MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas) have become an enormously popular genre over the past several years, starting with the Warcraft 3 mod Defense of the Ancients (DOTA), to games like League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Smite among many others. Here, I'll explain why I think the World of Warcraft battleground Alterac Valley is more fun than any of today's stand-alone MOBAs.
Disclaimer: I am not really experienced with MOBAs. I own DOTA 2, and have played a handful of matches, and I've tried out a couple others briefly like Smite, and the Lord of the Rings console MOBA. But I just can't get into them. There's a few things in particular that I don't like, and I'll list them here along with why I think WoW's Alterac Valley did it better.
Getting to know your character
The first thing I noticed when playing DOTA 2 was the ridiculous number of heroes you can choose to play. As someone new to the game, I had no idea how any of them would play, so I just kind of picked one I thought looked cool. Then I spent the next couple matches just trying to figure out how to play this one guy. Then I thought I'd try someone else, and guess what? I had to start all over, trying to figure out this new guy's abilities, and how best to play him. And there are something like 108 heroes to choose from. Now, this could be seen as a positive, giving the player lots of options, but to a new comer it's just daunting. Am I really going to have to play 108 characters to try and find one that I like? Ugh...
In AV, your character is your character. The guy/gal/space goat you've been playing for hours and hours. You already know this character and their abilities, and you can focus your time on figuring out the best strategies for the battle. Of course, WoW has an advantage here because AV is only a small part of the game, and you're playing your character through questing, dungeons, raids, etc. MOBAs don't have this option. One could argue, though, that once you find a hero you like to play, then this becomes the same; you know your character and their abilities and can focus on strategy. But this brings me to my next issue:
In MOBAs, your character progression happens during a match. You get some kills, buy better items, get more kills, buy even better items, etc. Until the match ends. Or, if you're a newbie, you die a lot, and are kind of stuck with the starting shitty gear. When you start the next match, you get to start all over. The speed at which you buy your upgrades, and knowing which upgrades to get quickly are important to the strategy of the game.
Why Alterac Valley does it better
Character progression in AV is persistent. You battle, you get some honor, and go buy some better gear that you get to keep forever. You get some experience, level up, and get some new abilities, and become a tougher opponent. This persistent and constant improvement is much more appealing to me than temporary bonuses that are gone at the end of the game. Additionally, they take place between battles; not during. You can take your time and figure out what piece of gear, or what talent will benefit you the most. I understand, though, that as a purely competitive game, you want all players to start on a level playing field. I get why that is necessary for games like LoL. I just don't think it's as fun.
Character control
The final thing that bugs me about most MOBAs is the isometric, click-to-move control scheme. I know this is rooted in the fact that the original DOTA mod was for the Warcraft 3 real-time strategy game, but it feels sluggish and dated to me. I'm so used to the more up-close and personal nature of WoW's third-person view. Everything feels lightning quick, as you're constantly in motion, and constantly using abilities. Having to click and wait for my lich to slowly float across the battlefield, and using like 4 abilities felt so slow and limiting to me. I know there are LoL and DOTA players that probably can make the game feel as fast and hectic, but as a newcomer I just wasn't feeling it.
Why Alterac Valley does it betterThe third-person control of your character allows for some more interesting scenarios than the isometric view, such as battling in-doors, or hiding and ambushing your opponents. WASD controls make me feel more connected to my character. And if you're far away from the action? Mount up, or use other class or race-based abilities to get to the action faster.
In closing...
Please don't misunderstand this post. I don't mean to bash MOBAs. I know they are immensely popular, and my opinion doesn't mean a game is good or bad; it's only my opinion. I know if you really sink your teeth into them, they are probably very fun games. I guess I just want a little more RPG in my MOBAs. A MOBARPG? I think WoW's Alterac Valley is a good example of what a third-person MOBA with persistent, personally customized characters could be. If you read this entire post before leaving a comment to tell me I'm stupid, mention "MOBARPG".
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