Glossary of Terms

Yes, I should have made this post sooner. Shut up >.>

Basically, this post will define some of the terms commonly used in this blog, for those unfamiliar with the terms. I will probably find myself updating this section every so often, and whenever someone asks what a certain term means. Here we go...

AI: The set of instructions that a character controlled by the computer follows. AI can vary greatly between characters, even between different versions of the same character.

Air Recovery: The ability to right yourself in midair and land on your feet. Many characters can do this to one degree or another.

Attack: An offensive move performed by a character that can deal damage to an enemy if it connects.

Beam: A ranged, continuous attack that can deal multiple hits in a short amount of time. Examples include SF3 Ryu's Shinkuu-Hadouken or Piccolo's Super Beam Cannon.

Block: Often done by holding the movement key away from an enemy, blocking can reduce the damage taken by an attack, as well as preventing a character from staggering. Some attacks are unblockable, and must be dodged.

Cheapness: A "cheap" character has the ability to constantly launch hard to dodge/highly damaging moves (see "spam"), or recover large amounts of health, or any other ability that can make a battle badly one-sided. Smart AI does not fall under this category.

Combo: Hitting an enemy several times within a short time span will trigger a combo. There are two main types of combos. Manual combos are when a player strings together regular attacks, and thus may be different each time. Automatic combos are usually triggered by a specific button sequence and are the same each time. Some automatic combos require power to use. For ease of use, I will just use the term "combo" in this blog.

Counter: Similar to a parry, a counter stops the character from taking any damage, but then immidiately launches a counterattack. The enemy is usually stunned for a short time so the counterattack can connect.

Dash: While the term brings running or a quick hop to mind, "dash" is the generic term for double-tapping either the forward or backward movement buttons. These dashes can be just about anything, from a quick flight to teleportation. Some characters also have "air dashes", which is just a dash in mid-air.

Dodge Roll: An ability that allows a character to somersault/otherwise dodge an oncoming attack. The character is usually invulnerable while rolling.

Glitch: Any error with a character, stage, or MUGEN engine that can cause problems. Ranges from visual glitches (wrong colors, missing sprites, etc) to MUGEN-crashing errors. Some glitches can be resolved with some quick editing of a .def file. Others require special tools/knowledge to fix.

Hadouken: Generic term for a simple ranged attack. Often used to describe fireball-like ranged attacks, though just about any ranged attack excluding beams can apply. Refers to Street Fighter's Ryu, who could shoot Hadouken fireballs from his hands.

Health: The "life" of a character. Health shows how much damage a character can take before he/she/it is defeated. Standard health is 1000, though some characters may have more or less.

Parry: The ability to completely block an attack, taking no damage in the process. When used in close combat, parrying can leave an opponent open to attack.

Power: Also known as "special", it is a meter that builds up during fighting and, when it reaches certain levels, can be used to launch powerful attacks/abilities. The amount of power used depends on the strength of the special attack.

Power Charge: The ability of certain characters to quickly build up power. Usually while charging, a character is immobile and vulnerable to attack.

Quick Recovery: The ability to get back on your feet almost instantly after getting knocked down.

Recovery Roll: The ability to roll to one side or the other after being knocked to the ground. This can allow an injured character to get away from an enemy.

Spam: Continuous usage of a certain attack. Any attack (except moves that require power) can be spammed. Spamming is looked down on in some circles, though some see it as a viable way to beat superior opponents.

Stagger: Also known as flinching, it is when a character takes damage and is temporarily helpless. A staggering character is unable to block, attack, or move, leaving him/her/it vulnerable to continued attacks. Some characters (especially very large ones) do not stagger.

Summon: The ability to bring in another character (usually from the same series) to help you.

Teleportation: The ability to cross large distances of the stage without taking damage from attacks. Some characters vanish and reappear elsewhere, while others physically move across the stage (often exhibiting a "sliding" movement). Street Fighter's Akuma character can teleport in this fashion.