Meta-gaming refers to any or all aspects of play that occur outside of a given game’s fictional setting. This most prominently includes any foreknowledge of the game’s events and contents. The practice of meta-gaming is often frowned upon in many role-playing communities, as it upsets the suspension of disbelief and affects game balance.
In Wow this means going outside the fictional game-play itself and getting information as to the mechanics of the game itself via third party websites. Information about characters stats. Or story-lines. Or how to play a class. Or what will happen in boss fights etc. Anything and everything that happens in a game that the Player is privy to but the player’s character is not.
This includes going to google for everything a player wants to know about the game that’s not obvious in-game. Going to websites like Icyvains for technical theory crafting information. Watching Youtube videos to discover how specific bosses and dungeons work.
Gathering Information about the game that is unavailable in the game per say. In order to gain an advantage. Or what can be considered as cheating. This also includes buying character boosts with Wow Tokens. And paying outside entities as well as other high level players for Carries.
The result of this type of player intelligence gathering in the Wow community has lead to a more competitive style of super fast game-play that at times boarders on cheating. Because players are utilizing information about the game that they wouldn’t necessarily have had in game.
In effect it turns the game for some players into a competitive rat-race instead of a calm immersive adventure of discovery. Even those players that don’t want to meta-game feel that they must in order to be viable in groups. Otherwise they get called out.
So is Meta-gaming ruining immersion for Wow players? And is it by definition cheating?
it’s not “meta gaming” it’s strategy & tactics.
If you want to enter a dungeon or play a class with no knowledge, have at it, but dont’ force your silly
standard on anyone else and expect us to live by it
No. Despite the name, most RPGs aren’t about roleplaying a character, not at least in the strict sense.
Most RPGs are about solving challenges, experiencing a story (but not really “writing” it, other than some specific choices now and then), and being good at the tactical aspects of the game.
Metagaming is only a relevant concept when it comes to strict roleplaying games (DnD, for example), in which you decide not only what, but also how a character interacts with the world.
One key difference, for example, is the ability to retry. In a strict roleplay sense, it makes absolutely no sense to be able to face a challenge, die, resurrect as if nothing happened and face the same challenge again, with the enemy completely forgetting about you.
Good question. Well I would say that because your knowledge was gained In-Game. Perhaps from another planet or realm within the game then it was legit. In other words from information from something inside of the game (Game Engine). If from some outside source such as Youtube, then I would consider that illegitimate.
As regards to this topic. I understand that millions of players Meta-game. I’m just posing a question.
I have the answer: hypnosis can help OP forget what has happened previously in the game, so he can re-experience every expansion as though it were new to him every time he enters it.
You like to accuse me of using Chatgpt. I do not use Chatgpt. But here is the funny thing.
You make it sound as if a person uses Chatgpt they are cheating or doing something bad or against the rules.
But apparently you are ok with Wow players using all kinds of third party programs, apps and third party out of game information.
Hypocritical.
Good grief Murdercarpet. That was funny. But there is some truth to the fact that I would like to recapture that old “Going on a brand new adventure of exploration.” feeling.
Of being immersed in a fantasy realm. New experiences, New things to discover right over the horizon. Immersion to the max. That feeling is lost now. People rambling about
M+ and running through dungeons etc.
Yeah I pine for the good old days of Wow. But I’ve also grown complacent. I tried doing Wow classic. But could not really recapture that great feeling. Instead I realized how restrictive Classic felt. So I have really stopped playing Wow like I use to and content myself with posting on the General Discussion Forum.
I enjoy reading peoples response to my posts. But with some of the more toxic people on this forum, even this is losing its appeal.
Why are you acting like this is something new, and a bad thing? It’s how good gamers have played this game since the beginning. When launched, this was the most complex game I’ve ever played at the time. Of course there were sites to help navigate.