Dictionary of Terms and Slang

Revision as of 07:12, 11 August 2013 by *>Lordshadow (→‎A)
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This guide is almost certainly out of date as it was created for the 1.x release of Final Fantasy XIV. Its recommendations might not apply to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.


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CAUTION!

This article is only a guide. Information expressed in a guide is usually more opinion than fact and should be taken as such. Guides are written by players, based upon their experiences, successes and mistakes, and are meant to aid other players. However, there may be differing opinions than those expressed in a guide.
Strategies and information in guides may not work for everyone.


Key

  • (n.) - noun
  • (v.) - verb
  • (adv.) - adverb
  • (adj.) - adjective
  • (acr.) - acronym
  • (abrv.) - abbreviation
  • (phrasal v.) - phrasal verb

Symbols

A symbol usually typed after a word to indicate that a misspelling or mistyping of some kind occurred, and the corrected version is the version followed by the * symbol. Example: "Helo all" would likely be followed by "Hello* all"
1) A symbol that is commonly used as a reply. Sometimes meaning "yes" or "Confirmed" when used to answer a question. Example: "Is everyone ready?" And each player replies with "/". This is a representation of the person raising their hand, reminiscent of elementary school roll calls.
2) When used as the first character in your text input area, denotes that the word following is a Text Command. Text commands are used for all kinds of functions, such as sending tell messages or changing settings.

0-9

A

Abel 
(v.) To die of cowardice and/or the lack of VIT
ACC 
(abrv.) (n.) Accuracy.
ACN 
(abrv.) (n.) Arcanist.
Aetheryte 
(n.) Crystalline devices that appear throughout the world of Hydaelyn, used for instantaneous, long-distance travel. See Aetheryte.
AFAIK 
(acr.) (phrase) As Far As I Know
AFK 
(acr.) (phrase) Away From Keyboard
Aggressive 
(adj.) A term used to describe the behavior of a monster which will attack upon sensing a player character who enters its area of detection. This behavior is noted on the wiki pages of monsters which have it.
Aggro 
(v.) To attack a target immediately upon sensing it. Usually reserved for monsters attacking players. Derived from "aggression." "Be careful, those things aggro to sound."
(n.) A target which has begun attacking without having been deliberately provoked. "Got an aggro incoming."
Aldenard 
(n.) A continent in the region of Eorzea. See Aldenard.
AOE 
(acr.) (phrase) Area Of Effect. The area in which a spell or ability will have an effect on a player or mob.
AP 
(acr.) (n.) Attribute Points. AP are gained as you level, and are used to increase Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Intelligence, Mind, and Piety.
ARC
(abrv.) (n.) Archer
Armoury 
(n.) The system behind which an adventurer can switch between their active skills, thereby customizing their style of play. See Armoury.
ATK 
(abrv.) (n.) Attack. See Physical Attack.
ATM 
(acr.) (phrase) At The Moment

B

Bot
(n.) Refers to the use of a third party tool to perform an action over and over again, usually without real human control. The use of any bot is a violation of Square-Enix's Terms of Service. Example: Fish bots, skill-up bots.
BRB 
(acr.) (phrase) Be Right Back
BRT 
(acr.) (phrase) Be Right There
BTW 
(acr.) (phrase) By The Way
Buff 
(n.) A temporary enhancement to a target (player, monster, equipment, etc.). Typically cast as a spell or the effect of consuming food.
(v.) To cast a buff spell.
Buff Up 
(phrasal v.) To cast and cause the various buffs available, typically in a group.

C

Camp
(n.) A location where experience parties take place. Will often be used with a nickname to specify which camp they're talking about. Example: "Please come to Crab Camp in Cassiopeia Hollow."
Camping
(v.) Staying in one general area killing enemies. Most often used when hunting a Notorious Monster-(NM), but can also be used if you're "camping" an area to gather craft materials. See [Farm].
Candor 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Candor.
CE 
(acr.) (n.) Collector's Edition. A special retail version that comes with special items. See Collector's Edition.
Chicken 
(n.) A slang term for a chocobo.
Chobi or Choco (less commonly: Chobo) 
(abrv.) Chocobo
Class 
(n.) Another term for Job, derived from tabletop fantasy RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Constancy 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Constancy.
Courage 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Courage.
Crafter 
(n.) One of the four main categories of expertise, which is further broken down into classes.
CS 
(acr.) (n.) Cutscene. A segment of video that tells a story; happens when on a quest or mission.

D

D2D 
(acr.) (n.) Direct 2 Drive a Digital Download Service. see Digital Download
(DoT) Damage Over Time 
(adj.) the amount of damage a character inflicts over the course of a battle.
(DoH) Disciples of the Hand 
(acr.) (phrase) One of four disciplines that includes the following classes: Carpenter, Blacksmith, Armorer, Goldsmith, Tanner, Weaver, Alchemist, and Culinarian
(DoL) Disciples of the Land 
(acr.) (phrase) One of four disciplines that includes the following classes: Fisher, Botanist, and Miner.
(DoM) Disciples of Magic 
(acr.) (phrase) One of four disciplines that includes the following classes: Thaumaturge and Conjurer
(DoW) Disciples of War 
(acr.) (phrase) One of four disciplines that includes the following classes: Gladiator, Marauder, Pugilist, Archer and Lancer.
(DD) Damage Dealer 
(n.) refers specifically (but not exclusively) to melee damage dealers or physical damage dealers. "We have a tank and two healers, we need some DD."
D/C 
(acr.) (v.) Disconnect. To lose your connection, usually involuntarily.
Debuff 
(n.) A temporary enfeeblement to a target (player, monster, equipment, etc.). Typically cast as a spell.
(v.) To cast a debuff spell. Note that "To debuff" is not the same as removing buffs.
DEF 
(abrv.) (n.) Defense. See Physical Defense.
DEX 
(abrv.) (n.) Dexterity. See Dexterity
Devotion 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Devotion.
Digital Download 
(n.) A legal way to purchase and download software from a digital vendor like Steam or Direct 2 Drive. They allow the user to legally circumvent traditional Software purchases from a retail store. The upside is you get the software sooner, the downside is it comes with no printed media, disks, or other physical manifestations of the purchase.
Diligence 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Diligence.
Ding 
(v.) slang for gaining a level. Originated from the MMO "Everquest", where the act of leveling is accompanied by a loud 'ding!' noise.
Drop 
(n.) treasure that is gained by killing a monster.
(v.) the act of intentionally disbanding from a party.
(v.) to throw away or dispose of an item from inventory.
Duo
(v.) To have a party of two players.

E

Eidos 
(n.) A game development company purchased by Square-Enix. Renamed Square-Enix Europe in 2009.
Elezen 
(n.) One of the playable races found in FFXIV. See Elezen.
Emote 
(n.) Gestures that can be made to express emotion, sometimes accompanied by an in-game character movement. e.g. /bow.
EN 
(abrv.) (n.) English-speaking player. See NA
Endgame 
(n.) Activities done by high level players.
Enmity 
(n.) Also referred to as Hate, and occasionally Threat, the amount of focus the mob has on the player. See. Enmity.
Eorzea 
(n.) A region in the world of Hydaelyn, which is comprised of the continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands. See Eorzea.
ETA 
(abrv.) Estimated Time of Arrival. Used to let others know how long until you reach a specified location. Example: "How long until you reach camp?" "ETA: 10 mins."
EU 
(abrv.) (n.) European Union, Used to refer to players from that region.
EVA 
(abrv.) (n.) Evasion. See Evasion

F

Farm 
(v.) the process of repeatedly killing mobs to get specific drops, usually in order to sell them to get money.
FFXI 
(acr.) (n.) Final Fantasy XI
FFXIV 
(acr.) (n.) Final Fantasy XIV
Fighter 
(n.) One of the four main categories of expertise, which is further broken down into classes.
Fish 
(v.) The Japanese term for the act of luring the mob back to a party. See Pull
(n. Fisher) a party member whose role is to lure monsters back to the party.
Force D/C
(v.) to intentionally disconnect from an online game by means other than logging out; often done without warning.
Fraps 
(n.) A third party software program used to take screen and video captures in full-screen mode programs.
(v.) To record a movie or video, most often using the Fraps software.
FTW/FTL 
(acr.) (phrase) For the Win. FTL refers to the opposite, For the Loss/Lose. Both acronyms can be changed to FTFW/FTFL or FTMFW/FTMFL (which include expletives) to show more flavor. They are used in context to indicate support or distain (respectively) in the same way "Hurray!" or "That sucks!" are used. "Carbuncle FTW!"
FWIW 
(acr.) (phrase) "For What It's Worth", used to indicate that the following information is from the user's experience or opinion and may not be relevant to the current topic.

G

Game Master (GM) 
(n.) GM's assist players with issues that arrise in the game that are beyond the players control. These include things like becoming stuck in the geometry, and dealing with harassment and abuse claims against other players.
Gatherer 
(n.) One of the four main categories of expertise, which is further broken down into classes.
GG 
(acr.) (phrase) "Good Game"
Gil (g) 
(n.) The standard Currency unit in FFXIV, as it is in most Final Fantasy games. See Gil.
Gilseller 
(n.) A person that plays to earn gil in order to sell for real money. These people are often hated and looked down upon, as their actions are against the Terms of Service and cause grief for legitimate players.
GL 
(abrv.) (n.) Guildleve
(abrv.) (phrase) Good Luck
GN 
(acr.) (phrase) Good Night
Grats 
(abrv.) (phrase) Congratulations.
Gridania 
(n.) A city-state in the region of Eorzea. See Gridania.
Group 
(n.) See Party
GTG (synonym - G2G) 
(acr.) (v.) Got To Go. "Sorry guys, I GTG. Thanks for the PT though."
(acr.) (v.) Good to go. Since it is the same acronym as 'got to go', 'GTG' often leads to confusion.
Guildleves 
(n.) FFXIV's adventuring system. See Guildleves.
GWH 
(acr.) (phrase) Girl With Horns Refers to the banner art work on the Final Fantasy XIV website which has a character that looks like a girl with horns protruding from her head. Speculation is that it could be a new race, whether it is playable is not known yet.

H

Hate 
(n.) Also referred to as Enmity, the amount of focus the mob has on the player.
HP 
(acr.) (n.) Hit Points. A numeric representation of a character's life.
Hunting 
(v.) The act of finding monsters in a party and killing them for experience points, and/or skill points.
Hydaelyn 
(n.) The world that FFXIV takes place in. See Hydaelyn.
Hyur 
(n.) One of the playable races found in FFXIV. See Hyur.

I

IIRC 
(acr.) (phrase) If I Remember Correctly or If I Recall Correctly. "There was a gob that spawned here, IIRC."
IG 
(acr.) (phrase) In Game
IMHO / IMO 
(acr.) (phrase) In My Humble Opinion and In My Opinion
Incoming (INC) 
(phrase) A warning that a monster, whether pulled or not, is about to join the fray.
INT 
(abrv.) (n.) Intelligence. See Intelligence.
Invite (inv) 
(n.) A request for an adventurer to join a party.
(v.) the act of sending an invite.
IRL 
(acr.) (phrase) In Real Life

J

JK 
(acr.) (phrase) Just Kidding
JP 
(acr.) (n.) Japan Region used to refer to Japanese Players, or just Japanese. (Do NOT use "jap", as this is considered offensive).

K

(acr.) 1) Kilo, used to indicate thousands of something, usually gil or experience points.
(acr.) 2) Short for 'OK'.
Kiting 
(v.) Causing an enemy who has enmity on you to chase you in a specific area.
K.O. 
(acr.) Knocked Out. To be defeated in combat.

L

Lag 
(n.) refers to slower internet (and thereby game) speed due to high server usage (a lot of people on at one time).
(v.) the state of being affected by lag.
Lalafell 
(n.) One of the playable races found in FFXIV. See Lalafell.
(LFG/LFP) 
(acr.) (v.) Looking for Group / Looking for Party
Leve 
(abrv.) An abbreviation for Levequest. See Levequests.
Levequest 
(n.) A quest obtainable from your local Adventuring Guild. See Levequests.
Limsa Lominsa 
(n.) A city-state that lies on the southern coast of Vylbrand. Much of this city-state's wealth comes from the shipping industry, and is defended by its navy, The Knights of the Barracuda. See Limsa Lominsa.
LOL 
(acr.) (v.) Laughing Out Loud. "That level 30 just attacked Serket?? LOL!"
(adj.) Derogatory: used as a prefix to a job abbreviation to imply that a job is laughably weak. "Lancer? More like LOLANCER"
LoS 
(acr.) (phrase) Line of Sight. Referring to the ability to see a target. Many spells and abilities require line of sight to use.
Lodestone 
(n.) Square Enix site created for FFXIV. See Official Site

M

(acr.) Mega, used to indicate millions of something, usually gil.
MACC 
(abrv.) (n.) Magic Accuracy. See Magic Accuracy.
Magitek 
(compound word) (n.) Magitek is a compound of the words of Magic and Technology. It encompasses any machinery that uses magic to function, or can manipulate magic.
Mage (synonyms - Caster, Nuker) 
(n.) a character whose job relies heavily on magic.
Malm (n.) 
An Eorzean unit of measurement, similar to a mile.
MDEF 
(abrv.) (n.) Magic Defense. See Magic Defense.
Meat Shield 
(n.) a party member who is to gather and hold the attention of one or more mobs, ensuring the safety of the rest of the group.
(v.) the act of being the mob's focal point of aggression while group members attack mobs.
Miqo'te 
(n.) One of the playable races found in FFXIV. See Miqo'te.
MMO / MMORPG 
(acr.) (n.) Massive Multiplayer Online / Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. FFXIV is an MMORPG.
MND 
(abrv.) (n.) Mind. See Mind.
Mob 
(abrv.) (n.) monster. Originally meant to be short for "mobile," meaning any mobile object, the term now is used synonymously with monsters.
MP 
(acr.) (n.) Magic/Mana Points. A numeric representation of a character's Magic/Mana.
MPK 
(acr.) (v.) Monster Player Kill. The killing of another player in the game by luring a monster to attack them or by abusing the Area of Effect property of a monster's attack so that it hurts another person. This can be intentional or accidental, MPK referring typically to an intentional death.
MPOT 
(abrv.) (n.) Magic Potency. See Magic Potency
MT 
(acr.) (n.) 1) mis-type, mis-text or mis-tell. This is typed after a message does not go to its intended audience. "I told my wife I can't pick up the kids 'cause I'm the MNK!" ... "mt"
(acr.) (n.) 2) Main Tank. A designated player (most often in a large group setting where there are large, multiple-mob pulls, most of which will be slept) who is to be followed and assisted.
Mule 
(n.) an alternate character created expressly for carrying excess items and gear, crafting, or for quick access to remote sources of materials (AHs, vendors, etc.).
(v.) to move excess items and gear between a primary character and a mule character.

N

NA 
(acr.) (n.) North American Player, usually used as a generalization of all English-speaking players.
Nerf 
(v.) To weaken or make less dangerous in the interest of game balance. The term came about in gaming because the Nerf company creates harmless versions of harmful devices (swords, guns, etc). Hence, if a game developer makes a weapon less dangerous, it has “nerfed” that item. Mind you, this does not only apply to items and equipment; it also applies to classes, spells, etc. Definition taken from Nerfbat.
Newbie/Newblet/Newb 
(n.) A non-derogatory term for a person that is new to the world of FFXIV - newblet almost being a term of endearment. ("Aww. Look at the cute little newblets killing that mob!")
Non-Player Character (NPC) 
(n.) Characters that are created by Square-Enix and are controlled by a computer, not a real person; for the roleplaying enthusiast, NPC stands for Non-Participating Citizen.
(v.) to sell an item to an NPC. "Hold on guys, I gotta NPC some stuff."
Noob 
(n.) A derogatory term for a player whose playing style is considered immature and/or whose lack of knowledge is voluntary and beyond mere ignorance.
Notorious Monster (NM) 
(n.) A unique type of mob that often drop rare and special items/equipment, that cannot be crafted or found in stores. The item/s an NM will drop, generally depend on several factors. The NM's level, rarity, and location are just a few. Typically, the weaker the NM, the weaker the drops. Spotting one may/may not be easy, as they can resemble typical mobs in the area they occupy. Even though they may look similar to regular mobs, NM's are not to be taken lightly. They will have their own set of special abilities, attacks, spells, or even all three. They will most likely have a "special name", to distinguish them from typical mobs, but is not always the case. Quest related NM's are more common. They usually must be fought to continue in certain quest lines.
Nuke 
(n.) An offensive magic spell.
(v.) dealing damage via magic.
Nuker 
(n.) A party member whose role is to deal damage primarily via magic spells. See Mage

O

OMG (OMFG, etc.) 
(acr.) Oh My God! Typically used in America and other English-speaking countries, normally applying to a state of shock.
OMW 
(acr.) On My Way
OOM 
(acr.) Out Of Magic
Orz (OTL, Or2, On_, OTZ, O7Z, Sto, Jto, _no, _| ̄|○) 
(v.) 1) Japanese in origin, it is pictogram or emoticon of a person on their knees, head held low in humility. Often used when asking forgiveness. "I forgot to bring my armor. Orz."
(v.) 2) Similar to the above, except adapted by English-speaking players to be seen as slamming your head into the ground. "I finally found a coffer, but I left my key in my MH. Orz."

P

Party (PT) 
(n.) a group of 2 or more people.
(v.) to join into, or form, a group
PC 
(acr.) (n.) 1) Personal Computer, one of the platforms that FFXIV supports.
(acr.) (n.) 2) See Player Character
PIE 
(abrv.) (n.) Piety. See Piety.
Player Character (PC) 
(n.) any character in the game that is controlled by a real person.
Pot 
(abrv.) (n.) short for Potion. Used for all types of potions.
Proc 
(acr.) (v.) Processed Random Occurrence. Origin comes from MUD, a dated multiplayer online text-based fantasy game. Proc refers to when an additional effect created by a weapon randomly occurs.
(acr.) (n.) Processed Random Occurrence.
PS3 
(acr.) (n.) Playstation 3, one of the gaming platforms that FFXIV supports.
Pull 
(v.) The English term for the act of luring the mob back to a party. See Fish
(n. Puller) a party member whose role is to lure monsters back to the party.
PvE 
(acr.) Player versus Environment
PvP 
(acr.) Player versus Player
Pwned 
(v.) L337speak for the English word Owned (Slang context). "We beat this monster" with an emphasis on the skill required to do so, or the use of overkill. "Pwned!"

Q

Quest 
(n.) specific requests from private citizens that rarely result in worthwhile monetary gain, but add to fame when completed.
(v.) the act of embarking on a quest. "Since we're not doing anything, I'll just quest for the rest of the day."

R

RA 
(acr.) Ranged Attack
Race 
(n.) The sentient humanoid species that inhabit Eorzea. There are currently five known playable races.
Real Money Trade (RMT) 
(v.) RMT includes buying/selling of gil, items, characters, and/or accounts. Note that all forms of RMT are in direct violation of the user agreement and are therefore considered cheating. Please report anyone you find engaging in RMT activities to the Special Task Force.
RMT 
(acr.) (n.) Real Money Trader. A character involved in the act of RMT. See Real Money Trade.
Roegadyn 
(n.) One of the playable races found in FFXIV. See Roegadyn.
ROFL 
(acr.) (v.) Rolling on the Floor, Laughing. Often suffixed with 'MAO', making the full acronym Rolling on the Floor, Laughing My Ass Off.
RTG or R2G 
(acr.) (v.) Ready To Go

S

SE 
(acr.)(n.)(1.) Standard Edition the basic retail version.

(2.) Square-Enix

Soak 
(v.) used to refer to any properties that items produce to reduce DMG, also used in calculating values for AoE abilities and spells.
Solo 
(v.) To do a task or character advancement without the aid of a party or alliance.
Sorcerer 
(n.) One of the four main categories of expertise, which is further broken down into classes.
Spam 
(v.) To repeatedly cast a spell or do an ability.
(v.) To repeatedly and rapidly using chat, especially when abusing party or shout mode.
Spawn (synonym - pop) 
(n.) the location that a particular monster appears at when entering the game.
(v.) the act of the monster entering the game.
Square-Enix (S-E, SE, or Squeenix) 
(n.) the developer of Final Fantasy XI & Final Fantasy XIV. Sometimes facetiously referred to as Squeenix.
Square-Enix Europe 
(n.) Formerly Eidos PLC. Was purchased by Square-Enix in 2009.
SS 
(n.) (v.) "Screenshot".
Static (synonym - Perma) 
(n.) a group of people who meet together on a regular basis to get experience points, work on missions, or work on quests.
Steam 
(n.) a Digital Software Distribution Service that allows users to purchase and download software legally, recently Square Enix and Eidos released many of their games through Steam.
STF 
(acr.) (n.) Special Task Force. A internal group within Square-Enix which targets RMT activities, cheats, and players abusing exploits.
STFU 
(acr.) (phrase) A command to stop talking, containing an expletive.
(acr.) (n.) Special Task Force (Unit). Many players either deliberately or mistakenly refer to STF as STFU. See STF.
STR 
(abrv.) (n.) Strength. See Strength.
Support 
(abrv.) See Support Role Job.
Support Role Job 
(n.) a party member whose role is primarily to enhance other party members' performances by buffing the party or enfeebling the party's target.
Synthesis 
(n.) The process by which crafting takes place.

T

Tank 
(n.) a party member whose role is to keep the mob's attention on himself/herself, and away from the other members.
(v.) the act of retaining the monster's attention.
Temperance 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Temperance.
Tenacity 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Tenacity.
Toon 
(n.) A term used to describe a playable character. Usage is not popular with FFXI/XIV veterans because of the emotional attachments some have gotten with their characters, and the lack of characters having a "Cartoon" like appearance that some MMO's have used. Some animosity has been shown towards users from other MMO's using it in FFXI/XIV. Use it at your own risk.
ToS 
(acr.) (n.) Terms of Service.
TP 
(acr.) (n.) Tactical Points. A numeric representation indicating a character's ability to perform Weapon Skills.
Train 
(n.) a group of attacking mobs that have linked to each other.
(v.) 1) the act of linking mobs to each other, usually for the purpose of farming.
(v.) 2) the act of running away from a group of mobs that have linked or aggroed to the same person or group.
The Twelve 
(n.) a phrase coined by the citizens of Eorzea for the Gods and Goddesses.

U

Ul'dah 
(n.) A city-state in the region of Eorzea. See Ul'dah.

V

Valor 
(n.) One of the Guildleves. See Valor.
Vending machine 
(n.) A term used to describe an extremely easy monster who drops valuable items.
VIT 
(abrv.) (n.) Vitality. See Vitality.
VN 
(acr.) Very nice.

W

(abrv.) (v.) warai (わらい/笑), Japanese for laughter; it is the equivalent of LOL. Lowercase w is more commonly seen and can be chained together as in www much the same way lolol is used.
WC
(acr.) (n.) water closet, a.k.a. bathroom. Usually used in conjunction with afk or brb. "brb WC"
Wipe 
(v.) death of an entire party or alliance, usually within the context of quests, missions, or major battles. "We wiped on Kirin today."

X

Xbox 360 (synonyms - Xbox, 360) 
(n.) a video game console made by Microsoft.

Y

Yalm 
(n.) An Eorzean unit of measurement, similar to a yard. 100 Yalms is 1 "Unit" on in-game Maps.

Z

Zerg 
(v.) the act of using mass numbers to achieve an objective. Derived from the game Starcraft by Blizzard. The Zerg were a race of swarming aliens with an insect likeness of large size. The basic strategy of any Zerg player was to use mass quantities of troops, preferably the cheap kind, to overwhelm an opponent. (More information here)

Credits and Acknowledgments

Many of these definitions were copied from the FFXI dictionary at http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/ The definitions that were too specific to FFXI were omitted due to the chance that they are either different or not applicable to FFXIV.