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Polk5440

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Glossary Update
« on: February 25, 2019, 11:09:33 pm »
+5

The glossary on the front page is in need of some updating. It still references some first edition cards, for example. Below is the proposed updated version.  Note, I am going to delete all the abbreviations that are on that page, as well, unless there are strong objections.

Definitions should be as simple and straightforward as possible to help new players who might reference the glossary. If you have any additions or suggested changes on how the definitions below could be clearer, please post in this thread. Thanks!

EDIT: Version 3.


Some of the terms commonly used in the Dominion community include:

Base Cards: A set of the non-kingdom supply cards (such as Coppers, Provinces, and Curses) needed to play any game of Dominion. Purchasing a set of Base Cards makes any expansion playable or expands play of the base set to five or six players. Compare base set.

Base Set: The original Dominion, with no expansions. For example, "In the base set, Chapel is the best early-game trasher." Compare Base Cards.

Big Money:  See money.

Board:  See kingdom.

Cantrip: Any card that gives +1 Card, +1 Action; it costs no action to spend it and it replaces itself in the hand.  Usually does not refer to cards that give more than Card or more than one Action. Compare village and lab.

Colony Game:  Any game in which Colony and Platinum (from Prosperity) are available for purchase.

Combo: A small set of cards (usually two, sometimes three) whose interaction is particularly strong, especially if the cards are individually weak but together can become a game-winning strategy. Compare engine, money, rush, and slog.

Counter:  A card or strategy that acts to neutralize another card (usually an attack) or strategy, whether directly (e.g., Moat) or indirectly (e.g., Library vs. Militia/Goons).

Cycling: Moving through your deck.  Scavenger and Messenger provide an extreme example of cycling because your entire deck is moved into your discard, but cards like Warehouse and Cellar also cycle your deck by drawing and discarding cards.

Draw Dead: Generally refers to drawing an Action card when you have no more Actions to play.  In context, may refer to drawing an Action card that cannot be effectively used (e.g., Baron without Estate, Moneylender without Copper).

Duchy Dancing: When players are buying Duchies instead of Provinces, even if Provinces are available, as no one is willing or able to buy Provinces without risking losing the game.

Early Game:  The first few decisions or turns which sets up the rest of the game. Usually, the opening two hands through the first couple of shuffles.

Endgame (or Late Game): The time of the game when players are looking to score points, empty piles, or considering immediate abilities to do so.

End on piles:  Force the game to end by emptying three or more piles (four or more with 5+ players).

Engine: Deck which dramatically grows in value or lets you do more and more as it gets built. Usually characterized by drawing and playing lots of Action cards, but not always. Sometimes augmented by a descriptor of a key feature of the deck, such as a “draw-your-deck engine” or “multi-Province engine”. Compare money, combo, rush, and slog.

Gainer: A card with the ability to gain other (usually desirable, c.f. junker) cards.  Most gainers are restricted in what they can gain, such as a card that only gains silvers, or a card that only gains cards costing up to $4.

Greening:  Purchasing victory cards, usually in the endgame.

Junk: (noun) Bad cards that add bloat to a deck. Coppers, Estates, Curses, and Ruins are the usual examples. (verb) Add bad cards to a deck (preferably an opponent's).

Kingdom: The set of cards that make up the game of interest. Sometimes referred to as the board.

Lab: Short for the card Laboratory, also refers to any card that non-terminally increases your hand-size by one.

Late Game: See endgame.

Midgame:  The middle of the game. Players have decided upon a general path of deck building, but players aren’t necessarily looking to score yet and there aren’t active threats to end the game.

Mirror Match: When players pursue identical or near-identical strategies.

Missing the Shuffle: Refers to any cards that aren't included in the next shuffle. Cards that miss the shuffle are usually in your hand or in play. Oftentimes, you want bad cards to miss the shuffle and good cards to stay in the current shuffle.

Money: Narrowly, a deck where no Actions are bought at all, only Treasure and Victory cards.  More broadly, a deck that gets economy from Treasures supplemented with some Actions.  Money decks usually don’t draw much. When using Treasures and one other card exclusively, this is sometimes called Big Money + X. Compare combo, engine, rush, and slog.

Non-Terminal (or Non-Terminal Action):  Any Action card that gives at least one additional Action.

Opening:  Purchases made on the first two turns.  Usually clarified by the opening split.

Opening Split:  Treasure values of the first two hands (usually 5/2 or 4/3). Compare split piles and winning the split.

Piles: See end on piles.

Province Game (rarely, Non-Colony Game):  A standard game in which Colony and Platinum are not available.

Pseudo-Trash:  Remove cards from your deck without trashing them. For example, Island sets aside cards.

Rush: A strategy that attempts to end the game as quickly as possible, typically with a three-pile ending. Compare combo, engine, money, and slog.

Sifting: Selecting one set of (usually good) cards and discarding or returning another set of cards. For example, Cartographer sifts by letting you discard unwanted cards from the top of your deck. Compare cycling.

Slog: A game or strategy characterized by decks filled with junk, willingly (e.g. to beef up Gardens) or unwillingly (e.g. because of attacks). Compare combo, engine, rush, and money.

Split Piles: Piles containing more than one differently named card, in a particular order. For example, Encampment and Plunder. Contrast with Knights and Ruins which are shuffled. Compare opening split and winning the split.

Stop Card: A card that does not draw any more cards from your deck, like Giant or Gold. If Actions are limited, this may or may not include terminal draw.   

Terminal (or Terminal Action):  Any action card that does not provide another Action when played.

Terminal Collision: Drawing multiple terminal action cards together, especially when you can only play one of them.

Terminal Draw: An Action card that draws cards but gives no additional Actions. Usually refers to +2 Cards or greater. For example, Moat, Smithy, or Hunting Grounds.

Terminal Gold: Any terminal action that gives +$3.

Terminal Silver:  Any terminal action that gives +$2.

Topdeck:  Place a card on top of your deck that would normally go elsewhere (e.g. Alchemist, Royal Seal).

Three-Pile: Ending a game by emptying a third pile, often while ahead on points. See end on piles.

Trasher (or Deck-thinner):  Any card that allows one to trash cards from one's deck.

Trash-for-Benefit:  A card that trashes, then does something (useful) based on what it trashed. For example, Apprentice draws cards and Salvager gives coin.

Village:  Besides the card of the same name, can refer to any card which allows someone to play multiple actions in a turn; most (but not all) such cards have "Village" in their names.

Winning the Split: Getting the most copies of a Kingdom Card from a heavily contested pile, oftentimes a card that all players want as many copies of as possible. For example, if you gain 6 Bridges and your opponent gains 4 Bridges, you win the split 6-4. Compare opening split and split piles.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2019, 08:11:28 pm by Polk5440 »
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sudgy

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2019, 11:44:13 pm »
0

...vanillage? :'(
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ConMan

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2019, 12:08:48 am »
+1

I would add "combo" as "A small set of cards (usually two, sometimes three) whose interaction is particularly strong, especially if the cards are individually weak but together can become a game-winning strategy." Although I know that people will argue just about every word in that definition (including "a", probably).
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faust

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2019, 02:16:34 am »
+5

Although I know that people will argue just about every word in that definition (including "a", probably).
People will probably argue about 90-93% of all definitions in this list.
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2019, 07:12:08 am »
+1

Trash-for-benefit is a particularly thorny one, and I think different people have different definitions. (My personal definition is "a trasher that gives variable effects based on some feature of the trashed card, which is usually its cost, but can also be its types or its on-play effects".)
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faust

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2019, 07:25:39 am »
+1

Trash-for-benefit is a particularly thorny one, and I think different people have different definitions. (My personal definition is "a trasher that gives variable effects based on some feature of the trashed card, which is usually its cost, but can also be its types or its on-play effects".)
The advent of Hideout makes a rigorous definition... tricky. By this definition, Hideout would be TfB.
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Polk5440

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2019, 07:38:12 am »
0

Trash-for-benefit is a particularly thorny one, and I think different people have different definitions. (My personal definition is "a trasher that gives variable effects based on some feature of the trashed card, which is usually its cost, but can also be its types or its on-play effects".)

I think this is the same idea, but worded differently? I wanted to emphasize that while trashing itself is usually a good thing, it's not the "benefit" we usually think of when talking about trash for benefit. The benefit is usually something in addition. Your definition is clearer about where the benefits come from. Maybe I am missing a nuance, though.

How about this:

Trash-for-Benefit:  Any card that gives a benefit from trashing a card, other than the benefit of removing cards from your deck.  The benefits are usually variable effects based on some feature of the trashed card, like its cost, but can also be its types or its on-play effects. Apprentice draws additional cards, Salvager gives coin, etc.
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DG

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2019, 07:45:37 am »
+5

Sifting is distinct from cycling. Sifting is a selection where you keep one set of cards, usually good cards, and discard/return another set of cards. Cartographer sifts. Patrol sifts. Ironmonger sifts.

For certain cards, sifting implies the arrangement of cards on top of the draw deck and that isn't described by any other term.
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2019, 09:16:54 am »
+2

An assortment of minor points:

Base: The original Dominion, with no expansions. For example, "In base, Chapel is the best early-game trasher."
Unfortunately, nowadays we need to distinguish "base set" from "base cards". (Why do those both have "base" in their names?)

Quote
]Cantrip: Any card that gives +1 Card, +1 Action; it costs no action to spend it and it replaces itself in the hand.  Usually does not refer to cards that give more than Card or more than one Action. Compare village.
Compare village and lab?

Quote
Counter:  A card or strategy that acts to neutralize another card (usually an attack) or strategy, whether directly (e.g., Moat) or indirectly (e.g., Library vs. Militia/Goons).
Add a note that we never call tokens counters?

Quote
Early Game[...]Endgame[...]end game[...]Midgame
It would be good to get some consistency concerning whether these phrases are one word or two!

Quote
Engine: Deck which dramatically grows in value or let’s you do more and more as it gets built.
"lets"; no apostrophe.

Quote
Pseudo-Trash:  Remove cards from your deck without trashing them. For example, Island sets aside cards.
This one feels very much less common than the other terms in the list; perhaps drop it?
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2019, 11:18:09 am »
+2

Pseudo-trash isn't common as a word because pseudotrashing isn't common as a game mechanic; Miser, Island and Prince are the only examples I can think of off the top of my head. (And possibly Hireling, which pseudotrashes itself.)
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2019, 11:26:45 am »
+2

Pseudo-trash isn't common as a word because pseudotrashing isn't common as a game mechanic; Miser, Island and Prince are the only examples I can think of off the top of my head. (And possibly Hireling, which pseudotrashes itself.)
Native Village can pseudotrash.

Also there is a bunch of temporary pseudotrashing: Archive, Haven, Gear, Crypt.

And if you count Hireling, then surely all Reserves can also pseudotrash themselves.
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Jack Rudd

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2019, 11:35:21 am »
+1

And if you count Hireling, then surely all Reserves can also pseudotrash themselves.
True. This would be permanent pseudotrashing for Distant Lands and temporary pseudotrashing for the others.
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trivialknot

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2019, 11:36:16 am »
+1

Writing a glossary for a community website can be pretty difficult and contentious, good job.

I would also add "draw card" (referring to cards that draw at least 2 cards), "terminal space", "terminal draw", "split" (referring to other entries), "build", "gainer", "dudding" (as in a dud turn), "slog", and "money" (a common alternative term for big money).

Of course, maybe you can search through the blog to see if these terms are actually used in practice.  It makes sense for the blog to have a more limited vocabulary than the forums.  I searched through the last five months, and couldn't find any examples of "terminal space", "slog" was only in one article, and there were only a few uses of "dud" and "draw card".  So, maybe don't add those.

While we're at it, I learned that these terms aren't used much either: "counter", "cycling", "draw dead", "duchy dancing", "pseudo-trash", "terminal collision", "terminal gold", "terminal silver", and "village idiot".  I would judiciously remove some of those.  Oh, and "top-deck" is always used as "topdeck".

Now, the deck archetypes (engine and money).  I think these are really contentious, so I would settle for a "good enough" definition.  The engine definition is good enough.  As for big money, I don't like this "strictly speaking" vs "in practice" phrasing.  Instead I would just call them narrow and broad definitions.  I also think you're missing the broader definition, of a deck that simply doesn't draw a lot, but maybe it would be good enough without that.
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Donald X.

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2019, 12:04:47 pm »
+6

Trash-for-benefit: A card that trashes, then does something (useful) based on what it trashed.

Altar trashes and gains, but isn't TFB; Sacrifice is TFB.
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2019, 12:19:43 pm »
+3

"Stop card" should be in there somewhere.
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #15 on: February 26, 2019, 01:09:54 pm »
0

Rats is TFB, but you don't get the benefit by using Rats' trashing.  Maybe Hunting Grounds is a better example of what I'm getting at.

Honestly, I don't think TFB needs an entry.  You trash, you get a benefit.  It's not jargon.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2019, 01:10:59 pm by spiralstaircase »
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2019, 03:33:07 pm »
+2

Rats is TFB, but you don't get the benefit by using Rats' trashing.  Maybe Hunting Grounds is a better example of what I'm getting at.

Honestly, I don't think TFB needs an entry.  You trash, you get a benefit.  It's not jargon.
TFB needs an entry, because people say "TFB," as if someone will know what that stands for.

Rats is not TFB; it doesn't care what you trashed. It does work well with TFB cards.
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Polk5440

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #17 on: February 26, 2019, 09:33:55 pm »
+1

I have updated the OP considering your comments and labeled it Version 2. Hopefully I have fixed the typos, as well, but please double-check!

Still considering adding: Draw Card, Terminal Space, Build, Gainer. (If you would like these added, any suggestions for a good definition?)

Still considering removing: Village Idiot.
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spiralstaircase

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #18 on: February 27, 2019, 02:33:55 am »
0

Rats is not TFB; it doesn't care what you trashed. It does work well with TFB cards.

I guess what I'm saying is it also works well with TF-no-B cards.  Maybe TFB is the combo, not the trasher?
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2019, 09:09:44 am »
+1

Rats is not TFB; it doesn't care what you trashed. It does work well with TFB cards.

I guess what I'm saying is it also works well with TF-no-B cards.  Maybe TFB is the combo, not the trasher?

"Well" is relative; I wouldn't get Rats on a board with Steward or Junk Dealer as the other trashing.

"Trash a card for a benefit, usually proportional to the properties of the trashed card" (name, type, cost) is what TFB means when people use it. Nobody says TFB talking about the nombo between Rats and Steward.
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trivialknot

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2019, 10:33:46 am »
+1

I have updated the OP considering your comments and labeled it Version 2. Hopefully I have fixed the typos, as well, but please double-check!

Still considering adding: Draw Card, Terminal Space, Build, Gainer. (If you would like these added, any suggestions for a good definition?)

Still considering removing: Village Idiot.
The updates look excellent.

One thing is that there are three "split" terms (opening split, split piles, winning the split), and right now only two of them refer to the other, instead of all three referring to each other.

I know all those were my suggestions, but the one that I would really put a vote for is "Gainer", which is simply ubiquitous.

Gainer - A card with the ability to gain other (usually good) cards.  Most gainers are restricted in what they can gain, such as a card that only gains silvers, or a card that only gains cards costing up to $4.
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #21 on: February 27, 2019, 10:38:04 am »
+2

How about "Gainer - A card with the ability to gain other (usually desirable, c.f. "Junker") cards."?

(It's a small point, but I think "desirable" is clearer than "good", and it's useful to cross-reference the notion of junk when explaining that we normally only use "Gainer" to refer to positive gaining.)
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2019, 01:44:48 pm »
+1

I think this is a great list. My one recommendation of the to of my head is to adjust "dud" to not just be about the state of your hand at the start of a turn. A turn can dud out mid-way (eg you don't draw the right cards in the right order) or do people call this stalling? This also makes me think about whether knowing what it means to be able to "kick-off" should be included?

I also don't think village idiot should be in the glossary.
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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #23 on: February 28, 2019, 03:36:49 pm »
+4

Shouldn't "Rush" be included on this list? It's listed as one of the 5 main deck archetypes throughout the wiki (and you've already included the others).
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Polk5440

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Re: Glossary Update
« Reply #24 on: February 28, 2019, 06:14:15 pm »
0

Shouldn't "Rush" be included on this list? It's listed as one of the 5 main deck archetypes throughout the wiki (and you've already included the others).

I can add it, yes. I had forgotten about it, actually, because it seems like people don't talk about rushes very much anymore.
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