EPTMetagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metagame
Meta- (from Greek: μετά = "after", "beyond", "with", "adjacent", "self"), is a prefix used in English (and other Greek-owing languages) to indicate a concept which is an abstraction from another concept, used to complete or add to the latter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta
Gaming is the playing of a game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaming
Here you can clearly see that metagaming is a concept that is abstract from gaming. To be clearer, metagaming is affecting the outcome of a game by means outside of the ruleset of the game.
Metagame does not mean "the standard strategy". I cannot emphasize this enough.
Examples of metagaming:
Example of metagaming: Insulting your opponent's wife, mother, family, etc. to affect their mental state while playing a game.
Why is it metagaming? You are affecting your opponent's mental state, which will in turn have an affect on their capabilities to play the game. Most (video) games do not have explicate rules on insults, meaning they are outside of the ruleset of the game.
Example of non-metagaming: Often times, using vastly inferior units can affect an opponent's mental state; however, that insult is done within the ruleset of the game.
Example of metagaming: You cause laggy conditions which are favourable to your playstyle.
Why is this metagaming? Rules often make no comments on the state of your connection when you play. You are changing the outcome of the game by altering factors outside of the ruleset.
Example of non-metagaming: Using a unit composition that is agreed upon as being overpowered. Because the unit statistics are within the ruleset, it is not metagaming.
Example of metagaming: Players all agree that unit A is too strong. Many players are winning games by only making A. To react, opponents have been rushing for unit B, which is a counter to A. Knowing this, a player has developed a build which is weak against everything but a rush to B.
Why is this metagaming? The rules state the statistics of the units; however, they make no comment on which are overpowered or what should be the standard strategy. By taking information from outside the game, this player is affecting the outcome of the game with information from outside of the ruleset.
Example of non-metagaming: A player luckily scouts his opponent early and guesses from his buildings that he is making a large amount of X. From this he makes the decision to build only the direct counter to X. This isn't metagaming because all decisions and information were from within the game.
Example of metagaming: A game crashes. Citing information from previous instances, you are able to convince the administrator to rule in your favour.
Why is this metagaming? The rules often make no comment on how to handle technical problems. Convincing the administrator to rule favourably for you is a game outside of the ruleset.
Example of non-metagaming: A game crashes. An automated algorithm determines you are the winner and awards you points. This is not meta-gaming because the rules for determining the winner are standardized.
Failsafe's additions / corrections:
On June 11 2010 05:32 Failsafe wrote:
This OP is tilting the hell out of me. I'll assume it's an example of metagame being used properly, and is in fact a level designed to tilt everyone who knows what metagame is. Otherwise I have no idea what to say. I'll explain some instances of why the OP is wrong.
This is a bad way to kick off your discussion. Talk about metagame that is directly related to the game [SCBW / SC2]. I understand that you're trying to emphasize metagame as being outside the game, but that's a ridiculously vague criterion. If I come to your house and kill you, that's as much a part of the metagame as insulting your relatives (albeit murder is usually illegal).
This is completely wrong. Deliberately using units that your opponent perceives as weak in order to put your opponent on tilt is an excellent example metagame. You're doing something in game to affect your opponent outside of the game. Anything designed to affect your opponent (the person) rather than his in-game units is the metagame. Using Jigglypuff in Super Smash Brothers and then constantly using its annoying taunt is the pinnacle of metagame.
It is possible to metagame without being a douchebag or becoming a cheater. It would be nice if the first examples in your post displayed clean metagame without implying that it was necessary to be a tool in order to metagame.
Nope. The units' stats are not the metagame, but if you deliberately use units that your opponent perceives to be overpowered (a la Carriers or 12 Nexus; hi Artosis) then that is most definitely metagame. Distinction: using the units is not the metagame -- using the units to affect your opponent is the metagame.
This is not necessarily true. There's always the opportunity for your opponent to deviate from an apparently obvious strategy that you've uncovered. Recognizing that he will or won't deviate is part of the metagame. If you're blindly countering him (a feature SC2 encourages) then it's not metagame, but you can't say there's no metagame involved in counters.
Similar to my first explanations. The metagame [of sc2] should mainly be focused on in-game actions used to affect your opponent's decisions. Or the formation of your beliefs about what your opponent will do. Pretty much any thinking you do about what your opponent is thinking is the metagame. Metagame does not all take place outside of the game.
This OP is tilting the hell out of me. I'll assume it's an example of metagame being used properly, and is in fact a level designed to tilt everyone who knows what metagame is. Otherwise I have no idea what to say. I'll explain some instances of why the OP is wrong.
This is a bad way to kick off your discussion. Talk about metagame that is directly related to the game [SCBW / SC2]. I understand that you're trying to emphasize metagame as being outside the game, but that's a ridiculously vague criterion. If I come to your house and kill you, that's as much a part of the metagame as insulting your relatives (albeit murder is usually illegal).
This is completely wrong. Deliberately using units that your opponent perceives as weak in order to put your opponent on tilt is an excellent example metagame. You're doing something in game to affect your opponent outside of the game. Anything designed to affect your opponent (the person) rather than his in-game units is the metagame. Using Jigglypuff in Super Smash Brothers and then constantly using its annoying taunt is the pinnacle of metagame.
It is possible to metagame without being a douchebag or becoming a cheater. It would be nice if the first examples in your post displayed clean metagame without implying that it was necessary to be a tool in order to metagame.
Nope. The units' stats are not the metagame, but if you deliberately use units that your opponent perceives to be overpowered (a la Carriers or 12 Nexus; hi Artosis) then that is most definitely metagame. Distinction: using the units is not the metagame -- using the units to affect your opponent is the metagame.
This is not necessarily true. There's always the opportunity for your opponent to deviate from an apparently obvious strategy that you've uncovered. Recognizing that he will or won't deviate is part of the metagame. If you're blindly countering him (a feature SC2 encourages) then it's not metagame, but you can't say there's no metagame involved in counters.
Similar to my first explanations. The metagame [of sc2] should mainly be focused on in-game actions used to affect your opponent's decisions. Or the formation of your beliefs about what your opponent will do. Pretty much any thinking you do about what your opponent is thinking is the metagame. Metagame does not all take place outside of the game.
Hopefully you can see what metagaming actually is.
Here are some quick rebuttals to anticipated criticism:
* Metagaming can also mean the standardized strategy *
- No it can't. You are misusing the word.
* Metagaming has multiple meanings *
- No it doesn't. The meaning is broad to cover innumerable situations, but they are all captured under the single definition.
Understanding the real definition to metagame and metagaming, please understand why the following sentences are misusing the word:
Even straight Protoss or Terran players might have noticed that theres something slightly wrong with the Zerg design or metagame.
Oov was, until now, the player with greatest win percentage ever. And his active manipulations of the metagame brought an entirely new dynamic to Starcraft.
I'd say technically, smash is way way more difficult. The physical skills required, the metagame, is ridiculous for melee.
I would wait for the metagame to develop more to learn other races, because the main benefit of it is understanding how they play and need to act, which changes with the metagame.
Thank you.
