Gaming 101

Here is everything you need to know about games and gamers.

Game Genres

There are several types of genres of games. This is because there are many factors that make up a genre. For instance, there are many games that involve shooting but a 1st person shooter can be very different from a 3rd person shooter. Both games involve shooting things, but the camera angle alone changes the style of game-play.

Below is a list of settings, game-play styles, views and graphic styles that make up a games genre.

Graphic Styles

2D
This is the classic style of game. Everything in this style looks flat. Even today some people still make 2D games, just for the simplicity.
Realistic
This style tries to get as close to real life as the game engine allows the designers.
Cell-shaded
This style looks like a comic book or cartoon. It has a glossy look to it.
Cartoon
It looks well, like a cartoon! It purposefully steers away from realism.

Views

Side-scroll
The view stays on one side of the character and pans left or right. Most popular for 2D games but there are a few 3D side-scrollers as well.
First-Person
A game where the view is in the eyes of the character. Most popular for shooting games.
Third-Person
A game where the view is outside of the characters body, usually behind them. This is probably the most popular view, especially for action/adventure games.
Overhead
When the camera is directly over the characters heads. This is most popular for strategy war games where the player must control multiple characters or units at one time.
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Some games allow you to change the angle of the view.

Setting

Fantasy
This genre involves mid-evil times type content. It usually includes old folk lore type characters like elves, dwarves, dragons, trolls, ext.
Sci-fi (Science Fiction)
Usually include cool futuristic inventions, cyborgs, space travel, ext.
Real life
This style sticks closer to a realistic look. It deals with real life situations but through the life of an interesting character.
Other
There are many other settings a game can take place in. Some are completely unique to any other and cannot be placed in a category.

Type

MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online)
A game played online by multiple people at the same time. Players can interact witch each other and usually chat.
RPG (Role Playing Game)
A game where a player makes certain decisions that may or may not change the outcome of certain situations in the game. In most games like this the ending is usually the same. The player can take different routes and face different challenges to reach the final outcome.
Some games of this nature have no outcome, they simply go on forever and allow the player to choose to do whatever they want. This is usually the case when it is an online game.
RPG’s frequently have some sort of customizations that the players have control over for their character. These customizations are usually in the form of skills the player can learn and build upon, and interchangeable equipment.
This style of gaming allows the player to have allot of control over how the game is played. These types of games can usually be played over and over again with a different but similar experience each time.
Action
These are games that involve a large amount of action and concentration. They usually require a quick reaction time.
Adventure
In these games there is one main character. The game usually follows the character throughout a story. Games like this are usually divided up into segments. Each segment is separated by a cut scene. Because most games now include both cinematic effects and story lines this style of gaming is usually combined with other styles.
Collector
Players collect a number of items to reach some sort of goal in this game.
Puzzle
All I have to say is Tetris and Bejewled.
Turn-Based
A game that is based on turns. The player makes a move and then the AI or an opposing player makes their move. These types of games were originally coded to act as a substitute for table-top games. Often used as a combat system for RPGs.
Strategy
A game where the player has to use logic to win. There are allot of strategy war games and most of those games have an overhead view as mentioned earlier. Turn based strategy RPGs are also a popular for these types of games. These games require the player to think ahead and plan out moves carefully.
Shooter
A game where players shoot enemies. They usually have either a first-person or third-person view. Because of this they are put into two categories, first-person shooter and third-person shooter.
Arena
Super Smash Brothers
Real Life Simulation
These games stick as close to the real thing as possible. They are used for training purposes by the military, to train pilots and sometimes for recreational use.
Pet Simulations
Games like this allow the player to raise something. It could be an animal, creature, or even a person. Remember giga pets?
Hack-N-Slash/Mash-Em-Up
In these types of games the player usually runs around destroying as much stuff as they can. They usually involve fighting off hordes of enemies as well.
Fighting
These types of games are a great example of the side-scroll view, though the camera typically doesn’t scroll, it still keeps to one side. Games like this are played against the AI or another player. Each opponent starts out with a set amount of health. The goal of the game is to beat the snot out of your enemy until his health bar goes all the way down.
Platformer
A game where the player jumps from platform to platform, dodging enemies and obstacles. This was a popular genre back in the 2D side-scroller days.

Language

Gamers have their own set of slang terms. Most of these terms derive from a language known as 1337 5p34k, which translates out to leet speak.

The word leet originated on online bullion board systems around the 1980s as a word short for elite. People on these boards with elite status could access file folders, games, and special chat rooms.

Hackers began using leet speak as a sub-text that was included in coding so that other hackers could understand it. This style of writing quickly evolved into a specialized form of symbolic writing.

There are many variations of leet. Some simply substitute certain letters for numbers.
Example:
E becomes 3, T becomes 7, I or L becomes 1, O becomes 0.

While other forms of 1337 will go so far as to substitute all letters with different characters on the keyboard to form letters.
A full list of characters can be found here: http://www.ninjalane.com/leet.aspx

*1337 is a flexible form of speech. There is no definite set of characters for each letter. Just as long as certain letters are substituted it is considered 1337 5p34k.
*1337 has now been adopted by many internet junkies. Its use has become a popular joke on the internet. You might have seen it used in many “lol cat” pictures.
*1337 5p34k is still used by hackers today but is also used frequently by gamers.

Here is a set of words frequently used by gamers that originated from 1337, along with their meaning.

N00b, known as new person. Commonly used as an insult. You do not want to be perceived as a noob. In some scenarios it can be used to call someone stupid or lame. Other variations include n3wbie, n3wb or nub. Some people use the term nublet to refer to a noob that is their friend or a noob that they like.

0wn4g3, (ownage) possessing the power to dominate, control, master, or beat someone at a game. Past tense is 0wn3d (owned). You use the term to describe beating someone in a game with ease. Or to describe getting beat. There are different variations of the word they include, pwnt, pwnd, and pwnage.
Some say the word pwnd actually stems from the word pawned which could refer to using someone as a pawn or selling pawning something off. None the less it is still used as a synonym for ownd.

H4Xz0rz (haxzorz) a word most commonly used by hackers to mean hacks or massive hacks. But in the gaming world it’s synonym for ownage.

Ph34r (fear) 1337 for fear.

So what have we learned so far? That this is a sentence you might read while playing an online game! “Ph34r my 1337 h4Xz0rz n00b!”

Common terms:

NPC (Non-Player Character). These are AI controlled characters that serve a certain purpose depended on what they are coded for. Some interact with players in the game by trading them items or talking to them. Some will attack players or allow players to attack them and can be killed. NPCs that can be killed are commonly known as monsters. CPU or Computer Player are also popular terms for NPC.

Tanking, when one person runs into a room full of npcs to purposely take all the damage so that his other teammates can run in and kill the monsters.

Grinding, to kill the same type of enemy or monster over and over in order to level up a skill. This is most popular to do in MMORPGs, but you may need do this in other games as well.

Power leveling, to do the same action over and over again in order to train a skill. This is something that you’ll only do in skill based games, mainly MMOs. Its like grinding except it doesn’t involve killing anything. Some games allow the player to set their character to do one action and just walk away from the keyboard. But most online games see this as cheating and code the game in a way that forces the play to sit at the keyboard while leveling a skill.

Camping, to sit in one spot and wait until an unsuspecting opponent wonders on your screen, and then killing them. This is a popular tactic in online first-person shooters.

Nerf, to lessen the effects of something. The word usually refers to game coding. After finishing the coding for a new item or add on in a game the designers test it to make sure its not too overpowering. If the designers decide that the new content makes some aspect of the game too easy they will “nerf” it to make it less effective.

Rawr, a greeting. Most popular among internet junkies and lol cat fans. But has also made its way into the online gaming community. The word may also be used as a way to show frustration or excitement. Stems from the sound that a lion makes, or “roar”.

Acronyms

While playing games online it is sometimes necessary to communicate very quickly so that one can still concentrate on winning the game. So acronyms are often used to send quick messages to one another.
LOL
Laugh Out Loud
ROFL
Rolling On Floor Laughing
OMG
Oh My God/Oh My Gosh
IDK
I Don’t Know
IDC
I Don’t Care
BRB
Be Right Back
AFK
Away From Keyboard
WTF/WTH
What The Fuck/What The Hell
FFS
For Fucks Sake
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So I guess that just about covers the basics...