Post by The Writer on Nov 15, 2021 16:46:32 GMT
Meta Gaming
What is Metagaming?It is when a player uses knowledge that is not available to their character in order to change the way they play their character (usually to give them an advantage). It describes a player's use of out of character or real-life knowledge concerning the state of the role play to determine their character's actions and decisions, when said character has no relevant knowledge, awareness or plausible way to know this under the circumstances. There was no evidence or indication given by the other character, for your character to possibly know certain things that they then reveal that they know in their post.How is this knowledge acquired?Knowledge used when a member is metagaming can be acquired through many means. The member could have read information from the character's bio (i.e using parts of their history they never revealed, or personality traits when their character does not know them very well). It can also be learned through the other character's inner dialogue and thoughts in their posts. If they were thinking deeply about something, then you can learn a lot about this character as a mun, but your actual character would have no way of knowing what the other is thinking or what they have been through unless it was told through dialogue.What are examples of Metagaming?
- EXAMPLE 1: Your characters are in a fight scene. Character 1 is thinking about punching character 2 in their post as a means of attack. Character 2 knows that Character 1 is going to aim for their nose and quickly moves their head to the side. This, can be considered metagaming. How? Because Character 1 did not physically make any indication of what they were going to do, but Character 2 still 'read their mind' to know what they were planning.
- EXAMPLE 2: Character 1 wrote in their bio that they suffered a terrible break up with their first love. It happened many years ago and they never spoke of it to anyone. Character 2 in a thread with yours, talks about how Character 1 suffered a break up and that they know it is why they are the way they are. Character 1 specifically stated in their bio that they never spoke of this incident. You as the mun have knowledge of it because of the bio, but unless you and the other member discussed them somehow knowing through out of character discussions, this is metagaming.
- EXAMPLE 3: Character 1 thinks about how they can no longer see Character 2. They have made the decision on their mind but have not yet discussed it with Character 2, knowing it is going to be difficult as they are not prepared for it. Character 2 says in their reply, that they do not want to see Character 1 anymore. Is this considered metagaming? Yes. Because Character 2 is trying to gain the upper-hand by beating Character 1 to the punch, especially if it came from no where. If it was previously discussed between the muns, then that is different but if it was out of nowhere, then Character 2 had no way of knowing what Character 1 was thinking or what they were going to do.
- REMINDER: Events that took place in the show that we as the audience watched but the characters do not know is also considered metagaming. For example: we know that Anthony and Simon dueled but only a select few in the show knew. We know that Daphne and Simon were caught in a compromising position, but very few possessed this knowledge. We know who Lady Whistledown is, but no one else knew of her true identity. If you want your character to know something that happened in the show that was not commonly known to many, reach out to the member to check with them. Do not assume that your character can know it without any plausible reason.
Is Metagaming allowed on the forum?No! Metagaming is not permitted on the role play and we have a rule explicitly stating as such. It is fairly universally discouraged and prohibited in the role play world. Consistent metagaming will result in receiving a reminder from staff to ensure it does not keep happening. It considered breaking character as the character is making decisions, saying and doing things based on information that they could not know, thus would not make in reality.Why is Metagaming bad?It is considered 'cheating'. Metagaming leads to unfairness and therefore gives your character an unfair advantage over another. Roleplaying is supposed to be from the point of view of your character and their perspective; when you bring in knowledge that your character doesn't have but you as the role player does, it breaks the whole illusion of role play. To put it quite simply, it ruins the fun. It discourages the other member from writing detailed inner dialogue and thoughts out of fear that your character will use it against them. Metagaming can be extremely disheartening and frustrating for members for, as we said, it creates an imbalance and unfairness.How do I know if I'm Metagaming?This can be the tricky part! We hope this thread has provided some insight as to what metagaming entails! If you are not sure, you can always contact us and we can provide more information about it if you need any further clarification. If you want to see if you are metagaming in your post, then let us know and we can check it out for you! Or you can ask your role play partner for help or advice and we trust that they will kindly give you constructive feedback.
As stated in this thread, Metagaming can be extremely discouraging for members so we want to ensure the role play remains a fun, happy, safe and comfortable place for everyone! As previously mentioned if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to let us know!