A Gaming Glossary: A
| ACE | Arbitrary code execution; use of a sequence of game inputs to “write” code and cause the game system to execute it. Often, ACE runs (some, but not all, of which are TAS runs) work by writing specific values into the game data (character names, object positions) then tricking the game into executing that data as code. The scope of an ACE run can range from telling the game to skip directly to the credits (as seen in Super Mario World “0 Exits” runs) to reprogramming the game wholesale (as seen in this 2017 TAS of Pokémon Yellow, for instance). ACE vulnerabilities open the door to some very fun results for speedrunners and TAS authors, but ACE is also a security issue in many other types of computer programs. |
| add | 1) A weaker enemy introduced in a boss fight to distract from the main boss. Adds often appear in waves at specific times during a boss battle. They may appear more often or in larger groups as the fight wears on, in which case the adds may be considered a type of soft enrage mechanic. Keeping adds under control is one of the typical jobs of an off-tank. >> Somebody needs to kill the adds! 2) Any enemy joining a fight already in progress. >> We need to finish this, or we’ll have a bunch of adds when the respawn timer hits. |
| aggro | (adj.) (of a mob) Aggressive; attacking players on sight without being attacked first. Equivalent to hostile in some games. >> The mobs in the basement are all aggro, so watch out. (v.) To draw the attention of an aggressive mob, especially by accident. >> Try not to aggro anything until we’ve finished unlocking this chest. |
| aggro radius | The range within which an aggro mob will attack players. >> These guards have a short aggro radius, so we can walk past them without getting attacked. ※ Usage Note An aggro radius is distinct from the related concept of a leash. The mob starts attacking when you step inside its aggro radius, and it stops attacking if led beyond its leash. |
| Any% | A category that aims to reach the end of the game as fast as possible, with no constraints on which bosses are beaten, items collected, etc. (cf. 100%, Low%). The exact rules for Any% are determined by a game’s community, but Any% runs will often recognize things like a credits warp as a completion. Sometimes, an “Any% Glitchless” or “Any% NMG” category is introduced to describe a speedrun that minimally completes the game while avoiding some or all glitches. Some games do not have an “Any%” category as such; instead, they have a category based on collecting a minimal number (sometimes 0) of some item (e.g., Super Mario 64 “0 Stars”). This kind of category arguably blurs the boundary between Any% and Low%, since the fastest run (the goal of Any%) happens to be the one that collects the fewest items (the principle behind Low%). |