Today, we will explain another gaming slang word that may raise questions about its meaning and use, namely “OP”.
What does this abbreviation stand for and in what situations can we use it? Let’s find out!
What Does OP Mean in Gaming
The term can describe weapons, various skills or characters. But what exactly does it mean? Let’s describe this in more details:
- Weapons – you can often hear “That gun is OP” which means that it seems too powerful and give opponents too great an advantage
- Skills – skills can be OP if they have no limits and do more damage than they should
- Characters – OP situation occurs when a character displays overly powerful abilities, making other players uncompetitive
Usually, when something in the game is overpowered, the developers weaken the element and they make a so-called “nerf”.
Origins of OP
Like many gaming terms, OP was developed during the popularization of video games and especially multiplayer ones, such as Fortnite, where eventually balance issues began to emerge. This is when “overpowered” messages started to appear, which quickly shortened to OP as with other terms that are usually shortened as well.
Balance issues with OP content
As mentioned earlier, elements in the game that are OP can negatively affect the balance of gameplay. But why is this important? Balance ensures that all players are on a level playing field and allows for fair competition, so that every player feels comfortable in the game. When balance is disrupted, problems arise, such as:
- Lack of a fair play game – we already mentioned that OP elements often make other players frustrated and feel that playing the game makes no sense. If a weapon or skill is too powerful, it discourages players from using other weapons or strategies. All those aspects affect the enjoyment of the game
- Lack of diversity – OP elements make the game monotonous as players stop trying other elements and focus only on those that are too powerful
- Problem of nerfing – when some element becomes too strong, game developers use nerf to weaken them which can be a problem as players may never use them again
All this aspects mentioned might be an issue so it’s crucial for game developers to balance the gameplay.
Now that you know the meaning of OP and all the important info, you can participate in any gaming conversation and use slang confidently!