[Ads-l] broken = overpowered

[Colin Morris]

"Busted" is also commonly used in the gaming community in the same sense.
Here's an example from Reddit that uses both in the same comment:

https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/xfkm5e/who_has_the_most_broken_ability_on_the_rift/ionsjnk/
> Veigar's E is the most broken ability on the Rift. During the GLP + Ghost
meta I have an 66% win rate with Veigar over 60 games because that
combination was so busted.

My read on the metaphor has always been that it's referring to something
that 'breaks' the game (i.e. by robbing it of strategic complexity and
making it less skill-testing). I would say it carries a strong negative
valence compared to merely "overpowered".

On Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 10:20 AM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 1. "Smash tourney but every character is BROKEN”
> TCNick3
> 7 Jul 2022
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5F-l6KjOoQ <
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5F-l6KjOoQ>
>
> 4:46
> Anyway, I was gonna say that my favorite thing about this mod [modifying
> module] is the fact that it’s not only like stupid broken with the moves
> but it’s also turbo mode…
>
> 8:49
> Dude, that’s so cheating, the needles are broken.
>
> [I imagine this means the needle on some imagined meter has gone beyond
> the max, breaking the needle. This metaphor might be the origin of this
> meaning, but I am just speculating.]
>
> 2. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/broken <
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/broken>
> (sports and gaming, of a tactic or option) Overpowered; overly powerful;
> too powerful.
>
> [No citations provided]
>
> 3. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Broken <
> https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Broken>
> Ba Rum Ba Dum Dum
> 20 Sep 2011
>
> 1. Characterizing game mechanics or objects that are so powerful that they
> trivialize game content or become the only desirable items or mechanics for
> a player to use.
> 2. Describing any combination of character class mechanics and equipment
> which is too difficult or impossible for skilled players to reliably
> counter in player vs player combat.
> Rogue stunlock chains were broken so Blizzard changed the mechanics.
>
> ###
>
> Not in Merriam-Webster, the OED or Dictionary.com <http://dictionary.com/
> >.
>
> Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org