How to Smite

I talked about MOBAs in my previous post, but today I wanted to talk about my favorite one. Smite. Smite is a MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, similar to League of Legends or Dota. Like them it is a 5 vs 5 team based game where players level up their chosen characters, fight the enemy team's minions and gods with the ultimate goal of killing their Titan.

Players can buy items, learn and upgrade abilities and acquire potent buffs from neutral enemies to help make their chosen god stronger. 

What Sets Smite Apart

The single biggest difference between Smite and most other is the third person camera perspective, bringing the player's view down into the battle instead of above it. This makes player control very important as most attacks will not lock on, or home in on the enemies. This new camera means movement is controlled through WASD, while abilities have been moved up to the number keys, 1234.

The other defining feature Smite has, are the Gods. As opposed to fantasy based heroes many games use, Smite has chosen to fill its roster with ancient mythological gods, such as Odin, Ra, and Guan Yu. Each god has a rich history about them that can be read up on and players will find that the gods are represented well, generally portrayed as one might expect them to be. You will not find a weak, easily killed Odin here, or a Ra who can't dish out serious solar damage.

The Roster

As I have said, Smite draws its roster from ancient mythology. Gods are pulled from all over the world, with the more well-known mythos having more characters in the game. Norse mythology for instance has many Gods to choose from during play, such as Odin, Thor, Loki, Hel, Freya, and Ymir. There are other pantheons as well, such as Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek and Mayan.

Abilities

Each god comes equipped with abilities to help separate them from the crowd. For most gods, abilities will define how the god plays. Thor for instance has abilities designed to stun and damage his enemies while Loki's are about misdirection, sneaking and large amounts of spike damage. Abilities in Smite often have modifiers to them as well.

Battles

Fighting is what Smite is all about. Hardcore Player versus Player combat drives this game. Although a great deal of time is spent killing mindless creeps and monsters in the jungle, the important stuff happens when you encounter another player. The most important thing to know when going in to any fight is whether your character will be able to handle themselves. This is something new players really need to think on before committing to a battle. If you are a new player giving Ra a try, and come up against a Loki, it is highly unlikely you will live, so do your best to get away from them!

Team fights are another deal. When groups of players come together, it is best to follow someones lead. Typically this means following the lead of your teams tanking character. Battles can also be fought anywhere and at any time so it is important to keep track of your allies and enemies during the entire encounter. Is someone missing from the enemy team? Then keep an eye to the sides and back in case they are waiting behind you. Is your team winning the fight? Then make sure to follow it up by pushing up the lane, and destroying any towers you can.

Character Roles

Some characters in Smite have roles to fulfill in battle beyond the simple explanation that is given in their profile. There are 5 main categories of gods in Smite. Assassin, Mage, Guardian, Warrior, Hunter. This can then be broken down further. Melee Physical, Ranged Physical, Ranged Mage, Short Range Mage, Melee Tank and Mage Tank. It can all get a bit confusing, and then there are even more roles such as Melee Carry or Ranged Carry.

Loki for instance is a Melee Carry Assassin. Carries are characters that will often start out a little weaker, but are expected to amass large amounts of kills late in the game and "carry" the team to victory. Thor is a Physical Melee Warrior character. He dishes out consistent damage throughout the match and should constantly prove an able fighter. Hades is a Guardian, but of the magical nature. He is also ranged, his basic attack has distance to and he has skills to get in and out of battle quickly.

With its diverse and fun gameplay Smite quickly became one of the most popular MOBAs. And with the successful World championship that lasted 3 days and had a prize pool of more than 2,600,000 dollars it received a lot of publicity. Especially for a game that came out not even a year before.