Meta
what it means
Often backronymed as "most effective tactics available", though it comes from the older sense of meta-level thinking. The meta shifts with every balance patch.
The currently most effective strategies and choices in a game.
the origin story
From "metagame", a term used in strategy games and game theory well before video games adopted it.
It became one of the most important concepts in competitive play, since knowing the meta is often more valuable than raw skill. "Off-meta" describes choices that are deliberately unconventional, and "meta slave" is a mild insult for someone who only plays what's strongest.
in the wild
Everyone's using the same three characters.
That's the meta right now.
He won with a weapon nobody uses.
Off-meta and it worked.
how to use it
- Discussing effective strategies in a game
- Competitive gaming contexts
- Describing prevailing approaches in any field
- In its philosophical sense without clarifying
- Where the gaming meaning won't be understood
- As a synonym for "popular"
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