So a meta language is a language that describes languages.
Meta science makes science about science (eg how to do science correctly and not fall into fallacies).
Meta history is a branch of history that studies the history of how history was perceived, analyzed, studied.
Meta programing is a fancy word for “compilers”
etc…
Meta gaming is the game about the game. That is, how to make strategies for the game that consider other people strategies. eg if you think paper beats rocks, but this people uses more paper, and thus scissor may be better versus this player, you are making a strategy that considers people. If you know that this person adapts to your strategy by making a counter strategy, you will make him believe you are using a different strategy so your effective strategy will be more effective : that’s meta gaming.
Another example : if politics is a game, then media control is the meta game.
drama is just drama. For some people it’s a hobby, like counting the cars by the window.
It only exists because people give a ■■■■ about it. You can play Eve without the drama.
Meta game has inside the notion that it’s a game that is needed for the game. Drama is not needed.
Propaganda is, though.
First off, I’d like to apologize. I assumed that your post asking about metagaming was in jest and I responded accordingly.
Secondly, @Anderson_Geten explained quite well. In gaming circles in particular, metagaming is seen as the game played outside of the game. It’s like a mix of propaganda, psychological warfare, forum warrioring, and often downright trolling.
I would ad that there are, to my knowledge, two types at least of meta gaming :
games whose subject is gaming in general ( gaming competition, where you have to design a game and the win condition is to make the best game). Coding contests, RPG masters, but also card game design contest (and thus commercial game design in a competitive environment) are in that part.
games whose subject is one other game, and the win condition is to make you win in that other game. Forum/reddit propaganda fall into that one. Drama can be perceived as a very bad form of propaganda, just as trolling (if people understand it’s drama/troll they won’t give it any credit)
Note that if you are a game designer and you make propaganda so that your game is better perceived in the public than others (AKA adds) then you are doing both. Yes, game adds are both forms of meta gaming. I don’t know if it’s meta-(meta-gaming) or (meta-meta)-gaming, or just meta²-gaming, or if the meta- function is an isomorphism on its image of gaming, in which case we just say meta-gaming and I guess it’s an automorphism ? But I’m not sure if it is of any interest for anybody here.
I think people perceived it was humor and responded accordingly (that is, a smile IRL and no need for an answer in the forum).
