RP - Metagaming

[Hisao]

Sources:

Personal role-play knowledge collected over the years.


Content:

• Definition
  
• Examples
  
• Meta-posing
  
• Beta-reading
  
• Usage in RP

Definition:

Meta-gaming is the act of having your character know more than it has experienced or found out. Those things consist of: statement of thoughts of a character in the player's post, OOC explanations, etc. Dragging 'Coincidence' with you is also considered meta-gaming.


Examples:

To make things a bit more concrete, here are a few examples that you can compare with the definition.

* If a person comes in a chat room, and your character greets them or 'senses' them coming before they have in fact stated their character is approaching or walking in.

* When you greet or call someone by their name (deriving their character's name from their nickname or from their RP post) before they introduced themselves to that specific character you are role-playing with.

* etc.


Meta-posing:

Meta-posing is not a kind of meta-gaming, but it is a way of acting in role-play that makes it easier for other role-players to meta-game. A few examples:

* you mention what your character whispers to someone else [ meta-gamers tend to hear what is said ]
* you translate foreign words directly in your text, mentioning what language they are [ meta-gamers tend to understand ]
* you mention the intentions or thoughts of your characters [ meta-gamers tend to foresee your deeds ]

Meta-posing isn't often done in speed or diced role-play. It is a technique to add more detail and realism to a story-line when role-playing more literate, or with long paragraphs. In that kind of role-play, it is a good thing to meta-pose, since someone can actually have the ability to hear your whispers or speak the foreign language as well.


Beta-reading:

Betareading is quite similar to meta-gaming: it is using information that you gained through reading someone's biography and abilities, or reading about subjects that your character did not learn about. A few examples:

* turning the conversation to the subject of family because a person your character doesn't like had a bad past
* giving someone the right antidote when your character isn't a healer
* learning water techniques because you found out that a person you will soon have to fight, is a fire user

Beta-reading is considered to be a kind of meta-gaming. It is therefore not false if someone says meta-gaming instead of beta-reading.


Usage in RP:

Depending on the form of the role-play you are using, meta-gaming is considered breaking the rules. The more strict the form of role-play in, the more grave the players usually find it if someone meta-games.