''Master X Master'' (''MXM'') was a

multiplayer online battle arena Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that im ...

(MOBA) video game developed and published by NCsoft.

Gameplay

''MXM'' was a MOBA with

third-person shooter Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...

characteristics. Each player controlled two

playable character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not contr ...

s known as "Masters". There were 30 Masters . Each had unique

abilities Abilities are powers an agent has to perform various actions. They include common abilities, like walking, and rare abilities, like performing a double backflip. Abilities are intelligent powers: they are guided by the person's intention and exec ...

and different styles of play. The Masters were characters from previous NCsoft-published games, as well as new characters. The player could switch between two Masters throughout the game, where the unused Master could regenerate its

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

. There was a

cooldown Cooling down (also known as limbering down or warming down) is an important transition, done after intense activity, to allow the body to gradually return to resting or near-resting state. Depending on the intensity of the exercise, cooling down a ...

associated with switching, as well as death. The player in ''MXM'' used the

WASD keys Arrow keys or cursor movement keys are buttons on a computer keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor (computers), cursor in a specified direction. The term "cursor movement key" is distinct from "arrow key" in that ...

and

computer mouse A computer mouse (plural mice, sometimes mouses) is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows a smooth c ...

to move and point the character, though the game provided the option for the player to move the character solely with the mouse. Switching the Masters used the mouse wheel. Each Master had four special abilities, with one ability a more-powerful move, and each of these abilities had a cooldown. Also uncharacteristically, the game allowed player characters to jump and dodge enemy attacks. Using the mouse to aim, many of the game's abilities were based on projectiles and skill shots. NCsoft planned to restrict gameplay on the large maps to the genre-standard two teams of five players, while smaller teams would have smaller maps, which would force player interaction. Both large and small maps will have three lanes with which to attack the opposing team's base. It was played in matches between two teams who each occupy their own base on the map. The game had a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

setting. The game provided

player versus environment Player versus environment or player versus enemy (PvE, also known as player versus monster (PvM)), is a term used for both single player and online games, particularly MMORPGs, CORPGs, MUDs, other online role-playing video games and survival game ...

(PvE) missions, uncharacteristic to the genre, as well as the characteristic

player versus player Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players. This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents. The terms are mos ...

(PvP) game mode. There were other game modes:

team deathmatch Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters a ...

, point control, AOS, and arena. The PvE mode was co-operative, meaning it allowed up to four players an

action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

experience: The players selected characters to play through a number of stages against computer-controlled enemies, ending each stage with a battle against a level boss. In this mode, the character progression was permanent. In the "Titan" mode of gameplay, which was a variant of point control, completing an objective would allow a team to summon a temporary super-creature called a Titan to their side to attack the enemy base. ''GameZone'' originally reported that the objective was defeating multiple enemies, while ''IGN'' reported that capturing and holding control points would cause the Titan to spawn. To end a game in this mode, the team must either have the most points at the end of the timed match, or must reach a point threshold.

Development

NCsoft was beta testing the game in South Korea in October 2014, and was NCsoft's first internally-developed MOBA. ''Engadget'' did not know of a release or localization date at that time, but also reported a month later that NCsoft planned to release a

mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

version of the game. In mid-2015, NCsoft planned to release the game in a beta version globally in early 2016, with a later full-release of the game the same year. The game was still in beta test only in South Korea. In January 2016, NCsoft announced the launch of the game for

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...

in the second half of 2016 for Europe and North America. NCsoft did not announce a pay model. In June 2016, NCsoft provided free

game key A product key, also known as a software key, serial key or activation key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters ...

s for a brief alpha playtest on personal computer, which focused on PvP interactions and some PvE content. Both ''Polygon'' and ''VideoGamer'' cooperated with NCsoft to provide keys to their readers. The game was developed for cloud technology. The game's design philosophy was based on team work. NCsoft said that the reason for the "long" deaths was to ensure players keep their teams in mind. The PvE in the game was designed to teach players their heroes. The matches were designed to last approximately ten minutes. The game was

free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

Reception

Pre-release

''GameZone'' was overall "impressed". ''IGN'' thought there was a lot of potential. The game was compared to ''

Heroes of the Storm ''Heroes of the Storm'' is a crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on June 2, 2015. The game features various characters from Bli ...

'', ''

Smite ''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna. '' Diablo'', ''

Van Helsing A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...

'', and ''

Torchlight ''Torchlight'' is an action role-playing hack and slash dungeon crawler video game developed by Runic Games and published by Perfect World, released for Windows in October 2009. The fantasy-themed game is set in the fictional town of Torchlight ...

''. ''IGN'' also commented on the crowd of MOBAs with which ''MXM'' would need to compete, noting that "standing out" would likely be challenging. ''Engadget'' suggested "it might be different enough from its contemporaries to pique your interest", while ''IGN'' thought the publisher's experience with world-building helped to differentiate the gameplay modes. ''GameZone'' praised the aesthetics, saying that the palette adds to the game's setting. He also praised the level design. ''IGN'' thought some of the characters were generic, but was impressed with the detail of the character design, and was expectant for future releases. ''IGN'' called the action "over the top" and said the gameplay was designed for action players. ''GameZone'' was surprised at the length of the time the player needed to wait before respawning. ''GameZone'' called the two-Master aspect the most unique aspect of the game, while ''IGN'' called it "an inventive system that adds a whole new layer of strategy to battle". Previewers at both ''GameZone'' and ''IGN'' thought the swapping difficult at-first but quickly adjusted. ''IGN'' wasn't sure how veterans of the genre would react to it. ''GameZone'' thought the game provided a good learning curve. ''IGN'' called the control scheme easy to use, "unorthodox", and "unique", which "gave the combat more of an arcade feel". The ''IGN'' previewer "felt like he had more opportunities to cut loose, rather than staying focused and determined at all times in other titles" due to the controls. ''GameZone'' thought the game was "easier to grasp than other ". ''IGN'' thought the most interesting aspect was the player versus environment mode, which is fully fleshed out. The previewer thought this was refreshing since other genre titles overlook the character and plot. ''IGN'' called the Titan game mode "a cool take on faction battles", which "offered the most intense and pure gameplay in MXM".

Closure

In November 2017, NCsoft decided to close the game on January 31, 2018.

References

Works cited * * * * * * *

External links

* {{NCsoft 2016 video games Products and services discontinued in 2018 Crossover video games Esports games Fantasy video games Free-to-play video games Gamebryo games Multiplayer online battle arena games Video games developed in South Korea Video games with AI-versus-AI modes Video games with isometric graphics Windows games Windows-only games Inactive massively multiplayer online games NCSoft games