What are meta-gaming strategies?

Meta-gaming strategies (or "meta-strategies") are techniques designed to directly influence the meta-game, and thereby to influence the behavior of an opponent, the conduct of the game, or the framework in which the game is played.

What is social currency?

This term refers to the amount of social influence a person has with his fellow players. It is called 'currency' because it can be accurued or spent, and because it can buy a variety of social effects.

Many meta-game strategies attempt to garner their player social currency, which the player can then use in many subtle ways. In addition to this, there is a phychological benefit to possessing a lot of social currency: people typically don't want to strike out against someone with a great deal of influence. In this way, social currency can act like a friendly shield. In many groups, t is a lot easier to strike out against someone who has little influence than someone who has an abundance.

Where did this list come from?

The genesis of what our group calls meta-strategies goes back to the early 1990s, and conversations between Jeff Campbell and Mike Braymen, in the deep woods of Oregon. That original list of strategies was said to have specifically pertained to complex board games, like Diplomacy and Axis and Allies.

That original list, apparently undocumented, was reconstructed and expanded in the spring of 2003 at Magnolia in San Francisco by Jeff Campbell, Dave Sokolowski, Dan M. and Jason Newquist.

The notes taken at Magnolia by Jason were stolen by Dan, because he believed that humanity was not ready for meta-strategies. But, through considerable tribulation, the notes returned, and a series of web pages documented each addition. What you see here is the latest iteration.

Where do you get your ideas?

13th century Japanese Haiku?