A number of people have been talking about metagaming lately. Someone was even nice enough to give a definition of it stating that 'it's the player's real life knowledge that influences the character's decisions when the character wouldn't have had that knowledge at all'... or something like that. Close enough.
Some metagaming is to be expected, I think. If you sit at a table with decades worth of collective knowledge, it's impossible not to see a skeleton and reach for a bludgeoning weapon, or swear when you don't have one on hand. And mostly I'm okay with that. It means a bit more work on my end if I'm DM-ing to get monsters that have a few variations that the players haven't seen and mostly they appreciate the variety.
I'm also very guilty of this kind of meta-knowledge. And it's hard for me to switch off and go "my character wouldn't know this." I get so excited about knowing that I forget I'm supposed to not know.
But this is not the metagaming that I've been recently challenged with. What do you do with someone who actively reads the material prior to a session so as to gain maximum benefit?
I've asked a couple of people and most of the responses I've gotten is to "confront and kick out". Or to actively change the game so that it's different from the book. That's fine and well, but it's a lot of work to do for someone who is effectively cheating. Do I reward them with my additional time and effort by actively working against them? Or do I admit defeat and have them spoil the game?
I'm currently running a game of intrigue. So the secrets aren't necessarily where the chest is hidden or where the secret passage leads. It's people who have very deep and dark secrets. It's having to interact and not know whether you're really encountering the truth. It means that if you spoil someone with additional knowledge, it's not limited to a room, but to the entire game, all the politics.
Couple of years ago I played a game of Dragon Heist with a group of people. One player innocently looked for pictures on google for a particular character they encountered in the game. She's an artist and I don't believe she meant any harm or went out to read up on anything. But, as these things go, wiki was able to supply her not only with the pictures she desired but the secrets I was keeping from the party. While she didn't say anything to the group, except for admitting to me that she fucked up, it tainted the game entirely. Because she couldn't switch off this meta-knowledge. And so every time they encountered that NPC, she would behave in a peculiar fashion, which made everyone suspicious and so they took the route of caution and were denied the direction of interest.
That is what I'm worried about with this particular game I'm running now. And that is why I don't know what to do about it. I enjoy the player's interactions, mostly. I have no qualm with the person and, while it's still very early to shift from 'acquaintance' to 'friend', the potential exists. But I also know he's not going to stop. And that is a problem I don't have a current solution for.
3 comments:
Well... there's a few red flags there, and in general, a pretty sucky situation.
So first of all, there's a difference between someone who has already played the particular module and someone who is actively reading it so that they know what is coming next.
The first step is to speak to them about it. Give them the opportunity to correct their ways. Maybe advise them that it is just a game, and that if they do this, they're ruining the fun for not only themselves, but also for the other players at the table.
Further, this gives you the opportunity to realize something about this person - if they listen and change their ways, you know they intrinsicaly value your time - if they don't, then you already know whether they're worth your time as a friend or not.
I've never really understood those that choose to cheat at RPG's. Maybe they're stuck in the mindset of DM vs Player, and that D&D is something you 'win'. *shrug*
So...ok no, just NO! As spoken about above there is metagaming, and then there's "this", and this is not metagaming, this is pure unadulterated cheating. As far as I'm concerned this is the same as stealing an exam paper to get maximum marks. We are all guilty of metagaming at some point or time in a campaign, lets be honest it happens! I'm guilty of doing it from time to time purely because I've been RPG'ing for over 20 years. Though, to actively seek out and read a module to some how get a "walkthrough" or the upper hand in what the right choices and decisions are to make in the up and coming or current game F@#$%$ NO!!!
If I personally found a fellow member of my group, or even a player trying this crap at my table, he or she would be gone. You are ruining the story for the group, you are undermining and insulting the DM, and you are conducting yourself in a nefarious and terribly underhanded manner purely in an attempt for personal gain. If a player is willing to do this, I don't want them in my group or at my table, I'm sorry but this is the one thing I would not bend on. It absolutely boggles the mind as to what possible motive they would have do such a thing, why would you actively ruin the game for yourself and others? Because yes! the way you conduct yourself at the table knowing what you know would definitely influence other members at the table, welcome to human interaction and psychology. Any individual that does sh@#t like this should stick to PC RPG's, when it gets hard Google a walkthrough and pretend to yourself that it was "all you" spanky, but roleplaying...no I'm very sorry, you have missed the spirit of what it is all about and Gary Gygax is turning in his grave over this you heathen! So my opinion is this (this is me trying to be nice here), speak to the individual and make it clear that they just entered Area 51, and they had absolutely no jurisdiction to do so and next time they will be shot dead for trespassing. Therefore, for this module their out, no ifs buts or ands, when you have the next one "MAYBE" they can join again...maybe, if they don't pull the same s@#t again! Because what they did here was completely off-sides and no DM would tolerate this at their table I'm very sorry.
P.S. If the rest of the group somehow feels that the individual didn't really do anything wrong here, or that it wasn't that serious a issue, axe the group and start a new one. Fruit from the poisonous tree.
This sounds frustrating AF and I seriously hope it's not in one of our groups this is happening. As a player, if I were to realize or witness this, I would be incredibly frustrated. There is no real group 'vibe' and cooperation if someone already has the playbook and is just guiding us. Not to mention from the player perspective, the amount of railroading through "guiding" our decisions.
It also ruins the game, IMO. As someone else commented, this sounds like a person trying to win D&D, and there is no such thing.
I don't think they deserve extra time and dedication from you for their cheating. That shows a huge lack of respect not just for you as a DM, but for you as a friend or an acquaintance (whichever you are to them) as well.
Definitely talk to this person. Make it clear it's not okay. As for whether or not you kick them, I am probably not much help. I know me, and I know in that situation I would totally roll over and just let them continue the game. But do what feels not only best, but the least stressful for you. I am absolutely certain whichever group it is, your table will have your full support.
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