Now that many MMORPGs or massively multiplayer online roleplaying games are quite popular in the Philippines, you may be considering gaming as your next hobby. There are several reasons why online gaming might appeal to you. Today’s games are highly interactive, technically sophisticated, and extremely fun to immerse in. The country’s most widely played titles also require you to play in teams and work together with other players to achieve certain goals. As such, a lot of the fun hinges on teamwork and coordination, as well as personal strategy.
That said, there’s a very social aspect to online gaming that relies on implicit rules or social mores. Many of the most important do’s and don’ts of gaming involve the proper usage of certain terms with other gamers. This vocabulary of gaming slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations—some of which have been in use for decades already—helps players communicate in shorthand. Since there’s limited time to talk at length while focusing on the game, using these terms helps players get the message across quickly. Much of this gamers’ language is also relevant to other types of games, from the more action-oriented to those that have a battle royale-like setup. And you may even find the opportunity to apply some terms when you’re trying other open-world games or single-player games.
All the same, before you go on your online gaming journey, it’s good to have at least entry-level knowledge of the most commonly used terms. These will help you acclimatize faster, earn the trust of your new teammates, and become a better player in a shorter period of time. Come step up your game with Maya and decode the meaning of these 14 slang terms now!
Noob
Noob is shorthand for “newbie,” or someone who is just getting to know the game and who doesn’t have a developed skill set yet. Hopefully, this is a title that you will eventually outgrow for yourself once you get more deeply immersed in the world of gaming.
Scrub
In the parlance of gaming personalities, there’s also the scrub, or someone who believes they’re all that in terms of their skills. Secretly, however, a scrub is less competent in their teammates’ eyes than they think they are. Don’t be a scrub, and be self-aware about your current level of ability—other players will respect you more for it.
Smurfing
Smurfing is the term for when a skilled player creates a fake new account and puts on the guise of a noob. Then, they make a surprise killing on players of a lower skill level. This term was named for high-level players of WarCraft II, whose fake account names included PapaSmurf and Smurfette.
Camping
Camping is the term for when a player hides or dawdles in a safe area of the game for too long. This may be because they don’t want to get killed, or because they themselves get easy kills in that zone. Camping, however, is looked upon as a cowardly move by other players, especially teammates.
KS
KS stands for kill-steal, or when another player reaps the rewards from killing an enemy that was supposed to be yours for the taking. This kind of tactic may accumulate points, but will definitely not foster any goodwill among fellow gamers.
Leeroy Jenkins
Leeroy Jenkins is a not-so-positive term for a player who brashly enters battle with their own agenda, not caring for that of the team’s. The term’s namesake is a World of WarCraft character who bellows his name before charging into enemy lines.
Tank
Not to be confused with the military vehicle, a tank is a character that baits attackers to draw them away from other players. The tank character typically has more health points than other characters, and they sacrifice these so that others can get headway.
Loot
Loot is the term for goodies that can be reaped after killing monsters, defeating bosses, or finding well-hidden chests. Oftentimes, the harder the loot is to obtain, the better or rarer it is.
Skin
A skin is an aesthetic upgrade for the character you’re using, like a new hairstyle or costume. It can be bought with game currency, found as loot, or released on a special occasion.
Sandbox
A sandbox is a level of the game that one can explore freely, typically free of invisible walls or barriers. It’s named for the freedom and imagination that children experience when they’re playing in sandboxes in real life.
Buff / Debuff
Buffs and debuffs are temporary effects, either beneficial or detrimental in nature, that are a result of potions, spells, summons, or other moves. How long these last—whether it’s seconds, minutes, or full turns—depends on the game and the effect itself.
Cooldown
Another term related to in-game effects is cooldown. Some abilities require you to pause or recharge before you can use them again. This is something you should take note of in case you intend to use the ability as often as you can.
Grind
In gaming, to grind means to do something repetitively in order to level-up or achieve some other objective within the game. Those who are very patient, for example, can spare whole days grind-battling low-level enemies.
GGWP
Last but definitely not the least among the terms you need to learn is GGWP, which stands for “good game, well played.” After a thrilling and victorious gaming session with your teammates, this is what you should say to each other in anticipation of the next time.
A source for gaming pins, some gaming gear, and a little knowledge on gaming slang may be all you need to start gaming in earnest. Little by little, this vocabulary will become like second nature to you, as well as the game mechanics themselves. Good luck, and get gaming!
