Presentation Preview What is Metagaming ? Mind over Matter: Where - PDF document

5/31/2008 Presentation Preview � What is Metagaming ? Mind over Matter: � Where can we find it? How Pokémon Made Its Metagame � What are its prime constituents? � Metagaming in Nintendo’s Pokémon M N d ’ P ké A Culture of Competition, Collaboration, and Creativity in � Design: Rules of the game the Global Community of Pokémon Battlers � T echnology: Connectivity and communication � Player: Community and creativity Christopher Tsai May 29, 2008 � Competition: tournament play STS 144 – Game Studies An Introduction to Metagaming The Forms and Faces of Metagaming � Wikipedia: “Any strategy, action, or method � Family games which transcends the prescribed ruleset.” � Collectible card games � Meta = ‘beyond’ or ‘change’ � Magic: the Gathering � Magic: the Gathering � Key components to meta game � Key components to meta game � Decklists � Awareness – of culture and the competition � Sideboard � Application of knowledge in strategy � Professional sports � Prediction, Preemption � Digital games � Examples Maximizers of the Metagame � Balance, Variability in multiplayer modes � Communication T echnology � Player Community & User-Created Content THE BALANCING ACT � Competitive Motivation Balance and Variability in Rules � Rewards (Recognition) How Game Design Affects Metagaming in Nintendo’s Pokémon � High stakes � Sacrifice 1

5/31/2008 Red & Blue: Personal Choice Battle Chart � 151 different species (80 evolved / 60 viable) � 165 available moves, each with a type � Physical attacks: Ground, Flying, Fighting, … � Special attacks: Water Fire Electric Psychic � Special attacks: Water, Fire, Electric, Psychic, … � Status effects: Poison, Sleep, Burn, … � Stat boosting: Attacks, Defenses, Speed � Highly variable multiplay � T eams of six Pokémon � Movesets of four moves Gold & Silver: Breeding New Ideas Ruby & Sapphire: Nature vs. Nurture � 386 Pokémon: strange type combinations � 251 Pokémon, 251 moves, 2 new types � Abilities: weather effects, new resistances � Breeding – Added variability, unpredictability � Individual Values (IVs) � Effort Values (EVs) � Effort Values (EVs) � Defensive role metagame � Tanks � Sweepers � � Killer strategies � Response � Hazers � Tanks � … � SkarmBliss (Skarmory + Blissey) � Variability within roles � T oxic-Sandstorm-Spikes (Tyranitar) � EV distribution metagame � Baton Pass Sweep (Scizor / Umbreon) Diamond & Pearl: Old Dogs, New Tricks � 492 Pokémon, 466 moves � Each type has both physical and special attacks � More difficult to predict based on type alone � Players blend old and new, use everything How Connectivity Influences Metagaming � More studious, creative prevail STAYING IN TOUCH � Opponent prediction becomes an art � Creativity defies predictability Communication between Players 2

5/31/2008 The Minor Leagues Simulation and Battle Bots � Initial lack of hardware support � RSbot (IRC) � Joe Hardcore at recess, dim sum � No American tournament scene � NetBattle � Local play can be fun, just not competitive � Online elitism � Perfect Pokémon Making Online Connections � Nintendo WiFi � Everybody connected � Newbies & new ideas � Metagame shift � Metagame shift How a Vibrant Community of Player-Creators Reshape the Metagame � Online video Player Community, Creativity, and � Veterans to neophytes User-Created Content � Mass distribution Textual Content Calculative Content � Online communities � Stats calculators – IV breeding � IRC, AOL, GameFAQs, NetBattle � Damage calculators – online prediction � Smogon: guilds and apprenticeships � Dexes & Databases – exhaustive references � Movesets & EV Spreads bore authorial name p � Metagame less dependent on chance, more on skill, creativity, and awareness 3

5/31/2008 Pokésav: Hacking the Perfect Metagame Player as Producer � Instructional videos for novice battlers � Bragging – flaunting personal flair � Game film – replayed, dissected, disseminated � Respecting the limits of the game � Net effect: Metagame encroaches total skill Competition and the Metagame Presentation Review � Casual play : minor league sports :: � Metagame as a competitive game augmented with awareness of opponent, pop culture � Competitive play : professional league sports � Metagaming is everywhere � Metagaming in Pokémon � Metagaming in Pokémon � Variability arising from game structure � Communication between players � The Pokémon tournament scene � Communities as a repository of user-created content � Creativity – trading Pokémon, ideas, skills, tools � Competition – more reward, more extremes Thanks for listening. Do you have any questions? Special thanks to Professor Henry Lowood www.gamefaqs.com, www.smogon.com, www.serebii.net, http://shoddybattle.com, http://pokemon.marriland.com, www.pokesav.org 4