LOA, or List of Abbreviations

[V.T. Marvin]

Hello friends,

there is quite a lot of abbreviations in use on this forum, both generic Internet slang and specifically RTW/EB ones, which might be sometimes confusing, especially for new members. My idea is to post as exhaustive list of these as possible. I now start with some of them that immediately come to my mind and please feel free to post yours in this thread and I will compile them to first post later for easier orientation.

List of Abbreviations

• AAR = After Action Report - a story of your campaign, battle or a guide
• AFAIK = as far as I know
• AI = Artificial Intelligence, i.e. what computer is doing, whether intelligent or not
• AoR = Area of Recruitment
• AP = Armor Piercing
• AS = Arche Seleukeia, an EB faction
• AtB = Asia ton Barbaron, prepared east-oriented EB mod
• AtS = "Activate the Script!" - what you should do, always.
• BI = Barbarian Invasion, datadisk to RTW
• CA = Creative Assembly, the creators of Total War series, or CountArach, a forum member
• CTD = Crash to Desktop
• DBH = DimeBagHo, the man behind XGM
• EB = Europa Barbarorum - the RTW mod
• EBBS = EBBS.txt, Europa Barbarorum Background Script
• EDB = export_descr_building.txt
• EDCT = export_descr_character_traits.txt
• EDU = export_descr_unit.txt
• ExRM = Extended Realism Mod - RTR further improved
• FD = Force Diplomacy, quite useful EB minimod
• FM = Family member
• FOW = Fog of War, unavoidable uncertainty of war, in game limiting your view of areas/units outside your control, could be cleared by spies.
• FTL = For The Lose, i.e. "The above is bad", e.g. "akontistai FTL" = "Akontistai are weak"
• FTW = For The Win, i.e. "The above is good", e.g. "HA FTW!" = "Horse Archers are good!"
• HA = Horse Archers
• IIRC = if I remember correctly
• IMHO = in my humble opinion
• IMO = in my opinion
• KH = Koinon Hellenon, an EB faction
• KTM = Kick to Menu, you try to start up a campaign for instance, and instead of loading the campaign the game kicks you back to the (main) menu
• LOL = laughing out loud, lots of laugter,
• LH = lorica hamata, roman mail armor
• LS = lorica segmentata, late roman armor, mostly otside EB frame
• M2TW = Medieval II: Total War, successor to RTW
• MAA = Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, a famous member of the EB team
• MIC = Military Industrial Complex, basically barracks in EB
• MiNO: Medieval in Name Only, synonym for M2TW - sarcastic forum expression
• MTW = Medieval Total War predecessor to RTW
• QFT = Quoted for the truth - When you quote something to say you concur with whatever someone's saying.
• RL = Real Life, a different from computer game
• RTR = Rome Total Realism - another great RTW mod
• RTW = Rome Total War
• SB = Sacred Band or Sarmatian Bodyguard, EB units, both are very heavy cavalry
• SoV = Spoils of Victory, my EB micro-mod
• (sp.) = spelling, when you are unsure of it
• SSbQ = Safot Sophet bin Quart-Hadast (sp.?), i.e. Carthage, an EB faction
• SSECC = Slingers Solve Everything Camels Can't (can also be abbreviated as SEX because Balearics were paid with women)
• STW = Shogun Total War, the first game in Total War series
• TA = Teleklos Archelaou or Tellos Athenaios, both are famous members of the EB team
• TIC = The Iberian Campaign - RTW mod, preparation for a new release of RTR
• TPC = The Persian Cataphract, famous member of the EB team
• TWC = Total War Center, another RTW forum
• UI = User Interface, i.e. in-game menus and control panels
• VC = Victory Conditions
• WIDUC = When In Doubt, Use Camel
• WT* = an expression of surprise and amazement
• WWI = World War One, a tragic RL event
• WWII = World War Two, another tragic RL event
• XGM = Extended Greek Mod - another RTW mod

Common expressions

• Black Plague = Macedon, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful
• Blue Death = Baktria, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful
• Boost = applying yourself into another with force, but not too hard. like a bodyslam but gentler. good when applied on girls (various kinds of boost see here)
• Dry Blood Flood = Sweboz, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful
• Hammer and Anvil = a winning strategy, pin the opposing troops with phalanxes and charge them from the rear with your cavalry.
• Hit and Run = another winning strategy (the poor man's one); pelter your opponent with missiles, fall back, rinse and repeat, then mop the survivors with whatever hard hitting troops you have left
• Highground = the best position on the battlefield, that is, the easiest to defend if the opponent decides to go on the offensive; give longer range to missile troops.
• noob = a newcomer, inexperienced player
• rinse and repeat = an expression used for a (somewhat boring) repetitive actions
• Purple rain = Pahlava, an EB faction if controlled by AI or TPC and becomes too powerful
• Silver Death = Arche Seleukeia, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful
• Teal Death = Epeiros, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful
• vanilla = a game as shipped by the producer, i.e. without any modifications
• Yellow fever = Ptolemaioi, an EB faction if controlled by AI and becomes too powerful

Internal names of EB factions - useful for modding (and cheating) purposes

• seleucid - Romani
• greek_cities - Koinon Hellenon
• thrace - Epeiros
• macedon - Makedonia
• numidia - Ptolemaioi
• romans_julii - Arche Seleukeia
• romans_brutii - Baktria
• romans_scipii - Hayasdan
• carthage - Pontos
• pontus - Saka Rauka
• armenia - Sauromatae
• parthia - Pahlava
• dacia - Getai
• germans - Sweboz
• scythia - Arverni
• gauls - Aedui
• britons - Casse
• spain - Lusotannan
• egypt - Qarthadastim
• saba - Saba

Please feel free to provide further entries, this a work in progress and your input is essential.