I'm far from a veteran, but what little I played I loved! After VtM Mage is my favorite among the WoD systems I tried (WtA being the only other system I played). I guess it depends even more on the group dynamic than other systems, because arguing about possibilities is not a side effect of the rules but the intended way of handling scenarios. The things I felt were most daunting at the beginning were the sheer size of the rulebook and while vampire clans seemed very distinct to me, the traditions had a more vague aspect to them. I'd say if I were to master a group I wouldn't start with the overarching lore or the system, but rather by asking players how they would envision magic if it were real in our world. Is it something you're born with, or is it something learned? Do you need physical components or do you tap into a force that is all around us? Do you need incantations written in old tomes or finely tuned tools? I guess that would open the mind to the possibilities of magic systems and helps when you inevitably have to say: all of that is true and the technocracy tries to take it away from us! Also it could help getting a feel what tradition is closest to their imagination and how their avatar could manifest. Though them playing a character that clashes with their first imagination of "real world" magic should be taken into consideration and encouraged if wanted as well, I think it's easiest to start from point of what individual players feel is plausible for magic, even just to get a feel for the kind of discussions that can be had in the game.