Got Metagame?

[Erudite]

[Eero Tuovinen]

"Metagame" is mostly not used as a term of art because it's vague - there is no body of prior discourse that would use the term in an exact manner, so it's just easier to not suddenly start using it. This is a local historical incident, really - we started using other terms years ago and haven't felt the need to hone "metagame" into a theory term.

This being the state of the discourse, what we really need is for you to tell us what you mean by metagaming, what would be a metagame mechanic and so on. I've seen the word used to mean "anything that is not game-related, like shopping for food", but I've also seen it mean "the awareness of the players, in contrast to their characters, that they are just playing a game and not really living an imaginary life" and of course "game mechanics that are not initiated by events in the fiction, but rather by direct player choice".

With a term this vague, I have no idea what you'd consider a metagame mechanic. Would having the player whose character got the least amount of xp in the night's session do the dishes qualify? This mechanic concerns an issue that is traditionally outside the game (who is doing the dishes), but it is at least indirectly based on what happened in the game (whose character performed the most xp-worthy stuff). Or how about if the player who does the dishes gets a hero point that allows him to reroll a die in the game? That's the opposite situation, with the dishwashing influencing the game. And there are many other possibilities, too, but I don't know which you'd consider proper metagaming, which would be just "normal gaming" and which would be just gratuitous weirdness.

[Erudite]

[Eero Tuovinen]

Heh, it's not too late to ask Ron. I'm pretty sure that it's nothing too strange, what he meant - what you said is probably pretty much it: "metagame" as the nimbus of decision-making that happens around the fiction of the game, the sphere wherein the invisible hands of the players operate to make things happen in the fiction. I don't know that the concept would make any sense in a game without a strong curtain in between the actions of the players and the actions of the characters, though - it seems to me that you can't even talk about a "metagame" without having some sort of unnaturally limited "in-game" area sectioned off, outside of which the "meta" part happens. This is true of many games which state that the players should only act through their characters and to depict their characters. In those games the "metagame" makes sense as a term, as the rules themselves quite clearly section off some game decisions as valid and others as invalid. So one might say that metagame is an useful concept for controlling the choices players make; you can accuse others of metagaming when you don't like the reasons they make their choices in the game, in other words.

[Will]

I don't have a good definition for you but I have an example...

In my regular gaming group we have one referee who carries around a box of poker chips. During play he hands these out for creatively advancing the plot, being particularly funny, surprising him with something unexpected, and whenever the whim takes him.

You can use these chips to add or subtract a +1 to any roll anyone makes. This means that during particularly tense moments there can be fierce bidding wars on a roll as everyone tries to get it right where they want it.

This isn't part of any one system but is used for whatever we play. Sometimes he even gives you chips outside of game to bring in and use and you usually can have one or two to take with you for the next game.

That's a metagame mechanic.

[David C]

If we were to apply literary terms, 'in game' would be like 1st person viewpoint.  'Metagame' would be like 3rd person view, aka, omniscience. That's why it is "metagaming" when a player has a character act on knowledge the character does not have... only the player has. 

Now, most people only think of metagaming as a negative thing. However, in most games there's usually a player who *only* metagames... the GM!  With this understanding, we can define what a metagaming mechanic is.  A metagaming mechanic is any mechanic that allows a player to direct the flow of the game (or story) without "using" their in-game character representation. So, for metagaming mechanics, we see things like...

1. the aforementioned bidding to help or hinder a character with "luck bonuses"
2. a mechanic that allows you to add plot complications, especially to other characters. (for example: as he tries to convince the council, the Baron makes a counter argument, because he's secretly being blackmailed!)
3. a mechanic that allows you to alter or define a character (for example: the king loves food and is very jolly)
4. a mechanic that allows you to narrate or frame a scene
etc. 

[Erudite]

[Vulpinoid]

Are the terms "metagame" and "mechanic" opposites? Is metagame mechanic an oxymoron?

Once a mechanic is established, the metagame become a part of the game?

I realise that this is picking at semantics and everyone is going to have different answers and opinions, but I just thought it was worth considering.

V

[David C]

Are they really needed in a game?

By examining some of the big RPGs, we can tell they aren't "needed."  However, in RPG design, anything you don't 'define' with a game mechanic will result in ad hoc playing.  Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of room for bad playing.  After all, Eero's blog is called "Game Design is about structure" for a reason.  Since RPGs tend to be more about "metagame" play than in-game play (even in D&D, the tactical scenarios widely vary and have a lot of thematic elements), it's generally wise to make a mechanic for that, or at least create a rigorous method for "metagame."

If they are needed, why do they seem elusive?

Well, they aren't intuitive.  Do you often encounter the situation where you need a rule for how to swing your sword? Yes.  Did you ever encounter a situation where you need a mechanic for how to best advance the story? Probably, but you didn't know it at the time. 

With all that said, I believe metagame mechanics usually lend themselves best to -not- gamist games.  In gamist games, the creative agenda is very competitive and players have a lot of desire to leverage advantages, and metagame mechanics tend to end up being used ass-backwards. 

[Will]

Are the terms "metagame" and "mechanic" opposites? Is metagame mechanic an oxymoron?

Once a mechanic is established, the metagame become a part of the game?

I realise that this is picking at semantics and everyone is going to have different answers and opinions, but I just thought it was worth considering.

V

An interesting point.

It could be argued that any game with a "hero point" system has a metagame mechanic, some sort of nebulous pool which you can use to push your influence into the game in a way that is an exception to the normal rules. But is it truly "meta" if it is written right there in the rulebook? My personal opinion is that yes, if it is an exception to the normal internal logic of straightforward play, and in fact the game could be played without it, then it can be called a metagame mechanic.

Where the line between a metarule and an obscure one would lie? I'm not going to try to pin it down too closely. Sure the section in the book on car chases is an exeption to the normal flow of the game and can safely be ignored, but I wouldn't call it a metarule. I vote for wide fuzzy meandering lines in this case

In my previous example I would say it deserves the prefix. It is certainly a mechanic, but it transcends not only the internal logic and structure of the game, it can wander off into other games or on occasion the real world. It is certainly a mechanic, and it undeniably effects the game, but it does not belong to that game.

-Will

[Erudite]

Okay, I think I have basic definitions for metagaming and metagame mechanics.

Metagaming: The influence of game elements, player interaction, GM action, character action, story development, or system rules that exist either within the Shared Imaginary Space (SIS) of the game or outside of the SIS that can influence the other aspect.

Metagame Mechanic