Guild Wars 2

Blob is when Your only tactic is numbers and your strategy is just having more people and to basically beat the enemy just with force.

Characteristics of blobs are your blob has no group composure or team comp. Players individual builds vary from one to another within same professions with many of them being ineffective builds. These are generally the pug PVE rally bots but it can be a vet running a solo build.

Zergs are not blobs Zergs. Zergs just mean you have a lot of players but there is often strategy, team comps and tactics involved at play here.

A zerg often means more than one guild plus pugs. A single guild can field 25 players and not be a zerg that is an organized large group.

So please stop using the word blob to describe everything thank you.

zerg and blob are completely interchangeable terms in the context of GW2, regardless of any personal bias you might have for one over the other.

How about we just decide that if your guild group puts up orange swords single handedly, you’re still a zerg. You’re somethin like almost half the map cap.

Blob=any number of people greater then what I currently have.

well at least that’s what I take from these forums.

imo, a blob is a group which has foregone strategy in place of numerical superiority.
A zerg is just a lot of players on one spot.

IE: “There is a <guild> zerg chasing us.” vs. “There is a map blob chasing us”

Means two different things. Map blob would insinuate that the entire map is chasing you.

A zerg is just a group with lots of people in it.

It’s funny watching how the terms in GW2 WvW change over time. When I started playing a year or so ago, a “zerg” was anything over 30+ people. It was laden with derision. Then the prevelance of “blob” leaked over to NA from EU and that became the term for anything 30+. A “zerg” was then relegated to anything over 10 it seemed that ran together.

Now a zerg is everything not a 5-man group or less. People throw out the term zerg for anything that is a group of people moving together. I just find it interesting, and a bit annoying, that people call out say “SoS zerg @ Mendons” and I go to respond with people in hopes of holding the circle that there is only like 10 SoS there. Here I am prepared with all my invulns and escapes needed to hold a circle against 20+ people and I end up fighting the “zerg” off with 5 people.

‘Blob’ predates GW2. I could be wrong, but I heard it earliest used in Eve Online

It was called a “Blob” because when ships warp in that game, they automatically “Blob” up into a tight, compact ball. So a lot of ships (300+) just looked like a purple/red spherical blob on your hud.

they both predate gw2 and they’re both stand-ins for the word “mob”, which accurately represents what we use the words zerg/blob for, but which has another completely different meaning in the context of MMOs

GrandmaFunk.3052:

they both predate gw2 and they’re both stand-ins for the word “mob”, which accurately represents what we use the words zerg/blob for, but which has another completely different meaning in the context of MMOs

no… a common misconception. “Mob” predates MMOs entirely and means something completely different from “blob”

Mob = MOB which stands for: “Mobile Object” or just “Mobile” if you prefer. It describes a creature or object which moves within the game.

Ironically, the meaning was lost long ago—and people just use it to mean a computer-controlled creature. If the creature doesn’t move (is immobile) people will still call it a mob.

OP just thinks blob has a stronger negative connotation and wants to argue semantics cuz he thinks hes better.

zergs dont have strategy. blobs dont have strategy.

insanemaniac.2456:

OP just thinks blob has a stronger negative connotation and wants to argue semantics cuz he thinks hes better.

zergs dont have strategy. blobs dont have strategy.

What do you call a guild group of 30+ who have proper group comps/builds/gear and are in comms together? By that definition it would be neither, correct?

In T1, blob pretty much is used for a group of 60+ players that just bowl over anything due to sheer numbers alone. I’m not sure we use zerg much anymore.

I would argue that what defines a blob depends on what tier you’re in. Obviously what qualifies as a blob in T4 doesn’t qualify as a blob in T1. The terminology scales in some regard depending on which direction you’re going up or down the tier list. So there’s not really a point in declaring a static number (such as 30+) as qualifying as a blob, a zerg, or a guild group.

I mean from the perspective of my server, if I saw a “guild group” of 35+ I wouldn’t care if they all have the same tag, they’re still a blob to me, but I recognize to those in higher tiers that’s commonplace.

KrazyFlyinChicken.5936:

no… a common misconception. “Mob” predates MMOs entirely and means something completely different from “blob”

Mob = MOB which stands for: “Mobile Object” or just “Mobile” if you prefer. It describes a creature or object which moves within the game.

I was referring specifically to the English word ‘mob’, as in:

noun : 1: a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence: a mob of protesters

Stop trying to make zerging and blobbing sound like something it isn’t…If that is the way you play then fine, but everyone needs to stop being so hurt over the terms…

If you are running in a large mass of people, no matter how composed, how elite, how organized: You are blobbing/zerging friend….It doesn’t make you bad, you might individually be a great player. But you are blobbing/zerging nonetheless.

I don’t get mad when people say “useless roamers” which is a far more negative term than “blobbing”….

Blob predates Gw2. The term BLOB came from RTS games and that was to clump all of your units together to hit something rather than using your units tactically.

Which is basically what blobs are in GW2. Honestly guys if you don’t know what a word means or where it came from don’t try to re-invent it and come up with new meanings.

Zerg also predates GW2 and came from a playable race. Blobing also came from the same game. But has nothing to do with the zerg.

In the Context of RTS, lets say, I have footman, shuttle crafts, tanks, infantry, space ships, etc instead of microing the units I just move them all at once that is a blob.

Zerg on the other hand is a playable race and that just means you have a lot of troops it has nothing to do with blobing units.

Burl.9567:

insanemaniac.2456:

OP just thinks blob has a stronger negative connotation and wants to argue semantics cuz he thinks hes better.

zergs dont have strategy. blobs dont have strategy.

What do you call a guild group of 30+ who have proper group comps/builds/gear and are in comms together? By that definition it would be neither, correct?

An organized zerg? Still a zerg though.

a blob is too many to actually count, usually running in numbers of 35+ and usually a polyglot of guilds rather than one guild (though it might be formed around a core guild at it’s nucleus.)
Zerg is greater than 15.

Right now in T2 it seems like 20 is the sweetspot though it varies.

Blob = A commanderless group that overruns everything in it’s path.
Zerg = Everyone following the Dorito that overruns everything in its path.

When the two meet it is called Armageddon!

JMHO

Warlord.9074:

Blob predates Gw2. The term BLOB came from RTS games and that was to clump all of your units together to hit something rather than using your units tactically.

Which is basically what blobs are in GW2. Honestly guys if you don’t know what a word means or where it came from don’t try to re-invent it and come up with new meanings.

Zerg also predates GW2 and came from a playable race. Blobing also came from the same game. But has nothing to do with the zerg.

Does not matter where it came from, only matters how it is applied to this game…We all know where the term “zerg” comes from, it doesn’t matter because the application of the word in Gw2 lingo is only specific to Gw2.

In the Context of RTS, lets say, I have footman, shuttle crafts, tanks, infantry, space ships, etc instead of microing the units I just move them all at once that is a blob.

Zerg on the other hand is a playable race and that just means you have a lot of troops it has nothing to do with blobing units.

King Amadaeus.8619:

Warlord.9074:

Blob predates Gw2. The term BLOB came from RTS games and that was to clump all of your units together to hit something rather than using your units tactically.

Which is basically what blobs are in GW2. Honestly guys if you don’t know what a word means or where it came from don’t try to re-invent it and come up with new meanings.

Zerg also predates GW2 and came from a playable race. Blobing also came from the same game. But has nothing to do with the zerg.

Does not matter where it came from, only matters how it is applied to this game…We all know where the term “zerg” comes from, it doesn’t matter because the application of the word in Gw2 lingo is only specific to Gw2.

Ah, but did you know that the Zerg was taken from Warhammer 40k’s Tyranid faction?

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Tyranid&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=cyr9UqHdONG6oQTIuICACw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=963

No i didn’t know that but Zerg as we know it came from starcraft 1 and blobbing units isn’t how the zerg race is played. Blobing units is something totally different. And more refers to a tactlessness strat vs just having a lot of units.

Blobbing
http://www.moddb.com/news/the-blobbing-problem

Blob is a term that people use to describe enemy zergs…because the person posting is a pro in a coordinated, skilled group, whereas the enemy is just a bunch of noobs in large numbers.

(^ to be read with biting sarcasm)

My personal opinion: WvW is influenced more by how many people you have on your server that log in regularly with PCs that can handle zerg fights without massive FPS loss than it is by how “skilled” or how organized players are.

Sure, there are good fights between organized groups at skilled times, but we’re talking about a battle that’s going on 24/7 and is often filled with people who join to get random achievements, map complete, or to just roam around, trying to get random ganks.

Skill in WvW is vastly overestimated.

But at least it’s fun.

KrazyFlyinChicken.5936:

Ah, but did you know that the Zerg was taken from Warhammer 40k’s Tyranid faction?

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Tyranid&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=cyr9UqHdONG6oQTIuICACw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=963

The Warhammer Wiki says that “Zerg” came from Starcraft originally, but nice try anyway: http://warhammeronline.wikia.com/wiki/Zerg

Zerg is a playable race with exactly 1 tactic; you take the weakest, crappiest race in the game and attack each point using HUGE numbers of cheap, disposable units.

Most of the definitions given here were made up for GW2 as far as I can tell. In most other games, you’ll commonly hear the term “zerging” used to refer to groups of low-level or under-geared characters trying to take down a tough boss or dungeon by simply rushing in, attacking, dying, resurrecting somewhere (save point, etc), and rushing back in the attack and die again and again until the boss/dungeon/level or whatever is finished.

“Zerg” or “Zerging” is generally used to mean that you have a group of people who have resigned themselves to the fact that they will likely die several times in order to defeat something/someone, and their only tactic is to use large enough numbers that they can keep throwing bodies at the enemy until they finally wear it down.

The word “Blob” as far as I know, just means something that is essentially “shapeless”; so a group of pugs blindly following a Commander with little or no communication would fit here. I don’t know why we decided in GW2 that a “blob” had to be 80+ people in 1 place; during the first 3-4 months after GW2 was released, people used to freak out anytime a group of 30 or more would show up somewhere!

Can we all just agree they are both just a cluster kitten?

Otokomae.9356:

KrazyFlyinChicken.5936:

Ah, but did you know that the Zerg was taken from Warhammer 40k’s Tyranid faction?

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Tyranid&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=cyr9UqHdONG6oQTIuICACw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=963

The Warhammer Wiki says that “Zerg” came from Starcraft originally, but nice try anyway: http://warhammeronline.wikia.com/wiki/Zerg

Zerg is a playable race with exactly 1 tactic; you take the weakest, crappiest race in the game and attack each point using HUGE numbers of cheap, disposable units.

Most of the definitions given here were made up for GW2 as far as I can tell. In most other games, you’ll commonly hear the term “zerging” used to refer to groups of low-level or under-geared characters trying to take down a tough boss or dungeon by simply rushing in, attacking, dying, resurrecting somewhere (save point, etc), and rushing back in the attack and die again and again until the boss/dungeon/level or whatever is finished.

“Zerg” or “Zerging” is generally used to mean that you have a group of people who have resigned themselves to the fact that they will likely die several times in order to defeat something/someone, and their only tactic is to use large enough numbers that they can keep throwing bodies at the enemy until they finally wear it down.

The word “Blob” as far as I know, just means something that is essentially “shapeless”; so a group of pugs blindly following a Commander with little or no communication would fit here. I don’t know why we decided in GW2 that a “blob” had to be 80+ people in 1 place; during the first 3-4 months after GW2 was released, people used to freak out anytime a group of 30 or more would show up somewhere!

What does Warhammer Online have to do with anything?

The word zerg came from Starcraft. Like many things in Starcraft, the Zerg race was basically copied from Warhammer 40k (which wasn’t filled with super original ideas either but whatever).

We ain’t goin to decide the right/wrong way to use a word in the thread ‘cause there might not even be such a thing (not like there’s a dictionary for Guild Wars 2).

So I would say only thing that’s important is how people use the words and that’ll vary from person to person. I’ve had a 5 man guild group called a mini-zerg so I think there’s a great deal of leeway with how people use it. This poster here thinks his 25+ person group shouldn’t be called zerg or blobs but be recognized for the magnificent warriors with hearts of courage fighting against the untold billions who surround them that they think they are.

He’s clearly not getting that from me but good luck in other quarters!

From….

http://mmoterms.com/full-mmorpg-terms-glossary

Zerg

“A combat strategy where a large group of players rush in at the target. Seen as a simple-minded strategy that requires no skill.”

Organised blob, pug blob, skilled blob, map blob… All blobs.

Don’t try to church up the fact that you’re blobbing.

styx.7294:

How about we just decide that if your guild group puts up orange swords single handedly, you’re still a zerg. You’re somethin like almost half the map cap.

Bwaaaaaahahaha! That makes my 4-man guild swat team a “zerg”. Gawd knows, when we go to take a keep lord, we hit like one.

When the whole queue moves as one unit in a skill-less, lag-infested, culling-enriched, bag hunt. ie. EotM everyday!

Linghy.2031:

Don’t try to church up the fact that you’re blobbing.

Linghy.2031:

Don’t try to church up the fact that you’re blobbing.

Linghy.2031:

Don’t try to church up the fact that you’re blobbing.

Linghy.2031:

Don’t try to church up the fact that you’re blobbing.

Quoted for posterity.

goldenwing.8473:

styx.7294:

How about we just decide that if your guild group puts up orange swords single handedly, you’re still a zerg. You’re somethin like almost half the map cap.

Bwaaaaaahahaha! That makes my 4-man guild swat team a “zerg”. Gawd knows, when we go to take a keep lord, we hit like one.

No lie, I’ve had my 5-man guild group called a mini zerg so you never know!

I consider 60-70+ as a blob, though people tend to say BLOB AT X CAMP, and when u ask em about the numbers they simply say oh 20ish.

Official motion to change the name of “zergs” to “nids”.

#iusedthesewordsbeforetheywerecool

Oftenly I see the word “zerg” to call a very large enemy army (from 20 to 40), with a organized structure, premade builds and a good level of coodination.

“Blob” usually involves larger groups, starting at 40+ players, and less coodination (i.e.: the karma trains that are composed mostly from ramdoms, oftenly upleveled characters with no premade builds/gear/food).

But the taxonomics are hard due some T1 servers use a single commander x map leading the entire population but they (despite the huge total number) can be very disciplined and carry premade builds specifically tailored for a defined goal, instead ob being a simple conglomerate of heterogeneous randoms.

Everyone else is blob, always

Your own group is a zerg busting skill group, also always

ykyk.2740:

Everyone else is blob, always

Your own group is a zerg busting skill group, also always

This is also very true.

When I come over a hill like Ogres and see a sea of Invaders with no end in sight, I call that a blob. Where a buffed guardian gets melted in about .5 seconds.

A “zerg” is generally a group that plays more conservatively and doesn’t look like a sea of red blowing up anything and everything in its path

how about “hammertrain” = organized guild. “zerg” is a bunch of guilds and pugs which may contain a hammertrain, and “blob” is where a giant fat group forms that composes all of the players of that zone.

Enemy zerg is blob if it’s bigger that your own zerg.

styx.7294:

goldenwing.8473:

styx.7294:

How about we just decide that if your guild group puts up orange swords single handedly, you’re still a zerg. You’re somethin like almost half the map cap.

Bwaaaaaahahaha! That makes my 4-man guild swat team a “zerg”. Gawd knows, when we go to take a keep lord, we hit like one.

No lie, I’ve had my 5-man guild group called a mini zerg so you never know!

I think I see a kindred spirit.

One of the things I do enjoy about GW2 WvW is that a small group like that CAN affect the map, can turn objectives (keeps/towers) and divert the enemy (often causing them to choose between us and the “real” zerg.

I would guess taking SM with 6 would then be a “blob” maneuver.

Good thing about the blobs is that they mostly let us roll around the map undetected until we strike. Going to be interesting to see what EoTM does to that for Season 2…er.. Tournament.

Call me crazy but isn’t overwhelming number a strategy in and of itself? Just because it is not what you may like to do doesn’t mean it isn’t legit.

Don’t get mad, get even. If it really is a mindless mass of players pushing 1 over and over, there are plenty of very easy and quick ways to disperse them. If you have even 5-10 people you can fracture them all over the place and never die, as long as you know the map. Once you have a group of them separated you can easily focus them and kill them.

Its sad that we’ve had to come up with a new name to describe the exact same thing as the previous one so that when you get called a zerg you don’t feel as bad.

If a zerg is coordinated and performing well in open field, its ok if you’re a zerg. However most zergs aren’t like this, they are full of mindless zerglings that will chase and chase and allow themselves to get picked apart. Last time I heard people didn’t call RG trashcan zerglings

If a zerg is coordinated and performing well in open field, then it is not a zerg, it is a number of small groups who happened to be fighting in the same area. #SarcasmWins

BLOB = Bunch of Losers Offering Bags

Blob: A derogatory term used to describe the group that totally face rolled your group into the dirt.

Sreoom.3690:

Blob: A derogatory term used to describe the group that totally face rolled your group into the dirt.

There are a number of times when that definition would apply to the winning smaller group involved in the combat…

Please stop, just stop, the English language has been butchered enough by your hash tags and yolos, we don’t need definitions changed aswell to suit each others personal needs.

Blob – an object, especially a large one, having no distinct shape or definition: a blob on the horizon.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blob

Essentially it doesn’t matter if it’s one guild or not, a large group of any kind = blob.

Cantur Soulfyre.5409:

Call me crazy but isn’t overwhelming number a strategy in and of itself? Just because it is not what you may like to do doesn’t mean it isn’t legit.

Don’t get mad, get even. If it really is a mindless mass of players pushing 1 over and over, there are plenty of very easy and quick ways to disperse them. If you have even 5-10 people you can fracture them all over the place and never die, as long as you know the map. Once you have a group of them separated you can easily focus them and kill them.

Yes, but gamer pride is the most sensitive thing currently known to scientific man. Deaths have to be explained somehow, and the responsibility sure as heck isn’t going to be placed on the person who died playing poorly. That’s just crazy talk!