Griefer - Definition

Griefer is the term for a player in an online computer game who deliberately sets out to discomfort other players.

A griefer's actions (griefing) include kill stealing, player killing, team killing, stealing dropped items from a kill or during inventory reorganization or a mistake, and general harassment.

For example in MMORPGs (massive(ly) multiplayer online role-playing games), players typically arrive in the virtual world at specific locations. A griefer may lurk nearby and attack the players as they materialise.

In Furcadia and other online games, griefers are often referred to as twinks. This slang term, derived from Twinkie, refers to players who use methods in the game to artificially increase their characters abilities/equipment (for instance, a beginning player wielding a sword that can only be gotten by slaying the most powerful monsters). The term doesn't directly relate to the gay slang usage, but is intended to be similarly derisive.

External links

• Inflicting pain on griefers article at news.com (http://news.com.com/2100-1043_3-5488403.html)
• Twinkishness in Furcadia (http://www.furcadia.com/roleplay/twink.html)

Griefer - Example Usage