Fighting game lingo you find annoying

Austin_QED · January 13, 2012, 8:42am

Fine, I’ll play this game with you.

Let’s take a recent example of “technology” and break it down, see how well the term applies to it with various definitions. We’ll use the Anti-Phoenix one since it’s recent. As a quick summary, the recent Anti-Phoenix “technology” is basically the capability of X-Factor cancelling an up or down exchange into a side exchange, which works as long as the Phoenix player is mashing to counter side exchange; the player being comboed upon can’t make another counter attempt for 15 frames. As for options to counteract this, the defender can try to guess the first exchange direction (up->side, down->side, or just side), or wait until after X-Factor to counter the side exchange, whereas the attacker can just go straight for the side exchange if they know that their opponent is aware of this trick. It’s certainly an ingenious trick, and introduces another layer of depth into gameplay vs. Phoenix. But is it “technology”?

"the study of or a collection of techniques."
Under this definition, yes, it is technology. And the techniques involved are pretty comprehensively documented, too.

"the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area […] a capability given by the practical application of knowledge […] a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge"
Yes, under this definition, it is technology as well. It’s most certainly practical to stop Phoenix from transforming, and we’re applying the knowlege of frame data and X-Factor cancelling in order to accomplish that.

"the application of practical sciences to industry or commerce"
And here’s where it starts to break down. Fighting game technique and comprehensive understanding and utilization of its rules is not practical science by any stretch of the imagination… nor does it have anything to do with industry or commerce. No, fighting games are not an industry, and if you’re going to say they are, get over yourself. They are part of the gaming industry, but the act of playing them at a high level is, while impressive and indicative of intelligence, technical skill, and manual dexterity, NOT an industry. Not technology under this definition.

"(the study and knowledge of) the practical, especially industrial, use of scientific discoveries"
And if you think you’re a scientist for coming up with a practical combo or solution to a difficult gameplay problem, then you also need to get over yourself. You’re ingenious, but you’re not a scientist. No under this definition.

"the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science."
Fighting game technique does not utilise industrial arts, engineering, applied science, or pure science. No under this definition.

"advanced scientific knowledge used for practical purposes, especially in industry"
Nope here too.

"The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives."
Nope.

"That branch of knowledge which deals with the various industrial arts; the science or systematic knowledge of the industrial arts, as spinning, metal-working, or brewing."
Nope.

"the discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems"
Nope.

That’s two definitions in your favor, and seven in mine. And you are certainly right in that majority does not determine definition in and of itself, but the majority is indicative of what most people understand the word to mean, and the FGC’s use of it fails under most people’s understanding of it. We can mash all of these definitions together into one simplified defintion, “The practical application of technical knowledge from various branches of science,” and the way the FGC uses the word still fails under it, and cuts straight to the core of why I hate this particular piece of lingo.

Yes, it takes intelligence and ingenuity to devise and discover effective combos, methods, tricks, and exploits for use in fighting games, which developers go out of their way to try and make as rock-solid stable and balanced as possible. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back, you deserve it. You’re advancing the game’s depth and technical knowledge base, and making it more fun to play (or sometimes just breaking it outright, that works too). But when you use “technology” to try to refer to such discoveries, you’re obviously just trying to use a “fancy” word to make yourself and your discoveries look cool, and trying to pass yourself off as some sort of hot-shit scientist. It’s pretentious, it’s egotistical, and it irritates me all to hell, and a lot of people in this thread feel the same way. The word “technique” is easily sufficient, way more accurate, and isn’t pretentious and egotistical.

You can argue that you’re right and that I’m wrong all you want, but the best case scenario for you at this point is a difference of opinion. If I were you, I would leave it at that.

Uh…Dude…

You only need one definition to be correct, the amount of definitions doesn’t decide whose right.

The fact that the definition is there is proof enough.

Let’s say we talked about “gay”, now, would we be tied if I said “happy” or “homosexual”?

No, we would both be right, end of story.

Shadow · January 13, 2012, 9:18am

Well once when Ultra David was commentating over Mortal Kombat he called Raiden’s flying move Bobalay. I thought it was funny, call me immature.

NickRocks · January 13, 2012, 9:57am

why the fuck doesn’t Dogface comment anymore seriously this shit is ridiculous

specs · January 13, 2012, 11:16am

Uh-huh.

TiZ · January 13, 2012, 11:22am

Yes, indeed.

NickRocks · January 13, 2012, 11:27am

yall should settle this with a ft7

Reruns · January 13, 2012, 2:33pm

You’re both kind of dumb. That’s not what a dictionary, or really even a definition, is for. I asked the specific question that I did because any time someone says something is “real X,” they are invoking the threat of the No True Scotsman fallacy, which gets us nowhere. Arguing definitions is likewise extremely perilous territory. Virtually every argument of this type is flawed in some gruesome way.

The important distinction is whether or not we have the same expectations of reality. What is it that would make them different things?

bbq_sauce · January 14, 2012, 2:36am

I used to enjoy the slang that community would use, it was cool… It felt like out own little culture.

Until streaming became popular. I can’t even watch streams anymore, unless I hide the chat. Anytime a player loses, with out fail all you see is the chat blow up with “BLOWN UP, FREE, HE SALTY, LOL” 99% of the terms used don’t even apply when these people use them. Now when I hear anyone refer to training mode as “the lab” or call any form strategy “technology”… I just get irked… and I generally decide I don’t want to be near that person.

I guess, anytime you have subculture that gains it’s own set of poseurs, that means you’re doing something right, expanding, growing, etc. But, I miss the days where these assholes didn’t exist.

Reveal · January 14, 2012, 7:16am

Annoys me when people say “I’m running this team"
Or “I run Wesker, Jill, Chris"
Can’t you just say,” I’m using that team?” Nobody gets extra-cool points for saying that you’re ‘running’ something.

lseelba · January 14, 2012, 7:22am

Swag is the only one that bugs me.

Havatchu · January 14, 2012, 1:55pm

People have been using that word for sports for ages now.

Reveal · January 14, 2012, 9:31pm

Didn’t know that, but I don’t really care. Still don’t like it. lol

Kanta-Kun · January 15, 2012, 4:31am

Once again, I’d like to go back to the term “ROM” and the perpetuation of this shitty misuse of the word.

[media=youtube]mCNeLHjj01M[/media]

Really nice combo you got there Spencer. It looks good, with the going up and then back… down… no… don’t tell me… looks at title FUCKING ROM!? NO.
At least, well, the video creator is asking in the description if it’s an actual rom, but then… well… in the comments you get this piece of shit:

RANGE OF MOTION!? Where the fuck do people come up with this shit!? really? Retard probably google searched it and came up with

Get the fuck out of here if you don’t know what you’re talking about…

EDIT: Video uploader actually changed the video title. Fucking cool dude.

The_Final_Lion · January 15, 2012, 4:47am

I disapprove when people call normals counter-hitting normals or special/stuff in general with something along these lines ; “That jab stuffs a lot of shit”, “Wow that move has so much priority”. Good thing people are learning their shit and it’s not so common, save for maybe some YT or stream comments.

jedpossum · January 15, 2012, 4:54am

Sometimes moves just have high priority.

evillee · January 15, 2012, 11:09am

Annoying ones would be FGC/Fighting Game Community and “free”. The worst ones would be “gay”, “rape”, and “godlike”.

NickRocks · January 15, 2012, 1:52pm

gay is a fighting game term?

evillee · January 15, 2012, 9:50pm

Apparently so.

Politank-Z · January 15, 2012, 11:15pm

Damn. The tiredness/overuse of “lingo”/this thread is what happens when slang or a good joke is introduced to white people (lol)/nerds/people desperately seeking to look cool or interesting. The discussions on the usage of “technology” are just too much.

weightedcompanioncube · January 16, 2012, 11:44am

Nigga just got told

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