A Warcraft 3 modding community continues to innovate with fully developed games. One such game, Battleships, offers a twist on the traditional MOBA genre by replacing RPG-style heroes with upgradable warships navigating watery mazes. The key difference lies in automated weaponry, allowing players to focus on ship positioning and cooldown management. Recently launched on Steam, Sirocco builds upon this concept with enhanced visuals and refined controls while maintaining its core mechanics. It presents itself as a MOBA that eliminates conventional roles, hard counters, and last hits, emphasizing chaotic team battles and bullet-filled action.
Sirocco's Core Mechanics: Positioning and Variety
In Sirocco, the emphasis shifts from manual attacks to strategic positioning due to the automatic firing of weapons. This design choice heightens the importance of location within the battlefield. Players must carefully consider their placement to avoid long-range cannon fire or explosive short-range guns. Additionally, the game features a diverse arsenal of weapons beyond mere destruction, such as cooldown accelerators and familiar hooks reminiscent of classic MOBA characters.
The variety in Sirocco extends further with an array of ships and captains, each equipped with unique active abilities and passive modifiers. This combination creates a rich tapestry of options for players experimenting with different loadouts. Unlike other MOBAs, Sirocco removes legacy mechanics like last-hitting, focusing instead on immediate engagement in team fights. Its gameplay echoes an earlier era of DOTA, characterized by loose roles and unconventional team compositions. This heritage shines through, offering a fresh yet nostalgic experience.
Exploring Sirocco's Potential and Reception
Despite some initial performance issues, Sirocco delivers enjoyable chaos with its emphasis on intense team battles and abundant projectiles. The promise of "creativity as meta" may be ambitious, but it captivates during these early stages. Although competitive players might eventually establish a tier list, the current atmosphere encourages experimentation and fun. As a standalone evolution of the original Battleships mod, Sirocco exemplifies the potential of player-made content transforming into independent games across various genres.
For those unfamiliar with the original Battleships mod, Sirocco provides a delightful introduction to its unique blend of strategy and action. Its free availability on Steam invites newcomers and veterans alike to explore this innovative take on the MOBA genre. By embracing creativity over rigid structures, Sirocco not only honors its modding roots but also paves the way for future innovations in gaming experiences. Whether you're a fan of traditional MOBAs or seeking something new, Sirocco offers a compelling alternative worth exploring.