Metagames

1. Metagames Richard Garfield 2002. 6. 4 Han, Seung-hee

2. Contents • Introduction • Categories of metagame • Case study – “Magic : the Gathering” • Summary

3. Introduction • Intention of author • Hobby industry • Orthogame perspective • ex) game ladders and leagues • Need for metagame • As a player • As a game organizer • Increase appeal to the regular players

4. Definition of Metagame • broad definition • How a game interfaces with life • Intuitive meaning • Player’s different experience in the games, even though the underlying rules are same • No game without a metagame

5. Motivation • For understanding games • How they work • What their appeal is • Metagame is only indirectly involved with game design • Hard to leverage metagame to be make a better game • Powerful, worth a lot of effort • Compelling metagame is what separates a hobby from a game

6. Categories of Metagame 1. bring to a game a game a game 4. during a game 2. take away from a game 3. between games

7. What You Bring “TO” a Game • Game Resources • Strategic Preparation • Peripheral Game Resources • Reputation a game 1. bring to a game

8. What You Take Away “FROM” a Game • Social contract in playing a game • You care about winning (doing well) the stakes of play • Money, Prizes, Story • Reputation, Standing in the competition • Doing well for it’s own sake • Resources for future games • Access to other games, or players a game 2. take away from a game

9. What Happens “BETWEEN” Games • Big part of the appeal to many players • If you can provide your players a solo, downtime activity players can really start to make a hobby out of your game • Reputation gathering & circulation • Strategy research • Resource circulation • Other game preparation a game a game 3. between games

10. What Happens “DURING” a Game • The influence of real life on a game is always present • Fatigue • Outside game bonds • Game mechanics or state affected by world • Trash talking 4. during a game

11. Case Study – “Magic: the Gathering” • Designed by Richard Garfield and produced by Wizards of the Coast(1993) • Trading card game, Collectible card game

12. Metagames in “Magic” • “TO” • Choosing the game resources is a large part of the appeal to many players • Preparing opening, lines of defense, or bidding systems • Specialists like deck constructors, analyzers • “FROM” • Informal game group vs. Cash tournaments and leagues • Players wagered one of their cards on a match • “BETWEEN” • Circulation of game resources and information • “DURING” • Fatigue • Reputation – the best player, winner with particular decks or types of decks

13. Support for the Metagames • Magic has many tiered metagames • From design • deck construction and competition • making their own rules • Intentionally made • mental sports – tournaments with centralized ranking • serious play group vs. casual play group • Imposed by the player • consistent rules • limits on the number of cards of each type allowed

14. Summary • Metagames in the game • increase the appeal to many players • make a hobby out of the game • Design the metagames, i.e. the storytelling of individual experience in the game as well as the storytelling in the games