This is more of a self reflective article about the whole MOBA term that has spread around, and the issues that this term brings.

Firstly as a sort of a history backdrop, the term was created by one of Riots highest developers before LoL went into closed beta (either Marc Merrill or Steve snow came up with the term). Since at the time the League of Legends boards developed quite a community (for a game not even in beta phase yet) it started being adopted both inside the League of Legends community and outside LoL due to the interviews with Riots staff (where they used the MOBA term). Ever since then, the term spread basically like wildfire (also thanks to this site) where its now to the point where MOBA is generally excepted as the genre for games such as DotA/LoL/HoN (these were formally categorized as AoS games, after the Aoen Of Strife custom map in SC which was the first known game using this "genre")

So what exactly is the issue? Well the problem exactly lies is that the term, simply put, is incredibly vague and broad term that doesn't really work well in actually defining the genre. For those who don't know, MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. It should become immediately obvious that basically the majority multiplayer games fall under this category, and this is the reason why its also a highly disputed term. Games from CS to SC (these games are multiplayer, they are online, they are in an arena which in this case are the levels and maps and you obviously battle) to even online card games (yu-gi-oh anyone?) to obviously games like DotA or LoL or HoN. The only other genre that could possibly have such a vague term is RTS (real time strategy) since it can be argued that almost any genre requires strategy. However in this case, RTS is actually based off the term "strategy games" which were board games that specifically focused on strategy (and hence how the RTS term developed). This means one can say the same about MOBA (i.e. MOBA games focus on the concept of battle), however again as explained earlier, most online games focus on battle in the first place.

A lot of people at this point would say that I am exploding the problem, that even if the term is deemed as "vague" it really doesn't matter. The biggest problem doesn't really arise from the people already familiar with the games in the genre but it does present itself with issues when it comes to people attempting to understand the games in the genre. Think of it this way, we categorize different professions in science such as physics, biology,chemistry etc etc. If everyone generally went around using the term scientist to describe the various sub categories of science, people would then start assuming that a biologist is basically the same as a chemist with some slight differences (which is obviously quite incorrect).

This is in fact the issue that is now starting to arise with using the term MOBA. It wasn't so much of an issue before (since MOBA was only really used as a replacement of the term AoS, of which only clearly defined games such as DotA/LoL/HoN fell under) however we are now getting games which became categorised as MOBA but are indeed quite different. For example, now that the game BLC (Bloodline Champions) is getting attention, there have been number of cases where people are claiming that BLC is the same type of game as DotA or LoL (which is further from the truth). The most extreme example is a review of Bloodline Champions by the "Rock Paper Shotgun" game review site (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/01/19/the-thin-red-line-bloodline-champions/)

As you can see, its being implied that the game itself is similar to DotA Allstars and there are a massive number of comments on the website from DotA players commenting on the game (people assuming that its a DotA clone and commenting/criticizing the game from that perspective). I commented on the site some time ago stating that in fact the game is in fact quite different to DotA. This problem has also shown itself in other areas, for example on the Bloodline Champions boards there are people posting there expecting the game to be like DotA/LoL/HoN (since its categorized as a MOBA) and then there have been these debates trying to explain to people what the game actually IS.

This is however the ironic thing, since although Riot came up with the term MOBA, this site MOBAGamers is most likely what spread the term so massively, especially during the beta of League Of Legends. I also believe it was this site that first categorized the game BLC under MOBA (just be mentioning the game on their site). So where exactly does this leave us now? Should we come up with another name that more accurately portrays the genre, should we still use the term MOBA and if so how are we going to deal with defining games as MOBA or not MOBA, should we add some context on the term or should we just, leave it be?

  It's been more than half a year since the last update on Bloodline Champions. In all likelihood, a lot more people have heard of Bloodline Champions by now. What is it? Stagnation has wrote two articles that already detail the basics, so I won't have to reiterate those things.

  Since then and now, a lot of things have happened. For one, Frostfire Games has been renamed Bumblebee Studios. Also, the closed beta has started. People are beginning to get a glimpse at the future of Bloodline Champions. Players who have come from games like DotA, LoL, HoN, and Demigod are in for a big surprise. While BLC (its abbreviation) can be considered a MOBA, it is incredibly different. For anyone new and thinking about trying this game out, purge your mind of any preconceptions. Bloodline Champions is very new, very unique, and very interesting. It takes competitive gaming in the MOBA genre to a new level.

 As an exercise for going over what kind of game BLC is and what to expect for those interested, I rated Bloodline Champions and analyzed it from my standpoint of a beta tester and game designer. While a closed beta isn't the usual time to rate it, I would give it a 7.0 out of 10.0 as it stands. (Keep in mind, a 10/10 is a PERFECT which no game should ever have, and a 9.0 is NEARLY perfect, so a 7.0 is already average. Don't go crazy saying how I hate this game, 'cause I don't.) As this game approaches completion, such a rating would increase. As of now, though, this is what I think it deserves.

Why does it have such a score? Here's some of the most important "pros/strengths":

-Brilliant idea for a game. All aiming/skill and no RNG? Count me in! Even win-mores and all that fluff, they're all gone. It blends so many difference concepts from a lot of genre that Bloodline Champions has great appeal to gamers from a lot of different backgrounds. Some people have said it's "similar to Pudge's hook" (if you played DotA), but in all honestly it's hugely different when EVERYTHING, including your "auto-attack" must be aimed. There's just so much creative space you can work with when you have something so new.

-Great lore and flavor. I love the feel of the game overall. The sounds and characters really draw me in, and that's an awesome thing to have as a game. There's a world you can get behind, even though there's no campaign and it's entirely PvP.

-Uniqueness. I can't say it's completely original, because nothing is, but BLC gets pretty damned close. In my years of gaming, I've never seen anything like it. It's not a shooter, fighter, or MOBA, but it's a cross between them. It's not odd enough that it sticks out like a sore thumb, but it brings a lot of innovation to the table. The choice of back story and concept adds to this, what with using Asian/African influences rather than the usual boring fantasy. No sir, no orcs or elves here. I can't stress how important it is to see something fresh like this.

-Skill and Reward. There's not many games which give you as much of a thrill as Bloodline Champions when you win the match. Even though there's no fluff to pat you on the back after you win a match, you feel very accomplished anyway. The reason for this? Your victories are exactly that: your victories. You contributed your all to them, so when you beat the other team you know it's cause your better than them. Play well, and you are rewarded with victory. There's a much bigger sense of accomplishment when the game is completely skill based.

-Short Matches. A game of Bloodline Champions is played best out of 9 rounds. With any round lasting at most upwards of 2 minutes (rarely over that), the game can only take 18 minutes at most. There's ample time for comebacks. No longer do you have to spend over an hour to finish a game.

 -Decent variety of maps, and I'm sure more are going to come out. It also has the capability to expand to more game types, and thus far has at least the "industry standards" of a Counterstrike-like round to round type game mode (arena/search and destroy) and also CTF. I'm sure KotH and other modes will follow. This might seem minor that it is more of a "neutral" point than a strength, but it's just nice to keep in mind. Each map has its own little quirks which make it refreshing, and they're all beautiful to look at.

-Fun. Do I need to say more? This one's subjective, but it sure as heck is a factor.

Of course, no game can have all upsides, especially at a beta phase. Here's what I thought of the "cons/weaknesses":

-Contradiction with itself. While BLC presents itself as a game that's entirely skill, I have doubts anyway. Yes, there is a relatively high skill capacity, but it goes only as far as a first person shooter's skill capacity. There's only two main "skill" concepts, maybe three if you count learning each bloodline, which are aiming and dodging. (Yes, there's timing and prediction, but those both go foremost into aiming and dodging.) Compare it to a FPS, and the skills are relatively the same. You see, you shoot, you take cover or get away. It's all very shallow and simple. Your "skill" at the game is JUST what you can dodge and aim, and eventually a lot of people will hit that capacity. There are a few intricate things like "Kunju" or "Waji," but in general those are on the backburner compared to the commonality of these other concepts. (Kunju and Waji are reactive moves which teleport you to the next person who would hit you, punishing them.) Why is this a flaw? The game runs the risk of having too many people "mastered" certain bloodlines. When that happens, the game's competitive play hinges entirely on the balance of said bloodlines. When you take a look at Fighting games (such as Street Fighter 2 or Guilty Gear), there's that surface "reaction speed" and just how good you are at attacking/defending. Then, we get concepts such as zoning and the soft RPS layers, as well as punishments. By adding more subtle interactions between players, you add a lot more room for decision (and also incorrect decisions and indecision). With that number of choices at any one moment, it is impossible for a player to "master a scenario." This is the major flaw and the main impacting force between any negativity I see with this game.

       Now to a counterargument, of course. I have to present both sides. With the previous paragraph having been said, Bloodline Champions still has a hell of a lot of depth. It's a lot more than DotA, HoN, and LoL will ever offer. There are tons of tiny interactions at every moment in the game, including my favorite little RPS (rock paper scissors) interactions. It's these little nuances that just make the game stand out. They also make the game a lot harder to master. In fact, there's almost enough at any moment that you can't process it all at a human speed. Regardless, my point still stands and eventually Koreans will take over and master the game.

       With THAT being said, there's always room for more depth. There wouldn't be any harm done if any extra room was put in, and it would make me feel a lot more secure about the competitive future of this game.

-Certain moves have 100% accuracy and also "Crowd Control." Melee moves are nearly 100% accuracy (you could say "get out of melee then"), but nothing should be that certain. Wind Strike (AoE around self move which knockback and causes slow), Whirling Blade (similar to Warstomp) and the cone moves are pretty much unavoidable. Placement isn't hard due to the relative mobility of those bloodlines. Moves that have any possibility of having 100% accuracy should never also be able to stun/incapacitate/take control from my character. Why? It's like adding an on-cooldown move that is unblockable (for all intents and purposes) in a fighting game, which also had a long hitstun. You'd always use it to open up a combo with, and it's present in this game. Even if a player really outskilled his opponent, there is no way to dodge these abilities for certain.

-Relatively low count of playable characters. This isn't necessarily a flaw, but most people tend to like seeing more. I myself am fine with the current count, although a few more (4-6) could never hurt. Right now, Bloodline Champions only has 12 bloodlines. (You would normally call these heroes or champions.) Those who have played MOBAs come from a background which includes games that have as many as over a hundred different heroes.

-High Level of User Intensity, all the time. Due to the nature of the game, it's hard to just sit back and enjoy. At any moment, there's so much you have to respond to that you have to be hyper responsive all the time. The result of this type of gaming is that you can't just play for hours on end. A relatively common complaint from players beta testing BLC is that it just doesn't hold you in. Some players don't even play for the full limited time that the beta is open. Basically, you just get so exhausted that you just can't play anymore. Some people can handle this, some can't.

-Lag in tournaments or high level play. This also isn't exactly a flaw, but due to the nature of the game it would require an almost lagless environment to hold a "fair" tournament. This may be a problem which needs to be addressed. Even with the best of netcode, playing over long distances would still yield high pings. Bloodline Champions is the type of game where a 100 ping difference would shift the outcome of the game.

That wraps up my summary and in-depth look into Bloodline Champions. Questions and comments are appreciated! I hope this gives you more of a look into where BLC is now and what you can expect!

-Reason, Self-Proclaimed Writer and Game Designer and Newbie @ Mobagamers