Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

What is the facination with MOBA's?

MMOExposedMMOExposed Member RarePosts: 7,387

Blizzard rumored to add a MOBA feature to WoW. I tried LoL, but cant quite grasp the pleasure that MMO-consumers get from these kind of games.

What is the facination with MOBA's?

It seem so small scale. 5 vs 5 or less, just doesnt seem massive. Honestly small scale PvP is what I disliked about my favorite FPS games back in the Halo 1& 2 days.

I figured MMO players like massive scale multiplayer. But MOBA's popularity among MMO gamers counters that theory.

 

So I ask again. Whats is the facination with MOBA's among MMO gamers?

Philosophy of MMO Game Design

«1

Comments

  • MarinkovichMarinkovich Member Posts: 15
    Easiest way to explain why are Moba games so popular is to compare it to the mid 90's Pokemon mania thing. If you did not like LoL try Dota 2. Its great and hard game! :D
  • ianicusianicus Member UncommonPosts: 665
    Moba's arent for everyone, for instance me, I hate em. But hey lots of people DO like em apprently, and I guess they have every right to have a game they like as I do...
    "Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said…’I’m too drunk to taste this chicken." - Ricky Bobby
  • CaldrinCaldrin Member UncommonPosts: 4,505

    We all like different things I guess..

    For me I really hate MOBAs they feel like RTS games with all the good bits removed.. they make me angry LOL..

    But each to their own..

  • RodentofdoomRodentofdoom Member Posts: 273
    Originally posted by MMOExposed

    So I ask again. Whats is the facination with MOBA's among MMO gamers?

    A game can be over within 20-60 minutes

    They support a casual gameplay experience

    Some characters have several ways they can be played

     

    They are easy to play, but can still be tactical.

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,818
    It is part of the facination that MMO desginers have with anything that might appeal to solo players. They are less likely to jump into big group events so lets make a small group event. Normally I dismiss such design, but if this helps players as a stepping stone to bigger groups then its a good thing. I am not sure it is needed though, so called solo players may just need a sign to point them in the right direction, not a special small team version to lure them in.
  • MuppetierMuppetier Member UncommonPosts: 279

    MOBAS....boring

     

    MOBAS built into your existing MMO of choice....much more interesting.

  • jpnzjpnz Member Posts: 3,529

    I enjoy MOBA because it is fun and I know the game will be over in 20-50mins.

    MOBA has been a 'big' deal ever since the original MOBA; DOTA in WAR3 became more played on B.Net than actual War3 multiplayer.

    LoL took it mainstream and it exploded and now everyone wants that MOBA slice.

    I know a lot of the dedicated 'PVP' MMO players moved to MOBA games.

     

    Gdemami -
    Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.

  • PyndaPynda Member UncommonPosts: 856

    Lord I hate people who won't take the five seconds necessary to spell out an acronym before going on to pontificate about it.


    But you win. You're cool, I'm stupid and I admit I have no idea wtf (what the fuck) you are talking about.

  • VassagoMaelVassagoMael Member Posts: 555
    It's fun to do with friends. Especially when drinking. This though, this I can not explain. 

    Free to play = content updates for the cash shop. Buy to play = content updates for the cash shop.
    Subscription = Actual content updates!

  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by Rodentofdoom
    Originally posted by MMOExposed

    So I ask again. Whats is the facination with MOBA's among MMO gamers?

    A game can be over within 20-60 minutes

    They support a casual gameplay experience

    Some characters have several ways they can be played

     

    They are easy to play, but can still be tactical.

    They also break the level disparity problem as most MOBAs start you at level 1 and you level up through the match. While the balance of power can start to swing heavily to one side in a match, the next match starts again with a level playing field.

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • ScottgunScottgun Member UncommonPosts: 528
    Originally posted by Pynda


    But you win. You're cool, I'm stupid and I admit I have no idea wtf (what the fuck) you are talking about.

    What is a "MOBA" game?

  • PieRadPieRad Member Posts: 1,108

    A game like LoL is easy to learn, but hard to master, it's also pretty fun to watch/spectate in a competitive scenario.

    I think that's what makes MOBA's appealing to most.

     

    The community is rough though, the large majority of players think they are 'pro material', everyone are quick to judge others mistakes, but thinks they don't do anything wrong, ever, themselves.

    Which is what drives people away from MOBA's.

     

     

    image

  • XithrylXithryl Member UncommonPosts: 256

    Like most others have stated here, MOBAs aren't for everyone. Out of all of my MMO buddies, one of them loves DOTA2 while the rest can't stand MOBAs including myself.

    I guess it really is just personal preference. But for sure not all MMO gamers are fascinated with MOBAs :P

  • QuirhidQuirhid Member UncommonPosts: 6,230

    One completely new aspect MOBAs bring to competitive PvP is competitive advancement. Still they manage to be fairly skill based (when I used this term I mean player skill).

    At any case, when you look at MMOs at large, small-scale PvP and small-scale PvE content is very popular. Much more so than large-scale, but that may be because large scale PvE and PvP takes a lot of coordination which is a huge inconvenience (and quite frankly often not worth the effort imo).

    I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky

  • dave6660dave6660 Member UncommonPosts: 2,699
    I've tried a couple of them.  They're fun for an hour or two and then it's uninstall time.  They hold no lasting appeal to me.

    “There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.”
    -- Herman Melville

  • MardukkMardukk Member RarePosts: 2,222
    Originally posted by Caldrin

    We all like different things I guess..

    For me I really hate MOBAs they feel like RTS games with all the good bits removed.. they make me angry LOL..

    But each to their own..

    I feel the same way.  But I really dislike RTS games as well.

     

    OP I've not figured out the fascination, but I have younger friends that love them.  There must be some attraction to them as they seem to be quite popular.  

  • DisdenaDisdena Member UncommonPosts: 1,093
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    They also break the level disparity problem as most MOBAs start you at level 1 and you level up through the match. While the balance of power can start to swing heavily to one side in a match, the next match starts again with a level playing field.

    Level disparity AND equipment disparity AND (outside of instanced battlegrounds) body count disparity. Not to mention the skill disparity that is solved by most MOBA's ranking and matchmaking systems. It is a rare thing to have even a 1v1 fight in an MMO that feels fair, let alone an unorchestrated many-vs-many fight.

    image
  • Joseph_KerrJoseph_Kerr Member RarePosts: 1,113
    Originally posted by Caldrin

    We all like different things I guess..

    For me I really hate MOBAs they feel like RTS games with all the good bits removed.. they make me angry LOL..

    But each to their own..

    I agree I just dont get it, but whatever floats your boat, right? I'll just wait for Rome Total War II.

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    MOBAs are good games when they don't claim to be MMOs.  They are NOT mmos and shouldn't even be featured on this website.
  • BombzawayBombzaway Member UncommonPosts: 78

    PVP PLAIN AND SIMPLE!

    from minute 1 your in the fight and the farming-getting better gear-smashing your opponents is kinda the essence of what MMO's are...so its just something that all fell into place. it really is that simple.

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    Originally posted by Bombzaway

    PVP PLAIN AND SIMPLE!

    from minute 1 your in the fight and the farming-getting better gear-smashing your opponents is kinda the essence of what MMO's are...so its just something that all fell into place. it really is that simple.

    Massively Multiplayer does not mean 2-20 players.  That's just Multiplayer.

  • nukempronukempro Member Posts: 76
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Originally posted by Bombzaway

    PVP PLAIN AND SIMPLE!

    from minute 1 your in the fight and the farming-getting better gear-smashing your opponents is kinda the essence of what MMO's are...so its just something that all fell into place. it really is that simple.

    Massively Multiplayer does not mean 2-20 players.  That's just Multiplayer.

    I don't disagree with that...but let's put aside the amount of players for a moment. MMO's aren't just defined by the amount of players. He is saying a single game of a MOBA like DOTA is a scaled down version of what you do in an mmo. Kill mobs and players...increase your skills and stats...with the objective of outgearing your enemy and hopefully out skilling them. Obviously mmos are persistent and Mobas are not...obviously mmos have far more players. But the roadmap of what you do is similar. Hell even the synergy between characters is alot like MMOs..with tanks..support/healer..dps..CC..

     

    TO answer the OP, I like Mobas generally speaking. I get a bit burned on things like LOL and DOTA2 though. It's pretty serious business for most people that play em....I prefer Mobas that try a different take on the genre. Monday night combat and awesomenauts are good examples. SMite is also cool. Awesomenauts is probably my all time favorite though...2d moba mmmm.

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by MMOExposed

    Blizzard rumored to add a MOBA feature to WoW. I tried LoL, but cant quite grasp the pleasure that MMO-consumers get from these kind of games.

    What is the facination with MOBA's?

    It seem so small scale. 5 vs 5 or less, just doesnt seem massive. Honestly small scale PvP is what I disliked about my favorite FPS games back in the Halo 1& 2 days.

    I figured MMO players like massive scale multiplayer. But MOBA's popularity among MMO gamers counters that theory.

     

    So I ask again. Whats is the facination with MOBA's among MMO gamers?

    Very simple. "Massive" is not required for fun .. even for MMO players (otherwise why would so many does nothing but queued for the next dungeon/arena in a city).

    The best MOBA (i.e. LOL) has more players than WOW. E-sport, with a lot of variety of combat mechanics, is obviously something people like.

    Personally i don't play MOBA, not because it is not massive, but because there is less persistency of the characters.

  • NephaeriusNephaerius Member UncommonPosts: 1,671

    Extremely competitive teamplay environment

    Low Skill Floor with High Skill Ceiling

    No 2 games ever play out the same

    Always more to learn and new stuff to try

    Wide variety of roles to play (melee and ranged AD/AP, tank, support, etc)

    Usually a gigantic amount of variety in playable characters

     

    I could probably list more but that's a few reasons off the top of my head.  Currently all my MMO's are collecting dust while I play LoL like it's a crack addiction.

    Steam: Neph

  • FonclFoncl Member UncommonPosts: 347

    It's really fun team based competitive play. To get the true competitive MOBA experience you need to play with a team where everyone accepts their role and does their part to win the game. Playing with random people is often not as enjoyable imo.

     

    And unlike MMO gamers, MOBA players would never ever accept pay to win or "convenience items" as many MMO pay-to-winners call them.

Sign In or Register to comment.