igoblin,
the reason the terms you asked about were not defined is that most (all) are in common usage by the internet community or the gaming community. I'll supply answers for those I am able.
Armada = A game, not familiar with it
BoTF = Birth of The Federation, a 4X empire builder (I know, keep reading
)
4x = EXplore, EXpand, EXploit, EXterminate, a style of strategy games
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
AFAIK = As Far As I Know
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
ISTR = ????
Sorry, maybe someone else can help us out?
John-SJ