5 Essential Terms You Must Learn Before Starting a Gaming Hobby

Gaming Hobby

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Entering the gaming world is a thrill of another level as 3.1 billion people share this joy across the globe. This means many like-minded gamers are available to share the hobby, leading to diversification.

Games, however, have a long history of terms associated with them, and getting familiar with them can bring a more enjoyable experience (in addition to expanding the vocabulary in case you like playing word games). You can imagine playing with experienced individuals and not being able to communicate because of a gap; sounds frustrating, right? Being aware of the basics will cue you into the gaming culture while also helping to enhance your gameplay.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some popular terms for various games and genres so you can thrive and compete in the riveting gaming community.

The Flop, Turn, and River for Poker

Poker is one of those games that’s loaded with terms that make the activity enjoyable and functional. Here, understanding the words flop, turn, and river is key to learning how to play poker.

Let’s start with the flop, which refers to the first three community cards dealt face-up after the starting betting round. It gives players a chance to build their deck. The turn is the fourth community card dealt after the second betting round, and this is when strategic planning becomes more focused. The river is the fifth and final community card thrown on the table, which leads to the showdown.

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Part of the charm of poker is to master these terms and have them on the tip of your tongue. Know that a strong flop can weaken by the river so be sure to check the cards you hold and adapt your approach as needed.

Crafting, Loot, and Raids in MMORPGs

These elements are commonly found in MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV to name a few. Crafting means creating in-game items from materials you gather throughout your playthrough. These can be better gear and more damaging weapons for example.

Loot is any resource found from defeated enemies or chests and can be of differing quality. Generally, higher-level enemies or bosses drop better items. Raids are group challenges where you and a handful of other players work to take down top bosses.

Again, these terms serve as mechanics to make the game exciting. Crafting and loot systems support world exploration and resource management while raids build teams. This has been the norm in MMORPGs for decades and does not seem to be changing any time soon.

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Cooldowns, Ultimates, and Buffs in MOBA Games

In Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas like League of Legends and Dota 2, understanding cooldowns, ultimates, and buffs is needed so let’s go over these. MOBAs usually have skills and abilities and cooldowns are the waiting period before one can be used again, which affects timing and strategies. Ultimates are a more powered version of abilities but do have longer cooldowns associated with them to ensure fair play. Finally, buffs are temporary boosts a character receives that up their stats.

These mechanics shape the gameplay of any MOBA and affect outcomes. For example, saving ultimates for end-game moments can lead to a more decisive finish while managing cooldowns allows you to handle oncoming pressure. To give a representation of MOBA’s popularity, League of Legends alone rakes in 21.4 million weekly views on Twitch.

Hitboxes, Frames, and Combos in Fighting Games

Fighting games are all about stringing together buttons to win fights so having a working understanding of these terms is sure to give an upper edge.

Hitboxes are zones that determine where attacks can land or be blocked but these are invisible areas and generally affect the accuracy of moves. Frames speak of the timing of animations, with frame data handling how fast or slow a hit is delivered. Combos are attack sequences formed by inputting certain buttons in specific orders.

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These all affect the timing and gameplay of a match in games like Tekken or Street Fighter and since these have world tournaments like EVO, there’s a deep appeal to be seen with them.

Maps, Modes, and Objectives in First-Person Shooters (FPS)

FPS games have elements like maps, modes, and objectives, and understanding these paves the way to success. Maps are the areas where players are dropped in and each has different settings and layouts. Modes define the game type for example Team Deathmatch or Capture the Flag. Each mode has specific intentions behind it and works in its own frame. Finally, objectives are the key goals that need to be accomplished to win. These could be eliminating all opponent players or capturing map zones etc.

All these make up video games like Overwatch or Call of Duty and challenge your gameplay approach. Maps need to be studied and memorized for safe spots and flag objectives while different modes require different levels of play styles to be used. In the end, gamers find it’s worth learning these as titles like Call of Duty: Warzone attract over 100 million players, giving you an idea of FPS popularity.

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