Private server glossary
44 terms you will meet when choosing a private server, explained without jargon. Ready to play? Browse the most voted servers or pick a game from the menu.
A
- Anti-cheat
- Software and policies that detect cheating. Strong anti-cheat is essential on competitive and PK servers.
B
- Blizzlike
- A server that keeps the official game’s rates, drops and mechanics as close to the original as possible. The opposite of a high-rate or custom server.
- World of Warcraft serversMU Online servers
- Bot
- A script that plays for a user. Most servers ban botting; some economy servers tolerate it and suffer inflation.
C
- Cross-realm
- A system that lets players on different realms or channels group, queue and trade together. Common on larger World of Warcraft and MapleStory servers.
- World of Warcraft serversMapleStory servers
- Custom content
- Items, maps, bosses or systems the server team created that never existed in the official game. Good custom content extends the game; bad custom content breaks its economy.
D
- Donation store
- The in-game or web shop where players pay real money for perks. Cosmetics and convenience are normally fine; selling top-tier gear is “pay to win”.
- Drop rate
- How often monsters drop items compared with the official game. x1 matches the original, x5 is five times more generous.
E
- Economy server
- A private server where items keep value because they are earned, traded and consumed, as in the official game. Popular in RuneScape and Ragnarok.
- RuneScape serversRagnarok Online servers
- Emulator
- Server software that reimplements a game’s back end so the original client can connect to it, for example MaNGOS and TrinityCore for World of Warcraft.
- World of Warcraft servers
- EXP rate
- The multiplier applied to experience gained. x1 is official speed; x100 means levelling is 100 times faster.
F
- Fresh start
- A new server or season where everyone starts from zero. Joining at launch is the fairest way to compete for rankings.
G
- Gamemode
- A rule set within a server, for example ironman, hardcore or roleplay. Often chosen at character creation.
- Gold sink
- A mechanic that removes currency from the economy, such as repair costs or auction fees, preventing inflation.
- Guild war
- Organised guild-versus-guild PvP, a headline feature of Lineage 2, MU Online and Silkroad private servers.
- Lineage 2 serversMU Online serversSilkroad Online servers
H
- Hardcore
- A mode where death has permanent consequences, such as losing the character or all levels.
- High rate
- Boosted rates, usually x100 or more, designed so you can reach the end-game and PvP within days.
I
- Instance
- A private copy of a dungeon or zone created for one group, so other players cannot interfere.
- Ironman
- A restricted RuneScape mode that blocks trading and most player help. Variants include hardcore and ultimate ironman.
- RuneScape servers
L
- Launch date
- The date a server went public. Older launch dates generally mean a more stable team and community.
- Legit server
- Community shorthand for a server that is well run, honest about its features and free from pay-to-win. Always verify the claim yourself.
- Low rate
- Experience and drop rates close to the official game, typically x1 to x5. Slower, but progress feels earned.
M
- Mid rate
- A balance between official and high rates, typically x10 to x50.
- Mod
- Third-party code that changes how a game plays. Modded servers need matching client files.
- Minecraft serversTerraria servers
O
- Open beta
- A public test phase before a full launch. Characters may be wiped when the server goes live.
P
- Patch
- A game version, for example 3.3.5a for World of Warcraft. Servers emulate one patch and cannot mix them.
- World of Warcraft servers
- Pay to win
- A donation model where spending money gives a decisive combat or economy advantage over free players.
- PK server
- A server designed around player killing, usually with instant gear or boosted rates so fights start immediately.
- RuneScape servers
- Plugin
- Server-side add-ons (such as Paper or Oxide plugins) that change rules without requiring a client download.
- Minecraft serversRust servers
- Progressive server
- A server that unlocks content in the same order as the original game, for example Classic, Burning Crusade, then Wrath.
- World of Warcraft servers
R
- Realmlist
- A file or setting that tells the World of Warcraft client which server to connect to. Servers publish their realmlist on their website.
- World of Warcraft servers
- Reset
- In MU Online, a reset returns a character to level 1 in exchange for permanent stat points. Reset-based servers have their own economies.
- MU Online servers
- Revision
- The client version a RuneScape private server runs, such as 317, 508 or 718. It decides which content is available.
- RuneScape servers
- Roleplay
- Playing a persistent character in a shared story world. FiveM roleplay servers are the largest example.
- FiveM (GTA V) servers
- RSPS
- RuneScape Private Server. A fan-run server using community-built RuneScape server software.
- RuneScape servers
S
- Season
- A fixed period of play in MU Online and similar games with its own items, skills and balance. See MU Online.
- MU Online servers
- Server list
- A directory such as PrivateServers.com where players find and rate servers. See the most voted servers.
- Server rates
- The combined set of multipliers a server applies, usually EXP, drop, gold and sometimes skill speed.
- Staff
- Administrators and moderators who enforce rules and run events. Active, visible staff are the clearest sign of a healthy server.
U
- Uptime
- The share of time a server is reachable. We check every listed website daily and show the result on each listing.
V
- Vanilla
- The original, unmodified version of a game. On Minecraft and Rust it also means a server with no mods or plugins.
- Minecraft serversRust serversWorld of Warcraft servers
- Vote reward
- In-game items given when you vote for a server on a toplist. Voting also ranks the server higher on our most voted servers.
W
- Whitelist
- A server that only admits approved players, typically after an application. Standard on serious roleplay communities.
- FiveM (GTA V) servers
- Wipe
- A scheduled reset of the world, characters or both. Rust servers wipe weekly or monthly; others only at season changes.
- Rust servers