Gaming Terms

AIArtificial Intelligence. Design term. Refers to the "intelligence" programmed into a game that controls the actions and reactions of NPCs, simulating independent intelligence.
AvatarThe graphical representation of a player in a game.
Beta testingOne of the last phases of development of software in which final testing is performed, often involving external volunteer testers who help by reporting bugs and problems encountered.
Buff or buffingRefer to preparatory actions taken prior to combat, usually involving the casting of spells.
CampingRefers to the repeated killing of a respawning monster by the same individual or party, often for experience or to gain items.
CarebearA derogatory term for someone who does not wish to engage in player versus player activities.
Consider, conEverQuest gaming abbreviation. Command used to assess the strength of an opponent.
Dewd or leetspeakAn abbreviated or encrypted chat code used by some gamers. There is some negative reaction toward its use and those who employ it, as it is often associated with disruptive gamers.
DoTDamage Over Time. Refers to effects that, when placed on a target, cause continuous damage over a limited period of time.
EmoteA command used for free-form expression of text appended to an avatar's name. For example, the command /emote has a bad feeling about this would result in the text being visible to all players nearby: Han has a bad feeling about this
EmoticonA convention used to express emotions through text in text-based games (sometimes referred to as smilies), and physical animations on avatars in newer graphics-based games.
EP, Exp, or XPExperience Points. Gaming abbreviation.
EQEverQuest. A massively multi-player online role-playing game from Sony Online Entertainment/Verant Interactive
FarmingA gaming term that refers to the act of gathering rewards (esp. equipment) repeatedly, usually for resale for personal gain.
Flame (flaming)The act of harshly rebutting someone (usually on message boards), often disparagingly.
FPSFirst Person Shooter. A combat game, played from a first-person viewpoint, generally in a futuristic or science fiction genre. Examples: PlanetSide, Doom, Quake. Also: Frames Per Second. A measure of the performance of the graphics engine in a 3d application. The higher your FPS, the smoother your experience will be.
GankA PvP gaming term that means to kill another player's character. Other usage: gankage (noun)--the process of ganking. ex. "The last point I want to make clear is that no matter what, random gankage is not going to be a feature of the game."
GMGame Master. An administrator that helps to facilitate gameplay. In commercial games, GMs are often customer service representatives that address player problems. Star Wars Galaxies does not use GMs in the conventional sense.
Grief play, griefer, grief playerSomeone who purposefully seeks to ruin the enjoyment of others players.
Grind, grindingThe act of doing a repetitive, often dull, act in the game merely in order to earn advancement.
KitingRefers to a style of combat in which a player continually stays out of the combat range of an enemy, usually by running from it, while simultaneously causing damage to it.
KOSKill on Sight. Applied to player characters with respect to NPCs that might attack the player character in question. If you are KOS to a certain creature, it will attack you when it sees you.
KSKill Stealing. Gaming abbreviation. Refers to the act of maliciously taking another person or party's prey.
LagLatency experienced during play resulting from any of several difficulties, including Internet traffic and breakdowns, server-side problems, and/or client-side problems.
LDLink Dead. Online gaming term. Refers to the state of a PC when the player has lost his or her Internet connection to their character.
LFGLooking For Group. Also often refers to a flag that a player can toggle on themselves to indicate that they are looking for a group.
LootAlternately refers to either items or money retrieved from a vanquished foe, or the act of taking items or money from a defeated foe (as in looting a MOB). Variations: lewt, l3w7.
MMORPGMassively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game. Examples: EverQuest or Star Wars Galaxies.
MobMobile or Mobile Object. A MUD term originally, used to describe creatures in a game, whether NPCs, monsters, or others.
Newbie, noob, n00b, newbA young, inexperienced player. Sometimes used as an insult.
NHNewbie Helper. Either a player who has made a career out of helping new players acclimate themselves to the game, or a flag that a player can toggle on themselves so that newbies can find them if they need assistance.
No dropDescribes a quality of certain objects that prevent characters from dropping or trading them after they have picked them up. Star Wars Galaxies does not make use of No Drop items.
NPCNon-Player Character. Refers to any creature, or mob, not controlled by a player.
Perma, PD, PermaDPermanent Death. In gaming, when a player's character dies and does not return to life or respawn at a designated location.
PetRefers to an NPC minion or creature under the control of either another NPC or a player.
PkerPlayer Killer. A player who kills other players' characters randomly. It often has a negative connotation, applied to someone who kills excessively or by dubious means.
PnPPen and Paper. Chat abbreviation that refers to traditional role-playing games.
PowerlevelingThe act of helping a lower level player gain experience at an accelerated rate.
PvE or PvMPlayer versus Environment, or Player vs Monsters. A game environment in which players can attack and kill NPCs and MOBs.
PvPPlayer versus Player. A game environment in which players are permitted to attack and kill one another's characters.
PvPerSomeone who kills other players' characters, generally consensually.
RPRole-Play. A style of gaming in which the player speaks and acts as his or her character while playing the game.
SpawnThe regeneration of a creature after it leaves the game world.
TankA player character that takes the brunt of attacks from an enemy for his or her party. Verb: To tank (tanking).
TellIn a game, a form of direct global communication between two players only.
TrainA group of aggressive enemies that is pursuing a fleeing player character. Also used as a verb, as in "They trained the rancor onto me."
Twink, twinkingThe act of giving powerful equipment to lower level characters who could not have obtained the equipment at their current level of advancement.
TwitchA style of gameplay that requires manual dexterity, quick reflexes, and strong familiarity with the user interface for the player to perform skilled actions and responses. PlanetSide is an example of a twitch first person shooter game.
UberA chat term used to describe a player, association, item, MOB, etc. as exceptionally powerful.
ZoneEverQuest gaming term. Alternately refers to an area within a game, or the act of moving between two areas within a game ("I'm zoning").