The Adoption of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena to Introduce Wayang Character

The integration of traditional Indonesian Wayang characters into the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre serves as a strategic intervention to revitalize cultural interest among digital-native youth. By addressing the widening disconnect between younger generations and traditional puppetry, this initiative leverages the competitive and mobile-accessible nature of modern gaming to transform static heritage into an interactive experience. The primary thesis posits that embedding cultural narratives within established, engaging gameplay mechanics provides a sustainable framework for preserving folklore in an increasingly digitized society.

The development of the game Wayang Tarung utilizes the Mechanic, Dynamic, and Aesthetic framework to ensure that cultural education does not compromise gameplay quality. Technical implementation relies on a transitive cost-benefit strategy to maintain character balance, supported by a multithreaded server architecture capable of facilitating real-time multiplayer interactions. Heuristic usability testing confirms that these design choices successfully bridge the gap between complex traditional archetypes and intuitive, modern gaming interfaces, resulting in a product that is both functionally robust and narratively compelling.

Empirical validation demonstrates that this approach yields measurable improvements in cultural literacy. Pre- and post-test evaluations indicate that participants exhibit a significant increase in their knowledge of Wayang character narratives and visual identities following gameplay. These findings confirm that the MOBA format functions as an effective pedagogical tool, proving that cultural heritage can be successfully integrated into contemporary entertainment media. By synthesizing strategic gameplay with traditional storytelling, this model offers a scalable solution for heritage preservation that resonates with the preferences and habits of the modern youth demographic.