RPG Buzzwords that have effectively lost their meaning due to poor over-use

[payn]

So is this one of those threads where people hurl thinly veiled insults at other folks' preferences and playstyles, then cover with "It's just a joke"?

I love those.

It was like I saw it coming!

This one used to rankle men whenever I'd hear something referred to as problematic without being told what exactly the problematic part was. It's as if I was supposed to magically know.

Yes, men often get rankled about the word problematic....oh it was supposed to be "me"

 

[Deset Gled]

- Video gamey, or video game like. TTRPGs and video games have been trading design for so long now it's essentially impossible to say anything belongs in one domain but not the other. Especially since VTTs (and digital card games, board game sims, etc) have gotten big. There's really no meaningful distinction.

- Trad, neo-trad, etc. Useless otherism disguised as jargon.

On the positive side, I used to hate "lusory", but in my experience it's has been less of a buzzword recently and I think I'm coming back around to it. At the very least, it's not a red flag to me anymore.

 

[Autumnal]

I’m tempted to say “all of them”, but that’s a little overreacting. There are probably some not yet drained of all useful meaning. But broadly speaking, if you can find it in use on three different sites/services, it’s past that point. Very little useful discussion about gaming needs jargon, or normal words that have been commandeered into being jargon.

Of course, I also am a sinner in this regard.

 

[Committed Hero]

Railroad

This was mine. It has grown to mean both "the GM actively pushes you into a single course of action" and "the plot of the adventure has no branches."

 

[Reynard]

I generally dislike the use of jargon in RPG discussions. I think discussions can be more productive by describing the thing you mean rather than using a term you assume everyone else has the same definition for (or even knows).

One problem can be that terms change meaning over time, and/or have different meanings when used by different people in different contexts. For example, "narrative" means one thing in GNS theory, another in more modern game design, and of course has its own colloquial meaning. It is helpful when using the term to lay out what meaning you are aiming at, then.

If there is a term that fits the thread subject, I think I agree with OP on "-punk." Or, at least, "-punk" now designates style, rather than indicating molotov time.

 

[Desdichado]

So is this one of those threads where people hurl thinly veiled insults at other folks' preferences and playstyles, then cover with "It's just a joke"?

I love those.

Unless you play a diagetic, liminal TTRPG-punk game, I can't imagine how you could possibly conclude that. Thanks for playing.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Verisimilitude

Immersion

 

[payn]

I generally dislike the use of jargon in RPG discussions. I think discussions can be more productive by describing the thing you mean rather than using a term you assume everyone else has the same definition for (or even knows).
One problem can be that terms change meaning over time, and/or have different meanings when used by different people in different contexts. For example, "narrative" means one thing in GNS theory, another in more modern game design, and of course has its own colloquial meaning. It is helpful when using the term to lay out what meaning you are aiming at, then.

I think the problem I have with that is I dont want to reinvent the wheel everytime im having a discussion. What folks are really running into is two fold.

1. Either the writer doesn't provide the appropriate context, or the reader refuses/confuses the context.
2. Reader and/or writer use a term to a very narrow specific level and are unwilling to budge or move forward in the discussion until they are completely satisfied (which is likely never).

If there is a term that fits the thread subject, I think I agree with OP on "-punk." Or, at least, "-punk" now designates style, rather than indicating molotov time.

I see that, but can usually tell one from the other in how the person is using "punk". If not, I ask clarifying questions.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't doubt that "liminal" is being overused, but if it's just being used to describe hallways and doorways and the like, that's the problem, not the word itself.

Clearly, English majors need to be running the world. (What, would we do worse?)

 

[Reynard]

Verisimilitude

Sometimes a word is the right word, even if it feels over used (probably because there isn't actually a better word for the ting).

Immersion

I am not sure the problem with "immersion" is its over use rather that it being one of those words that has as many meanings as users.