Matrix Games Forums

I see some terminology used in these forums which I'm not familiar with. Perhaps they are just modern terms that have entered the online gaming vernacular, but they conspire to confuse this ole table-top, paper wargamer.

For example, what do these mean:

spam - e.g., "city spam"
buff - e.g., "population gets a happiness buff"

I'm sure there are more that escape me at the moment.
-Mark R.

I'm honestly surprised you don't know what spam means. It has been part of the internet for pretty much as long as I remember. Have you never heard of an email spam-filter?
It comes from this Monty Python sketch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hwqlw

Buff has been used in video game communities for decades, too. Most of the time it just means to improve the power/viability of something through an update/patch. But it can also pretty much just be used as to "improve". (The opposite is to "nerf".)

I'm honestly surprised you don't know what spam means. It has been part of the internet for pretty much as long as I remember. Have you never heard of an email spam-filter?
It comes from this Monty Python sketch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hwqlw

Well, sure, I get the general meaning and we use to sing the Monty Python riff at college parties.
But I don't get how that applies here. What's happening in the game when someone mentions, for example, "city spam"?

Buff has been used in video game communities for decades, too. Most of the time it just means to improve the power/viability of something through an update/patch. But it can also pretty much just be used as to "improve". (The opposite is to "nerf".)

Interesting, I would never have gotten that from context - thanks for explaining.
I assume, then, "nerf" means something got weaker due to an update or patch.


Thanks Destragon,
-Mark R.

City spam = making many many cities. Like, getting many unwanted ad emails.

And this helps an old dog like me, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_ ... game_terms

ORIGINAL: mroyer

Interesting, I would never have gotten that from context - thanks for explaining.
I assume, then, "nerf" means something got weaker due to an update or patch.

I think it originally comes from MMORPGs where you have support characters "buffing" or "applying buffs" on other characters to increase their statistics. I dunno why the word "buff" was chosen for that though.
There's also "debuffs", too. Like, if you have a spell to reduce the movement speed of someone, you might call it a movement speed debuff.

City spam = making many many cities. Like, getting many unwanted ad emails.

I see... makes sense.

Thanks, Destragon and Maerchen, for the clarifications and the website [:)]

-Mark R.

Always happy to help! You are welcome.