MAG Developer Tips: The Skill Tree

The weekend is almost here and we’re closing our first week of Zip-Tips out with help from our resident “designer in rock,” Jason Olander – better known to frequent MAG.com forum visitors as BenjaminBreegg . Today, Jason drops the knowledge on MAG ’s skill tree system to teach you how to make a better character. As always, we’ll begin with a prep video followed by Jason’s words of wisdom: “Hey there, this is Jason and it’s a fact that the skill tree is the heart of your character, and the place where a soldier’s identity is forged. Specialization is the name of the game here, as becoming comfortable with a particular weapon set and support role, and then spending skill points wisely to improve upon those skills will help you become an effective combatant and squad mate. Following these few tips will help you become a force to be reckoned with out on the battlefield. Choose your weapon. Rather than spend precious skill points across several weapon types, pick one and spend points to continually upgrade that category’s weapon selections, attachments, and skills. Choose your role. Electronics warfare? Combat medic? Field engineer? Explosives expert? MAG is all about teamwork, and a balanced squad is a good squad. Decide on your “support” role immediately, and just like when specializing with a weapon, continually spend skill points to improve that skill set rather than scattering points across disciplines. Save your skill points. Just because you leveled up and have a shiny new skill point to spend, that doesn’t mean you have to spend it “right now.” Decide first what your next ‘must have” skill is and save up for it. That new foregrip attachment for an assault rifle or the electronic sensor jammer may be worth the wait. Respec early and often. Your current Respec points are shown in the “Skills” tree. When you have enough points, opting for a respec will reset all purchased skills and give you all of your earned points back to spend again; it’s basically a do-over. This is a great opportunity to hone your specialty and personal play-style to a razor’s edge. Be prepared for an ever-changing battlefield by “packaging” new skills and equipment together as loadouts in the Armory. Use attacker and defender skill sets as a starting point, and build from there with your specialties. Packaging up gear skills into an easily selectable loadout can make all the difference when a stealthy assault on an AA Battery is called for, or when a last stand against heavy APC’s can mean the difference between victory or defeat. In closing, the key is to maximizing the skill tree is to choose your weapon, choose your role, then work up the ranks to become effective at both, while using the respec function liberally to find that perfect combination for your play style.” Thanks Jason, great tips. We’ll be back with additional help from other Zippers next Tuesday, as we’ll be off Monday for the President’s Day holiday. Have a great three day weekend and we’ll see you again soon.

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MAG Developer Tips: The Skill Tree

The PlayStation Recap

Coming to PSN this Week: ZEN Pinball Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Table — Unleash the fury of Ryu in the brand spankin’ new Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 ZEN Pinball table. Coming to PSN this Week: Magic Orbz Winter Pack — Mental note: Magic Ball is now Magic Orbz. Let’s celebrate the name change with the new Winter Pack! Introducing the Official Heavy Rain Box Art — Feast your eyes on the shiny new box art for Heavy Rain…and the game is just around the corner! MAG CES Event and New Tournament Details — Ditch 3D for a little while and check out the highlights of our MAG CES event, or better yet, head on over to IGN to take part in the MAG Tournament! Pre-Order Your Copy of God of War III at 7-Eleven NOW! — It’s simple. Stop by your local 7-Eleven, pre-order God of War III and get an exclusive poster! And while you’re at it, snag me a cherry-Coke Slurpee. IREM Square Comes to PlayStation Home + Wizard’s Den, LittleBigPlanet and More! — This week’s Home update comes with the IREM square carnival scene, Assassin’s Creed virtual items and LittleBigPlanet game launching! Be a LittleBigPlanet “Game Changer” and Earn up to $50,000 — Help support America’s youth by designing LBP levels that integrate gaming and STEM learning. Full details inside! Mark Cerny: Hall of Fame Game Developer — Mark Cerny of Cerny Games is going to be the inducted as the 13th member of the AIAS Hall of Fame in Las Vegas next month. See how he has been a huge impact on PlayStation. ModNation Racers Beta Recap — Just the tip of the iceberg in terms of content that was created during the ModNation Racers Beta. Videos, too! PlayStation Comics Store Update — A long list of comics hit the Comics Store this week, including Blade, Daredevil, The Incredible Hulk and Uncanny X-Men. MAG Trophies Revealed — Yep, you got it. The complete list of MAG Trophies you’ll be earning when you pick up the game on Jan 26. Ratchet and Resistance Action Figures Now Available for Purchase — Show your Insomniac love with these awesome Ratchet and Resistance action figures! PlayStation Store Update — Time to bust out Guitar Hero 5 to get down with the new Vampire Weekend tracks. Plus, GT PSP players get a free car pack! PlayStation Network Video Content Update — Be sure to check out the new Just Reduced Movies category in the Video Store for all the new deals. We Track Down the Final Fantasy XIII Twitter Tour Bus — We found the FFXIII Twitter Tour Bus in San Francisco, and grab Square Enix and fans for an interview! Update — PS3 3.15 System Software — If you are using an older firmware version, you’ll will be prompted to update to 3.15 when you start up your system. White Knight Chronicles International Edition Online Tutorial — White Knight fans, be sure to watch this great tutorial video to help you with your online quest! God of War: Unearthing the Legend for the Ultimate Fan! — Get a sneak peek at the official documentary that will come exclusively with the God of War III Ultimate Edition! LittleBigPlanet: Sack it to Me – “The Game Changers FAQ” Edition — Have questions about entering the Game Changers Competition? Get all your answers here. Courtesy of Jeremy Dunham MAG Beta 5.0 Statistics – How long did people play? Who won the pint-sized Shadow War? Who was the top experience-getter? All those questions and more answered here. MAG Trophies Revealed – Will you be the first to get them all? MAG CES Aftermath and IGN Tournament – Over 100 fans came to see us, and we celebrate by revealing a new tournament with cool prizes. Plus, a video interview with designer Ben Jones! MAG on Facebook – Raven – The official page for Raven Industries. Connect with fellow operatives, share resources, voice your opinions and find out the latest news. MAG on Facebook – S.V.E.R. – Join up with S.V.E.R. and its relentless pursuit of victory with constant updates from CEO Priya Khan and Field Commander, Sergei Maslov! MAG on Facebook – Valor – Follow the private military corporation that has committed itself to improving today’s economic and political conditions. Updated often! The Official Zipper Interactive Fan Page – Do you like Zipper’s games and want to tell the world? Then have we found the place for you! Follow Zipper Interactive on Twitter – Jump on the bandwagon and follow the MAG developer’s tweets.

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The PlayStation Recap