Multiplayer online battle arena
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)[a] is a subgenre of strategy video games where two teams of players compete on a predefined battlefield, each controlling a single character with distinctive abilities.
[1] The typical objective is for each team to destroy the opponents' main structure, located at the opposite corner of the battlefield, while protecting their own.
Players are assisted by computer-controlled units that periodically spawn in groups and march forward along set paths toward their enemy's base, which is heavily guarded by defensive structures.
This type of multiplayer online video games originated as a subgenre of real-time strategy, though MOBA players usually do not construct buildings or units.
A strong fanbase has opened up the opportunity for sponsorship and advertising, eventually leading the genre to become a global cultural phenomenon.
Players work together as a team to achieve the ultimate victory condition, which is to destroy their enemy's base whilst protecting their own.
The first team to destroy the opponents' main structure wins the match,[8] though some games have the option of different victory conditions.
[13] Defeating neutral monsters brings various benefits to the players and their team, such as growth in power, buffs, or assistance in pushing the lane.
[16] A player controls a single powerful in-game unit, called a "hero" or "champion", with each utilizing a unique set of abilities and style of play.
[1] MOBAs typically offer a large number of viable playable heroes for the player to choose from – League of Legends, for instance, began with 40, and has continued to add characters over the game's lifespan, reaching 100 in 2012 and 150 in 2020.
[23] The genre rewards players that are capable of cooperating with their teammates to execute an effective strategy, enabling full potential of their individual abilities and mechanical skills.
[21] In most MOBAs, playable characters have assigned classes such as "tank", "bruiser", "marksman", "mage", "fighter", "assassin", "support" and "healer", with each classification denoting various different skill sets and proficiencies.
[28][29] The carry role is expected to scale and itemize themselves to do the most damage against enemy characters and objectives, but may also require protection and assistance from their team members.
Some supports have healing abilities which can be vital factor in the team composition's success, giving health and sustenance to their allies while limiting the enemy's options in terms of play patterns.
[30] Ganker roles are flexible, as they have both carry and support skills that are used to disrupt and eliminate enemies, thus giving their teammates an advantage over their opponents.
[30] As a fusion of real-time strategy (RTS), role-playing, and action games, MOBAs have many elements of preexisting genres while still offering unique gameplay.
In general, the design philosophy of the MOBA genre has moved away from constructing structures, army building, and controlling additional units in favor of hero-centric gameplay.
MOBAs often have a strong focus on micromanagement, involving mechanical abilities such as positioning, dodging, use of combo attacks, kiting, prediction and target selection.
[35][33] Some key features of MOBAs, such as control over one specific character in a party, growth in power over time, learning new thematic abilities, leveling and accumulation of experience points,[36] usage of the mana resource,[37] equipment and inventory management,[38] completing quests,[39] and fighting with powerful boss monsters,[14][15] are also typical of role-playing games.
[45][46] 1998's Future Cop: LAPD has a strategic "Precinct Assault" mode similar to Herzog Zwei in which players can actively fight alongside generated non-player units.
[3][52] In the Aeon of Strife map, players controlled a single powerful hero unit fighting along three lanes which were protected by defensive towers.
A modder named Eul began converting Aeon of Strife into the Warcraft III engine, calling the map Defense of the Ancients (DotA).
With no clear successor, Warcraft III modders created a variety of maps based on DotA and featuring different heroes.
[2] After some weeks of development and some versions released, the latter turned over responsibility to a modder named IceFrog, who initiated large changes to the mechanics that deepened its complexity and capacity for innovative gameplay.
It was initially designed by Steve Feak, one of the original creators of DotA: Allstars, who went on to apply many of the mechanics and lessons he learned from the mod.
While it still kept the large scale, core mechanics, and goals of the real-time strategy games, DotA attempted to avoid "clickfest" gameplay in which high actions per minute scores are mandatory for efficient playing, changing focus to the actual teamwork, coordination, and tactics.
This made the mod highly popular, as its dynamic and unpredictable fights, complex map, and hero-centric gameplay create a more competitive environment and opportunities for outplaying the enemy team.
[96] Major esports professional tournaments are held in venues that can hold tens of thousands of spectators and are streamed online to millions more.
These games are generating revenue by selling cosmetic elements, including skins, voice lines, customized mounts and announcers, but none of these give the functional gameplay advantages to the buyer.
[117] Similar to real-time strategy games, MOBAs provide a highly complex environment for AI because of their large amount of possible variables, states, and decisions.
