What does "spec" mean?

Borderlands 2 BL2 General Discussion
#1

I use it all the time and see it used all the time: “I run this spec” “spec into this skill for this result” blah blah. I think that the tooltip when you use a Customization Station is that “respec” means to “reset and reallocate” your skill points, but is there a word it comes from or is short for? Sorry in advance if the answer is obvious, obvious and simple vocabulary often eludes me.

#2

from my understanding it’s short for “specialize” simlar to how proc is short for process.

#3

Wait what? I always thought proc was short for “programmable random occurrence” my life is a lie. And thank you very much, that makes a lot of sense.

#4

that also works in most cases for proc, I just find “process” is eaiser to think about, it’s shorter and it fits pretty well.

#5

Spec: how you’ve spent your skill points. Proc: the event where a kill skill processes.

#6

spec is short for specifics. As in "I run this spec(fic) [sic build]

#7

What about when it’s used as a verb?

#8

Spec is usually short for specification, the specific details of something. Or possibly in this case… to respec(ify) where you want your skill points (reallocate).

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#9

as a verb - to provide specifications for.

#10

Yes, that’s why you look up the ‘specs’ for new devices/cars/computers etc.

#11

Isn’t that still a noun?

‘To specify the particulars’ could be an example of using the verb.

#12

A verb as in the sentence, “These days, I always spec into cloud kill”

#13

That’s BL specific language, as far as I know!

If it were ‘proper’ English, it’d be something like: "These days, I always change my character’s specifications to include full use of Cloud Kill’. Or something.

#14

nah, I’ve seen it used like that in lots of contexets, like in Diablo, the word spec is a lot less common over there but it does appear on occasion. I also saw it a few times back in the old runescape days.

For all practical purposes, both “proc” and “spec” are their own words now, and while their meanings overlap with some other words, they have their own distinct meanings

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#15

Ok so there is no actual definition or derivation of “spec” we just accept it to mean the distribution of skill points among the various trees available, or the act of distributing the points in this way. Works for me.

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#16

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spec

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#17

the usage of spec in this context is a colloquialism and is thus not pressent in any dictonary (that I know of) right now.

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#18

What he said. The use is how your character’s skills are allocated. And whether or not you pick a particular skill (e.g. I always spec into cloudkill). I wouldn’t look for a written definition because you’re likely not going to find it.

#19

Fun fact, this definition isn’t even on urban dictionary, indie word confirmed.

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#20

That’s it in a nutshell. They are words in their own right; gaming vernacular, as it were.