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...Specifically the twee idiocy that seems popular these days, like anal leakage from 4chan. Stuff like calling Rhinos "METAL BAWKSES!" or portmanteaus involving one army (like the Deathwing) having a similar configuration to another (like the "Loganwing") despite that army having a name of its own (Logan Grimnar's Great Company). Or the whole "Spes Mehrens" crap. Okay, we get it, you like South Park; how about you park that at the door and write like an adult, or at least someone posting in a wargaming forum rather than 4chan? Then there's innocuous but irritating jargony crap like "versing". My god, wouldn't you be embarrassed to say that in public where someone could hear you say that? This site even needs a special glossary so new posters aren't completely sidelined and excluded by the jargon and acronyms that get thrown around.

The thing that made me snap? "Magic bullets" in reference to Sternguard Special Ammunition. Okay, maybe you can't spell, or perhaps Ammunition is a bit of a handful despite the fact that you can type 60 words/minute. Seriously, what's the problem? I don't want to see Dakka Dakka become a LARP like Bolter & Chainsword, but the games have their own jargon and acronyms: you don't have to make this crap up. The worst part is that the sense of humour that originally attracted me to 40k is still out there, there's genuinely funny people on Dakka Dakka that make the place both entertaining and informative because they don't get involved in this sort of garbage. The worst part is that I see fewer and fewer of them posting, it's like the best of Dakka Dakka is giving up because of people smearing this fecal excuse for language across the forums.

If I were just to post this rant (yes, I acknowledge it's just a rant, after it disappears down the memory hole it's back to business as usual), the very next post in this thread would be something like "Hey, chill out, it's just a game of toy soldiers." Yes, it is a game of toy soldiers. More importantly, it's a ridiculous cartoony game of toy soldiers. There's plenty of ridiculousness in the background without including the sort of piss-taking people usually grow out of by the time they hit High School. When I was in Junior High my friends and I would nearly piss ourselves laughing by talking in what we called 'tard-talk' until a teacher cancelled a field trip because the teachers didn't want to be seen in public with us. It was fun, but it was also childish and stupid at a time when we didn't need any more childishness or stupidity in our lives. So why bring that sort of thing up in here? It's like going to an opera and the rest of the audience being filled with twits expecting a pantomime. It's great that you're here to have fun, but people go to the opera to have fun watching and listening to opera, not to be rude, obnoxious, and hell-bent on audience participation (well, not anymore, if you're familiar with the history of opera...).

There's plenty of worthless forums where you can go to ruin the online part of other people's hobbies, Warseer springing to mind. Dakka used to be where people may have been rough, rude, and even downright hostile, but at least what they wrote that was rough, rude, and hostile was worth reading.

Alright, I'm done, but I think I'm going to let someone else flush this floater.

Well said, my good sir.



I've no inkiling where or when "verse" became a verb - but any kid we catch at our club using it in such a way is made to make up improv poetry and is rewarded by being pelted with peanut shells.

Only one kid has done it more than twice - and I think he just does it to bask in the attention.

Stuff like Loganwing, Deffwing, or even the older Lysanderwing doesn't bother me at all. Even saying "magic bullets" or whatever is no big thing. That's stuff I can't really see people getting mad about. The whole "TEAM EDWARD MARINES AND TEAM JACOB MARINES LOL" crap was unfunny from the moment some mouthbreather dumped it out online though.

The "Spehss Mahreens" and "METAL BAWKSES" stuff came from awful voice work in Dawn of War games. I figured that was more of a Youtube meme than a 4chan one. I'll take some credit for propagating them there though. The problem is just that they get run into the ground. Soulstorm came out 2 years ago and Dawn of Awesome (with Boreale's infamous SPEHSS MAHREENS speech) is closing in on 200,000 views. Why that gets so much exposure and stuff I work on doesn't is beyond me. As much as I enjoyed the jokes and animations, I'm kinda tired of them which is why I ended the series with Dawn of Awesome 3. I'm not a fan of people spamming forums with quotes from them though.

What I'm trying to say is that yeah, a lot of it is stupid. People taking the piss out of things can be pretty funny. A lot of it is even funny at one point, but like with any Internet meme it gets run into the ground. However, the "Warhammer humor" threads are the worst. Complete and utter cesspools of attempted humor. Just 4chan memes that we all got tired of seeing here years ago, some of which were never even funny, and the same demotivationals and images of a Space Marine holding a plasma gun away from his face. Of course this gets started by a 13 year old poster who goes "LOL NEVAR SEEN DIS STUFF B4!" or something similarly obnoxious.

Tired and ranting yadda yadda

I agree, this is war, there should be some form of decorum. However I do think that you must take into consideration that some of the people on this site are those children in school that think it is funny to tear a good language to shreads, with their so called "witty remarks". I guess it is just one of those things we are going to have to live with, especially when most of these children are chatting on cellphones etc. I feel it not so much that they know what they pisses us off, but more the fact that they lack the mental capcity to do better.

Nurglitch wrote:...Specifically the twee idiocy that seems popular these days, like anal leakage from 4chan.

There a number of 40K memes that are quire trying. Sure, we all make fun of 40K, and no one is saying we shouldn't ('cept maybe Kanluwen), but so many of these are overdone.

Nurglitch wrote:Stuff like calling Rhinos "METAL BAWKSES!"

That's from Dawn of War. Can't really blame 4chan for that one, other than popularising it, because that's straight out of a GW licensed product.

Nurglitch wrote:portmanteaus involving one army (like the Deathwing) having a similar configuration to another (like the "Loganwing" despite that army having a name of its own (Logan Grimnar's Great Company).

That's just shorthand, no different to an abbreviation or acronym. Don't see a problem with that so much.

Nurglitch wrote:Or the whole "Spes Mehrens" crap.

Uhh... don't get me started on that one.

Sorry to our American friends here, but this meme stems from Americans not understanding the various British accents. He says Space Marines, with an 'a' not an 'eh'. It is a particular style of British accent and for those who know it, he says Spayce. Sorry, but the whole "Spehs Mehrens" thing really gaks me.

Nurglitch wrote:Okay, we get it, you like South Park

... although what any of this has to do with liking South Park is a bit of a stretch, ay ol' Nurgy?

Nurglitch wrote:Then there's innocuous but irritating jargony crap like "versing".

'Versing' isn't inherent to here or even 40K as a whole. That's generic.

Nurglitch wrote:My god, wouldn't you be embarrassed to say that in public where someone could hear you say that?

I know people who say "LOL", as in they actually say the word "LOL". That's pretty bad.

But for the most part, yes, I agree with you. The more Chan-esque memes are quite annoying. The ones started by Abadabadoodon and Kyoto? Instant gold!

Gaara wrote:I agree, this is war, there should be some form of decorum. However I do think that you must take into consideration that some of the people on this site are those children in school that think it is funny to tear a good language to shreads, with their so called "witty remarks". I guess it is just one of those things we are going to have to live with, especially when most of these children are chatting on cellphones etc. I feel it not so much that they know what they pisses us off, but more the fact that they lack the mental capcity to do better.

LOL this is war

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Nurglitch wrote:portmanteaus involving one army (like the Deathwing) having a similar configuration to another (like the "Loganwing" despite that army having a name of its own (Logan Grimnar's Great Company).

That's just shorthand, no different to an abbreviation or acronym. Don't see a problem with that so much.

Neither do I, but we`ve reached a point where someone getting into the game is just bomarded by all the shorthands/acronyms and spends more time trying to figure out what the hell people are talking about than time playing. Double-tapping, Death Stars, Leafblowers, Fatecrusher. Obviously some can be figured out fairly easy, others, not so much. This was also discussed on some podcast lately and I have to agree. It becomes a bit annoying, especially if you havent actually been playing that long.

PS: I hate cats.

Double tab is actual military or special forces/SWAT jargon, isn't it?

Flachzange wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Nurglitch wrote:portmanteaus involving one army (like the Deathwing) having a similar configuration to another (like the "Loganwing" despite that army having a name of its own (Logan Grimnar's Great Company).

That's just shorthand, no different to an abbreviation or acronym. Don't see a problem with that so much.

PS: I hate cats.

I like cats and this rant wasn't motivating enough...IMHO fail rant is fail.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Double tab is actual military or special forces/SWAT jargon, isn't it?

Police, para-military/military.

To put two rounds downwind into x is "double tapping". Easier to do with modern guns than older wheelguns (lighter triggers, etc).

I only use it around people who know what it means, and only in certain situations (eg, playing a military/para-military or security contractor type in an rpg).

With regard to rapid-fire weapons, it's "this unit, rapid-fire weapons, two shots each into them."
I don't think I've ever referred to it as "double tapping".

chromedog wrote:Police, para-military/military.

To put two rounds downwind into x is "double tapping". Easier to do with modern guns than older wheelguns (lighter triggers, etc).

Yeah that's what I thought. First place I ever heard it was on the original SWAT PC game by Sierra. That was a long time ago.

But my point was, really, that it's not fair to blame 40K players (or even Dakka) for 'double-tapping' becoming common parlance for rapid fire. It's a regular term, and when you Rapid Fire in 40K you send two shots downwind. Makes sense really.

This thread is ultimately the result of the phenomenon known as the "age gap". It occurs when children reach the adult stage and what once was acceptable becomes irrational and "childish". The OP said it himself that when he was younger he did the same type of behavior. Another example is the age old "volume of music" debate, when a person who listened to music at deafening volumes in his younger years starts screaming at those around him to "turn it down". At this point the said person has made the transition to old man and can know be labeled as "not cool".

But seriously my complaint is the jargon, if it wasn't for the translator for abbreviations on this forum I would be lost. Yet there are still hundreds of abbreviations that are not magically reveiled when I scroll over them and that is frustrating. Especially the abbreviations that have one of the words but obviously not the one that applies to the post. RP for example.

(yes I have transitioned into "adulthood")

I'm pretty solidly 'not military' (though I respect those who server, and play games with toy soldiers) but 'Double tap' is pretty common in a lot of games, i think... I know a few RPGs had specific rules for it as a point between single-shot fire and burst fire. I believe Deadlands Classic had a rule for this, for example. Was the mode of choice for taking out zombies if you could spare the ammo.

I'm not thrilled about the 'gamer shorthand' that Nurglitch mentions, but it's probably something I just need to learn to live with. Especially in wargames, there's a definite desire to quantify, compare, and rank things, and that kind of desire requires some jargon to label the niches every army list, character, etc. gets put into. It's better, for example, than just having a 'Sucks' and 'Rocks' category for everything.

While I agree in finding most memes and chan speak and the like to be trying, I'm confused why genuine jargon is lumped in with it.

Nicknames for army builds or techniques (loganwing, double tapping) are genuine jargon, part of the parlance of 40k. Yes, most communication experts agree that eliminating jargon is almost always a good thing, but find me a hobby, profession, or even group of friends that don't have a pretty consistent set of slang terms for complex terms.

Nurglitch wrote:(snip) Or the whole "Spes Mehrens" crap. (/snip)

I think you meant "spezz mehrinz"...

It doesn't bother me, but that's not to say I don't have my own pet peeves!

H.B.M.C. wrote:I know people who say "LOL", as in they actually say the word "LOL". That's pretty bad.

But for the most part, yes, I agree with you. The more Chan-esque memes are quite annoying. The ones started by Abadabadoodon and Kyoto? Instant gold!

Hahaha...I have to admit, people who actually say "LOL" in conversation make me question their social skills and connection to reality. I mean, really, you have to actually say, "LOL?" Why don't you, oh I don't know, actually laugh out loud. I mean, the person you're talking to is standing right there. They'll actually see you laughing and know you found the situation funny. If you feel the need to go to the bathroom, do you say to the buddy sitting next to you watching TV, "AFK, Bio?" Or, do you get up and say, "Be right back, gotta take a dump?" In my opinion, people who actually pepper conversation with chat-shorthand need to go outside more and avoid the PC for a while.

H.B.M.C. wrote:There a number of 40K memes that are quire trying. Sure, we all make fun of 40K, and no one is saying we shouldn't ('cept maybe Kanluwen), but so many of these are overdone.

Like your done to death copy-pasta joke regarding Warwick and Forge World.

Amen Brothers, Amen.

BrookM wrote:Like your done to death copy-pasta joke regarding Warwick and Forge World.

Warwick "Copypastadesasta" Kincaid is just a derogatory nickname, like Matt "C.S. Goto" Ward or Robbin "Arbitrary" Cruddance.

I agree that the chanian memes are pretty old material, and it does bug me when people repeatedly bring them up. I'll acknowledge them though by laughing when they are properly applied as a method of satire, such as when someone is complaining about how all marines are overpowered or some such nonsense. (I might say "oh yes, all Spess Mahreens are OP" before going on to explain the serious side of my disagreement).

Amongst my RL friends as well, we make use of plenty of memes in our daily interaction. It isn't a matter of immaturity; rather it's that our unique group dynamic uses the meme-style of broad in-jokes as a way to relieve tension and acknowledge our shared background.

I'm not sure what the issue with people using alternate terminology is. Perhaps others take this game more seriously, but amongst my group, WH40k is a lighthearted group activity (to be fair, we compete heavily, argue rules, and play to win, but we're all still friends when it's over). We as a group often use snarky comments about various rules and wargear to needle or poke fun at our opponents. For example, we often refer to the Soul Grinder's Phlegm attack as the "Snot Cannon" when we face the Daemons player, to voice our... displeasure that he would be so bold as to take a weapon capable of hurting our models. (/snark).

I certainly agree that there are plenty of people who overuse these terms, but I think there's a use to having alternate terms for various elements of 40k. Essentially what I'm talking about is this:

Scenario 1
Player A says: "Those guys right there. They're sterguard right?"
Player B responds: "Yeah, they're arriving by drop pod"
Player A then says: "Okay. And they have the Special Ammunition rule, correct?"
Player B says: "Yeah."

Scenario 2
Player A says: "Those guys right there. They're sterguard right?"
Player B responds: "Yeah, they're arriving by drop pod"
Player A then says: "Ah yes. And they have those pesky magic bullets right?"
Player B says: *chuckle* "Yeah."

In these two scenarios, there's quite a difference as far as subtext is concerned. Basically, the first scenario is just an exchange of information; confirming rules and identity, etc. The second scenario, however, is more than that. Player A uses the term "magic bullets" to connote that he is aware not only of the rule, but also of its "magic" applications, such as killing MCs or whatnot. By using this turn of phrase, he also is hinting to his opponent that he is aware of the unit's most likely function - a subtle way to poke a little fun at an opponent. His opponent, now aware of this, can laugh or whatever as a way of saying "yeah, you know, but there's nothing you can do about it!" in order to counter the psychological "warfare."

I'm not saying people should perpetually use blatantly wrong language, but I argue that there are certainly times when it can be appropriate (especially among friends, or when a certain tone is needed) to use certain turns of phrase different than that of the normal 40k vocabulary.

TL;DR: Overuse is bad. Use, however, is not always bad.

EDIT: What's "versing"?

I honestly get tired of the internet forum/blog nomenclature applied to army builds: Loganwing and Leafblower IG as good examples. My personal favorite is when someone comes up with a army build or model conversion, and all the sudden it's tied to their internet handle like they own it and no one has ever thought of it before.

"Versing" is a word young people use to describe playing another person.

"I'm versing you."

"I versed you yesterday."

They take "versus" and change it into a verb.

In much the same way as certain former US presidents.

To be honest, its water off a ducks back to me.
Granted sometimes it may get a bit annoying, but this is the point you read another thread or skip the post.
If the member of dakka posts too much like this then just hit the ignore button.

chromedog wrote:"Versing" is a word young people use to describe playing another person.

"I'm versing you."

"I versed you yesterday."

They take "versus" and change it into a verb.

In much the same way as certain former US presidents.

Ewww...

Not my favorite "new word."

You mean the same word that was in nearly every single fighting game?

Allways had "Verses mode"

Kids these days with their poetry slams and sick rhymes...

I don't really mind short forms as long as the person using them isn't doing so to intentionally ruin a thread. I mean hey, certain short forms are downright hilarious. Like ASSCAN or fzorgle.

As far as memes go, I really can't help the fact that I find "LOL you mad bro" and "haters gonna hate" gifs hysterical.

I can't wait until there's no Space Marine variant as FOTM though. The term "Libbies" really chaps my ass.

Nurglitch wrote:

There's plenty of worthless forums where you can go to ruin the online part of other people's hobbies, Warseer springing to mind. Dakka used to be where people may have been rough, rude, and even downright hostile, but at least what they wrote that was rough, rude, and hostile was worth reading.

Not really.

Welcome to the Internet. Are you mad? You sound mad.

I agree up to a point. I dislike useless jargon like Libbies (Librarians is really not much harder to say...) and Vanilla Marines (Codex Marines is even easier to say...). But things like Fatecrusher and Leafblower lists are kind of useful once you know what they mean. It's hard to describe otherwise. I think we SHOULD have a glossary of terms, I don't see this as too difficult, either.