What is the Origin of the Term, "Nerf"?
By
Abigail Frost,
Posted on: 2006-07-13 08:39 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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It's not the use of the word "nerf" that anyone gives a rat's [censored] about, it's the actual changes that swirl the playerbase into a frenzy.
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I think it's more accurate to say:
"...it's any actual changes that swirl the playerbase into a frenzy. "
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Well, after a few radiation defender-playing people got all swirled into a tizzy over tar patch having a -res debuff, you might be right...
Then again, there weren't many frenzies after armor stacking was added, after Dark Miasma got its needed boost, and so on.
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No - those were just 'Good' Frenzies - you know, of 'Excitement'. :-)
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
"The tip of a shoelace is called an aglet, its true purpose is sinister." The Question
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Is Castle's sig quoting everyone's favourite robotic assassin from KOTOR?
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From KOTOR2, and I think it was one of the other HK models, but yeah.
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I just finished playing it again. I love the game.
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KOTOR2 would have been better if they had finished the game, instead of left a bunch of unfinished arcs and even had unused cutscenes on the discs. Good old Microsoft forced release to milk Christmas sales and then didn't bother to let the PC version get completed either even though it was out in Feb.
One of the best (because of improved gameplay and graphics) and worst (because of another rushed release) sequels in history. *sigh*
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well i cant see what else you would call "nerfing" burn
posi might not remember it but its one of those powers that we "use" to use
since hes not nerfing things..maybe he can tell us when he plans on fixing the power he messed up then?
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I would call Burn's change many things:
Power alteration
Reduced in effectiveness
Strength modification
Debuff to the power
etc.
Just because I don't use the word "nerf" does not mean things will never be adjusted in a downward direction.
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Thats like telling someone Youre not being fired. Your position is being outsourced. Im sure the guy is going to walk away with a smile after hearing it phrased in such a way. 
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i though the word nerf originated from star wars galaxies. i thought the term was used because a nerf was a highly unplesent animal. (dont ask how i know that)
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A nerf is a highly unpleasant animal referenced in The Empire Strikes Back, which I suspect predates SWG by a few years. 
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A nerf is not just ANY unpleasant animal, but one that is used for food and basic clothing on agricultural colonies as well. They also make sausage. That's widely distributed and a staple for those who can't afford "better" food. Yeah, yeah, I'm a nerd. Sue me 
Anyway, the most correct answer here is that term STARTED being used way back in MUDs as a term for being weakened. Since then, the term has grown in "popularity" (a better word would be "infamy") and stuck. Because of the multiple connotations (the nerf bat/sword or becoming like a Nerf foam weapon), it hasn't changed and will likely be around for evah and evah. And evah moh.
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i though the word nerf originated from star wars galaxies. i thought the term was used because a nerf was a highly unplesent animal. (dont ask how i know that)
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A nerf is a highly unpleasant animal referenced in The Empire Strikes Back, which I suspect predates SWG by a few years.
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A nerf is not just ANY unpleasant animal, but one that is used for food and basic clothing on agricultural colonies as well. They also make sausage. That's widely distributed and a staple for those who can't afford "better" food. Yeah, yeah, I'm a nerd. Sue me Anyway, the most correct answer here is that term STARTED being used way back in MUDs as a term for being weakened. Since then, the term has grown in "popularity" (a better word would be "infamy") and stuck. Because of the multiple connotations (the nerf bat/sword or becoming like a Nerf foam weapon), it hasn't changed and will likely be around for evah and evah. And evah moh.
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I was trying not to reference any of that EU jibberjabber.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
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I would call Burn's change many things:
Power alteration
Reduced in effectiveness
Strength modification
Debuff to the power
etc.
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As I recall the Repulsion Bomb nerf was refered to as a "Functionality Change"
Arondell
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Is Castle's sig quoting everyone's favourite robotic assassin from KOTOR?
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From KOTOR2, and I think it was one of the other HK models, but yeah.
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I just finished playing it again. I love the game.
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Hehe, I'm just in the middle of playing it now and will soon have HK back on my side 
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I was trying not to reference any of that EU jibberjabber
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leave the EU alone i actually like as do most other fans. I feel that the star wars universe is boring and not very fun if you take the EU out of it. And if you claim to being a star wars fan please dont tell me all you do is watch the movies. i am a star wars fan and i barely watch the movies. so keep your mouth shout about the EU.
And btw if it originated in the movies that makes from the movies. Examples gundarks nerfs star destroyers the death star that creepy guy with one eye in rotj. Quinlan vos Aayla Secura arent from the movies but people thaught that they were so awsome that they put them in the movies. well you can see quinlan vos in episode 1. he is identified in a later comic book when aayla mentions they were on tatooine when they were stranded.
dont insult the EU
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...If you team, it's not that hard to find someone who can keep mobs in burn...
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And if you don't team (very often), then what?
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...And burn ... is not useless while solo, you just have to pick out a decent time 'n' place to use it, instead of putting it on auto while the invuln tanker herds mobs onto you.
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Assume much? Believe it or not, not every fire tanker herded the zone map or exploited the Dreck dumpsters. IMO, the only decent time 'n' place to use it today is on a team with someone who can mitigate the fear AI. Even then, the potency of the power leaves a lot to be desired. It's pretty wild that an ice controller's frostbite might even exceed it's effectiveness with containment.
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well i cant see what else you would call "nerfing" burn
posi might not remember it but its one of those powers that we "use" to use
since hes not nerfing things..maybe he can tell us when he plans on fixing the power he messed up then?
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I would call Burn's change many things:
Power alteration
Reduced in effectiveness
Strength modification
Debuff to the power
etc.
Just because I don't use the word "nerf" does not mean things will never be adjusted in a downward direction.
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history will note... the Reign of Poitron, The Debuffer of Power
does have a kinda ring to it...
a rose by any other name...
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I was trying not to reference any of that EU jibberjabber
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leave the EU alone i actually like as do most other fans. I feel that the star wars universe is boring and not very fun if you take the EU out of it. And if you claim to being a star wars fan please dont tell me all you do is watch the movies. i am a star wars fan and i barely watch the movies. so keep your mouth shout about the EU.
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What did I say about the quality of the EU?
And for that matter, did the EU somehow reference nerfherders before TESB?
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And btw if it originated in the movies that makes from the movies. Examples gundarks nerfs star destroyers the death star that creepy guy with one eye in rotj. Quinlan vos Aayla Secura arent from the movies but people thaught that they were so awsome that they put them in the movies. well you can see quinlan vos in episode 1. he is identified in a later comic book when aayla mentions they were on tatooine when they were stranded.
dont insult the EU
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I didn't insult the EU. Stand down.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
The Nerf the whole Nerf and nothing but the Nerf. All these explainations are pretty much all correct.
The Toy Nerf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerf
The Game Term Nerf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerf_(computer_gaming)
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Is Castle's sig quoting everyone's favourite robotic assassin from KOTOR?
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From KOTOR2, and I think it was one of the other HK models, but yeah.
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I just finished playing it again. I love the game.
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KOTOR2 would have been better if they had finished the game, instead of left a bunch of unfinished arcs and even had unused cutscenes on the discs. Good old Microsoft forced release to milk Christmas sales and then didn't bother to let the PC version get completed either even though it was out in Feb.
One of the best (because of improved gameplay and graphics) and worst (because of another rushed release) sequels in history. *sigh*
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the only gripe i have with the game is they put in way less convo with your team mates, i would have loved hearing more of what Bao-Dur had to say, but no
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A nerf is a highly unpleasant animal referenced in The Empire Strikes Back, which I suspect predates SWG by a few years.
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Mara always calling Luke a nerfherder sure gives me giggles...
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When were there archers in EQ?
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Rangers. And he remembers it wrong anyway, archery always sucked, bows were only used for pulling and the stats in the range slot. Then it got buffed massively to become usefull, to the point that it could do even more damage than melee (at least with Trueshot discipline), but only for rangers. Then came autofire years later. It was never nerfed, only constantly upgraded.
NERF OR NOTHIN'!
Here are some other terms I found that discribe some aspects and behaviors of a game:
Gimped 
Twinking 
Leeching (or Carrying)
And my favorite...
Power Leveling 
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I was trying not to reference any of that EU jibberjabber
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leave the EU alone i actually like as do most other fans. I feel that the star wars universe is boring and not very fun if you take the EU out of it. And if you claim to being a star wars fan please dont tell me all you do is watch the movies. i am a star wars fan and i barely watch the movies. so keep your mouth shout about the EU.
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What did I say about the quality of the EU?
And for that matter, did the EU somehow reference nerfherders before TESB?
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And btw if it originated in the movies that makes from the movies. Examples gundarks nerfs star destroyers the death star that creepy guy with one eye in rotj. Quinlan vos Aayla Secura arent from the movies but people thaught that they were so awsome that they put them in the movies. well you can see quinlan vos in episode 1. he is identified in a later comic book when aayla mentions they were on tatooine when they were stranded.
dont insult the EU
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I didn't insult the EU. Stand down.
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ZOMGOOSES, Kali haets teh EU and weights the same as a duck burn her!
Star Wars Galaxies didn't originate the term 'Nerf', as it was being used in its current context by Everquest for a few years prior to SWG's release.
I always understood nerf to have started when game designers first depowered items in order to make them 'safe' for the game. Much like nerf makes toys safer when they designt them.
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I was trying not to reference any of that EU jibberjabber
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leave the EU alone i actually like as do most other fans. I feel that the star wars universe is boring and not very fun if you take the EU out of it. And if you claim to being a star wars fan please dont tell me all you do is watch the movies. i am a star wars fan and i barely watch the movies. so keep your mouth shout about the EU.
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What did I say about the quality of the EU?
And for that matter, did the EU somehow reference nerfherders before TESB?
[ QUOTE ]
And btw if it originated in the movies that makes from the movies. Examples gundarks nerfs star destroyers the death star that creepy guy with one eye in rotj. Quinlan vos Aayla Secura arent from the movies but people thaught that they were so awsome that they put them in the movies. well you can see quinlan vos in episode 1. he is identified in a later comic book when aayla mentions they were on tatooine when they were stranded.
dont insult the EU
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I didn't insult the EU. Stand down.
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ZOMGOOSES, Kali haets teh EU and weights the same as a duck burn her!
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I do not weigh the same as a duck.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
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Is Castle's sig quoting everyone's favourite robotic assassin from KOTOR?
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From KOTOR2, and I think it was one of the other HK models, but yeah.
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I just finished playing it again. I love the game.
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Despite that awful, rushed ending?
I will agree, though -- that the upgrades to the game mechanics from KOTOR were exceptional. It made me silently weep when it came time to craft my first lightsaber in SWG.
I think Statesman redefined the whole word "nerf" and took it to a new level.
Positron, "Sir, all the classes seem to be...."
Statesman." What the... Every patch we???"
Positron "I know sir but it's hitting critical mass. We don't know whom to nerf and..."
Statesman jumps up pushing his desk over.
Statesman "It's a [censored] Emergency! I've been waiting for this day. Push the Button! Push the [censored] Button!"
Positron runs out the door screaming.
Statesman "Muhahaha."
Reaches over and pushes a strange plushy button.
Statesman "Yes, ED is here... ED is finally here and I shall reign supreme! Muhahahaha!"
Read Positron's lips! NO NEW NERFS!!!
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Personally, I hate the word, and try never to use it when talking about the game to players. It carries a very negative stigma that I like to avoid whenever possible.
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So does this mean no more nerfs? Or are you just going to use a different word for it?
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I have an idea. It starts with 's' and ends with 'litting their throats.'"
-Belkar Bitterleaf, Order of the Stick
Order of the Stick
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I do not weigh the same as a duck.
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Neither do I. At least, not anymore.
(DAMN middle age!)
"OK, first of all... Shut Up." - My 13-Year-Old Daughter
29973 "The Running of the Bulls" [SFMA] - WINNER of the Mighty Big Story Arc Contest !
- The Stellar Wind Orbital Space Platform
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Poster: Starwaster
.
Read Positron's lips! NO NEW NERFS!!!
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I hate to be Cynical but even if they officially called ED a nerf (Which Statesman later admits). It was on test for half a year so it was officially not a "new" nerf.
If they plan it for months it is technically not a "new" nerf.
(Virtue/Champion) Neil Fracas: Inv/SS
(Virtue) Gideon Fontaine: MA/SR (Sc), Generic Hero 114: Ice/Cold, Marcus Tyler AR/En, Project F: Spines/DA (S)
(Champion) Jenna Sidal BS/SD, Generic Hero 114: En/En (Bl), Loganne Claws/WP (Sc)
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Is Castle's sig quoting everyone's favourite robotic assassin from KOTOR?
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From KOTOR2, and I think it was one of the other HK models, but yeah.
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I just finished playing it again. I love the game.
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HK is at least twice as fun as Black Whirlwind.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)