Buzz
Get familiar with the gaming slang term 'griefing' and what it really means in the online gaming community.
Imagine you're immersed in your favorite multiplayer game, and suddenly a teammate mentions a 'griefer' who's 'griefing' them. But what does this mean? 'Griefing' or being labeled a 'griefer' refers to players who intentionally spoil the experience for others by disrupting the game. In this guide, we’ll define griefing, provide examples, explore its origins, and introduce related gaming slang. Keep reading to dive deeper!
Definition and Meaning of Griefing
In the context of online gaming, 'griefing' or being a 'griefer' refers to a player's deliberate actions designed to frustrate other participants and prevent them from enjoying the game. These actions are typically against the game’s rules. Common instances of griefing include destroying other players' creations or sabotaging the efforts of a team.
How to Deal with Griefing
What is Griefing?
Griefing is when a player intentionally disrupts another player’s experience in a game. In the world of online and multiplayer video games, the act of 'griefing' involves players intentionally annoying others to stop them from enjoying the game. The players who engage in griefing are known as 'griefers.' Examples of griefing include destroying a player’s creations, trapping them to stop their movement, or attacking teammates.
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Intent is key to the definition:
- Playing the game normally, as intended, isn’t griefing. For instance, if friendly fire is allowed, your teammate shooting you isn’t considered griefing.
- Accidental actions, even if they disrupt the game, don’t count as griefing.
- Griefers aim to annoy and disrupt, not to win the game.
Common Griefing Techniques
What qualifies as griefing can vary depending on the game you’re playing. However, some of the most common forms include:
- Destroying player creations. This often happens in games like Minecraft.
- Intentionally sabotaging the team by deliberately losing. You might encounter this in games like Counter-Strike.
- Trapping other players and stopping their movement. Common in games like Fortnite.
- Killing players right after they respawn. This can happen in games like GTA: Online.
- Deliberately slowing down the game or pausing it repeatedly. This is seen in games like FIFA.
- Exploiting bugs or glitches, like venturing out of the game boundaries.
- Spying for the enemy team or providing them with information.
- Stealing items that other players have gathered.
- Harassing others through chat spamming.
- Purposely playing poorly.
- Important: Most games offer reporting systems for griefers, which can result in bans or kicks from the game.
How to Talk About Griefing
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Use the term 'griefing' to call out players who are disrupting your game. If someone is intentionally interfering with your gameplay and enjoying it, make sure to speak up. Report them or inform the chat to address the issue.
- “This player is griefing! They keep taking our flag and handing it over to the enemy. Is there any way to remove them from the team?”
- “Can anyone help with this griefer? She destroys every block I place. I’m just trying to build my house!”
- “Someone needs to block this griefer. They’re spamming the chat and ruining our ability to strategize.”
- “I’m sure this player is griefing us on purpose and playing poorly. How many times can you accidentally trap us in the tunnel while building? I’m reporting them.”
Origins of Griefing
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Griefing is derived from the phrase “to cause someone grief.” When someone causes you grief, they’re annoying or irritating you. This idiom suggests they’re a nuisance or bother.
- “Grief” has two main meanings: “deep sorrow” and “trouble or annoyance.” In this case, it refers to “trouble or annoyance.”
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The term 'griefing' emerged as a gaming expression in the 1990s. Players of titles like Ultima Online and Counter-Strike began to call disruptive players “griefers” and labeled their actions as “griefing.” Over time, this term evolved into its current meaning.
- Though players have been purposefully disrupting games since online multiplayer games began, the term 'griefing' first gained traction in the 1990s.
Should Griefing Be Allowed?
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Most developers and players agree that griefing is unacceptable. In the gaming community, griefing is widely regarded as toxic behavior that intentionally ruins the enjoyment of others. It is often seen as harassment or bullying, and most developers and players believe it warrants a ban.
- However, griefing might be tolerated in games with more flexible rules or no clear objectives. For example, in open-world games like Minecraft, griefing is sometimes seen as part of the experience.
Related Terminology
Trolling The term 'trolling' refers to the act of intentionally provoking and offending others online. While 'griefing' is specific to video games, trolling occurs across the entire internet, from social media platforms to forums. The primary goal of a troll is to provoke a reaction from the people they upset, no matter where it happens.
- “Don’t engage with them, they’re just trolling. I’ve gamed with them before, and they get a kick out of shooting teammates for fun.”
- Though trolling and griefing can appear similar, many gamers see the intent as different. Trolls annoy players but usually aren’t trying to ruin their game experience. A troll might kill you once, while a griefer will continuously harass you.
Feeding In gaming slang, 'feeding' refers to a player intentionally getting killed by the opposing team to help them or aiding the enemy in some way, either on purpose or by accident. Many see feeding as a form of griefing because it can lead to a team’s defeat.
- “This player is feeding the enemy team on purpose to give them more points. She’s deliberately sabotaging us!”
Camping 'Camping' in multiplayer games is when a player remains in one location to ambush others rather than actively searching for opponents. Many players consider camping a form of griefing because it detracts from the enjoyment of the game, particularly when a camper positions themselves near respawn points to kill players as they return to the game.
- “Can we do something about the camper on the tower? They keep sniping us before we can get close enough to retaliate.”
Noob 'Noob' (or 'n00b') is a derogatory term used to describe someone who is new to something or inexperienced, often used as an insult in the gaming world to refer to players who are bad or lack skill.
- “Ugh, that player is such a noob. He’s constantly getting us killed. He must have just started playing today.”
- The term 'noob' isn’t exclusive to gaming—it can describe anyone who is inexperienced or not skilled at something.
