What the heck is a Nerf?

the question is in the title...what the heck does nerf, nerfed, nerfing, etc. mean?

Semper Fi
775 views 26 replies
Reply #1 Top
It means to weaken or soften.

The PQ+15 and PQ+10% were 'nerfed' (They were removed from the game.) because SD thought they were over-powering all other variations of civ ability picks.

The Battle Hammer was nerfed in the latest (1.03.59) release (it was reduced in it's effectiveness as a warship), because SD thought it was being overly used.

The term 'Nerf' comes from the toys, Nerf. They are basically soft, spongie foam versions of real objects. To 'Nerf' something is to therefore replace the original object in the game with a 'Nerf' version of it.
Reply #2 Top
It means "to make completely and utterly uselss". People love to exaggerate however, so many have been throwing around the "nerf" accusation for the slightest downard "tweaking" of any game feature. Educate yourself and don't be one of them ;)
Reply #3 Top
Wow...that helps me too, cause I thought when something was 'nerfed' that it was taken out completely...

While on the topic (sorts) what does imho, imo, however its spelled (i forget, too lazy to look it up either), what does that mean?

~SDC~
Reply #4 Top
Nerf, a failing nerd. :)

~SDC~
Reply #6 Top
Nerf balls are an old game product, they are made of soft foam, so if you get hit in the head with a nerf ball or nerf frisbee it doesn't hurt. So when a game feature has been 'nerfed' that means it's been softened, made less useful than before, sometimes even to the point of uselessness.
Reply #9 Top
Doesn't Leia call HanSolo a nerfherder? If so,that would seem to indicate yet another definition. :)
Reply #10 Top
...Hahahaha, okies thanks Zorlond (but I thought copying people was different :notsure: )

And btw, thanks Astromarine for that definition.

~SDC~
Reply #11 Top
I believe the Star Wars definition, for CariElf, is:
(From www.starwars.com)

Nerfs, like certain hotshot pilots, are temperamental and cantankerous. The comparison stops there, however. These domesticated herb-eaters are raised for their delicious meat. That's a good thing because they have one of the most foul odors this side of the Galactic Core. The rangy, supple creatures have long fur covering their muscular bodies and dull, curved horns. They also tend to spit at their handlers, which probably doesn't work wonders for the dispositions of the nerf herders either.

So maybe the BattleHammers and the PQ 15% option were just turned smelly. :)
Reply #12 Top
Geez .... while we're on the subject of StarWars and describing useless trivia, I stumbled across this on theforce.net. Someone actually went through the trouble to figure out how much power the Death Star's superlaser had. After what looks like a PHd thesis, the came up with the Death Star's core generating at least 2x10^27 Watts of energy with the super laser kicking out 1.2x10^39 Joules of energy. Someone had way too much time on their hands coming up with that
Reply #15 Top
For those interested in what nerfs look like, they are featured in Galactic Battlegrounds.

And to add to Nibor info: Those who herd nerfs are greatly looked down upon. LOL
Reply #16 Top
*Points at the superlaser picture on Forceinfinity's link*

I always felt sorry for those 2 troops stationed right next to where the Death Star's giant (and probably radiation filled) laser passes by. How badly do you screw up to get a crappy assignment like that? LOL

I wonder if the Terror Stars have a post like that? Maybe I can put that annoying "out of range/only survey vessels can investigate" advisor there. :D
Reply #17 Top
Mike, if I was in their position, I wouldn't be woried about the radiation. I'd be woried about the fact that the room appears to be exposed to space. ;p
Reply #18 Top
Whenever I see that Alderaan death star firing scene all I can think is, "Whoa...RK surgery gone wrong."

I think it would be pretty damn funny if an optical surgeon had a death star mock-up covering his equipment. You're lying there with your eyes propped open and the "Evil Empire" theme starts playing. "Now hold still...this won't hurt a bit."

"What's wrong Ben?"
"I just felt a disturbance in the force, as if millions of cornea cells cried out at once..."

This may be a sign of too much computer gaming, not enough sleep. :notsure:
Reply #19 Top
I believe the troops can be at that position and not worry about the vacuum of space because of the magnetic shielding. When the Falcon first comes into the DS, there's a voice announcement about closing the magnetic shield. Later, when escaping, there isn't any visible door in the hanger, and the Falcon just flys out... even though there are still stormtroopers firing away. If there wasn't a shield, those troopers would get sucked out into space (I don't think their armor works as a zero-g outfit).

My thought about those two guys is... just *what* exactly are they doing? I mean, there's an entire control room to fire the darn thing, so why do you need to extra guys right by the barrel of the gun (and since there are a number of lasers, that all combine to become one big laser, there must be a bunch of guys spread about the station)? There sole purpose seems to be to look in the barrel, then cover themselves with their arms after it fires.

*DS trooper sticks head in superlaser barrel*
"Hmm, don't see anything yet-- THERE IT IS! DUCK!"
*DS trooper leans away from 20-foot diameter laser beam*
"Whoo! That was close... good thing I took a step to the side."
:D

~SDC~
Reply #20 Top
They don't worry about the vacuum because of the magnetic containment field that keeps the air in... although, I don't know how you could blow up a planet with a beam of light. You'd think at most it would just poke a hole through it.
Reply #21 Top
ALL Star Wars lasers (blasters) explode on "impact." Why not the big ones, too? At least it's consistent. ;)
Reply #22 Top
We don't know if the superlaser is actually light, but its more likely to be a type of particle beam. This explains why the beams converge on a focal point and then hit the target. If it was light based, the beam wouldn't work because of the superposition principle (the superlaser wouldn't be one big beam, it would be 8 or 9 smaller ones that spread out).
Reply #24 Top
Friends,

I cant remember where I read it, but the Death Star Super-Laser burrows into the planet, and flash-boils the core, which of course expands explosively. I hear thunder. Time to turn this puppy off.
G-night,

CKB

~SDC~
Reply #25 Top
Hmmmmmmmm...

God Charles reveals heretofore unknown Death Star weapons theory garnered from "unnamed source"...

...God Charles hears "thunder" from sky overhead...

...Suddenly God Charles is gone...

...God Charles has not come back yet.

Coincidence...or the saddest moment since Luke returned to Uncle Owen's?

:::removing cap and bowing head in moment of silence::: (:(