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The Importance of Understanding and Designing for the Meta-game

The “metagame” is the game around the game. It is the ebb and flow of new strategies, playstyles, and theories created by players in response to changes in rules and new information. In this session, we will look at examples of meta gaming and discuss ways to design learning experiences around it.

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The Importance of Understanding and Designing for the Meta-game

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  1. Understanding and designing for the metagame Lucas Blair, PhD

  2. Introduction • Lucas Blair, PhD • Game / Systems Designer • Co-Founder Little Bird Games / ModCourse

  3. Metagaming is not the metagame • The verb: Metagaming (not today’s topic) playing with information or strategies outside of what is intended by the game. Cheating! • D&D role playing • Fighting game character selection • Split screen fps Goldeneye splitscreen

  4. What is the metagame • The noun: The state of high level winning strategies trending in games that players share and practice. Hearthstone Meta snapshot from Tempo Storm

  5. Examples • Tempostorm Hearthstone meta-snapshot • Chess • Sports • RPG optimal builds (D&D, WoW, PoE) • Starcraft (RTS) • Dota 2 and League of Legends (MOBA)

  6. What fosters the metagame? • A way for players to share information and strategies (forums, YouTube, Twitch) • Shifting mechanics • New content

  7. What fosters the metagame? • Player skill progression over time • Patterns of repeatable behavior or strategies • A desire for winning or optimizing (maybe competition) Dota 2, Valve

  8. How we can use this? • Use it as another way (or maybe the way) for players to learn • Track it to challenge players more by countering the meta • Use it to find out who the best players are

  9. How we can use this • Use it to find bugs or unintended actions • Use it to balance and fine-tune your game • A way to keep the best players engaged

  10. What we should watch out for • Players not learning enough on their own • Players not experimenting • Players avoiding non optimal strategies • Unfair advantage to those who are “plugged in”

  11. Simple examples to incorporate • Post play discussions in Discord or Slack • Forums with play analysis • Let the players get a say in what is next • Twitch video libraries of high level players • Make new content or change mechanics • Create meta tracking system. Track how they won not if.

  12. Discussion and questions • Send complaints to lucas@littlebirdgames.com

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