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The Complete Mechwarrior Dictionary


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#1 RedDragon

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 11:03 AM

Since there are continuously popping up topics with questions regarding "technical terms" used by the Mechwarrior community, I guess it's a good idea to create a dictionary where all those terms are gathered in one place and explained to new players.

Mind you: The sole purpose of this dictionary is to inform about terms native to the Mechwarrior games (i. e. terms that originated in the Mechwarrior community to describe in-game phenomena). For everything generally Battletech related, please go to Sarna for further infos on the BT universe.

This dictionary is in no way as complete as the title suggests. It is a rather open project and I'd really like to get input from all of you MW veterans, be it other terms I overlooked or clarifications on the descriptions I provided. I tried to keep all descriptions as neutral and concise as possible.
I'll add every constructive feedback to this post to keep it up to date. (maybe we could even get this sticky?)

Disclaimer: This is a collection of terms that originated and were used throughout the history of Mechwarrior games. Some of the info presented may not (yet) allude directly to Mechwarrior: Online. Every entry that doesn't refer to Mechwarrior in general but to previous iterations of the game will say so in its description. Since we don't yet know a lot about MWO those entries are there with the sole purpose of informing new players of the "slang" used by veterans, not to picture actual game mechanics of MWO.


The Dictionary
  • 1st/3rd-person view: Optional views one could use in previous Mechwarrior games. Mainly in MW4 this led to problems within the community since 3rd-person view allowed for some advantages over 1st-person (or cockpit-) view, especially while jump sniping or hill humping (see below).
  • Alpha striking: Firing all your mech's weapons at once. Depending on the mech's load-out a risky decision, since there most likely will be a massive heat spike that could lead to your mech shutting down.
  • Boating: Equipping a mech with weapons of mostly one type, e.g. laser weapons (Laser boats), missile weapons (Missile boats) etc.
  • Brawling: Close combat mech fighting. Mostly fought with mechs equipped with short range weapons (AC/20, SRM etc.)
  • C0 – C7: Code used in earlier iterations of MW to set a specific load-out that would be used by all players in a match:
    C0 = Stock (Original game mech configurations only)
    C1 = Energy Only
    C2 = Energy and Ballistics
    C3 = Ballistics and Missles
    C4 = Energy and Missles
    C5 = Ballistics Only
    C6 = All Weapons
    C7 = Missles Only
  • Canon: Everything Battletech related that stems from an official source (source- and rulebooks, most novels etc.) and therefore is “legalized” by the game’s developers.
  • Chain firing: Firing your mech's weapons in no (or only small) groups one after another, thus achieving a long "chain" of fire that will provide constant damage to the target and in the best case knock its aim off continuously.
  • Circle strafing/Circling: A tactic that is preferred in close-combat mech duels. The goal is to circle around an enemy mech and keep your torso centered on the enemy while doing so. This way the enemy has a harder time following your mech (especially if his turn-speed is slower than your running speed) while you still can keep all torso and arm mounted weapons centered on him.
  • Coring: Specifically destroying a single hit location on a mech, in most cases the center torso to rapidly kill the mech without "wasting" shots on other locations.
  • Cross tech(ing): Using both Inner Sphere and Clan (i. e. "the best of both worlds") equipment in a single chassis, as opposed to Pure tech.
  • CT (Center Torso): The main part of a mech's torso. If your CT is destroyed, you die.
  • DFA/Death from Above: The act of using your jump jets to maneuver above an enemy mech and subsequently dropping on its head. In the best case the enemy gets decapitated or falls down. This move poses a great risk to the own mech and is often used as a last resort to kill the enemy.
  • DZ (Drop Zone): The point on the map where a team is inserted (a.k.a. "dropped") onto the map.
  • FFP (Forced first person view): Server setting in Mechwarrior 4 that only allowed 1st person view. Used to make the game more simulation-like and to prevent advantages from using 3rd-person view. See also 1st/3rd-person view.
  • Hill humping: A tactic mostly used by pilots of sniper-mechs. I.e. standing behind a hill, only moving forward to shoot over its crest, then moving backwards into cover.
  • HO/LA (Heat On/Limited Ammo): The “normal” variant of game play in previous iterations of Mechwarrior. Heat is activated and ammo limited. As opposed to NH/UA.
  • Hot drop: A match that starts as soon as it is launched, opposed to matches that are dropped “cold”, i. e. the players join the game and wait for a “go”-signal before the fighting starts.
  • HTAL: Acronym used when referring to the standard bar-diagram for your mech's remaining armour. Stands for "Head, Torso, Arms, Legs", i.e. the different hit zones of a mech, which are each represented by a vertical bar that changes colour when the corresponding zone is damaged.
  • Jump sniping: A tactic mostly used by pilots of sniper-mechs. A mech stands behind cover and uses its jump jets for a vertical thrust to shoot over the obstacle, then drops back behind cover.
  • Legging: Deliberately aiming at a mech’s legs. Previous iterations of Mechwarrior allowed for relatively easy kills by destroying one leg of a mech. Since it was much easier to destroy a single (relatively light armored) leg instead of the heavily armored torso, some (if not most) players considered legging as “dishonorable”.
  • Lore: The (fictional) history of the Battletech universe.
  • LT (Left Torso): The left part of your mech's torso.
  • Mix tech (see Cross tech)
  • NH/UA (No Heat/Unlimited Ammo): A variant of game play in previous iterations of Mechwarrior, in which your mech generates no heat and your weapons don’t need ammo, providing a more arcade-like feeling.
  • NR (No Respawn): Game-mode in which every player only has one “life” as opposed to UR games that allowed for joining again in a fresh mech after being killed.
  • Pop tarting (see Jump sniping)
  • Pure tech: Only using Inner Sphere weapons/equipment on Inner Sphere mechs and only Clan weapons/equipment on Clan mechs. As opposed to Mix tech.
  • RT (Right Torso): The right part of your mech's torso.
  • Splashing: In Mechwarrior 4, a mech always exploded after death, dealing damage to surrounding mechs. It therefore became an often used tactic to go near enemy mechs ("hugging" them) when the own mech had only a little armour left. So when the enemy delivered the killing blow, he too would get damaged by the resulting explosion.
  • Stackpoling: A term named after the science-fiction author Michael A. Stackpole, who wrote many of the canonized Battletech novels. It refers to a fusion reactor (as used in Battlemechs) going critical and exploding with a large blast radius. This is mostly a product of artistic license, since reactors in Battletech are quite safe and only really seldom explode when damaged (see Fusion Engine for more info). In fact in the tabletop game, the rule for exploding engines is a Level 3 rule that is not meant for standard play. The first appearance of an exploding engine is found in one of Stackpole's novels, hence the name. Trivia: This phenomenom even made it to tvtropes.org (under "Literature" tab).
  • UR (Unlimited Respawn): Game-mode in previous iterations of Mechwarrior in which every player has unlimited “lives” as opposed to NR games which ended for a player if he lost his mech.
  • X-Tech (See Cross tech)
Thanks go out to CCC_Dober and Davoke who helped expand the Dictionary.

Edited by RedDragon, 07 July 2012 - 04:58 AM.


#2 MrMasakari

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 11:07 AM

Very nice post, nice for the newbies and those unrusting veterans. Please sticky this for the rest of the community :)

I'll try and see if I can think up any other popular terms to add to your list ^^

Edited by Artaire, 29 June 2012 - 11:07 AM.


#3 Joseph Mallan

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 11:12 AM

Thanks Red Dragon. That was helpful. I'm not much of a video gamer so the definitions are very helpful. :)

#4 CCC Dober

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 11:45 AM

Alpha would be a nice addition I think.

P.S. Oh yes, and Chaining/Chain Fire ofc. No match was complete without the dreaded LRM spam LOL

Edited by CCC Dober, 29 June 2012 - 11:49 AM.


#5 CG Chicken Kn

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:04 PM

Very MW4 oriented. There was no pop tarting in MW3. If you tried such a thing we would be on you and kill you in seconds. Also no heat/unlimited ammo was not an option in MW3. We did however have a fondness for ice maps and UA. (Some more than others).
Most of the elite level players would run warm maps/C0 games for the challenge.

Oh and you forgot a classic for old Zoners.

"Cappish" A language known to and only spoken by CoR Cap (Cappy)
Understood by no one yet inference allowed meaning to be attached.

Cappy. Undisputed all time champion of C8. Chat Wars!

Edited by CG Chicken Kn, 29 June 2012 - 12:09 PM.


#6 UBCslayer

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:22 PM

View PostCCC Dober, on 29 June 2012 - 11:45 AM, said:

Alpha would be a nice addition I think.

P.S. Oh yes, and Chaining/Chain Fire ofc. No match was complete without the dreaded LRM spam LOL


LRM spam from a Vulture with 5 X LRM 20 chain fire was one thing... but a Nova Cat with 4 X PPC chain fire was an even more frustrating opponent to face when used properly.

#7 Faenwulf

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:32 PM

Very good, keep up the information and the sticky will surely come! :)

#8 Davoke

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:35 PM

Coring:The act of specifically destroying a mech's center torso to blow up the reactor.

#9 Regina Redshift

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:51 PM

View PostDavoke, on 29 June 2012 - 12:35 PM, said:

Coring:The act of specifically destroying a mech's center torso to blow up the reactor.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this also apply to aiming through a destroyed side torso, or targeting the side torso of a 'mech with an IS XL engine?

#10 RedDragon

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 12:56 PM

Thanks, keep it coming guys :D

The way I know coring, it's the destruction of a single hit location, e. g. "coring his left torso" etc. Although it's mainly referred to as coring a mech = the center torso. I added it this way.

#11 CCC Dober

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 01:35 PM

View PostUBCslayer, on 29 June 2012 - 12:22 PM, said:


LRM spam from a Vulture with 5 X LRM 20 chain fire was one thing... but a Nova Cat with 4 X PPC chain fire was an even more frustrating opponent to face when used properly.


Yeah, might just ban the memories of those who stacked LRM5/10s for an endless hail of *beep-beep-beep...gimme a break ... beep-beep-beep ... I get it, okay? ... beep-beep-beep ... eject/splash/ragequit*

Trolling was a form of art not only limited to legging and stripping Mechs of all weapons. Some were true masters of their profession. They called it ... wait for it ... harassing. So yeah, a new fancy word for trolling LOL

Edited by CCC Dober, 29 June 2012 - 01:36 PM.


#12 CmdrSpider

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 02:23 PM

Here's are some others and while basic may not be known to players new to the Mechwarrior universe:

Line of Sight (LOS) - what can actually be seen from the warriors own cockpit.

Firing Arc (FA) - the arc in degrees that a weapon can physically be aimedd at based on the direction the mech is facing. Factors that may modify this are torso twist and weapons mounted on arms.

Long Range Missile (LRM) - Semi guided missiles. Which have an distance arming requirement of about a 1/3 of their maximum range. LRMs do 1 point of damage per missile hit and come in LRM 5, 10, 15 and 20 racks.

Short Range Missle (SRM) - Semi guided missiles with no minimum arming range and do double damage per missile hit. SMRs come in 2, 4 and 6 packs.

Auto Cannon (AC) - is a type of rapid-firing, auto-loading direct-fire ballistic weapon, firing HEAP (High-Explosive Armor-Piercing) or kinetic rounds at targets in bursts. Come in four sizes AC2, 5, 10 and 20. The larger the size of the AC the shorter the range, but higher the damage.

Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE) - as a system designed to reduce the hazards of carrying volatile or explosive ammunition. When a fuel or ammo explosion occurs in an area containing CASE the effects of the explosion are directed away from mech so that is is not destroyed outright.

Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) - distrupts enemy sensors and communications which intersect the mech equipped with it.

Particle Projector Cannon (PPC) - fire a concentrated stream of protons or ions at a target, causing damage through both thermal and kinetic energy. Weapon has long range, high damage and creates high heat on each shot.

Target Acquisition Gear (TAG) - is an advanced targeting device for use by spotter units who designate opposing units with a laser spotterb so that friendly may make attacks with their smart bombs and missiles.

I'm sure there's more I missed and I'm in full agreement there ought to be a permenant spot for a mechwarrior dictionary. I'd also like to see a permenant "Weapons & Equipment" table posted so that any mechwarrior could what weapons and equipment can do what.

Living the Victory,

CmdrSpider

#13 RedDragon

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Posted 29 June 2012 - 05:16 PM

Thanks CmdrSpider, but as I wrote in the OP:

Quote

Mind you: The sole purpose of this dictionary is to inform about terms native to the Mechwarrior games (i. e. terms that originated in the Mechwarrior community to describe in-game phenomena). For everything generally Battletech related, please go to Sarna for further infos on the BT universe.


If we tried to pack all the BT related terms into this topic, it would be bloated and overly complicated (and just a clone of Sarna.net). So I try to keep this specific to in-game terms for which there isn't a compilation yet. For everything else, new users should look at Sarna.net, where there are lots of infos on all that stuff.

#14 RedDragon

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 02:57 AM

Added some new items.

Question for all MW4-players: Is there a common term for the "suicide bombing" used in MW4, i.e. when your CT went critical, you ran up to an enemy and tried to do as much damage as possible with your after-death explosion? I just can't remember if we had a term for this, although it was a really common phenomenon...

#15 Tenrai

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 03:32 AM

View PostRedDragon, on 04 July 2012 - 02:57 AM, said:

Added some new items.

Question for all MW4-players: Is there a common term for the "suicide bombing" used in MW4, i.e. when your CT went critical, you ran up to an enemy and tried to do as much damage as possible with your after-death explosion? I just can't remember if we had a term for this, although it was a really common phenomenon...


Think the call that a Death Hug...

#16 Riino

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 03:44 AM

Very nice post!

#17 Der Zivilist

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 03:53 AM

Not sure if it is smart to include in this dictionary things that obviously do not exist in MW:O (game modes etc). Your goal is to educate newbies, not to confuse the heck out of them and provide false impressions of the game!

#18 RedDragon

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 04:04 AM

View PostDer Zivilist, on 04 July 2012 - 03:53 AM, said:

Not sure if it is smart to include in this dictionary things that obviously do not exist in MW:O (game modes etc). Your goal is to educate newbies, not to confuse the heck out of them and provide false impressions of the game!

That's why I try to separate info that is not yet confirmed with marking like "in previous MW games) :blink:
As soon as MWO starts, I plan to edit the Dictionary accordingly, so it is clear what entries are outdated.
But I think it can do no harm if the new players know what the "veterans" are talking about. :D

Yet you may have a point there, I will add a disclaimer concerning this to the OP so new readers know that some of the info may not refer to MWO.

#19 CCC Dober

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 04:48 AM

View PostRedDragon, on 04 July 2012 - 02:57 AM, said:

Added some new items.

Question for all MW4-players: Is there a common term for the "suicide bombing" used in MW4, i.e. when your CT went critical, you ran up to an enemy and tried to do as much damage as possible with your after-death explosion? I just can't remember if we had a term for this, although it was a really common phenomenon...


Our guys always referred to it as splashing somebody. Although it was better when the enemy delivered the killing blow rather than our big red button. Suiciding or TKing (3 times in a row) usually resulted in getting kicked from the server where I played. Definitely frowned upon. Sometimes friendly team mates would do it if certain trolls just wanted to play for time or leave friendlies crippled/stripped on purpose. This problem was more pronounced on bigger than smaller maps because of the distance between the spawn points. It wasn't rare to be asked to do so, even by strangers. Just goes to show what flaws the game still had in its 4th version.

Edited by CCC Dober, 04 July 2012 - 04:50 AM.


#20 docjohn

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 06:26 AM

Circle strafing/Circling: A tactic that is preferred in close-combat mech duels. The goal is to circle around an enemy mech and keep your torso centered on the enemy while doing so = "Circle of Death"

spawn point or spawn = "Drop zone" or the "Drop" never spawn.

"Chuthulu" = Radar off (simulated by an actual piece of cardboard, taped over your radar display, in the pod.

Master Trials = Obtaining your "Order of Burton" pin by pitting your 2 successive mechs against 3 successive masters. You had but to live.

"Legging" in the old pods or "Getting a leg" was the term used for spinning an opponent ("spin shot") 90 to 180 degrees to ruin his shots. The crotch shot was the notorious weak point, in the Tesla I's (fixed in the Tesla II's and replaced with the bellybutton critical), but legs were very hard to hit. (look at a Vulture's chicken legs) Both kills were honorable. Shooting crotches were questionable tho... In Tesla I's the crotch was the same point, front and rear. Only torsos had front and rear.

"Splashing" an opponent meant on the verge of death, him hurting too, you get close enough to make him quit shooting and running for distance to avoid being killed when you got it next. I saw six pods go at once in a splash kill. (Very rare, in an 8 pod game)

"drop zoning" = the practice of hanging behind the opponents drop zone to damage them at spawn. Questionable again. "He was hit in the drop." = "He was drop-zoned." Both used a lot.

"Mode 1" = training mode, torso locked, shooting and steering from the joystick. "Mode 2" Torso unlocked, steering with feet, torso with joystick. "training missions" = No Heat for "Dooleys" = Noob.

Dooley was the call-sign for Joan Severance, who did the training video for new pilots. Judge Reinhold was in it too, but no one cared what they called him. :-)

"Cook off" or "Bar-B-Que" = ammo bay/fire explosion...

"E-Z bake" a particular region in the Red Planet game played in the pods... Racing through the canals of Mars, in mining ships. Also referred to a particular region in one map in Battle-tech, renowned for E-Z kills.

"Martian Football" = a variation of the races, with one "runner", two "Crushers", and one "blocker" "End Zone" = scoring zone at each end of the canal maps.

SEC = Special Events Coordinator - person designated by Virtual World as the head judge of a national tournament, or local employee designation. Decision was final, no appeal.

Ops = the sign up desk for missions, bring your money!

Lounge = central waiting area, lots of chairs and couches to wait for missions.

Library = room off of lounge, with sliding doors, books, chairs and a central table for mission briefings for events, and boardgames...

The bar, sorry soft-bar only at VWE, sandwiches and soft drinks.

More as I think of em...





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