It helps to know Zone shorthand when chatting. Some of this is common to all sorts of chat rooms, and other terms are unique to the Gaming Zone.

AV = Access Violation This is the most common pop-up error message you can receive when starting a Multi-Player game. When you host a game, don't go to the race selection screen until everyone else has joined the game. This reduces the chance of them getting an Access Violation. As a player, if an Access Violation error pops up, clear it as soon as possible by clicking the "OK" button. This reduces the chance that it will knock you out of the game.

Beeping or Smoke Signals = One of your "ZoneFriends" wants into the game. When somebody on your ZoneFriends list arrives or leaves, you'll hear a "beep". Turning the "Do Not Disturb" option on and off repeatedly will send a string of beeps to anyone who has you on their list. This is a way to notify them of your presence while they are in a game.

BTZ = Back To Zone Used when ready to exit the game and return to the MSN Gaming Zone. When leaving, close MTM2 entirely by clicking the "X" button in the upper right hand corner. This reduces the likelihood of a mis-launch the next time you launch the game.

CYA = See Ya

Fookie = F*** ing Rookie

GG = Good Game

Ghosting = Trucks appear to "wink out" and pop up again, often in impossible places.   This is caused by poor connections between computers (see LATS.) It takes a moment for your maneuvers to travel over your modem to another computer, and vice-versa. Sometimes your computer will assume the location of an opponent's truck based on it's last known trajectory. Later, when it gets an update from the other computer, it will place the opponent truck in the correct current position. In the meantime, if that driver moved in a manner unpredicted by your computer, it can seem as if his truck disappeared and then reappeared in the new location.

GTG or G2G = Got To Go

LATS = Latency This is a measure of the connection speed between your computer and someone else's. The lower the number, the better the connection. It is represented in the Zone by 0-4 colored bars next to a player's name. 0 bars = poor connection speed, 4 bars = good connection speed. There are never any bars next to your own name - you don't need to connect to yourself! LATS will vary up and down over time as each computer system uses and frees up it's resources. Close as many other programs and windows as possible to reduce your own computer's load. Your latency will appear as a different number on different people's computers - it is a measure of how well your individual computers are talking to each other, not how fast your Internet connection is. Poor latency can manifest as lags, pauses, or "ghosting" in game play.

LMAO = Laughing My A** Off

LOL = Laughing Out Loud

NW = Nice Win

OTW = On The Way

Pass? or PW? = Password? Requesting the password to get into a locked game room.  (People lock their game rooms if they have a regular group of friends they like to play with.  This keeps strangers from "stealing" a spot reserved for a buddy.  Nothing personal.)

ROFL = Rolling On Floor Laughing

VGG = Very Good Game

WB = Welcome Back!

WTF? = What the f**k? Keep it civil, please! This bit of nastiness is only noted here because some folks use the term regularly, and we don't want any embarrassing incidents when you ask them what WTF means...