Jargon

Jargon consists of new (or specialized meanings for old) words, terms, and phrases; it comes with communities of practice. Although often seen as a barrier (if you don’t speak the language, you’re not ready to join), jargon can be a very effective way of making players feel they really are part of something. It serves to draw in people: You hear someone say “rotate aggro” and you want to know what it means ¹. Acquiring the vocabulary gives you a badge that says, “Hey, I’m one of you.”

Don’t consciously create your own jargon—let it evolve. That way, you’ll get terms that fill a genuine need. The important thing is to record anything that sticks, and make the record available to players. Journalists called the jargon used by MUD1 players MUDspeke, so for MUD2 I compiled the MUDspeke Dictionary, accessible from within the virtual world itself as an out-of-context command ². People look up what words mean, and can use them themselves. It helps them become accepted; it makes them part of the club.

Don’t dismiss jargon as unimportant. Try speaking to a fellow designer without knowing what PvP, PvE, RvR, PD, and PK mean, and see how far you get….