What Does Buff Mean in Gaming?
When gamers talk about their hobby, the term buff comes up more often. But what does this term actually stand for? That and where the word buff comes from, you will learn in this article.
What does Buff mean?
The word buff (‘baff’ pronounced) refers to a boost to a certain aspect of the game. Almost any aspect of the game can be affected, from the strength of a creature to the chances of finding certain resources and items.
Buffs can be distributed by developers in a patch if the content in question is noticed to be too weak compared to the other content. The goal of such a buff is to make the weak content attractive again.
Unlike a debilitating nerf, however, a buff is also used as a game mechanic. It is not uncommon to give game characters abilities or equipment that increase your stats for a short time. This buffing of your own and also friendly characters is also called a buff.
Where does the term buff come from?
Buff originally comes from the English language, where it means to polish or clean. This meaning has its origin in the fact that buffalo hide was often used for polishing. So a buff is meant to polish up the game content.
Examples of the use of the word buff
- With the new buff, the gun is really OP!
- Before the buff, no one played the hero anymore.
- I absolutely don’t understand why they buffed this ability, it’s already strong.
- With the right buffs, the boss was a piece of cake.
- Wait, I’ll give you another buff.
- Buff first, then attack.
