metagaming

I have recently come across some posts about metagaming. Definitions vary in some details, but the general idea is that this is when a player uses his/her real knowledge instead of the character’s. In this broad sense, anything the player knows (including mechanics to an extent) could be considered as metagaming. I personally think this is hogwash as my family would say.

If you are a die hard “no metagaming at the table” type of person, I will not be playing with you in any long-term capacity. As a GM, I often give descriptions of people, places, and things with modern day likeness. This allows my players to understand what I am picturing the easiest and keeps from consuming too much time on narrative. However, in that broad definition, I’ve just told my players to metagame. They may change their decisions or actions based on that likeness.

I am also okay with cross-table chatter. If someone finds their character alone and is stuck on ideas on how to proceed, I’d rather my other players give them ideas instead of spending the next thirty minutes waiting for them to come up with it on their own. Some would say I should guide them to a decision, but that can be counterproductive and leave the player feeling defeated. However, if it comes from the players it is seen as helping each other and they have now overcome that obstacle together.

Some would go so far as to not allow the players to share their actions during battle. This prevents the coordination of an active adventuring party that travels together and most likely knows what each other may be doing. Table chatter on what you plan to do next, or aiding each others’ efforts is the best way to display these tactics. Each time they do this, they learn more about each other, their play styles, and their preferred battle strategies. They will hone in wonderful combinations that make the game truly epic.

Now, let’s talk elephants! Player knowledge of monsters the adventuring party encounters is the worst type of metagaming. It can drain the fun so badly that I actually put this type into more of a “cheating” category. If your character has never encountered a siren, and has spent no time on the docks or on a ship, they will not know about their song-like enticement. However, if they encounter a red dragon that emits heat and breathes fire, it is logical that the characters may think it is immune to fire.

All of this comes, of course, with a grain of salt. Your players need to give room for each other to have those “private” conversations, take the moment to think through a situation, and share only what they want. The rest of the group need to respect that their party member is keeping something secret from the rest of them with a purpose, and allow it to come to the surface organically. The group should never assume everything is shared all the time (unless stated otherwise), and if anyone is not sure, it’s okay to ask, “Did you share that?”