Computer games have become not only one of the most popular hobbies in the modern world, but also had a significant impact on the language. Many jargon and slang expressions from the world of computer games have penetrated into ordinary speech. For example, this refers to the verb "nerf", which is used in the meaning "to loosen up".
Origin of the word
The verb "nerf" comes from the English slang word nerf, which roughly means "to make harmless." The history of the origin of this expression is interesting. In fact, Nerf is the name of a company that makes toys for children. The company became famous for releasing soft balls that allowed them to be played without the fear of breaking or damaging anything. Later, the Nerf company began to produce various types of toy weapons: machine guns, pistols, sniper rifles. All the same harmless foam balls were used as shells. Later, the product line was supplemented with water pistols, but in the mass consciousness, the Nerf brand has become unambiguously associated with the safest shooting toys.
With regard to computer games, the word nerf means changing the characteristics and indicators of a game object (character, technique, magical abilities) in order to weaken it. Typically, these changes are made in online games in order to correct the game balance. This is where the expression "nerf imba" comes from, that is, weaken the game object that violates the principle of balance. The word "imba" is derived from the English imba (imbalance), meaning imbalance.
Game balancing issues
Game balance considerations are very important for multiplayer game developers, as it is balance that will attract the maximum number of players. In this case, balance means relatively equal opportunities to achieve certain game goals for all classes of characters (when it comes to role-playing games) or all types of equipment in various kinds of simulators.
The problem is that no matter how thoroughly all parameters are tested before the release of the game for sale, the ideal balance cannot be achieved. The fact is that even in the largest development companies, the testing department rarely consists of more than a hundred people, and after release, millions of players get into the game, who very quickly find non-obvious options for gaining advantages. This process is inevitable, which means that nerfs are inevitable.
Naturally, as soon as the characteristics of this or that object decrease, the game balance changes again, and other "imbs" come to the fore. Striving to achieve the ideal, the developers of constant "nerfs" can completely change the original concept of the game, scaring off many players. The opposite of a nerf is a buff, that is, improving the characteristics of an object. Theoretically, the achievement of game balance occurs with the correct ratio of "nerfs" and "buffs", but in reality, the balancing process often turns into a confrontation between the players and the developer.
