Did scrub's defenition change?

[Naeras]

I'm inclined to agree with David Sirlin's definition of a scrub [http://www.sirlin.net/ptw-book/intermediates-guide.html]:

The derogatory term ?scrub? means several different things. One definition is someone (especially a game player) who is not good at something (especially a game). By this definition, we all start out as scrubs, and there is certainly no shame in that. I mean the term differently, though. A scrub is a player who is handicapped by self-imposed rules that the game knows nothing about. A scrub does not play to win.

A scrub is someone who thinks there's only one way of "playing the game correctly", and then vocally exclaims that anybody who plays differently are "cheap", "honorless", "unskilled" or other similar things when he loses. Thus, even if someone's a better player than him, he can at least claim that he's got a certain moral high ground because at least he's not being any of the terms used above, even if he loses.

 

[irok]

Basically noob as everyone else is saying but I was told by a friend that its origins are from fighting games, where "scrub" became a derogatory term for those who are bad and "scrub" their controller buttons rather then actually use proper combos due to not knowing them or not being quick enough to actually use them ("l2p scrub") but I have no idea whether this is the case or not but it does give a visual aid to the term doesn't it.

 

[SecondPrize]

I always though that a scrub was someone who couldn't get no (sic) love from TLC. That's what they said at least.

 

[Drakane]

I've actually never heard it in gaming context, only rl context and that is derived from the TLC song linked above. Basically meaning a broke ass buster trying to look fly to get wit a sweet hunny but we all be knowing he just a chump... or something like that.

 

[Something Amyss]

Dozens of definitions will pop up, but all you need to know is this:

This use of the word, correct or not, is not even remotely new.

 

[Hero of Lime]

"No way no Scrubs!" You're telling me the bombers gang not only was racist against Deku Scrubs, but they thought I was a noob too? I'll let Termina get destroyed next time.

Anyway, no matter what the word means, don't let some random stranger's insults get you down too much. Who knows, they may have been the noob in the situation and didn't want to accept a challenge, knowing full well they would lose.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I'm inclined to agree with David Sirlin's definition of a scrub [http://www.sirlin.net/ptw-book/intermediates-guide.html]:

The derogatory term ?scrub? means several different things. One definition is someone (especially a game player) who is not good at something (especially a game). By this definition, we all start out as scrubs, and there is certainly no shame in that. I mean the term differently, though. A scrub is a player who is handicapped by self-imposed rules that the game knows nothing about. A scrub does not play to win.

A scrub is someone who thinks there's only one way of "playing the game correctly", and then vocally exclaims that anybody who plays differently are "cheap", "honorless", "unskilled" or other similar things when he loses. Thus, even if someone's a better player than him, he can at least claim that he's got a certain moral high ground because at least he's not being any of the terms used above, even if he loses.

While scrub is a word that seems to have different definitions, this is pretty much the way I've always viewed it.

A scrub isn't necessarily a bad player, it's a player that learns one or two things (or picks an overpowered weapon/character/etc.) based on what a much better player does or what's hot at the time. This can even take a small bit of skill or ability to use. They then find some low level of success with what they do know but never really bother to grow or evolve their play. This leads them to an inflated sense of their own ability, and often to calling anything that bursts their bubble cheap or broken.

 

[RaikuFA]

"No way no Scrubs!" You're telling me the bombers gang not only was racist against Deku Scrubs, but they thought I was a noob too? I'll let Termina get destroyed next time.

Anyway, no matter what the word means, don't let some random stranger's insults get you down too much. Who knows, they may have been the noob in the situation and didn't want to accept a challenge, knowing full well they would lose.

If that's bad, think how their parents are, they can just supress their intentions.

Let Termina burn.

 

[Queen Michael]

As far as I know, a scrub is someone who yells "That's cheating!" every time you use a tactic that's a bit nasty but perfectly within what the rules allow during a game.

 

[Frankster]

Mmm here's the original definition of scrub in videogame context as i understood it:

Scrubs was originally a colloquial description for people who insisted on playing in a certain way and becoming really specialized and then often losing as a result of insisting on playing in non efficient ways. And who refused to learn new ways of playing because of a strong adherence to their prefered style.

Ex: In RTS games i'm the very definition of a scrub because no matter the game is, i love to mass infantry and rush the enemy in a massive human wave. Whether it works or not in the game is irrelevant.

Ex2: Specializing with a poorly viewed character in a fighting game like Dan and then trying to win by forcing yourself to taunt in between attacks.

So originally it might not even be an insult, but the "scrub" will often lose because of their insistance to stick with their approach at the expense of all else, and gets defeated by those who play the game "efficiently" or "well" (so in the above examples, would lose against an rts player who sees the infantry rush and prepares a ton of hmgs to annihilate).
The association between being a scrub and a high loss rate is where the negative connotations started.

And then somehow...Scrub became interchangeable with "noob" "dumbass" "retard" "fag" as a general videogame insult and is often use to denigrate the victim as being unskilled at their game (which would be closer to the original meaning, but this is often unintentional, i swear most people that call others scrub truly don't know what it means beside that it seems insulting).
Oh i also see it thrown around a new players a lot for some reason.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

I was pretty sure the term "scrub" came from the fighting game community, as an alternative term for a "button-mashing noob", in that they 'scrub' the controller instead of using skill.

 

[RaikuFA]

Mmm here's the original definition of scrub in videogame context as i understood it:

Scrubs was originally a colloquial description for people who insisted on playing in a certain way and becoming really specialized and then often losing as a result of insisting on playing in non efficient ways. And who refused to learn new ways of playing because of a strong adherence to their prefered style.

Ex: In RTS games i'm the very definition of a scrub because no matter the game is, i love to mass infantry and rush the enemy in a massive human wave. Whether it works or not in the game is irrelevant.

Ex2: Specializing with a poorly viewed character in a fighting game like Dan and then trying to win by forcing yourself to taunt in between attacks.

So originally it might not even be an insult, but the "scrub" will often lose because of their insistance to stick with their approach at the expense of all else, and gets defeated by those who play the game "efficiently" or "well" (so in the above examples, would lose against an rts player who sees the infantry rush and prepares a ton of hmgs to annihilate).
The association between being a scrub and a high loss rate is where the negative connotations started.

And then somehow...Scrub became interchangeable with "noob" "dumbass" "retard" "fag" as a general videogame insult and is often use to denigrate the victim as being unskilled at their game (which would be closer to the original meaning, but this is often unintentional, i swear most people that call others scrub truly don't know what it means beside that it seems insulting).
Oh i also see it thrown around a new players a lot for some reason.

That's the problem, it's apparently being used now as "new person" like how troll for a short time became "person who doesn't agree with me."

 

[vIRL Nightmare]

Doesn't really matter since insults are thrown more wildly then a pig from a trebuchet. People now a days don't care about the meaning of an insult or if there is a creative way to use it. They just whip out insults knowing that it seems to be a not nice word so it has to be a good insult. It is actually quite funny the best insults I hear are between my friends and I in passing for shits and giggles.

 

[Rooster893]

Off topic, but what's FNM? I assume it's a tournament of some kind?

I believe that a scrub is someone who plays by their own rules and lambasts others for not doing the same. Or they complain about something being overpowered when it's easily countered/out-played. Usually it's just a blanket insult for people who aren't doing good at the moment. Basically what everyone else has been saying.

 

[RaikuFA]

Off topic, but what's FNM? I assume it's a tournament of some kind?

I believe that a scrub is someone who plays by their own rules and lambasts others for not doing the same. Or they complain about something being overpowered when it's easily countered/out-played. Usually it's just a blanket insult for people who aren't doing good at the moment. Basically what everyone else has been saying.

Friday Night Magic. I'm new to this area so I decided to go despite me being shy as fuck.

 

[Rawberry101]

I mean it's a colloquial term so the meaning is more flexible than most words.

The way I understood it is that a scrub is a player who is bad at the game despite the time he/she has put into it. A noob is bad because they are new, a scrub is bad even though they have been playing for a while. I'm going to use CoD as an example because it probably has the highest volume of scrubs per match, and I bet it's thrown around in that game the most. A scrub has 20 days played on the leaderboard and a .5 kill to death ratio. Consistently bad even with the experience.

That's how I learned it any way, everyone seems to more or less agree how it's used in videogame culture on this thread. Interesting note, I've heard my dad call sports players scrubs for making mistakes consistently, so perhaps the usages is older than we realize.

 

[RickyChinese]

outdated black slang is co-opted by white nerds and changes its meaning

 

[JimB]

As far as I know, "scrub" as an insult has its origin with the expression "bottom of the barrel;" as in, you found him while scrubbing the bottom of the barrel. So a scrub isn't just someone at the bottom of the barrel, but someone who's so far at the bottom he's been crushed into the wood that makes the barrel's bottom, so that you had to scrub him out to get to him.

 

[Zetatrain]

I always thought it was just another way of saying noob, but for some reason I usually only see it used in fighting games (Street fighter, Mortal Combat, Persona 4 Arena, etc.).