What does "Twink" mean?

[JustWinBaby]

I feel dumb having to ask this question, but since I do not know the answer, I will ask it.

What does "Twink" mean?

From what I've gathered, it's low level (6ish) gear that is somewhat decent? I see in a ton of posts people selling "Twink" items or asking for it. I haven't a clue as to what it really means. Thanks in advance.

[tihocan]

"Twinking" a character = using gear that was obtained by higher level characters.

[Visty]

its giving items down from your high lvl vchars which your normal cahr wouldnt have at that time eg greensteel blanks at lvl12

[Maxelcat]

usually means:

Having or buying gear for a new character with the proceeds from another character.

[JustWinBaby]

Awesomeness, thanks for the quick responses and helping me out.

[cdemeritt]

I feel dumb having to ask this question, but since I do not know the answer, I will ask it.

What does "Twink" mean?

From what I've gathered, it's low level (6ish) gear that is somewhat decent? I see in a ton of posts people selling "Twink" items or asking for it. I haven't a clue as to what it really means. Thanks in advance.

Well, depending on place it has many meanings... however for DDO, it generally means having the best possible gear for your toon.... having +2 armor and weapons at lvl 2 on korthos, having the best for whatever level you are (tomes included) and most often achived by having a High level toon pass you them all right from the start....

[samthedagger]

It's a derogatory term for optimizers that derives from a pejorative term for a gay person. As in "that's gay," or "he's a twink." You aren't literally calling the person gay, but rather you are simultaneously exposing your own homophobia and derision for the other person. How it became so associated I have no earthly idea. First time I heard it was in 2001 so apparently it's been around at least that long.

Anyway, I don't recommend you use the term as you would be propagating a bad stereotype.

[Mockduck]

It's a derogatory term for optimizers that derives from a pejorative term for a gay person. As in "that's gay," or "he's a twink." You aren't literally calling the person gay, but rather you are simultaneously exposing your own homophobia and derision for the other person. How it became so associated I have no earthly idea. First time I heard it was in 2001 so apparently it's been around at least that long.

Anyway, I don't recommend you use the term as you would be propagating a bad stereotype.

That's not entirely true. While you're right that it is used as a gay slang term, the version of "Twink" you're hearing in DDO gets its roots in the 1970's with Pencil and Paper Dungeons and Dragons. Short for "twinking" your character: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinking

So, Twink in this context is to keep your gear as you level up and keep the good stuff you get but can't use on one character, then start sending it to alts as they need it. I have a "twink bank" on Sarlona with most of the +stat items and armor that I will need as I level up my alts.

[Eladiun]

It's a derogatory term for optimizers that derives from a pejorative term for a gay person. As in "that's gay," or "he's a twink." You aren't literally calling the person gay, but rather you are simultaneously exposing your own homophobia and derision for the other person. How it became so associated I have no earthly idea. First time I heard it was in 2001 so apparently it's been around at least that long.

Anyway, I don't recommend you use the term as you would be propagating a bad stereotype.


FAIL... That may have been true at some point but the word has evolved and really carries no homophobic connotation. In other games especially early games with somewhat busted mechanics it referred to someone who over equipped. I.E. purchased or passed down high level equipment that was stat based and then was buffed into the equipment. You really can't OE in DDO since everything is Level capped but people still refer to well equiped alts as twinks.

[Jasimine]

FAIL... That may have been true at some point but the word has evolved and really carries no homophobic connotation. In other games especially early games with somewhat busted mechanics it referred to someone who over equipped. I.E. purchased or passed down high level equipment that was stat based and then was buffed into the equipment. You really can't OE in DDO since everything is Level capped but people still refer to well equiped alts as twinks.

Anyone else remember the days of planning that would go into over equipping a character properly in Anarchy Online? Figure out just how high of an item you could equip with out dropping into over equip status after outside buffs ran out. Determining if once in over equip status if the item was still superior to a self equipped or lower QL item. Then running around tipping traders and doctors and everyone under the terraformed sky for buffs then rushing to the implant station to put in OE'd implants, then rushing to get MORE buffs as the short term ones ran out to equip that final uber item. And finally watching as all the outside buffs wear out and you realize you ran the equations wrong and were off by one point and dropped into 50% Over Equip and wept.

Ahhh the good old days...

I miss the Temple of the Training Wimps.

[Eladiun]

Anyone else remember the days of planning that would go into over equipping a character properly in Anarchy Online? Figure out just how high of an item you could equip with out dropping into over equip status after outside buffs ran out. Determining if once in over equip status if the item was still superior to a self equipped or lower QL item. Then running around tipping traders and doctors and everyone under the terraformed sky for buffs then rushing to the implant station to put in OE'd implants, then rushing to get MORE buffs as the short term ones ran out to equip that final uber item. And finally watching as all the outside buffs wear out and you realize you ran the equations wrong and were off by one point and dropped into 50% Over Equip and wept.

Ahhh the good old days...

I miss the Temple of the Training Wimps.

That is exactly what I was thinking about as I wrote my post. :) Or before the OE patch and you didn't even need to worry about the buffs running out.

[IgorUnchained]

That's not entirely true. While you're right that it is used as a gay slang term, the version of "Twink" you're hearing in DDO gets its roots in the 1970's with Pencil and Paper Dungeons and Dragons. Short for "twinking" your character: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinking

So, Twink in this context is to keep your gear as you level up and keep the good stuff you get but can't use on one character, then start sending it to alts as they need it. I have a "twink bank" on Sarlona with most of the +stat items and armor that I will need as I level up my alts.


Lol...I often make reference to "my rich uncle" when I twink my toons. I didnt know I was being vaguely homoerotic when saying it. Im glad you provided another definition than the one supplied earlier. You crazy kids with your baggy pants and your computer lingo.

[Mackem]

I miss the Temple of the Training Wimps.

Subway, soloing Abby on a twinked soldier, TOTW trains... Fond memories lol :)

Anyhow, "Twink" for me to put simply is a character equipped with something which he can't obtain himself in game (farmed/purchased with cash from an alt/friends etc.)

[Matuse]

Anyway, I don't recommend you use the term as you would be propagating a bad stereotype.

This isn't even remotely true.

And the phrase for games has been around since at least 1992, which is when I first heard it.

[REALb0r3d]

It's a derogatory term for optimizers that derives from a pejorative term for a gay person. As in "that's gay," or "he's a twink." You aren't literally calling the person gay, but rather you are simultaneously exposing your own homophobia and derision for the other person. How it became so associated I have no earthly idea. First time I heard it was in 2001 so apparently it's been around at least that long.

Anyway, I don't recommend you use the term as you would be propagating a bad stereotype.

This post is gay.

[Jasimine]

Subway, soloing Abby on a twinked soldier, TOTW trains... Fond memories lol :)

Anyhow, "Twink" for me to put simply is a character equipped with something which he can't obtain himself in game (farmed/purchased with cash from an alt/friends etc.)

Still remember running into Abby my first time. Was on my 1he adventurer. oh gods that was ugly... was just me and another newbie who had just started and was playing an enforcer. Neither of us had any clue what we were doing and had totally fubared ourselves thus far... then we ran into Abby...

And people wonder why now and then I shudder when I watch NCIS....

Twinking can also be just having a **** load of consumables that you normally could not purchase. Some folks will tend to forget that those large stockpiles of cure serious wounds pots that they sent their alt are well out of reach of normal folks just starting. Thats twinking too.

Really Twinking is anything you do to better prepare your character (not yourself, your character) to survive and succeed that would normally be outside his own personal means and capability to do with out assistance from a "rich uncle" as it were.