Llama (computer culture)

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Llama is a term derived from the word lamer and a pun on the name of the animal Llama.[1] It was used as a common derogatory term online during the 1990s,[2] used among online team gamers since Quake to refer to a "jerk"[2] or as a "fun term used to mock another online gamer"[3].

The llama was also frequently referenced in Maxis/Electronic Arts's popular line of "Sim" games, such as Sim City and The Sims.

Contents

[edit] Llamas in software

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Llama
Llama

[edit] Winamp

The llama is frequently referenced in the music program Winamp.[4] The llama is the mascot of Nullsoft[5], manufacturer of Winamp, and their media player for AOL was code-named Llama.[6] Winamp's apothegms include "Winamp - It really whips the llama's ass"[5][7] (from a Wesley Willis song) and "Winamp - llama tested, mother approved".

[edit] "Sim" games

The llama is also frequently referenced in Maxis/Electronic Arts's line of "Sim" games. Maxis chose the llama as a mascot following a company-wide vote [8], co-founder Will Wright's business card has the title "Llama Consultant" [9], and the Sim Earth strategy guide had a llama hiding behind a lunar lander as a joke on Wright[10]. SimCity's second lowest speed is "llama speed", SimLife organisms occasionally say "I'm a llama", in SimCity 2000 the population of zoos are measured in various types of llamas, and the SimCity 4 cheat code "Dollyllama" would turn advisors into llamas. In the original Sims, there is a hedge shaped as a llama. Also, the llama consistently appears in The Sims 2, usually in random events (example: a detective must uncover the "Maltese llama", or a hospital worker must treat a llama). In The Sims 2: University, the university's mascot is a llama, who will occasionally visit various areas around campus. The phrase "The llama is a quadruped", (from the Llama sketch in episode 9 of Monty Python's Flying Circus) is also a SimCity 3000 cheat code. Also SimCity 3000 provides tips under the heading, 'The Llama Suggests', instead of the traditional 'Tip of the Day', and the llama continues to re-appear as a running gag in the nonsense news topics in the news ticker.

[edit] Other examples

The term LLaMa distinguishes players who use a "pure" style of play in the football management simulation game Football Manager, and its predecessor Championship Manager. LLaMas, named after the acronym LLM (Lower League Managers), play the game without using tips, cheats, editors or anything other than their own mettle.[11]

Llamas also appear in the MMORPG "Ultima Online" where there are pack llamas, ridable llamas, ethereal llamas and wild llamas. Some players transform themselves into a llama form as part of the gameplay.

A llama is the main protagonist of the llamatron video game. Jeff Minter's fascination for the animal[12] led to the release of Atari ST titles such as Attack of the Mutant Camels, llamatron and llamazap for the software house llamasoft.

The Naked Dancing Llama, an online advice giving "sage", frolics about and gives humorous advice to netsurfers.[13] A popular Internet Flash cartoon known as The Llama Song plays a humorous nonsense song about llamas.

The llama also graces the cover of O'Reilly's "Learning Perl"[14] and this book is "affectionately known as the llama book".[15]

In the popular game Counter-Strike, many servers utilizes administration modifications to the server.[original research?] These mods (specifically AMX Mod and Admin Mod) have a specific command (usually amx_llama or admin_llama) that will "llama" a player. According to the documentation, this command mutes the player and "whenever they type something, it will immediately be translated into 'Llama language', with words like 'Oorgle!' or 'Bleaaatt!'"[16]

Llama is also the name of a Pascal version of the popular yacc parser generator.

[edit] References

  1. ^ NetLingo: The Internet Dictionary, by Erin Jansen, p 242, 2002, ISBN 0970639678 [1]
  2. ^ a b Earth Quake, by John Ratliff, Texas Monthly Magazine, Aug 1999
  3. ^ You can play too, The Mirror (London), May 27, 1999
  4. ^ Winamp Still Loves the '90s, by Steve Rosenbush, BusinessWeek, May 23, 2005
  5. ^ a b Justin Frankel Rocks On, Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired, Oct 2006
  6. ^ AOL backtracks on Winamp media player, by Jim Hu, ZDNet News, Jun 27,2003
  7. ^ The World's Most Dangerous Geek, by David Kushner, Rolling Stone, Jan 13, 2004
  8. ^ Will Wright on creating 'The Sims' and 'Sim City', CNN, Nov 30, 2000
  9. ^ A Game Certain To Bug You Ants, San Jose Mercury News, Apr 14, 1991
  10. ^ "Where's the Llama", in High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, by Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, ISBN 0072231726, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004
  11. ^ News From The Terraces, Sega's Football Manager 2007
  12. ^ Jeff Minter speaks of game dev disillusionment, by Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK, Nov 23, 2007
  13. ^ Out of the mouth of a Naked Dancing Llama, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Apr 21, 1996
  14. ^ Learning Perl, by Tom Phoenix, O'Reilly, 2001, ISBN 0596001320
  15. ^ Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web, p. 314, by Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit Press, 2001, ISBN 0201735687
  16. ^ AMXmodX Admin Commands documentation, available in Dark Assassin League FAQ