Lots of people talk about about metaplots, usually in a negative context, but they actually mean some very different specimens of what the metaplot can be.

Important notice (because this can easily become flamebait): I'm referencing to metaplots as they are presented in official publications, what you do in your little group is of no consequence to me. Thus idiot blanket statements, like "I'm the GM, I can make the metaplot fit my groups needs" (sure you can, but that doesn't make the books less sucky) are ignored.

1. The intrusive metaplot (metaplottus stupidus)
examples: Deadlands, the western Forgotten Realms
This kind of metaplot is chock-full of important people and stuff going on, all of which is more important than what the characters are doing (you can clean up Elminsters backyard, while he is out there saving the world). Also if you want to make significant changes in the setting (like killing of Stone or Dr. Hellstromme), you can basically throw away a great part of the official adventures (this includes a certain three-part adventure, where you are not allowed to kill him until the very last part of the adventure). This kind of metaplot thrives on railroading and has nothing interesting to offer to the players, apart from reading how it develops.

2. The irrelevant metaplot (metaplottus i-dont-care-us)
examples: Amber, most of the old WoD
Like with its cousin, there is stuff going on in the setting that is important and written in stone (like the things Corwin does in the novels). Unlike the former, however, it is completely irrelevant to what the characters normally do and doesn't affect and constrain them in the ways its idiot sibling does (what Lucita is doing at the moment means jack, when you try to weaken the claim of your prince). Amber is a special case in that here the "metaplot" came first.  Most of the time designers add this kind of metaplot to the game to sell novels or (as in the case of the oWoD) to bolster the page count when they don't have enough new material for a game you could play with just the corebook (Hunter is the worst example of this).

3. Metaplot as "turning point" (campaignus smartus)
examples: Orpheus, MtA(scension) revised, T:NE
The metaplot introduces a new element (like the characters organization ceasing to exist) to the campaign, which happens in any case and makes some changes to the setting, but after that you are given free reign to develop the campaign in any direction you like. Here the metaplot has a tangible effect on the PCs (unlike 2), but unlike 1 each group gets to decide themselves what this means for the rest of the campaign.

4. Metaplot as "what has gone before" (campaignus detalicus)
examples: Exalted, Harnmaster
The least different from a completely "metaplot-free" campaign, mainly by the fact that it offers a richer background and more factions and NPCs with unique motivations. Unlike metaplot 1 it leaves it to the GM and his group to shape and alter the course of the campaign world, with official publications only referencing to the "zero hour" before any campaign begins, not writing about future developements.

So this is it. The final word all further talk about metaplots must be based upon. If a metaplot doesn't fit these landmarks, it isn't a metaplot (always wanted to say that :haw: ).
Edit: Seriously though, feel free to add new specimens you discovered

Uhm  Ok then.

There is also the 'But it was all a dream' used in SLA Industries.  It's kinda like #1 only your actions really don't mater because they really weren't your own actions anyway.

How about the metaplot in Gloranthan publications (RQ, HQ etc)? You know what's coming, ie the Hero Wars, but you don't know exactly what shape it will take, nor the final outcome.

Interesting ideas.

regarding SLA: How does it work? Is it the way, that anytime the players succeed in doing something that changes the metaplot the next session they find out, they didn't really change it, because it was "just a dream"? That sounds pretty stupid to me, but than again SLA has so many parodistic elements, that this might be taken as one of those. :keke:

regarding Glorantha (which I only know it in its HW incarnation): could be a variant of #4 (what is going to happen is already preset- like a wound-up toy where you just have to release the catch to make it go- but you don't know in which direction it will go, when you release it). What I'm wondering: there are a gazillion of books out there for RQ-Glorantha in many editions...do any of them make changes to the setting or are all of the "as-it-is"-Zero Hour publications? You could probably say HW/HQ is #3 to Glorantha, because there the Herowars begin in earnest, "involving-the-PCs" kind of fashion.

Quote from: alexandroInteresting ideas.

regarding SLA: How does it work? Is it the way, that anytime the players succeed in doing something that changes the metaplot the next session they find out, they didn't really change it, because it was "just a dream"? That sounds pretty stupid to me, but than again SLA has so many parodistic elements, that this might be taken as one of those. :keke:

Fortunately or unfortunately they never fully flushed out how the metaplot will affect everything.  It could be that at some point it turns into a matrix like event where the characters aren't just dream elements but are real people absorbed into the original dream, but that's just one possible outcome.  Another is that the characters hit some reality where they realize that it's a dream and cease to exist nullifying everything.  Or it could have just kept going with the metaplot having no actual bearing on the game world.

Ultimately it's SLA industries and the game was/is played best as it's presented as a dark nasty future where the players are just as nuts as the bad guys, they just ware a badge.

Quote from: alexandroLots of people talk about about metaplots, usually in a negative context, but they actually mean some very different specimens of what the metaplot can be.

Important notice (because this can easily become flamebait): I'm referencing to metaplots as they are presented in official publications, what you do in your little group is of no consequence to me. Thus idiot blanket statements, like "I'm the GM, I can make the metaplot fit my groups needs" (sure you can, but that doesn't make the books less sucky) are ignored.

1. The intrusive metaplot (metaplottus stupidus)
examples: Deadlands, the western Forgotten Realms
This kind of metaplot is chock-full of important people and stuff going on, all of which is more important than what the characters are doing (you can clean up Elminsters backyard, while he is out there saving the world). Also if you want to make significant changes in the setting (like killing of Stone or Dr. Hellstromme), you can basically throw away a great part of the official adventures (this includes a certain three-part adventure, where you are not allowed to kill him until the very last part of the adventure). This kind of metaplot thrives on railroading and has nothing interesting to offer to the players, apart from reading how it develops.

2. The irrelevant metaplot (metaplottus i-dont-care-us)
examples: Amber, most of the old WoD
Like with its cousin, there is stuff going on in the setting that is important and written in stone (like the things Corwin does in the novels). Unlike the former, however, it is completely irrelevant to what the characters normally do and doesn't affect and constrain them in the ways its idiot sibling does (what Lucita is doing at the moment means jack, when you try to weaken the claim of your prince). Amber is a special case in that here the "metaplot" came first.  Most of the time designers add this kind of metaplot to the game to sell novels or (as in the case of the oWoD) to bolster the page count when they don't have enough new material for a game you could play with just the corebook (Hunter is the worst example of this).

3. Metaplot as "turning point" (campaignus smartus)
examples: Orpheus, MtA(scension) revised, T:NE
The metaplot introduces a new element (like the characters organization ceasing to exist) to the campaign, which happens in any case and makes some changes to the setting, but after that you are given free reign to develop the campaign in any direction you like. Here the metaplot has a tangible effect on the PCs (unlike 2), but unlike 1 each group gets to decide themselves what this means for the rest of the campaign.

4. Metaplot as "what has gone before" (campaignus detalicus)
examples: Exalted, Harnmaster
The least different from a completely "metaplot-free" campaign, mainly by the fact that it offers a richer background and more factions and NPCs with unique motivations. Unlike metaplot 1 it leaves it to the GM and his group to shape and alter the course of the campaign world, with official publications only referencing to the "zero hour" before any campaign begins, not writing about future developements.

So this is it. The final word all further talk about metaplots must be based upon. If a metaplot doesn't fit these landmarks, it isn't a metaplot (always wanted to say that :haw: ).
Edit: Seriously though, feel free to add new specimens you discovered

metaplottus stupidus: this one deserves better: For example, most players playing D&D FR don't expect to intermingle with the big plot. They feel good shaking hand with the dark elf to read afterwards what mighty deeds he has done in the novel after they left him in his cave. ("Ha, told him he oughta practise his swordwork! So it paid off!)
On the other hand, I consider "metaplottus i-dont-care-us" far more unsatisfying: it puts the characters into factions and the political dimensions are somwhat  more importat. You don't play an axe wielding, illiterate dwarf with a dusty beard but an eloquent, century old bloodsucker whose main skills involve intrigue. Player1 reads the novel and clenches his teeth: Damn that stupid bitch! I told her a thousand times!

I humbly add another category:
"metaplotus multiplus absurdis" (Dragonlance, various other RPGs who's background changed dramatically through the editions):
The gods of upper managment happened to screw Krynn so many times up it's continental butt it's just meaningless what deeper plot you had in mind, cause some earth shaking, god killing, dragonspewing uberplot will eventually make everything totally meaningless, spinning the world 540° around- multiple times!