Metagaming (role-playing games)

Great Role Player - What is Metagaming and is it bad? - RPG Game ...

src: i.ytimg.com

Metagaming is the term used in role-playing games, which describes the use of real-life knowledge of the state of the game by players to determine the actions of their characters, when the character has no relevant knowledge or awareness under the circumstances. This could refer to plot information in games such as secrets or events that occur away from characters, as well as aspects of game mechanisms such as abstract statistics or appropriate capability limits. Metagaming is an example of "violating characters", because the characters make decisions based on information they can not know and thus will not happen in reality.

Metagaming is considered unsportsmanlike or fraudulent in the context of competitive games, and is generally less acceptable because it undermines the accurate depiction of characters based on in-game experiences and back-stories that define role-playing games. Beyond role-playing, metagaming refers only to players who use knowledge or understanding of external factors (such as community trends or accidental events) to gain an advantage over the competition.

Video Metagaming (role-playing games)

Drafts

More broadly, metagaming can refer to any or all aspects of the game that occur outside of certain game fiction settings. This is most prominent including any discussion between players and/or game masters about game events and content. Traditionally, metagaming is generally preferred in the role-playing community, because it disrupts the suspension of distrust and affects the balance of the game. However, some indie narrativist role plays deliberately support metagaming in the "Director position" and encourage sharing of stories among the players. This can be compared to direct-action games with more cinematic styles, where the use of metagame references for certain books and movies, either before the game or during play, encourages players to the atmosphere the organizers want to create.

Maps Metagaming (role-playing games)

Example

Gathering knowledge:

Any action based on real-life knowledge that someone is playing a game.
Acquire knowledge from Out-Of Character (such as pre-reading adventure guides or watch others play through the same games or pre-prepared campaigns).
Uses knowledge in the world of characters previously played or died.
In a separate screen game, use the other player's point of view to collect information that his own character does not know and can not access.

Bending rules:

Adjust character actions based on previous estimates of gamemaster long-term goals.
Basing character decisions on knowledge of the mechanism of the game to gain advantage, when the resulting action is contrary to the personality, history, or motive of that character.
As a form of powergaming during character creation, when players take on the deficiencies or obligations that they know the gamemaster may not fully exploit, thus obtaining the option of making the addition without paying the appropriate penalty.

Change behavior:

Use certain types of attacks or defenses based on the strengths and weaknesses of opponents whose characters are not knowledgeable.
Act on any knowledge that is unknown and unknown to the character - for example, applying real-life chemistry to make gunpowder in pre-firearm settings, without the character of a word having prior knowledge or interest in chemistry or priority for its development.
Customize the behavior of characters against other player characters based on real-life relationships with other players. It includes and includes attempts to generate friendships or relationships, and manipulate others, through in-game favoritism.
Specifies character actions based on how the game's abstract mechanism will affect the result.
Assuming that something that seems wrong or impossible in the gaming world is the fault of the game master rather than something that can be investigated. (There are some incidents where master game depictions about the world are the real mistakes, causing players to gain knowledge of their characters does not have to be right now - however, it is the player's duty not to leverage that knowledge for future decisions of their characters.)
Assuming that if an item (such as a tray, table or book box) is mentioned by the gamemaster during the initial description of an area, it should have some relevance to the storyline, and immediately seek or review it. (while ignoring furniture or other objects that are likely to be there as well).

Great GM : How does a GM Metagame and is it bad? Metagaming and ...

src: i.ytimg.com

Note

What is Metagaming and How to Fix It - YouTube

src: i.ytimg.com

References

"An Australian Convention Roleplaying Glossary". Archived from the original on April 28, 2006.
"role play glossary". Archived from the original on June 14, 2006.