Glossary

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

For

Video Games for Non-gaming Adults

 

 

Aggro �" cause mobs to attack, tanks “keep” aggro

AOE �" Area of Effect �" ability that causes damage or healing in a radius around the target can be targeted or in a radius around self

BAF �" Bring a Friend �" Mobs that can summon another mob of similar type, Usually by running off and grabbing another.

Boss �" Larger mobs that drop better items often harder than normal mobs

CC �" Crowd Control �" abilities that slow or immobilize target mobs

Chained Mobs �" groups of mobs that when you “pull” one you get all.

Chain Pull �" To pull groups of mobs one after another

Deathmatch - type of arena match usually being a free for all.

DPS �" Damage Per Second �" Also know as Deeps, a character which attacks.  Usually attacks what the Tank is attacking, tries to avoid “taking aggro”.

Drop �" items acquired after defeating mobs, also known as Loot (Lewts)

Elite �" Mobs usually named that are tougher than normal mobs but not as hard as bosses  

ESRB Game Rating (1) �" Entertainment Software Rating Board The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a non-profit, self-regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).  ESRB assigns computer and video game content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry.

            C - EARLY CHILDHOOD
Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate. 

Stage 1: Designed to begin the brainwashing of having the television be a babysitter.  Usually match color/ shape games and cute non-threatening mascots.

            E - EVERYONE
Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. 

Stage 2:  Preparing the child for an existence banging their head against the wall over and over getting nowhere.  Usually arcade style games some sports titles.  This is the “run jump shoot” monotony at its finest.   

            E 10+ - EVERYONE 10+
Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.

Stage 3.   Making things commonplace.  Titles of this category include the more violent arcade style. Guns instead of fiery snot or smacking your mount in the back of the head. Most sports titles.  Some driving and rpg games. 

            T - TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

Stage 4: The beginning of the fun games.  Titles include driving games and the beginning of FPS also most driving and RPG games.  .

            M - MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Stage 5: EVERY GAME YOUR KID WANTS TO PLAY.  These are the most popular titles.  FPS

 

            A - ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

And of course

            RP - RATING PENDING
Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)

 

1 - Definition and rating definitions taken from ESRB.org website.  Copy and Pasted, bad grammar and all.

 

Fail/ Epic Fail �" to die in an embarrassingly pathetic way, usually used as a taunt or insult

Fighting - A type of game style in which you perform melee combat moves to defeat your opponent.  Example: Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter

FPS �" Frames Per Second �" Also known as frame rate, Frame rates in video games refer to the speed at which the image is refreshed.  The higher the FPS the better.

FPS �" First Person Shooter �" A type of game style, which centers the gameplay around gun and projectile weapon-based combat through the first person perspective, i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist.  Example: Doom, HALO

Frag �" A kill, began with the multiplayer FPS revolution

GP �" Gold Piece �" common monetary value, you know cash

Greed -

Heals/ Healz �" the medic, a character that keeps the party alive

HUD �" Heads Up Display �" transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints.   Its all the things on screen like life bar or mini map.

LIFE �" Usually a number representing the amount of damage your character can take commonly known as HP �" Hit Points

Life Bar �" A graph depicting the amount of LIFE you have.  There are several variations of bars that will appear depending on game and game style.   Example HP �" Hit Points, MP �" Mana Pool, etc. 

LMAO �" acronym for Laughing My A*s Off

LOL �" acronym for Laughing Out Loud 

Macro �" A list of commands the game performs from one button push

Mana �" Usually a number representing the amount of spell casting/ ability use.  Can also be called Energy, Magic Power, etc.

M(elee) DPS �" a damage-dealing role specializing in melee combat usually employing swords or bare hands

Mini-map �" a small map usually located in the corner of the screen. 

MMO (RPG) �" Massively Multiplayer Online (Role Playing Game) �" A type of game style like the RPG but is online and there are many players that interact with the environment as you do.  Example: World of Warcraft, Evercrack…uh Everquest.

Mobs �" NPCs that can be engaged in combat

Mod/ Moding �" A program that modifies an existing game by adding levels or changing in game effects such as the Hot Coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto.  Mod is derived from Modify.  Duh.  Gained popularity during the FPS boom designing new death match arenas.

Need -

Noob �" A new player or one who “epic fails” A LOT.

NPC �" Non Player Character �" Computer controlled characters

Off-Tanks �" secondary tank in party

Off-Healz �" secondary healer in party

OOM �" Out of Mana -  

Owned/ Pwned �" A term used when you have defeated your opponent, a taunt/ insult

Party �" A group of payers, usually consisting of 5-25 people and 1 Tank 1 Healz and 3 Dps per set of 5.

Platformer - A type of game style, sometimes called Run Jump Shoot games, a side scrolling 2-D game in which you usually jump over/on things and shoot mobs.  Example: Super Mario Bros., Megaman.  Also available in 3-D environments.  Example: Ratchet and Clank, Spyro

PBAOE �" Player based AOE

Power Leveling �" to gain levels quickly usually done with a high level character “running” a lower level.

Pull �" to cause a mob to attack you; usually done by the tank

PvE �" Player versus Environment -

PvP �" Player versus Player -

R(ange) DPS - a damage dealing role specializing in range combat usually employing spells or projectile weaponry

ROTFLMAO - acronym for Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A*s Off

RP -  Role Play �" a server type

RPG �" Role Playing Game �" A type of game style in which you play out a story as the main character.  Example: Final Fantasy, Fable

RTS �" Real Time Strategy �" A type of game style in which you create bases by constructing buildings and defeat opponents by training troops and tactically defeating their defenses.  Example: Starcraft, Command and Conquer.

Shooter - A type of game style, sometimes called Over Glorified Dodge ‘Em, a side scrolling game in which you are one lone ship against the entire armada of your enemy.  Example: Chaos Theory, Gradius

Solo �" to run as a single character

Spam �" repeating line after line of usually crap into the chat

 

Spec �" Specialization of your class, Example: Tank

 

Squishy �" A cloth armor wearer, usually easy to kill

 

Stats �" Basic attributes usually include strength, agility, physical health (constitution), mental prowess (will power)

Support -

Talent Tree -

Tank �" A character, which becomes the target of attacks from mobs. “Holds aggro”.

Tool Tip �" Hover mouse pointer over something, I’ll wait.  Yeah that what it is.

Troll/ Trolling - someone who posts inflammatory or off-topic messages into chat with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. 

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.

XP �" Experience points �" When you earn enough you gain levels

Zerg �" To overpower your opponent by shear numbers.  Coined from the Game STARCRAFT.