1.  "Forced"  People like to whine about games that require them to do various tasks to improve their character.  Forced grouping, forced PvP, forced grinding.  We'll get to grinding in a bit, but here's the real deal on "forced" content.  It's a game!!  Nothing is forced on you.  A game is designed around a few ideas.  Some games are designed around solo content, some are designed around group content.  No one is forcing you to do anything.  If your game doesn't do what you want, play a different one!

2.  "Skill"  This is one I hear tossed around a lot in World of Warcraft.  It was one of the things that people who defended arena and blasted raiding liked to cite.  Raiding, according to these people, was just about who you know, and how much time you put in, whereas PvP was about skill.  So... skill trumps time investment.  You know what time investment is called?  Practice!  It's the same damn thing!  Stop tossing this word around like it means anything.  It's not some magic trait that makes you a better player than the people who have better gear than you.  It's something you work for and earn, just like in real life.  You can't magically "skill" yourself into being able to play the piano.  You have to sit down and practice.

3.  "Grind"  The closest definition I've heard to explain grind is that it's repetition that you otherwise wouldn't want to do.  People talk about it like it's an objective concept.  Like this quest is grindy and that one isn't.  It's not.  Grind is subjective.  Grind is anything in a MMO were you want a reward but don't enjoy the process involved in getting it.  You can't eliminate grind from a game.  Every game is based around repeating tasks.  Megaman jumps from platform to platform and shoots stuff.  Snake sneaks around and kills people.  MMO characters kill monsters and gain levels.  Again, if your game feels too grindy, play a different game.

Add any other annoying buzzwords that you know of.  If we, as the MMO community, can better express what we want, maybe developers will be able to better give us what we're looking for.

4. WoW Killer - I am so tired of hearing the phrase WoW Killer. Game x is going to be a WoW killer. Lol, no noob game y is going to be the WoW killer. Please .. let the games that are released stand on their own merits, don't proclaim them to be the WoW Killer. It is true that one day a game will be released that will kill WoW. Untill then, just enjoy what you are playing.

5. WoW Clone - Kinda the same idea as the WoW Killer. People start calling games WoW clones. I do agree that some games are very WoW like, while others have very little in common with WoW and both games will be called WoW clones. It is the nature of the game industry to copy what is successfull about other games in the genre, copy them and add your own unique elements to them. Are all FPS games Wolfenstein 3d clones? Are all racing games Poll Position clones? Play WoW if you like to play WoW. Play a different game if it suits you better. There will always be similarities between all MMOs, this does not make them WoW clones.

Originally posted by Bathnor

4. WoW Killer - I am so tired of hearing the phrase WoW Killer. Game x is going to be a WoW killer. Lol, no noob game y is going to be the WoW killer. Please .. let the games that are released stand on their own merits, don't proclaim them to be the WoW Killer. It is true that one day a game will be released that will kill WoW. Untill then, just enjoy what you are playing.

5. WoW Clone - Kinda the same idea as the WoW Killer. People start calling games WoW clones. I do agree that some games are very WoW like, while others have very little in common with WoW and both games will be called WoW clones. It is the nature of the game industry to copy what is successfull about other games in the genre, copy them and add your own unique elements to them. Are all FPS games Wolfenstein 3d clones? Are all racing games Poll Position clones? Play WoW if you like to play WoW. Play a different game if it suits you better. There will always be similarities between all MMOs, this does not make them WoW clones.

Good post A+

6. Retarded - It's just plain hurtful.

Endgame: read literally this would be the end of the game, beyond which there can be no more of the game  left to play. 

Sandbox: doesn't exist outside of hype, nostalgia, and partials.

I thought of another one.

"Elitist"  This one might cause some argument.  The term is applied very falsely.  It usually refers to people who are snobby about guild recruitment, especially on the basis of equipment.  I've been on the receiving end of that from time to time and we all know that it's no fun.  However, this term is WAY overused.  Anytime someone says "xxx game is too easy, let's have a harder one", they're called an elitist.  Seeking challenge doesn't make you snobbish.  It's a natural thing.  We all do it.  And we seek challenge that is appropriate to our level of ability.  I'm good at raiding, so I like difficult raids.  On the other hand, I suck at FPS games.  So, I shy away from the more competitive FPS situations.  Are the people who like those elitist?  No!  They're just better at those games than I am.  Snobs and people with real talent who are looking for a challenge aren't the same thing.

Originally posted by Bathnor

4. WoW Killer - I am so tired of hearing the phrase WoW Killer. Game x is going to be a WoW killer. Lol, no noob game y is going to be the WoW killer. Please .. let the games that are released stand on their own merits, don't proclaim them to be the WoW Killer. It is true that one day a game will be released that will kill WoW. Untill then, just enjoy what you are playing.

WoW killer is just a title for being great. Doesnt mean it will kill WoW, just comparing it to the best. Similar to how on social sites, a "Friend" is nothing more then a title for Closer member.

5. WoW Clone - Kinda the same idea as the WoW Killer. People start calling games WoW clones. I do agree that some games are very WoW like, while others have very little in common with WoW and both games will be called WoW clones. It is the nature of the game industry to copy what is successfull about other games in the genre, copy them and add your own unique elements to them. Are all FPS games Wolfenstein 3d clones? Are all racing games Poll Position clones? Play WoW if you like to play WoW. Play a different game if it suits you better. There will always be similarities between all MMOs, this does not make them WoW clones.

I agree

 

---

Originally posted by championsFan

Endgame: read literally this would be the end of the game, beyond which there can be no more of the game  left to play.

---

The word "endgame" has been around for decades, originally applied to chess when most of the pieces are gone from the board. It's not really an MMORPG buzzword — and you are at least partially wrong. "Endgame" has never referred to the literal end of anything, rather it refers to the events leading up to said imminent end.

The "endgame" of an MMORPG, put simply, is when you've played through the low-level, mid-level and even most of the high-level content, and reached the final tier of activity. The term is very appropriate. What other word would you have people use?

---

Originally posted by championsFan

Sandbox: doesn't exist outside of hype, nostalgia, and partials.

---

So you say. Yet, when someone says "sandbox MMORPG," I know exactly what they mean, and can name a dozen games considered to be from that category. You may argue that different people have a different idea about what it means, which is true, but that is also true of the word "cat." People think of very different mental images when they hear that word, it's what happens because people are born different from one another.

The word is functional, it can be easily understood by a wide section of the gaming populace, and quite frankly, only theme park fans claim "it doesn't exist" because they know sandbox fans think theme park games are inferior.

 I am going to deviate off topic a little and say I can not stand the all the negative and derogatory words I see a lot in mmos.   Come on gentlemen, do you really have you use words like "gay" and/or "rape"??  I am all for free speech but using words out of context is just an epic fail...  

Originally posted by Athcear

1.  "Forced"  People like to whine about games that require them to do various tasks to improve their character.  Forced grouping, forced PvP, forced grinding.  We'll get to grinding in a bit, but here's the real deal on "forced" content.  It's a game!!  Nothing is forced on you.  A game is designed around a few ideas.  Some games are designed around solo content, some are designed around group content.  No one is forcing you to do anything.  If your game doesn't do what you want, play a different one!

2.  "Skill"  This is one I hear tossed around a lot in World of Warcraft.  It was one of the things that people who defended arena and blasted raiding liked to cite.  Raiding, according to these people, was just about who you know, and how much time you put in, whereas PvP was about skill.  So... skill trumps time investment.  You know what time investment is called?  Practice!  It's the same damn thing!  Stop tossing this word around like it means anything.  It's not some magic trait that makes you a better player than the people who have better gear than you.  It's something you work for and earn, just like in real life.  You can't magically "skill" yourself into being able to play the piano.  You have to sit down and practice.

3.  "Grind"  The closest definition I've heard to explain grind is that it's repetition that you otherwise wouldn't want to do.  People talk about it like it's an objective concept.  Like this quest is grindy and that one isn't.  It's not.  Grind is subjective.  Grind is anything in a MMO were you want a reward but don't enjoy the process involved in getting it.  You can't eliminate grind from a game.  Every game is based around repeating tasks.  Megaman jumps from platform to platform and shoots stuff.  Snake sneaks around and kills people.  MMO characters kill monsters and gain levels.  Again, if your game feels too grindy, play a different game.

 

Add any other annoying buzzwords that you know of.  If we, as the MMO community, can better express what we want, maybe developers will be able to better give us what we're looking for.

My personal opinion, number one is "forced" on the community by the community themselves. I have yet to play a game that "forces" you to play solo, or "forces" you to group. It is all a matter  of personal taste.

I play WoW, I am not a raider nor am I an arena maniac, I would toss this into the mix, just because of the word "skill".  Show me an MMORPG that takes "skill"... I can hit buttons in my sleep, does that mean I am "skilled"? I have played these games since Meridian 59 and UO. Ultima Online had no "levels" but all your "skills" were, well...levels...

As far as number 3, EVERY game has "grind". A lot of peple, like myself, loved the original EQ, it was a grind to 50, then to each level cap after the expansions. UO had the same thing but hidden by a "skill" based system. When I played I was a master fisherman, think that just happened? Nope, I sat at the waters edge and fished, for a long ass time, "grinding" my fishing skill up.

It is easy to  about how great this game or that was and it is easy to  about how much this game or that "ruined" MMOs, what has changed besides the cover art?

You like a game or you don't...

"Carebear"

"Noob"  or any variation..

"QQ"

 edit:  forgot "owned"

---

Originally posted by Slampig
 
It is easy to  about how great this game or that was and it is easy to  about how much this game or that "ruined" MMOs, what has changed besides the cover art?

---

The gameplay.

My two favorite MMORPGs are probably pre-NGE Star Wars Galaxies (warts and all) and EVE Online. EVE I just got tired of eventually (yet still consider it to be an excellent game and a staple of the genre)... Star Wars Galaxies was destroyed by its developers.

And the thing is, there hasn't been another game that scratches the same itch those games do since then. Do you know how long that is? Over half a decade now.

Originally posted by Slampig

 

I play WoW, I am not a raider nor am I an arena maniac, I would toss this into the mix, just because of the word "skill".  Show me an MMORPG that takes "skill"... I can hit buttons in my sleep, does that mean I am "skilled"? I have played these games since Meridian 59 and UO. Ultima Online had no "levels" but all your "skills" were, well...levels...

We have all seen this argument a lot over the years - mmos require no skill.  I agree that they are not hard to play, but "no skill" is stretching the truth pretty thin.

I'm not sure if I could push buttons in my sleep, but I imagine that even if I was awake, but had my eyes closed (a massive advantage over a sleeping player), I'd be pretty clumsy.  We've all been in groups with players who don't know how to play well.  Some can't manage aggro or conserve power/mana well, many just spam their favourite button from when they play solo content.  The skill in mmos really comes to the fore when playing in groups or raids.

It isn't on the level of chess, but knowing your class abilities and those of other classes, being aware of the attacks and powers of enemies, and applying this knowledge to the way you play is what I would consider the skill of mmorpgs.

MMO's require knowledge and the skill to use it to your advantage. It's not the normal "skill" you see used when talking about games, but it's a skill nonetheless. 

Bad players lack knowledge, or are unable to use the said knowledge to help them.

Of course it requires skill to excel at MMORPGs. People who claim otherwise are just being nitwits. I admit it's irritating to hear about "skills" in an MMORPG, because most of them are designed so that any doofus can play them at a basic level, and also because such "skills" are mostly useless outside of that particular game. Nevertheless, they are skills.

Human beings have to learn pretty much everything other than breathing, sleeping, going potty, and making funny noises. Being good at an MMORPG is a complex skill, in some cases even more complex than basic reading or writing, the most fundamental skills of all educated people.

In Final Fantasy XI, advanced players create, memorize and can use with precise timing many dozens of macros, linked to specific actions, and can react to many complex and subtle situations in-game with the right key combination at the right time. This is something that takes months to master and has a high degree of difficulty.

And actually, said skills may not even be entirely useless. Have you ever heard the term "everything bad for us is good for us"? Perhaps strumming your macro buttons like an opera conductor teaches mental acuity, reflexes, exercises and improves memory, et cetera.

Originally posted by DoktorTeufel

Of course it requires skill to excel at MMORPGs. People who claim otherwise are just being nitwits. I admit it's irritating to hear about "skills" in an MMORPG, because most of them are designed so that any doofus can play them at a basic level, and also because such "skills" are mostly useless outside of that particular game. Nevertheless, they are skills.

Human beings have to learn pretty much everything other than breathing, sleeping, going potty, and making funny noises. Being good at an MMORPG is a complex skill, in some cases even more complex than basic reading or writing, the most fundamental skills of all educated people.

In Final Fantasy XI, advanced players create, memorize and can use with precise timing many dozens of macros, linked to specific actions, and can react to many complex and subtle situations in-game with the right key combination at the right time. This is something that takes months to master and has a high degree of difficulty.

And actually, said skills may not even be entirely useless. Have you ever heard the term "everything bad for us is good for us"? Perhaps strumming your macro buttons like an opera conductor teaches mental acuity, reflexes, exercises and improves memory, et cetera.

The trick behind this statement is what defines skill. It's really a matter of perception and it can be defined differently in different levels in a variety of combinations/ways. Is skill how fast you can execute a set of commands? Is it how well you manage your resources in the game (not in terms of economic either, I'm also thinking in terms of energy/stamina/mana and also time)?  Is it having the knowledge readily available to you at any given moment? Is it all of them above and in what combinations and/or proportions? Again, I stand by saying its a matter of perception and who's defining it at the time and I believe it is an overused term that is hard to be understood on the same level by everyone. 

I'm really getting annoyed with the number of stupid phrases that leave mmo geek'dom and enter into main stream normal conversations.

I actually heard my wife (half jokingly) use the term 'epic fail'.

I hate everything term that is related to this industry because it means the genre has a blue print and we are making up words/terms to identify parts of the blue print.  If I could get my hands on that blue print I would eat it and make everyone  think about how to make a real game and not the garbage (is that on your list of terms) that has been spewed out of the studios the last few years.

Originally posted by Rekindle

I'm really getting annoyed with the number of stupid phrases that leave mmo geek'dom and enter into main stream normal conversations.

I actually heard my wife (half jokingly) use the term 'epic fail'.

 

I hate everything term that is related to this industry because it means the genre has a blue print and we are making up words/terms to identify parts of the blue print.  If I could get my hands on that blue print I would eat it and make everyone  think about how to make a real game and not the garbage (is that on your list of terms) that has been spewed out of the studios the last few years.

 

 

I think it just means that there's a subculture behind the MMORPG genre in itself and a fairly extensive one just like there's one for shooters and other types of multiplayer games. I think its a bit more inherent in MMORPG's since the games are fairly complex compared to most others in terms of how the system interacts together as a whole. I wouldn't think because we have terms and words we use specifically for that type of culture in that we are being pigeon-holed into a specific type of blueprint. These are just terms to use to make it easier to communicate and understand like-minded people.

There is nothing that gives away a player as a 'Teeny-bopper Caps-lock General' as the use of the word; "Noob".

Originally posted by DoktorTeufel 

---

Originally posted by championsFan

 

Sandbox: doesn't exist outside of hype, nostalgia, and partials.

---

 

So you say. Yet, when someone says "sandbox MMORPG," I know exactly what they mean, and can name a dozen games considered to be from that category. You may argue that different people have a different idea about what it means, which is true, but that is also true of the word "cat." People think of very different mental images when they hear that word, it's what happens because people are born different from one another.

The word is functional, it can be easily understood by a wide section of the gaming populace, and quite frankly, only theme park fans claim "it doesn't exist" because they know sandbox fans think theme park games are inferior.

The problem with those phrases is the ongoing war between sandbox and theme park is that both sides tend to forget what they are really talking about, and it always ends up with something like "I'm cool because I like <insert type here> games, those who don't think like me are fanbois and they deserve to be flamed" or "<insert type here> games are cool, otherwise the other games are all <wow-clone or gankfests>. I am entitled to label everything such as even though I never played any of them because they are not my genre."

Every time I see anyone spew ANY of the following words into a game's chat channel, I can hear their IQ digging a hole to reach their new low score.

"pwned" & "owned"

"raped"

"noob" (and all variant spellings)

"kewl"

"1337" (and all variants)

Anything about someone's mom/dad

Anything about living in a basement

Anything about being a nerd (to include "nerd rage")

Anything about anything or anyone being "gay" (meaning retarded, stupid, or any of a thousand other applicable insults)