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It's arguably the one move that symbolizes the medium to those outside it. The ability to jump, be it onto a building, a platform, or a skull, is one of the all time most important abilities ever put in a video game.
A locked door blocks your way, but the key is in a locked chest, whose key is in another locked chest, whose key is in another locked chest...
Quest givers that task the player with killing an enemy or specific number of enemies.
Kiting is a concept popular in MMOs where a player roots or snares enemies in order to keep them at a distance allowing for utilization ranged attacks and spells while soloing.
When the title of the game does not appear immediately at the beginning of the game, but rather after the first mission or prologue.
The process by which characters reach a new level, gain greater attributes, and learn more abilities. It usually involves earning enough experience points by completing a variety of tasks such as quests or by "farming" such as killing other characters for their experience points.
Loading Screens are specific screens that are displayed while a game is loading resources so that the player has something to distract them while the game loads. Loading Screens can be images, text or even mini-games - and sometimes a combination of all three.
Some games will give the player hints and tips on how to play while the game loads.
Lock On is a game mechanic that allows the player to automatically center the character's aim on a target, usually done with a toggle or a press of a button.
Collecting objects in a game such as weapons, armor, items, and currency. Loot is often associated with RPG games and MMOs with RPG elements.
The concept of affecting the universe through supernatural methods, breaking the fundamental laws of science.
From Beat-em-ups to fighting games to modern FPS, one dude hitting another has made an enjoyable pastime.
Mind Reading is being able to know someone else's thoughts exactly when they think them.
PC games that support the use of two or more monitors.
Multiple endings is a term used to describe different outcomes or conclusions to a game based on the previous actions of the player.
Sometimes one playable character just isn't enough.
Start doesn't mean "A". Start means "start", son. Kids these days...
Necromancers are spell casters who specializes in conjuring and controlling the undead.
Magic or divination involving the dead and departed. One that practices necromancy is generally referred to as a necromancer.
While most games feature achievements with gamerscore values in multiples of five, not all games do so.
Characters controlled by the game for players to interact with, as opposed to player characters which are controlled by whomever is playing the game.
OnLive was a cloud gaming service offering video game streaming through a user's computer, smartphone, or TV.
Orcs/Orks/Orques are a fictional race of tough humanlike creatures, often with green or black skin, originally coming from the Saxon word for the Normans during the invasion, meaning demon or foreigner.
The 2009 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) took place at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington on September 4-6.
PhysX is a realtime physics engine middleware originally developed by Ageia and now maintained by nVidia. It is the only currently available physics engine that supports hardware acceleration.
Developers can't seem to resist filling video game graveyards with interactive tombstones full of witty sayings and inside jokes, particularly in fantasy RPGs.
Third-party developers and publishers occasionally engage in the practice of releasing a title or piece of DLC on only one platform for any number of reasons. Sometimes these are permanent while others are only platform exclusive for a certain window of time.
In some games, total immersion is helped along by allowing players to purchase and customize their own housing.
Simulating the effects of a great variety of poisons, toxins, venoms and nerve agents can lead to many unique and interesting mechanics. A classic trope in games, Poison usually deals small amounts of damage to health over time.
The act of taking on an in-game task; most often, these are provided to the player by an NPC. MMOs and RPGs are the primary users of this concept.
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