In MAG players take on the role of a member of a private military corporation (PMC), in a fictional Earth future. Like most MMO games, as well as some modern shooters, the ultimate goal of action is the leveling up of your character, in this case through success in combat against other factions made up of individual online players. At the initial level players choose the PMC they will be aligned with, the physical characteristics of their character, initial available weaponry, etc. and hit the battlefield with other squad members within a persistent online environment. Along the way you will utilize a diverse skill tree to develop your character's abilities and skills at tactics and weapons using experience points that are accumulated in campaign and mission play in the name of your faction. These points are given out in various increments for all manner of action, whether that be objective completion, or individual actions in combat. Once characters reach a certain level they are eligible to take on command duties. These duties range from leading an eight-man squad, all the way to overall command of more than 100 online players. Orders are communicated and strategy developed via voice chat and other functionality. Success in command positions allows for access to special "leadership bonuses" that not only can improve your abilities, but also in many cases, that of the individuals and units under your command.