Acronyms are a curious by-product of internet life. Like all inventions, they grew from a need — in this case, a need to communicate faster and with less keystrokes than typing allows. The generic acronyms are well known: lol, lmao, lmfao (the highest form of laughter, almost requiring surgery to attach your fucking ass back on), brb, etc.
Online gaming created its own set of acronyms. We needed standard acronyms to communicate quickly when a_ghoul_bat_lord01 was beating our virtual ass down, as opposed to needing acronyms for “what’s your a/s/l, ChickWithADick?”.
With the advent of gaming voice systems, the wonderful world of gaming acronyms is in danger of becoming extinct. Thanks to Team Speak, there are even some noobs in my SWG guild that don’t even KNOW some of the standard gaming acronyms — it’s hell on a PVP raid when the Team Speak server goes whacky and we have to actually *GASP* type.
Frankly, if you don’t know what inc, mezz, rezz, wtb, wts, wta, lfg or exp is, I don’t have time to explain it to you. And I don’t want you in my group either, noob. I can write up a short list of the more “evolved” acronyms, however. Most of these are indigenous to advanced End Game-type gaming … although quite a few were created by my buds and me to entertain ourselves, they had the added bonus of pissing off GWH. (Guildleaders we hate)
MT/MA/SA – Main Tank, Main Assist, Secondary Assist. duh.
MC – Main Cleric – in charge of leading the complete heal chain, also the guy to yell at, with cursing acronyms, if the raid fails.
RL – Raid Leader – the guy to yell at about the choice of targets for the evening’s raid. Also could mean Real Life … important to know the context of the RL use.
w/e – whatever – usually used to respond to an insult you receive. u r a mfjb. w/e. (a better comeback to an insult, my current favorite … wfe.)
Which leads into a whole other category of acronyms, the cursing ones, the insult ones, acronyms to flame with:
WTH/WTF – What the hell! and What the F-bomb! Pretty much any acronym with an F, is an F-bomb. Apply liberally, it’s more fun that way.
OMFG – The more “mature” way to say Oh My God! Mature as in, I’ve seen an R movie, I know that everyone talks this way.
STFU – Shut the F up. The Classic, usually the opener for any flame war.
ffs – For fuck’s sake. We once had an entire raid where we used ffs in every sentence. O those were the days! ffs, we done yet? where’s the f’ing clerics, ffs? ffs, who’s in charge? ffs, we need more lewt! ffs, inc yet? ffs, inc.
bft – ‘Bout fucking time (you showed up in the zone, we’ve been waiting 4fe)
4fe – for-fucking-ever aka a really long time, you asshat.
CSW/CSH – c**k-sucking whore or, if you like to think you’re more ghet-toe, use c**k-sucking ho. Also can be used to mean crack-smoking whore/ho, and, recently, CSD has come into some popularity. (crack-smoking developer)
MF(insert your own noun) – anything with MF obviously refers to the Big One, the Bomb above all F-bombs, Mother-F’er/ing. Examples: MFC (don’t ask), MFP (don’t ask), MFAH (asshole).
IFHVT – I f’ing hate Vex Thal, invented during an EQ Vex Thal raid, jfc, do I have to explain everything?!?!
jfc – Jesus (f-bomb) Christ! Another exclamation of dismay, this one with a little more punch.
OMRFS – Our monk really f’ing sucks. Again, Vex Thal, duh! (no, he never did figure it out.)
When it comes to gaming acronyms, the potential to be creative AND to annoy others around you is endless. A little side benefit, you cannot be banned for using acronyms. After all, you could have been saying What the Fizzle.
P.S. A4TW = Acronyms For The Win, noob.