Post by ☾☾ Aniu ☾☾ on Apr 16, 2015 4:25:14 GMT
Forum Meta-gaming
The OOC knowledge in Forum Meta-gaming is obtained by reading forum names, profiles, announcements, and other information.
Examples of Forum Meta-gaming
WRONG: Azazel is brand new to the city. In an RPG post, Azazel identifies Baphomet as a member of the local vampire clan. Azazel also verbally states the clan’s name.
WHY: There is no way Azazel can know the vampire clan’s name or that Baphomet is a member.
WRONG: The RPG admins announce an upcoming plot to flood part of the valley. The River Wolves live in this part of the valley, and have done so for hundreds of years. Territory and culture are important to the pack. The leader abruptly removes the pack from this vicinity, offering a weak IC reason of “exploitative leadership.”
WHY: The leader has used their OOC knowledge of the upcoming plot to move their pack out of danger.
Avoiding Forum Meta-gaming
What you read on the forum is not what your character knows. Forum markers such as group membership, area names, and other information that pertains to the IC world exists for organizational purposes only. Your newcomer character will still need to learn his or her way around.
Role-player Meta-gaming
The OOC knowledge in Role-player Meta-gaming is information the role-player has, but the character does not have. This is very similar to skill-based god-modding, but specifically deals with information that could not exist in the RPG’s setting.
Examples of Role-player Meta-gaming
WRONG: Alice knows electricity. Her Ancient Greek character corrects another character, using an advanced electricity theory.
WHY: Alice’s character has no way of knowing electricity. It hasn’t been invented yet and is nonsensical in the time setting.
Avoiding Role-player Meta-gaming
Remember what your character knows is separate from your knowledge.
Pay close attention to your game’s setting to determine the appropriate knowledge level.
Decision Meta-gaming
This is a more active form of meta-gaming. The OOC knowledge in this case is not merely written into role-play passively, but impacts decisions the character makes. The essential element is that the character makes a decision they would not normally make due to the role-player’s information.
Examples of Decision Meta-gaming
WRONG: Azazel and Baphomet get into a fight. Baphomet’s player, Alice, reads in Azazel’s forum profile that Azazel is a very brute-force fighter. Prior to this, Baphomet’s style was similar. For this fight, however, Alice immediately role-plays Baphomet as a highly defensive fighter.
WHY: This is meta-gaming because the change in Azazel’s fighting style takes without apparent IC reason. If Baphomet and Azazel were already fighting and Azazel’s tactic changed, or if Azazel and Baphomet fought before — Alice may not be meta-gaming.
Avoiding Decision Meta-gaming
Re-read your own character profile and adhere to its information.
Post Meta-gaming
Post Meta-gaming would literally require mind reading. This is the most obvious type of meta-gaming and is severe bad role-play; there is no reasonable explanation for this in most role-playing games (excepting RPGs where mind-reading is allowed).
Examples of Post Meta-gaming
WRONG:
Azazel: Azazel really disliked Baphomet already. But — the wolf was alpha, and Azazel was required to show respect. The pale wolf could only smile and nod his head as the darker canine prattled about how awesome he was. There was nothing in Azazel demeanor to suggest he wanted to go home and sleep. For his duty of appearing a respectful subject, he played the part excellently.
Baphomet: “Well, jeez, what crawled up your ass? You know what, just get the hell out of my pack,” Baphomet growled. He stamped his foot petulantly at the other wolf. Baphomet could have handled being told to just shut up. He knew he tended to go on and on about how awesome the pack was, but he didn’t like Azazel’s attitude. As far as he was concerned, newcomers who were that full of themselves could die as loners.
WHY: Baphomet has no way of knowing Azazel’s feelings. Baphomet’s player is using their knowledge, gained by reading Azazel’s post, to influence Baphomet’s actions.
The OOC knowledge in Forum Meta-gaming is obtained by reading forum names, profiles, announcements, and other information.
Examples of Forum Meta-gaming
WRONG: Azazel is brand new to the city. In an RPG post, Azazel identifies Baphomet as a member of the local vampire clan. Azazel also verbally states the clan’s name.
WHY: There is no way Azazel can know the vampire clan’s name or that Baphomet is a member.
WRONG: The RPG admins announce an upcoming plot to flood part of the valley. The River Wolves live in this part of the valley, and have done so for hundreds of years. Territory and culture are important to the pack. The leader abruptly removes the pack from this vicinity, offering a weak IC reason of “exploitative leadership.”
WHY: The leader has used their OOC knowledge of the upcoming plot to move their pack out of danger.
Avoiding Forum Meta-gaming
What you read on the forum is not what your character knows. Forum markers such as group membership, area names, and other information that pertains to the IC world exists for organizational purposes only. Your newcomer character will still need to learn his or her way around.
Role-player Meta-gaming
The OOC knowledge in Role-player Meta-gaming is information the role-player has, but the character does not have. This is very similar to skill-based god-modding, but specifically deals with information that could not exist in the RPG’s setting.
Examples of Role-player Meta-gaming
WRONG: Alice knows electricity. Her Ancient Greek character corrects another character, using an advanced electricity theory.
WHY: Alice’s character has no way of knowing electricity. It hasn’t been invented yet and is nonsensical in the time setting.
Avoiding Role-player Meta-gaming
Remember what your character knows is separate from your knowledge.
Pay close attention to your game’s setting to determine the appropriate knowledge level.
Decision Meta-gaming
This is a more active form of meta-gaming. The OOC knowledge in this case is not merely written into role-play passively, but impacts decisions the character makes. The essential element is that the character makes a decision they would not normally make due to the role-player’s information.
Examples of Decision Meta-gaming
WRONG: Azazel and Baphomet get into a fight. Baphomet’s player, Alice, reads in Azazel’s forum profile that Azazel is a very brute-force fighter. Prior to this, Baphomet’s style was similar. For this fight, however, Alice immediately role-plays Baphomet as a highly defensive fighter.
WHY: This is meta-gaming because the change in Azazel’s fighting style takes without apparent IC reason. If Baphomet and Azazel were already fighting and Azazel’s tactic changed, or if Azazel and Baphomet fought before — Alice may not be meta-gaming.
Avoiding Decision Meta-gaming
Re-read your own character profile and adhere to its information.
Post Meta-gaming
Post Meta-gaming would literally require mind reading. This is the most obvious type of meta-gaming and is severe bad role-play; there is no reasonable explanation for this in most role-playing games (excepting RPGs where mind-reading is allowed).
Examples of Post Meta-gaming
WRONG:
Azazel: Azazel really disliked Baphomet already. But — the wolf was alpha, and Azazel was required to show respect. The pale wolf could only smile and nod his head as the darker canine prattled about how awesome he was. There was nothing in Azazel demeanor to suggest he wanted to go home and sleep. For his duty of appearing a respectful subject, he played the part excellently.
Baphomet: “Well, jeez, what crawled up your ass? You know what, just get the hell out of my pack,” Baphomet growled. He stamped his foot petulantly at the other wolf. Baphomet could have handled being told to just shut up. He knew he tended to go on and on about how awesome the pack was, but he didn’t like Azazel’s attitude. As far as he was concerned, newcomers who were that full of themselves could die as loners.
WHY: Baphomet has no way of knowing Azazel’s feelings. Baphomet’s player is using their knowledge, gained by reading Azazel’s post, to influence Baphomet’s actions.