WoW Rookie: Gaming terminology 101
by Lisa Poisso 
Apr 1st 2009 at 8:00PM
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Probably one of the top requests WoW Rookie gets from new players is a plea for an explanation of WoW and gaming terminology. Even a casual skim of WoW Insider's front page can prove challenging to new gamers. Example: what to experienced players is a routine update on new PTR schedules can be an exercise in frustration for readers who are still sorting out WTT from WTF. ("PTR? WTF?!?")
It's not just WoW-specific abbreviations and acronyms that puzzle new players. Add in gaming lingo and internet chat terms, and you have the recipe for a truly intimidating mix.
To the rescue: an encyclopedic assortment of lists of WoW, gaming and internet abbreviations, acronyms and lingo that steers you back into comprehensible territory. We've arranged our resources from the most basic to the most complete – you can choose how far you're ready to delve into the world of gamespeak.
The Compleat WoW Abbreviations WoW Insider's Eliah Hecht has assembled the need-to-know guide to making sense of chat in the World of Warcraft.
The Compleat WoW Abbreviations: Class-Specific Decipher specialized articles and forum posts about your class of choice.
Raiding Terminology Follow what's going on in your first raid by boning up on raid terms and concepts, from WoW Insider's Amanda Rivera.
Gaming Terminology A comprehensive guide.
WoW Acronyms WoW-specific acronyms.
WoW Acronyms 2 Another WoW-specific acronym listing.
WoW Abbreviations WoW-specific alphabet soup.
WoW Terminology Listings alphabetized in sections for letters A-M and N-Z. There's no Wrath of the Lich King material here – but then again, by the time you're high enough level to be playing in Wrath content, you'll have the matter of game lingo firmly in hand.
Glossary of Online Gaming Acronyms, Abbreviations and Slang A generalist's guide.
The Game Drone With categories for gaming lingo, First-Person Shooters (FPS), MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy).
All-Acronyms.com Including 457 acronyms tagged "video gaming" and 216 acronyms tagged "roleplaying gaming."
GTG -- GG, folks. BBL!
WoW Rookie feeds you the basics to get you off to a good start in the World of Warcraft. Find more tools you can use in the WoW Insider Directory and WoW Insider Leveling Guides.Filed under: WoW Social Conventions, WoW Rookie
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
zappo Apr 2nd 2009 9:49AM
Yeah, that always bothered me as well. It always felt like the person would know there is a class in the group, but didn't seem to actually know who that is. I'd actually say it's downright rude. I mean this is a social game, and we're all people here. To me that goes for any person addressing someone else as their class. It bothers me when I see someone in the group address someone else as "rogue" just as much as when they do it to me.
Strangely enough it doesn't bother me so much when people refer to me as "tank" or "healer". I guess it seems more like a strategy discussion, but even that depends on the context.
I love that flow chart, but I guess we all have our smart ass ways to deal with that. When someone says "PRIEST HEAL", I actually heal them... with the spell 'heal'. You know that one you got with the highest rank at level 34?
Ilnara Apr 2nd 2009 11:11AM
Oh christ.. get over yourself.. When they explain fights in my long standing guild they still refer to us in position by our class or role.
DPS : stand here.
Heals : stand here.
Quit taking it personally ya schmuck.
Arcsis Apr 14th 2009 11:47AM
I had a guy do that to me once. He said "Mage, sheep the guy on the left." So he pulls & the left guy remains unsheeped. He begins to berate said Mage. Then I say, "There's no one here named 'Mage.' I think this Arcsis person can handle that task though."
After that he used everyone's name. :)
McRaider Apr 2nd 2009 4:20AM
Only way to end the FIRSTs is to be first first and put up a comment that doesn't say FIRST
sinthar Apr 2nd 2009 8:22AM
DPS that ask for heals - usually need letting die tbh. Very rarely tho the healer can be asleep (like leaving the dps to be ticked to death, while they overheal the tank - has happened to me in Naxx before).
And i am dps (obviously). But 99% of the time, its the DPS's fault.
Merf Apr 2nd 2009 9:52AM
I looked at all these links and NONE off them tell me what BBQ means. Oh god please! someone tell me what BBQ means.
chaos spawn Apr 2nd 2009 10:15AM
either be back quick, or bar-b-que, take your pick
Ilnara Apr 2nd 2009 11:01AM
Just wanted to go over some of the Magus acronyms.
* Arc : Arcane
* AB: Arcane Blast
* AE: Arcane Explosion
* AI: Arcane Intellect / Arcane Brilliance is also assumed under 'AI' and is more often referred to as "Int" or "Int Buff".
* AP: Arcane Power
* CS: Counterspell
* CoC: Cone of Cold
* Evo: Evocation
* FN: Frost Nova
* FB: Fireball/Fire Blast
* FtB or FBt: Frostbolt
* FFB : Frostfire Bolt (Often used to refer to the whole spec)
* MI : Mirror Image
* PoM: Presence of Mind
* Poly/Sheep: Polymorph
* Port: Portal
* Pyro: Pyroblast
* SP: Spell Power
* Tele: Teleport
* TP: Teleport
* Table : Ritual of Refreshment
* WE : Water Elemental
* IWE: Improved Water Elemental
Dart Apr 9th 2009 10:27PM
Just want to add in, it's accepted that
ABar is Arcane Barrage
Just so it doesn't share the same name as Arcane Blast of AB
Maeb Apr 2nd 2009 11:16AM
Most acronym listings seem to miss the ultimate WTFBBQPWND for some reason, or maybe it is just to old school MC raiding to be listed.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Apr 2nd 2009 11:18AM
I loved the picture. OMG WTF BBQ! What, sorry, couldn't help myself - visuals caught my gaze.
Chanas Apr 2nd 2009 12:46PM
Oh noes the dictionary police !!! Two examples of 'needing', quite badly I might add, of going outside.
Davvolun Apr 2nd 2009 2:06PM
@Plastic Rat I agree with your comment in theory, but one thing I can say is that if you know the standard terminology players' are using, you have at least some level of expertise. It's the same as anywhere else--if I'm working at a garage and I think of food when you say "carb", that doesn't mean I can *OR* cannot take apart a carburetor, but it is an indication.
Jason Apr 6th 2009 11:46AM
I think it's interesting how lingo and acronyms can change from server to server. One server might use one acronym for an instance, while another could use a completely different one.
Thyago Apr 7th 2009 10:41AM
Not exactly related to WoW, but it happened in-game... some guy on trade chat asking "What the f**k is 'WTF'?" =D
I really hope he wasn't joking - or at least I hope I'll die believing he wasnt =P
Eli May 30th 2009 8:15PM
xD was that alliance-side alexstrasza? i remember the exact same thing happening. either that or some new guy in the guild.
rosie Apr 9th 2009 12:06PM
i agree with llinara on the fact that while getting your ass handed to you, it's quite hard to make complete and understandable words let alone sentences, so you shorten it.
i also agree that people that COMPLETELY speak in WTFBBQ speak do sound mentally handicapped. BUT not everyone that uses an abbreviation or such things previously stated are making themselves look dumb the one or two times they use one.
if i tell my guildie "can you link your JC for me?" he sends me a /tell of his jewelcrafting. there, wasn't JC so much easier to type, and faster too? however if i said something like, "can u linkz ur jcz fur mi plz" i granted would have seemed rather mentally incompetent. if i am in a fight with 6 NPCs, and a guildie asks me a question and i really don't want to walk back to my body just to answer them, i'll use an abbreviation, like "brb, mob fight."
but, when you happen to forget to /leave general or trade chat *my God have mercy on your soul if you have forgotten* and all you see are things like "pwn nub, lolz!1!!!" it does make you quite sick and the urge to kill rises.
bottom line, there's a difference between abuse of that system of speaking and using one or two to occasionally to save yourself time and having to retype the same word for the millionth time. no one wants to retype karazhan*spelling may be off here* every day over 5 times a day. so we'll say "kara" and everyone gets it. molten core? MC run.
when your words are limited to a small box that rarely gets checked and is crammed in the bottom of your screen, and your words get lost in the many "*your share of the loot is *insert money amount here*" and the many loot logs and /tells and everything else, you also want to get it out fast as you can so it actually gets read...hopefully.
don't be the immature d kid speaking lulz speak in general/trade as they flame a person for asking for help, but don't be afraid to use an abbreviation either. when used responsibly.
friends don't let friends lulz speak.
shoutdown May 6th 2009 5:13AM
real get!!!!!!!
luke o. Apr 27th 2009 6:21PM
I'm new and idk wtf any dungeon or instance abbreviations are....
mix1 Apr 24th 2009 5:37AM
And probably with a lot of lag -.-.
If you really want to experience the patch I guess we better wait for an hour or so.