Glossary of free-to-play desktop game terms

Every term this reference defines, in one alphabetical list. Each entry gives the short definition and links to the guide where the term is worked through with an example.

Definitions here describe how a word is generally used across free-to-play desktop games. They are not quotations from any publisher, and no publisher is bound by them. Where a game's own glossary or support page defines a term differently, that game's definition governs inside that game — a point worth remembering before a term is used in a support ticket.

• A
• B
• C
• D
• F
• G
• H
• I
• L
• M
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• V
• W

A

Account activation

The step that turns a submitted registration into a working account, usually by confirming control of the email address given. Until it happens, the account may exist in the publisher's records but refuse to sign in. More on this.

Alpha damage

The damage a single successful shot does before any modifiers. High alpha rewards accuracy; low alpha rewards a fast reload. More on this.

Armour penetration

The depth of armour a shell can defeat at a stated range. A shot that lands without penetrating does no damage to the hull. More on this.

B

Battle pass

A seasonal reward track with a free tier and a paid tier, paying out as objectives are completed inside a fixed window. More on this.

Bundle

A package of items and premium currency sold as one purchase. Bundles are the usual way a store avoids showing a single item's price. More on this.

C

Camouflage value

A number describing how hard a vehicle is to spot at range. Terrain, movement and firing all change it. More on this.

Client

The program installed on a computer that draws the game and communicates with the publisher's servers. More on this.

Cosmetic-only

A store item that changes appearance and nothing else. The term is meaningful only where the publisher states it and the item list supports it. More on this.

Crew skill

A progression attached to a vehicle's crew rather than the vehicle, carried between vehicles under stated conditions. More on this.

D

Dedicated server

A game server run by the publisher rather than by a player's machine. Standard for large multiplayer titles. More on this.

Double opt-in

Registration requiring two confirmations: the form, then a link sent to the address given. More on this.

Draw distance

The range at which the client renders distant objects. Reducing it raises frame rate and can change what a player can see. More on this.

F

Frame rate

Frames drawn per second, written fps. The number most affected by graphics settings. More on this.

Free-to-play

A distribution model in which the client and the account cost nothing and revenue comes from optional purchases afterwards. More on this.

G

Grind

The play time between one progression step and the next, and the thing most purchase shortcuts are sold against. More on this.

H

Hard cap

A fixed limit a publisher will not raise, such as a maximum account level or a daily reward ceiling. More on this.

Hitbox

The invisible volume the server tests a shot against, which is not always identical to the model a player sees. More on this.

I

Input lag

The delay between a key or mouse action and the result appearing on screen, distinct from network latency. More on this.

L

Launcher

The small application that downloads the client, applies patches and signs an account in. More on this.

Loot box

A purchasable or earnable container whose contents are decided at random when it is opened. More on this.

M

Matchmaking

The server-side process that assembles waiting players into opposing teams according to stated and unstated criteria. More on this.

Minimum specification

The hardware a publisher states the game will run on at all, as opposed to the recommended specification it states the game runs well on. More on this.

Module damage

Damage to a specific component, such as an engine or a gun, rather than to the vehicle's health pool. More on this.

P

Packet loss

Network data that never arrives, producing missed shots and teleporting opponents even when ping looks healthy. More on this.

Passphrase

A long password made of several words, recommended over short complex passwords by the Australian Cyber Security Centre. More on this.

Patch notes

The publisher's record of what changed in an update. The only reliable source for balance changes. More on this.

Pay-to-win

A contested description of a purchase that provides an advantage in play rather than appearance. Its meaning depends entirely on who is using it. More on this.

Penetration indicator

An interface aid that estimates whether a shot at the current aim point will defeat the armour it is pointed at. More on this.

Ping

Round-trip time between a player's computer and the game server, in milliseconds. More on this.

Premium account

A time-limited account benefit, usually faster progression or higher rewards, bought for a period rather than permanently. More on this.

Premium currency

A token bought with real money and spent inside the game, placing an exchange rate between a price in dollars and an item. More on this.

Premium vehicle

A vehicle bought outright rather than unlocked through progression, typically with its own earning characteristics. More on this.

Q

Queue time

How long a player waits for matchmaking to place them. Strongly affected by region, time of day and the tier being played. More on this.

R

Recommended specification

The hardware a publisher states gives a good experience, as distinct from the minimum that merely runs. More on this.

Region lock

A restriction tying an account, and often a purchase, to one server region. More on this.

Reload time

The interval between a shot and the next available shot, before crew and equipment modifiers. More on this.

Reporting

The in-client process for flagging conduct to the publisher. Serious online abuse can also be reported to the eSafety Commissioner. More on this.

S

Season

A fixed period with its own reward track and objectives, after which unclaimed rewards are usually lost. More on this.

Server region

The geographic cluster a game's servers sit in. The choice that decides an Australian player's ping more than any hardware upgrade. More on this.

Single opt-in

Registration completed by one confirmation: the form is submitted and the account exists. More on this.

Soft cap

A limit that can be exceeded, but only at a sharply reduced rate of reward. More on this.

Spotting

The mechanic by which one vehicle reveals another to its team. Distinct from simply being able to see it on screen. More on this.

System requirements

The publisher's stated hardware and operating system needs, published per platform and revised between major updates. More on this.

T

Tech tree

A branching progression chart in which unlocking one item opens the next. More on this.

Tick rate

How often per second a server updates the state of a match. Higher tick rates resolve fast exchanges more consistently. More on this.

Tier

A bracket describing a vehicle's relative capability, used by matchmaking to decide who meets whom. More on this.

Two-factor authentication

A second sign-in step beyond the password, usually a code from an app. The single most effective account protection a player can switch on. More on this.

V

Verification email

The message containing an activation link. Its absence is the most common reason a new account does not work. More on this.

VRAM

Memory on the graphics card. Texture settings consume it first, and exceeding it causes stutter rather than a clean slowdown. More on this.

W

Wipe

The deliberate resetting of progression, common in test servers and rare in live ones. Always announced in advance when it is planned. More on this.