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GTA roleplay glossary

The words you will hear in any RP city, in three groups: how people play, the tech servers run on, and the rules that keep stories fair. Each term is explained in one or two plain sentences.

Facts come from Rockstar, Cfx.re (the FiveM team), framework documentation and major outlets. Numbers in brackets link to the sources at the bottom.

Playing and community7 terms: RP, Server, Whitelist, Priority queue…
Platforms and server tech7 terms: FiveM, RedM, Cfx.re, OneSync…
Rules and conduct11 terms: IC / OOC, Metagaming, Powergaming, RDM (Random Deathmatch)…

Term of the day · Rules and conduct

NVL / Fear RP (Value of Life)

Your character should act as if their life matters, for example by complying at gunpoint instead of fighting against impossible odds. Ignoring this is called no value of life (NVL).

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One term from this glossary each day: press "Got it" to light up today. A week of terms and the jargon stops being a barrier.

Playing and community

Character / CK: Your in-game persona. A "character kill" permanently ends a character, usually only with consent or under strict rules.
Priority queue: A faster place in the queue to join a full server, sometimes earned or bought within the platform rules.
RP: Roleplay: playing a character and staying in that role.
Scene: An ongoing piece of roleplay between players, such as a traffic stop or a robbery.
Server: A player-hosted game world with its own rules, scripts and community.
Staff / admins: The volunteers or employees who enforce a server's rules.
Whitelist: An application process a server uses before letting you join.

Platforms and server tech

Cfx.re: The team behind FiveM and RedM; part of Rockstar Games since August 2023.
FiveM: The modification platform most GTA V RP servers run on, made by Cfx.re (now part of Rockstar).
Framework: A base script set (ESX, QBCore, Qbox, ox) that provides jobs, money and inventories.
OneSync: FiveM's networking mode that allows large player counts on one server.
RedM: The same team's platform for Red Dead Redemption 2.
Tebex: The official payments platform for FiveM servers.
txAdmin: The web panel used to run and manage FiveM servers.

Rules and conduct

Combat logging: Disconnecting from the server during a scene, such as an arrest or robbery, to avoid the consequences. It is almost always punished.^[1]
Cop baiting: Provoking police for no story reason just to start a chase. Many servers ban it because it wastes everyone's time.^[1][2]
Fail RP: Behaviour that breaks a believable scene, such as doing things no real person would do, trolling, or grinding without any roleplay.^[1][3]
Green zones / safe zones: Areas such as hospitals, police stations or spawn points where crime and violence are banned, so new and recovering players are left alone.^[1][2]
IC / OOC: In-character (IC) is anything your character says or does in the story. Out-of-character (OOC) is you, the real person. Servers ask you to keep the two separate and to keep OOC talk to designated channels.^[1][3]
Metagaming: Acting in character on information your character could not know, for example something you saw on a stream, Discord or OOC chat.^[4][2][1]
New Life Rule (NLR): After your character is 'killed' and respawns, they forget the events leading up to it and should not return to the scene or seek revenge. Exact rules vary between servers.^[2][1]
NVL / Fear RP (Value of Life): Your character should act as if their life matters, for example by complying at gunpoint instead of fighting against impossible odds. Ignoring this is called no value of life (NVL).^[2][1]
Powergaming: Forcing an outcome or giving yourself an unfair edge, for example by acting out impossible actions, abusing game mechanics, or not letting other players respond.^[2][1]
RDM (Random Deathmatch): Attacking or killing another character with no roleplay reason or build-up. Most servers require clear initiation that the other side can respond to before any violence.^[4][5]
VDM (Vehicle Deathmatch): Deliberately using a vehicle as a weapon to run people over without a valid roleplay reason.^[5][2]

Put the terms in context with the rules and etiquette guide and how servers work.

Sources

RP Terms / Rules / Lingo (Just Loot It (GTARP guides))
Common GTA RP Server Abbreviations (GTA BOOM)
List of basic roleplaying terms every GTA RP player should know (Sportskeeda) · opens in your browser; this publisher may show a quick human check
In Game Rules (GTA World Forums) official
Important GTA RP terms for beginners: VDM, RDM, and more (Sportskeeda) · opens in your browser; this publisher may show a quick human check

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