Metagaming: the Good , the Bad and the Ugly
So let us start by looking at what Metagaming, why it can
negatively affect the LARP
By definition, metagaming means the utilization of
out-of-game information to affect in-character play. While in some forms of
games metagaming is a neutral idea, within LARP communities the term has a lot
more baggage. The word conjures up images of confrontations between players
over misused knowledge and hard feelings over player cheating. However when
examining the concept of what it means to metagame, it becomes clear that the
complex issue comes down to a question of player intent rather than a hard and
fast rule. Often this is why rules about metagaming are hard to create and
enforce.
There are two types of metagaming generally, Story
metagaming and Mechanical or rules Metagaming.
Story Metagaming is using information that you know as a
player often from some form of Out of game talk at a meetup, private
conversation or even simple the car ride home, as your character in game who
doesn’t have that knowledge. This might be as simple as knowing to go directly
to the person that has the item you want to buy, to know how to avoid actions
being taken against you by others, to outright taking advantage of information
to ambush and kill a fellow pc.
Mechanical Metagaming is using rules or Monster information
that is known to the player to govern the actions of the character, from knowing
what spell was just casted, to what monster’s hit points are, to any other
knowledge that gives you an advantage in combat or other interaction that you
couldn’t know in game.
That maybe all well and good you think to yourself but why
is it bad? That is a good question, so let us start with what a LARP is at its
core, LARP is a Cooperative game that one group of people plot for the rest
group so that together they can tell a series of stories within a common
setting. Note I said a series of stories, each player has a story, there is the
main story and then there are group stories. Each of these stories are affected
by all PC and NPC. Characters act in that story according to how they
interacted with people in the various stories. So when you metagame you inject
an elements that doesn’t match with what people know even that disconnect
caused by you knowing who has that item you wanted can cause a serious
disconnect in the person you are not trying to buy it off, or threaten if that
more your thing. You can break a
person’s immersion this way for starters and may cause them other issues in
game. That just a simple example, changing the direction of some one’s story
through Metagaming or changing your without caring who else it affects can
really affect the experience of other players. Metagaming the main plot in some
manner will affect everyone, if it done for your gain but at the expense of
others you are basically flipping off the social contract that LARP runs on.
There almost no way that Metagaming at that level isn’t affecting nearly
everyone.
So in Cooperative LARP, Meta gaming is almost always selfish
and not in the interest of the game.
So we much change and support the community into not Meta
gaming because it is a benefit to the game. It allows more natural stories and
enriches everyone’s playing experience. That should be the end goal for all
players to have fun and have an enriching set of stories share.
So Lessons for this are;
Lesson
one, always assume that an out of game statement is NOT known to your character
in game, unless you are very clearly told that your character knows it in game.
Defaulting to knowledge isn’t in game knowledge is the best way to not
accidental meta gaming, short of not telling people stuff they shouldn't know.
Lesson
two, keep you secrets, the best way of not having people use Out Of Game is to
keep your secrets, be mindful of what you say, when talking about game
especially in atmosphere of Afters or at Meet up which are very public spaces,
were people can hear things without you knowing or noticing.
Lesson three [formally lesson two], never tell another's story that was told to you Out of Game. NEVER!!! You can't tell what they may or may not want known by the group at large.
Lesson three [formally lesson two], never tell another's story that was told to you Out of Game. NEVER!!! You can't tell what they may or may not want known by the group at large.
Lesson
four, if you can’t remember how you know something assume it from an out of
game source and don’t act on it.
Lesson
five, understand why you doing things, if you find that answer involving out of
game information or actions you shouldn’t move forward. It not a nice thing to
learn the hard way trust me.
Lesson
six, it really bad form you use information from the rules that you character
doesn’t know, whether it abilities of other classes, spells or Etc. It isn’t in
any case to use knowledge from the Monster manual to do the same thing because
that isn’t even general player knowledge.
In
short, everyone should have fun and remember that every PC is here at LARP to
have fun and be part of the story. There isn’t a win condition, nor are there winners
and losers, there are only players.
