one week from today on August 24, we’re inviting existing MAG owners to take part in the all-new MAG Beta program!
What are you going to play and test, you ask? How does this hit you?
To participate in the new MAG beta, all you have to do is download the client software from the PlayStation Store when it becomes available next week, insert your MAG disc into the PlayStation 3, sign-in to the beta client and… BOOM! You’re good to go. Reminder: You must have the MAG disc in your PS3 in order for the new beta client to work.
- Escalation Game Type — battle it out with all three factions at once on three never-before-seen maps
- New Weapons — each PMC has access to three new guns (9 total) for added firepower
- Clan Deploy — a highly-requested community feature that allows clan leaders to launch games with up to 128 clan members in a single match
- Updated Skill Tree — enjoy more customization than you’ve ever had before with new skills and an improved progression system
- In-game Economy System — earn “credit points” by completing objectives and killing enemies to purchase new weapons and gear
- Additional Character Slots — Create a persona for Raven, Valor and SVER on one account for maximum testing flexibility
Amazingly, today’s announcement only scratches the surface of what’s planned for MAG’s future. That’s why we’re updating the Official MAG Blog constantly over the next few weeks with new and more detailed information of what you can look forward to, including a post today that explores, in detail, the complexities of our new Escalation game mode.
As always, the entire team at Zipper Interactive would like to thank you, our fans, for your feedback, loyalty and enthusiasm. Your continued support is what makes MAG what it is today, and it’s what inspires us to keep striving to make it better.
MAG Escalation: A Closer Look
posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 18, 2010 10:29 am
If you caught our previous blog update, you already know that the upcoming “Escalation” game mode will be available for play in our new MAG Beta program starting August 24. What you don’t know, however, is what Escalation is and how it works, which is exactly what we’re about to show you.
Simply put, Escalation is a simultaneous three-faction battle for resources that supports up to 96 players, or one 32-man platoon for each PMC. The ultimate goal for each Escalation map is to earn the maximum number of points before time runs out or, if time does expire, to have the most points overall. Whichever team meets this goal wins the map and some additional Shadow War points for the cause.
Points are gained as Raven, SVER and Valor vie for control of wind, thermal and solar energy objectives — but it’s not as easy as just “running to all your objectives” and holding them until the end. Instead, Escalation is made up of two phases:
For the initial phase, all three teams fight it out to hold the map’s A, B and C objectives — but when any of the three teams gains control of two of these objectives, the second phase kicks off. In this second phase, the original three objectives are locked and a brand-new fourth objective (D) is opened up. The mission now challenges the PMC that took the two objectives originally to defend D against both attacking groups as long as possible; if the D objective is lost, then play reverts back to phase 1 again and the war continues on until we have a winner.
In practice, Escalation is a ton of fun and has been the subject of countless post-game “wow” conversations internally here at Zipper. Of course, one of the main reasons our reactions have been so strong — outside the obvious madness that comes with all three factions battling it out at once — are the maps that go along with it. All three Escalation environments are all unlike any that have been seen in MAG before. Whether it’s the sunny beaches of “Isla de Magma,” the mountains of “Silverback Ridge,” or the desert wasteland of “Radiant Barrens,” the locales are as fascinating as they are colossal. Besides, any MAG game mode that lets you fight out in the heart of a sweltering volcano gets automatic fun points — it’s just a fact of life.
To check out Escalation for yourself, be sure to download the new MAG Beta client from the PlayStation Store for free starting August 24. Keep in mind that you will have to have the retail version of MAG in order for the client to work and that the time and access to the beta may be limited, so you won’t want to miss it.