Thanks for the note! Yes, honestly COMP/CON is probably the best possible source of such a dictionary – maybe we could add a link to it from an in-game “help” button. I’ll make a note to look into it.
This is rarely a problem, but it will require a constant internet connection.
You won't be able to play the game properly in offline mode on your laptop if you want to (because you're on the road or because you live in a place with communication issues).
I think it's much easier to simply add this page from COMP/CON to some directory in the menu, as the OP suggested. If the game isn't multiplayer, it shouldn't constantly depend on an internet connection. Status effects can be learned quickly, but still.
The owners of Lancer could be chill, but unless I am mistaken, copying rules straight from a book like that is frowned upon without some sort of agreement.
Similar to how the Shadowrun character generator Chummer cant list the description of qualities, spells, and the like, but provides a reference page to look it up.
Or similar to Solasta can only use certain official Dnd5 subclasses due to WotCs policy.
I'd love to be wrong, but that's my understanding of these sorts of things.
That sucks if so. But the game should still somehow explain what these effects are, at least when hovering over status icons in the UI — players shouldn't have to guess.
Besides, the system descriptions and attack descriptions are directly copied from the rulebook, and that doesn't seem to be prohibited.