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Meta-Gaming – Keep IC and OOC Separate
Info
Ultimately Meta-gaming is a tool used for winning. UVRP is about stories, not winning and losing, not about your inventory, or what you have. The only reason to metagame is to win, so kill the win mentality and engage in fun, sporadic story telling.
What Is Meta-Gaming?
Meta-gaming is using out-of-character (OOC) or external information to influence your in-game decisions and actions. In simple terms: if your character didn't learn it through roleplay, you can't use it – even if you as a player know it.
The rule: Your character only knows what they've experienced, seen, heard, or been told in the city. Anything else is off-limits.
Common Meta-Gaming Violations:
1. Stream Sniping
Using information from someone's Twitch, YouTube, or any live stream to gain advantages in roleplay.
❌ Examples of Stream Sniping:
Watching a streamer to find their location and "coincidentally" show up
Seeing what someone is planning on stream and having your character act on that knowledge
Learning about hidden stash locations, plans, or secrets from a stream
Using stream delays to time your actions or avoid someone
Even if you're watching for entertainment, if that information influences your in-game decisions – it's meta-gaming.
✅ What you CAN do: Watch streams for fun on your own time, but compartmentalize that knowledge. Your character doesn't know what you saw. If you struggle to watch a stream at the same time you play without meta-gaming try watching a stream of someone you don't normally engage with or don't watch them at all.
2. Third-Party VOIP (Discord, TeamSpeak, etc.)
We've already established you're allowed to be in Discord calls while playing – but you cannot use information shared in those calls for in-game decisions unless it's also communicated in the city.
❌ Examples of Meta-Gaming via Discord:
Your friend tells you in Discord that they're being robbed at a specific location, so you drive there to "help" without your character being called in-game
Someone in your Discord call says "there's cops looking for you at the bank," so your character avoids it – even though you received no in-city warning
Sharing information about other players, their locations, or their plans via Discord and acting on it in-game
✅ What IS Allowed:
OOC chat in Discord about random topics, jokes, or non-game stuff
Discussing RP after it happens (recap, laughing about funny moments, etc.)
Your character can know information if it was also properly communicated in-city (radio, phone call, text message, in-person conversation)
The key: If the information wasn't shared through in-game communication (voice, phone, radio, text), your character doesn't know it.
3. Reading/Typing In Chat
Using information you see in text chat, Discord channels, or OOC messages to influence your character's actions.
❌ Examples:
Reading in Discord that someone is planning a robbery and having your character "happen" to be in that area
Using information shared in general chat, support tickets, prior script knowledge or Discord channels for in-game advantage
✅ What IS Allowed:
Responding to in-game phone texts, emails, or in-character messages
Reading announcements or server updates that are meant to be OOC knowledge
4. Other Forms of Meta-Gaming
Meta-gaming takes many forms beyond streams and Discord:
❌ Not Allowed:
Your friend tells you OOC who robbed them, so your character "figures it out" without investigation
You recognize someone's voice from a previous character and act on that knowledge
You die/respawn and immediately return to the area or seek revenge based on pre-death knowledge (this is also a New Life Rule violation)
Using information from previous scenes your character wasn't part of
Seeing someone's name tag hover and using their identity when your character wouldn't know them
Why Meta-Gaming Ruins Roleplay:
Meta-gaming destroys immersion and fairness. It:
Robs others of their storylines and surprises
Creates unfair advantages that break realism
Removes the mystery, investigation, and discovery that make RP exciting
Punishes players for streaming or being open with their community
Roleplay is about discovery. Your character should learn, investigate, make mistakes, and be surprised. When you meta-game, you skip all of that and reduce RP to a mechanical "win."
The Golden Questions:
Before acting on information, ask yourself:
"Did my character learn this through in-game roleplay?"
"Would my character realistically know this right now?"
"Am I using OOC knowledge to influence my IC actions?"
If the answer to #3 is yes – don't do it.
Consequences:
Meta-gaming is taken seriously and will result in disciplinary action, including:
Warnings
Temporary suspensions
Permanent bans (for repeat offenders or severe cases)
We investigate all reports thoroughly. If you're caught using external information, streams, or OOC knowledge to gain advantages, there will be consequences.
Bottom Line:
Keep in-character and out-of-character separate. Your character's knowledge should come from their experiences in the city – nowhere else.
Play fair. Stay immersive. Let the story unfold naturally.
Accidentally used meta knowledge? Own it, open a ticket, and let staff know. Honesty goes a long way.