Skill =/= Strategy.

Skill can be memorising maps and memorising movements. It can be APM or reaction speed. Skill is having the knowledge that on 2Fort a scout can Quad-Jump with the Force-A-Nature from one teams battlement to another.

Strategy is using skill to make up plans in real time, adapting it to changing scenarios. Realising that you plans arent working and adjusting them to make them effective. Its plannign twenty steps ahead of the enemy, and trying to find out what they are planning for you.

MOBAS dont allow that. Its all super rock-paper-scissors in an unchanging arena. Dude A comes across Dude B. Dude B is stronger than Dude A, so A runs away or tries to find a friend to hide behind.

There is nothing nessicaraly wrong with skill, mind you. I love being able to Quad-Jump across 2Fort in seconds or cap the intel on DoubleCross in less than 20 seconds with a rocket jump.

But its not Strategy. Its not taking in a situation and finding the best sollution.

Its not spawning next to the Zulu as Babylon and realising that you wont be able to tech peacefully, so you are going to have to tech military techs before science techs, meaning that your strategy of rushing Writing and the Great Library wont work if you want to survive. So, you are going to have to try and instead kill the Zulu early - but this means you are going to be behind everyone else, so you cant count on a each tech lead. Meaning that it might be more viable to attempt a Culture victory.

But then! after you kill the Zulu in the Medieval Era, you find that Egypt, who has been silently stealing all the good wonders, has declared war on someone else, and has no army in its borders... A good pinch of Thebes would be worth it, and after all, you have the army left over from the Zulu wars.... But no! Egypt peaces out when you declare, and his army reappears. And, after all the warring, they have Musketment to your Longswordmen!... Perhaps a Domination victory is called for?