What is Meta-gaming anyways?

[Brown Jenkin]

First it was bash the "Munchkins" now it seems that there are a lot of threads with people complaining about "Meta-gaming". It seems everyone has different idea of what "Meta-gaming" is from having the characters knowing anything and I mean anything of the world around them and their stats to players who calculate attack percentages using the MM in combat.

It seems that everyone has a different idea of what "Meta-gaming" is and then throw out the term as an insult whenever someone plays in a way they don't like. Some people enjoy playing that way but it seems the term is being overused as derogatory word lately. If someone calls you a "Meta-gamer" they are saying that you don't play the game as well as they do. DnD is for everyone and as long as those playing together in a group agree any style of play should be acceptable.

To all you ENWorlders out there:
1. What is meta-gaming to you?
2. Is it all that bad?
3. Should we try to stop using it as an insult?

 

[DragonLancer]

1. What is meta-gaming to you?

Its a player using OOC knowledge In Character.

2. Is it all that bad?

Yes. Its lazy for one thing, and unfair on the game in general. If your character knows nothing about a monster, spell, location or whatever but you do, don't use that knowledge.

3. Should we try to stop using it as an insult?

Its not an insult to say someone is a metagamer if they are.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I figure metagaming is using OOC knowledge in game. I usually play online, and with IM's and such there's no way to curb metagaming, but blatant metagaming is irritating.

For instance, one of the players yelling in the room "hey, it's a Blah, he can only be hit by X weapon". Organizing activities between players in the midst of combat as well, telling someone to move here or there or whatever OOC when your characters can't hear...

 

[Kweezil]

The proper definition of meta-gaming, according to most gaming books, is using the knowledge that you are playing a game to make decisions. Such as, "there has to be a lever here, the DM wouldn't let us all die like this", or "that couldn't be an -insert monster here-, it's too high a CR for us, the DM wouldn't just kill us like that". Too many people incorrectly use the term to mean use of Out-Of-Character knowledge, such as the Monster stats etc.

IMHO, metagaming is a bad thing, as it ruins the suspension of disbelief needed for a good RPG session. It's not much good as an insult though, though I'd have a hard time telling some friends that. :\

 

[Cedric]

I sometimes have a hard time with situations that involve potentional meta-gaming.

I mean, if you know that creatures called 'trolls" can regenerate and get back up after you chop them apart...

It seems reasonable to burn them, does it not? But at what point do you draw the line and say, ok...that makes sense. Or ... there's no way my character would know that.

Usually it's not too hard to figure out which side of the line you are on, but sometimes it can be.

Cedric

 

[DragonLancer]

With some creatures (Trolls in this example) I figure that such creatures are common enough and that knowledge of their regenerative properties are known in legend, so when a player knows that I don't mind.

Its when it comes down to rare undead or beholders or something that it gets annoying.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

1. What is meta-gaming to you?
As other people have said, it's players using knowledge to overcome an obstacle that their characters couldn't know. It's also taking ten minutes to discuss an intricate plan during combat, when each character in question is fighting for their lives. It's exclaiming "Quick! It's a golem! It's immune to nearly all these spells, and can only be harmed by these spells!" when their characters had never heard of Golems before.

2. Is it all that bad?
It's not that bad, but it is very annoying when taken to extremes. A little is OK, but a lot is poor gaming. To a certain extent, the point of playing an RPG is to create a character and use it to adventure, so using metagame knowledge makes it less fun.

3. Should we try to stop using it as an insult?
I don't feel it is an insult, particularly.

 

[Gothmog]

1. What is meta-gaming to you?

Using OOC or player knowledge in game to gain an advantage or overcome a problem the character otherwise wouldn't have. I think it does encompass OOC knowledge as well as assumptions about the game world as a whole. The troll example isn't a really good one since trolls are fairly common in most game worlds, and fire is probably the only way a commoner could drive one off if he was threatened. A better example might be the old "I found a ring? What does it do? I put it on- am I invisible? Ok, I try to jump. No? I go over to the wall and try to climb it." Or if a fighter takes a critical that inflicts a lot of damage but says "Its ok, I'm only down to 23 hp. I can take three more swings from the gnoll before I'll go down. Go heal the rogue first." That is meta-gaming at its worst- actions that lead to behaviors that the character otherwise wouldn't have engaged in.

2. Is it all that bad?

It depends. In most cases, yes- its one of the most destructive things that can happen when other people at the table are trying to stay in character and role-play. On the other hand, if the DM and other players in the group are all comfortable with a certain level of meta-gaming, then no- for them it would probably be fine. From having played in settings with extreme amounts of meta-gaming vs nearly no meta-gaming, I can say that meta-gaming is jarring and obnoxious in most cases.

3. Should we try to stop using it as an insult?

Its not an insult, at least not in the same way munchkin is. Everyone with experience in the game system will meta-game to some degree, its simply unavoidable. The key to it is to decide how much your group is comfortable with, then try to keep it to that minimum.

 

[DragonLancer]

The troll example isn't a really good one since trolls are fairly common in most game worlds, and fire is probably the only way a commoner could drive one off if he was threatened.

Thats why I chose that example. Its something a player can safely say IC and not be bashed for metagaming.

 

[Centaur]

I agree with most of the posts above that meta-gaming is using OOC knowledge in game. I also agree that it is a bad thing. However, rather than use the term as an insult or try to curb it (i've given up on that) I do the next best thing.

I use the existing material as a guide only. This means that the game may list a set of statistics for a given moster or such, I just use them as a guide and change them on the fly. This technique has quelled the metagammers in my group (I have 2 of them out of 5 players) a bit.

You don't have to change much, and don't get out of hand with it. But if you can keep them guessing, it works wonders. Then every once in a while, I use the creature staight up. That realy confuses them.