To explain something to a fellow gamer in real time can take forever, as you constantly have to go over rules and gameplay norms, all the while using incredibly technical and longwinded language along the way.
It is for this reason that acronyms are everywhere in online gaming forums and communication channels like Discord.
The issue with this is that online gamers need to have a cyclopaedic memory in order to recall exactly what all these acronyms, contractions and specialist terms actually mean, with no amount of coaching from an expert likely to help them memorise what they stand for.
However, at least by learning exactly what some of the most important online gaming acronyms stand for, fresh faced gamers can get a foothold in the online gaming sphere, from which they can begin their Esports or gaming journeys.
Here are some of the most important acronyms drawn from various online gaming sectors, so that anyone new to a certain variety of games is not left scratching their head when they pick up their controller or gaming mouse.
Sometimes the online games that have the most acronyms attributed to them are those games that have been around long enough to accrue them.
Such is the case with classic games like board games, casino games, and card games, all of which have technicalities that can only be understood with help from acronyms.
For gamers who want to get involved in chequered board action, at places like chess.com and lychess.org, it’s important to know the shorthand that’s used to record moves and strategies.
An “x” usually demarks when someone wants to communicate that a piece was taken, whereas a “+” shows that a player’s king was under threat.
Likewise in casino games there are acronyms like RTP slots and RNG.
The former means “Return to Player” and is usually expressed as a percentage.
It helps players understand what the house edge for each casino game they play is, which is pretty important.
Meanwhile, RNG stands for “Random Number Generator” which is an algorithm used to ensure that all casino games adhere to strict mathematical rules and limits.
Lastly there are classic card games like Magic: The Gathering, which have more abbreviations and acronyms than players can shake a stick at.
Just one of the wacky acronyms players of this game need to know is BFEP, which stands for “Best Fatty Ever Printed” and is a light-hearted moniker for Verdant Force.
While games like chess and casino games are rife with acronyms and complex terminology, at least players usually have time on their hands between moves or reel spins to double check exactly what an abbreviation means, as well as what its consequences might be.
That sort of time is not afforded to players of online battle royale games like Call of Duty and Valorant because their action is non-stop and so slow players are left in the dust of those players who know the game inside and out.
Thankfully, for new players of such games, much of the terminology used in one game is often applicable in other similar battle royale titles.
When a player is described as “cracked” this usually means that their shields are low, but be careful, because it can also be used as a means of praising a player, especially when used as part of the phrase “cracked out of his mind”.
When it comes to acronyms specifically, the most important ones to keep an eye out for are the ones that demark certain games, with PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) and COD (Call of Duty) being the most obvious ones.
Then there are gaming genres like FPS and TPS. Lastly there are OP and UP, which stand for “overpowered” and “underpowered”, and usually relate to a means of attack and its potential impact.
Featured image credit: Steve Rainwater via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0 license
4 February 2022
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