Mob (video games)
Template:Short description A mob, short for mobile or mobile object,[1]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript[3]Template:R/superscript[4]Template:R/superscript is a computer-controlled non-player character (NPC) in a video game such as an MMORPG[5]Template:R/superscript or MUD.[1]Template:R/superscript[3]Template:R/superscript Depending on the context, every and any such character in a game may be considered to be a "mob",[2]Template:R/superscript[1]Template:R/superscript or usage of the term may be limited to hostile NPCs and/or NPCs vulnerable to attack.[5]Template:R/superscript
In most modern graphical games, "mob" may be used to specifically refer to generic monstrous NPCs that a player is expected to hunt and kill, excluding NPCs that engage in dialog, sell items, or NPCs which cannot be attacked.[5]Template:R/superscript Most mobs are capable of no complex behaviors beyond attacking or moving around. "Named mobs" are distinguished by having a proper name rather than being referred to by a general type ("a goblin", "a citizen", etc.).[6]Template:R/superscript
Purpose of mobs
Defeating mobs may be required to gather experience points,[7]Template:R/superscript money,[8]Template:R/superscript items,[9]Template:R/superscript or to complete quests.[10]Template:R/superscript Combat between player characters (PCs) and mobs is called player versus environment (PvE).[11]Template:R/superscript PCs may also attack mobs because they aggressively attack PCs.[2]Template:R/superscript Monster versus monster (MvM) battles also take place in some games.[12]Template:R/superscript
A game world might contain hundreds of different kinds of mobs, but if players spend a certain amount of time playing, they might become well aware of the characteristics presented by each kind and its related hazards. This knowledge might dull the game to some extent.[13]Template:R/superscript
Etymology
The term "mobile object" [1]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript[3]Template:R/superscript[4]Template:R/superscript was used by Richard Bartle for objects that were self-mobile in MUD1.[1]Template:R/superscript Later source code in DikuMUD used the term "mobile" to refer to a generic NPC, shortened further to "mob" in identifiers. DikuMUD was a heavy influence on EverQuest,[14]Template:R/superscript[15]Template:R/superscript and the term as it exists in MMORPGs is derived from the MUD usage.[5]Template:R/superscript[1]Template:R/superscript The term is properly an abbreviation rather than an acronym.
References
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