Proc refers to the chance for an effect to process. As a very general example, a sword with a 30% chance to proc electricity means that when you hit, a 100 sided die is rolled. If the number is 30 or less then the electricity goes off.
Generally speaking procs are slang for "things that have a chance to happen when other things happen." So you have procs on hit, procs on attack (even if you miss), procs on being hit, procs on shooting, etc. As BobRoss noted the original word was "process", which I believe was an official term in some early MUD or something along those lines. So if you take the Vampirism skill, then you have a 100% chance to proc a Vampiric Attack when you hit something in melee. If you cast Magic Steel (from the Viking Wizardry line), then you have a 55% chance to proc a lightning bolt each time you hit something. If you cast Radiant Aura, then you have a 35% chance to proc Blinding Flash when you are hit. And so on.
Related: Mob Mob stands for/is short for "mobile (unit)", and generally refers to any NPC that can move and engage the Player Character. Also has its origins in old, text-based games. Basically it's a nerdy way of saying "monster" or "enemy".
Yeah, I'm so used to these terms while playing MMOs that I tend to use them in every game and people have no idea what I'm talking about sometimes
Thanks for the information, folks! Suddenly, all is much clearer. This one I did know! I remember asking about it on some Usenet group (maybe rec.games.roguelike.angband) ages ago. I was confused when monsters seemed to be referred to in the plural! I suppose it might be useful to compile a list of DoD jargon & abbreviations, somewhere...
I thought Mob's origin was computer slang from way back in the C64/Vic20 times for a movable object (ie. a sprite), but that it evolved into meaning, specifically any monster in a computer game. Of course that may be my aging mind playing tricks on me...
Well, the first computer bug was a real bug. So, that's been around a lot longer than MUDs. Which I've played a tiny amount of.
I tried my hand at some MUDs, but I could never get into it. Roleplaying just ain't my thing. Did have some fun in a few though, and I did pick up the habit of calling mobs mobs. Anyhow, I knew what proc meant, but not the etymology, so this thread was helpful.
I wasted a few years of my life on muds... I'm glad I have the street (mud?) cred to know all these terms, but I'm glad I'm out.
There are definitely muds that enforce roleplaying. I played cosrin a long time ago back when it was free... they had a silly system that was gameable, but the spirit of the game was to rp. I believe Achaea is very heavily rp, but I didn't try it too much.
Nope, it means process. I think there's an alternate universe in which it's an acronym meaning "Process Randomly On Command", but that's clearly an alternate.
Actually, from what i recall it's always been debatable what "proc" meant. I was always on the side of "programmed random occurence". When everquest came out, "proc" changed to people believing it meant "process". I guess for your weapon to "process" it's special effect or whatever. But that's not where it came from, only a perversion/derivation of the original meaning.
I doubt it's origin was an acronym, but I wouldn't actually know. It just seems to have all the hallmarks of a backronym. Anyway, here is an article I found on it. It doesn't really say what it is, just sort of lists the common source attributions. http://www.nerfbat.com/2006/04/15/what-is-a-proc/
