Colloquial Terms

The following is a database of terms used frequently within the Gmod Meta. Contribution is welcome, but descriptions need to be as objective as possible due to the broad perception of some of the terms listed.
== Meta ==
"Garry's Mod Meta" is a self-explanatory term, though the definition of word "meta" might be confusing. Imagine a pot where you throw clans, their technologies, their histories, their battles; the wars, the conspiracies, the people, the servers. That pot is "Garry's Mod Meta". Newbies often ask "Where is meta" and "how do I join meta" but those questions are invalid because if you're in Garry's Mod Sandbox and play on popular servers, you are in the meta by definition.
== Miniclan/Microclan/Newfag ==
The term Miniclan, or Microclan, is an insult used against very small factions that tend to be weak in technology, manpower, and influence. Originally, the terms would be used to describe factions that never expanded past their home server, although the use of this term was nascent prior to 2022. Primary targets of this term are small (usually new) factions that end up angering vast majorities of the meta by attempting to push their influence upon them, usually ending in failure and further ridicule. However, not angering other factions still does not make a group safe from bearing this title. Small factions that tend to excessively larp online and with minimal to no ingame activity will be given the title of Miniclan. Petty behavior (Napoleon Complexes, IP stealing, cherry picking, unwillingness to accept defeats, chickening out of fights) from small factions is also a major cause of receiving this insult. Due to this term's extremely poor use by the factions that fall victim to it in the first place, this term has fallen out of favor.
The cause of this term's increasing frequency in use is due to the culture clash between older and newer generations of factions. Older factions and long time participants in the meta tend to larp only for aesthetic purposes or in moderation, pushing it aside when necessary. However newer and younger factions tend to have greater larp tendencies due to high ambitions and perception of power, caused by a lack of understanding of the reality of factions (annexations, possessing massive armies, and becoming a new superpower in the meta are essentially impossible due to the social climate, yet are/were commonly sought after goals by new factions).
The term Newfag is a lesser used, but more harsh term towards new factions. It's primarily used against new factions with incredibly poor reputations.
== NATO Meme ==
A NATO Meme is an insult towards media that has a heavy larp tone and often times western themes. Themes of liberty and tones aggressively promoting morals, portrayal of moral superiority, and promotion of western values are common reasons for the use of this insult. The root cause is the notion that promoting common political values over the internet (and of all platforms, Garry's Mod, a 16 year old game where highly offensive content is bound to be witnessed), is absurd and unnecessary. The root cause of the ridicule is alleged blind simping/worship of NATO (not to be confused with the in-game alliance) and attempts to mimic it in the meta.
A "NATO Meme" doesn't have to follow these characteristics to be labeled as one. It is also used to generalize media produced by factions/alliances that attempt to boast about their strength when in reality possess little or none.
== Minmax ==
A general online term that is also used frequently in factions. Minmaxxing is the act of maximizing strengths and minimizing all potential weaknesses, often to extreme degrees. Minmaxxed vehicles are commonly used in ACF wars by both belligerents in order to increase their chances of victory. Minmaxxing tanks usually covers protection, firepower, and mobility. The race to minmax designs during war as much as possible usually leads to new innovations, often to questionable degrees. Minmax led to the adoption of wedge prop fronts which was phased out in favor of turret tanks (tanks with no physical hull, and everything within a turret shaped like a door stopper). Multi-gun turret tanks became the meta in 2021. Eventually, this was phased out in favor of the FDV Ruleset in 2022, which sought to minimize the effects of minmax and to encourage casual building.
FDV has birthed its own minmax designs, but vary between individuals and factions. Despite this, tanks tend to die much faster than their pre-FDV counterparts. There were frequent complaints on previous minmax designs and how they reduced most ACF fights to highly laggy, unending slugging matches where the winner of the fight was the tank that lasted longer.
== Conformist ==
"Conformist" is a term defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices." Some see it as a term used to silence political opponents or label them as mindless bureaucratic sheep, others use it legitimately to point out persons within the meta who blindly serve inherently corrupt or destructive regimes. The term was originally coined by the Commonwealth of Server Republics, and its usage became highly controversial. Generally, a conformist is defined by The CSR as a person who adheres to societal standards or the will of a singular individual or bureaucracy over common sense or free thinking.
==Legal/Illegal tech==
Most clans listed on RFAI base their contraptions on Wiremod and ACF (Armored Combat Framework). As ACF solely adds weapons with destructive capabilities but doesn't actually balance itself out, nor protect itself, clans attempts to agree on certain rules. Using "illegal" tech will disqualify your side of the battle from victory, but clans can never agree on whether something is legal or not and sometimes, the rules are questionable, and besides, losing clan will always accuse the winning clan of using illegal tech, so in a hindsight, it never matters...