Post by Salix on Jan 25, 2016 23:02:28 GMT
I have always considered metagaming to be making decisions based on out-of-game knowledge - a character acting on knowledge they don't have but their player does. Often the definition includes other behaviours which can broadly be referred to as cheating.
This forum's approach to Private and Public information will obstruct metagaming as I would described it, but it is not fair to say that I think it is inherently bad and that it should never be done. A good GM would include elements tailored to their players characters and to that end having access to all their information is important. Engineering coincidences is a storytellers trick that should not be prohibited, but the acceptability - the balance between contrived and plausible - is a subjective matter that has no true answer. It is up to the staff and the players to discern and decide how to use the information they have - the Things To Do board is in part designed to facilitate this kind of "co-operative metagaming".
As far as I'm concerned this forum exists as a form of entertainment and so that should be the primary goal of anyone and everyone's behaviour; have fun. Enjoy your time here, do things that interest you and let others do the same.
This forum's approach to Private and Public information will obstruct metagaming as I would described it, but it is not fair to say that I think it is inherently bad and that it should never be done. A good GM would include elements tailored to their players characters and to that end having access to all their information is important. Engineering coincidences is a storytellers trick that should not be prohibited, but the acceptability - the balance between contrived and plausible - is a subjective matter that has no true answer. It is up to the staff and the players to discern and decide how to use the information they have - the Things To Do board is in part designed to facilitate this kind of "co-operative metagaming".
As far as I'm concerned this forum exists as a form of entertainment and so that should be the primary goal of anyone and everyone's behaviour; have fun. Enjoy your time here, do things that interest you and let others do the same.