Nerfear is the process carried out to reduce the power of a character or tool in a video game.
The notion of nerfing is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). The term is used in the field of video games to refer to a reduction in the abilities or power of a character or an object .
The concept is used in Internet slang, more precisely in the gamer field. It usually appears in the vocabulary of younger gamers who spend a lot of time on these types of entertainment products.
What is nerfing
To understand the idea of nerfing, we must consider that the characteristics of video games are modified and updated over time . They do not remain unchanged, with their initial properties immutable.
What is attempted when nerfing is to balance the factors that have a great impact on the development of the games . The goal is that victory can be achieved through skill and talent, and not through traits inherent to the game that practically determine the results.
When a character stands out from the rest, nerfing is used to limit their impact. The opposite process is known as buffing , the purpose of which is empowerment.
By nerfing, players' chances of achieving success are equalized.
Origin of the term
The origin of nerfear is associated with the Nerf (or NERF ) brand, which includes a wide range of toy weapons . Nerf guns are characterized by launching foam projectiles.
It is a creation of Parker Brothers whose first models were unveiled in 1969 . Currently, the brand is owned by Hasbro .
Nerfing can therefore be linked to weaponry within the framework of a game. It is usually related to a reduction in a character's firepower , although its range is broader.
Nerfing as a form of democratization
There are those who link the implementation of the nerf to the current appearance of video games, which tend to adapt to the requirements of users. Previously, the developer defined the identity of the product prior to its launch and there were no changes; Now, it is understood that players want to customize the options and adapt them to their interests to create an ecosystem that is attractive.
Thus, nerfing helps a video game not become obsolete or unattractive. This is a resource that allows you to improve the experience.
The importance of balance
The nerfing procedure usually goes hand in hand with the act of buffing. The objective is to achieve an adequate balance that gives all players the chance to win according to their abilities.
In this way, just as there are characters or elements whose power must be minimized, others need improvement to achieve balance . Nerfing and buffing, then, usually complement each other.
"League of Legends" ("Lol"), "Overwatch" y "Super Smash Bros." son algunos de los videojuegos donde nerfear es una herramienta habitual. En el vocabulario gamer, se dice que nerfear hace posible solucionar lo que ocurre cuando un personaje o un elemento están "broken": es decir, cuando no cuentan con rival o comparación por sus cualidades desmedidas. Nerfear, así, viene a "fix» este maladjustment para optimizar la jugabilidad.