but what defines the genre if it’s not just “dota clone”
Because “map control” has been a defining factor of multiplayer shooters since… Quake 1.
MOBA’s been morphed to mean any multiplayer team based game with control points or a control point analog.
Splatoon isn’t a MOBA, I don’t think there are many MOBAs that aren’t Dota clones
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To me the defining trait would be team based with a ton of characters with unique skills with cooldowns and such but it is a dumb label that could apply to anything yes and Dota clone is better yes
Also creeps
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Hmm, let me try to come up with a list of mechanics that define most MOBAs.
- Competitive (PvP)
- Team-based
- Choose from a pool of characters with bespoke abilities
- Abilities limited by some resource to manage (mana/cooldowns)
- Progress is blocked by structures you have to destroy
- Computer controlled minions / neutral enemies to fight
- Some sort of in-match progression for your character to get stronger that resets between games
Am I missing any big ones?
As a check, Splatoon arguably fails 4 of these: (3,5,6,7)
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Being able to shift responsibility for any failure to your teammates
This is the key to the entire genre’s success.
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yeah like I can understand what a moba is if it has distinct characters with unique toolsets but when it’s just defined by ‘map control lol’ thats just a useless self-congratulatory genre definition
Like, the original UT had a Domination mode that was all about teams vying for control points.
Right, complexity as a way to obscure your performance.
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Someone find me an fps/tps that doesn’t involve map control!
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Here is a story about a game I did not play today.
I was wandering around itch.io and saw one of my old random game name games, keyg, on sale for 90% off. It was the one where you use every single key on the keyboard to move around, here is the trailer for it:
I figured for 49 cents I’ll give just about anything that seems interesting a shot. I click on the pay with paypal button and get a message saying “Due to processing fees the minimum amount is 100 cents.” I said fine and picked the only other payment option, directly from my credit card, and get the exact same message.
So now I’m sending help requests to various itch places looking for guidance (I’m stuck inside all day every day, I’ve got nothing but time) but the main thought running through my head is how can you let people list prices lower than what the storefront will actually let them sell for?
Anyways I was gonna write it up for you fine peeps but I’m the kind of stubborn fool who’ll go “screw you for charging double the agreed upon price” even when the difference is 51 cents so I finished up Ys 2 instead.
…Ys 2 is pretty alright!
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i started persona q as the p3 protagonist last night and played almost 3 hours without noticing fully mapping the first floor of the labyrinth. this is my first etrian odyssey. danger game
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I was really disappointed with PQ because it went less in the direction of Wizardry than EO did. It was still fun but I wish it had a more complex battle system.
It’s like, a good Persona game though.
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yeah so far I have 0 access to SP restoring items so it mostly feels like I spend a lot of time just auto attacking guys but I’m still pretty early in. My only complaint is having to wait to put Chie in my party
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I think I only ever made it past the second dungeon. Let me know how the late game is if you get there.
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hopefully I make it that far haha!
EO’s complex jrpg battle system was way too far away from wizardry for my tastes
I never played PQ tho
I just think 7th Dragon was better than EO because it was a jrpg that looked like a jrpg instead of a jrpg larping as a dungeon blobber
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I actually thought of two examples and they’re both just mods;
Rocket Arena for Q3A has no map control, and Instagib for UT99 has very limited map control
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I just meant like, the dungeon layouts, there being a single massive dungeon, classical job systems, a tavern and inn system, building characters… it all felt way more Wizardry to me, relative to Persona Q’s predetermined Persona 3/4 characters.
PQ still has a really fun battle system! This was mostly an issue of setting for me.
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Persona Q lacks EO’s character development system which is a lot more like the classical blobber but honestly coming into this game as someone who historically has spent a lot of time playing like, Wizardry 7 and Gold Box games it’s been a piece of cake so far lol, being able to make the map of the dungeon in the fucking game itself makes it waaaay easier to play
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I just wanna play as six hobbits each named after a Delaware senator
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