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Understanding Metagaming and God-Modding in Gorean Roleplay
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Let's focus on two critical concepts that protect the realism, fairness, and immersion of our world — Metagaming and God-Modding.
These two words are very familiar in the Role-play communities but the fact is so many people just do not understand what these really are nor do they know when it should be addressed via a mod or when it can be handled in an IC manner. Let us help you understand when it is appropriate to call on a mod or not. This writing is for here at Teletus as other Sims will have their viewpoints and rules regarding it.
These terms might sound technical, but they form the backbone of any serious, story-driven Gorean roleplay.
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Part I — What Is Metagaming?
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Metagaming is when a player uses out-of-character (OOC) information to influence their in-character (IC) actions or decisions.
In other words, your character knows something that you, the player, know — but your character shouldn’t. Here are some examples in a Gorean Context
▶ Example 1:
✧You read in OOC chat that an assassin is planning to attack the Ubar tonight. You then “just happen” to post your character guarding the Ubar’s chambers.
✧This IS metagaming. Your character had no IC reason to know that information.
▶ Example 2:
✧ Your companion, who is more than 100 meters away (common distance a shout will go) and she tells you in IM that she is being attacked. You suddenly draw your weapons and run over to where your companion is to confront the person.
✧ This is metagaming. There is no way that your character would have any knowledge that someone across the city is being attacked. Some people would also call this white-knighting. White knighting refers to when a player intervenes in another character’s conflict or scene — usually to “rescue,” defend, or protect someone without proper in-character justification, realism, or RP buildup.
▶ Example 3:
✧ A new slave’s backstory says she once belonged to a powerful merchant. Your character greets her by name and references her past — even though you never met her IC.
✧ This is metagaming. Your character has no idea what the girls name is or her past.
▶ Example 4:
✧ A female is standing in a room made of thick stone talking with a physician in a normal voice. The female just learned that she is pregnant. The room next to them with the male companion, again there is a stone wall between them, comes running into the room where his companion is at and is jumping up and down with excitement of the pregnancy.
✧ This is metagaming. The man would not have been able to hear them through the thick walls if they are talking in a normal tone. At most the man would have only heard the soft muffled voices.
▶ Example 5:
✧ The same scenario as above but the building is made of wood like down in the cove. The man again comes running into the room with excitement as he overheard his companion and the physician talking where she learned she was pregnant.
✧ This is NOT metagaming as wood is thin and often has cracks and holes in it. It would be logical that he would be able to hear UNLESS the people in the other room stated that they were whispering.
▶ Example 6:
✧ A group of people are standing at the fountain and a slave is standing about 15 meters away. She has been listening to the conversation but HAS NOT posted that she was eavesdropping. She learned that 2 warriors were attacked and are in the infirmary. She left the scene and went to her kennel sisters and told them what she had heard.
✧ This is metagaming. This is considered knowledge vs. character awareness: The slave character overheard a conversation about the two warriors being attacked but did not post that she was eavesdropping. This raises the issue of whether her character would realistically have access to that information. Since she did not indicate that she was listening, it suggests that she is using knowledge gained outside of her character's actions.
▶ Example 7:
✧ Rose, Sky and Jane, free women, are all going to the tea house for a gathering. Sky and Jane were already there. Sky knows Rose but Jane and Rose never met. Sky was telling Jane that she knew Rose was getting companioned to John. When Rose entered the tea house Jane introduced herself. “Greetings my name is Jane and you must be Rose, Congrats on your upcoming companionship.”
✧ This is NOT metagaming, while Jane and Rose had never met before her identity was established through IC roleplay prior to their meeting.
▶ Example 8:
✧ Two men are in a fight with each other and a slave walked around the corner and saw the fight but didn’t say anything. The slave ran off to inform another warrior of what she saw.
✧ This is NOT metagaming, You are observing a visual act in public. If a character witnesses a visual act, they are acting on what their character has seen.
Why is #6 Metagaming and #8 is not: The crux of the difference lies in how the information is acquired. In Example 6, the character's knowledge is derived from a covert action (eavesdropping) that was not communicated, leading to metagaming. In Example 8, the knowledge is gained through direct observation, allowing for a natural and legitimate flow of information within the role-play.
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Why is metagaming a problem?
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✧ Breaks immersion — Goreans act on in-character experience, not telepathy.
✧ Unbalances storylines — gives players unfair advantage.
✧ Destroys trust — RP thrives on fair play.
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Part II — What Is God-Modding?
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God-modding happens when a player controls or dictates another player’s character, outcome, or environment without consent, or when a character is unrealistically invincible.
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Examples of types of God-modding
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✧ Invincibility: A character that cannot be harmed, no matter the circumstances, such as being immune to all attacks or injuries.
✧ Unlimited Powers: Characters that can perform feats beyond reason, like casting spells without limits or controlling all elements at will.
✧ Instant Healing: A character that heals from any injury instantly, making it impossible for them to suffer lasting consequences from battles.
✧ Controlling Others: A player dictating the actions or reactions of other characters, such as forcing someone to fall or surrender without allowing them to respond.
✧ Perfect Accuracy: Always hitting their target with every attack, regardless of the situation, which removes the element of chance.
✧ Unrealistic Knowledge: A character that knows everything about the world or other characters, including secrets that shouldn’t be accessible to them.
✧ Supernatural Speed: Moving so fast that they can dodge any attack or react before anyone else can even act.
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Examples of God-Modding
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▶ Controlling Others (Power-Playing):
✧ Wrong: “He strikes her and she falls to her knees in pain.”
✧ This example infringes on another player’s ability to make choices for their character. Each player should control their own character’s actions and reactions, and dictating another character's response is a violation of their autonomy.
✧ Correct: “He swings his fist toward her jaw, aiming to knock her down.”
✧ This emote respects the other player's autonomy by not dictating the outcome. It invites the other player to respond creatively. By framing the action as an attempt rather than a certainty, it reflects the uncertainty and tension of combat. And finely it allows for a more collaborative narrative.
▶ Invincibility or Unrealistic Power:
✧ Wrong: “The warrior dodges every blow, never gets hit, and defeats all enemies easily.”
✧ Unrealistic and unfair. This undermines the role-playing experience by removing the risk and consequences of conflict. It denies other players the opportunity to affect the storyline and creates an unfair advantage. Even the strongest Gorean can be wounded or lose a fight.
✧ Correct: “The warrior deftly sidesteps an incoming blow, narrowly avoiding the attack, and counters with a powerful strike, but not without feeling the strain of the battle. Although they are skilled, the warrior knows that each encounter carries risk, and they remain vigilant for any openings the enemy might exploit.”
✧ This emote acknowledges the warrior's skill while maintaining an element of risk and consequence, allowing for a more immersive and fair role-playing experience. It reflects the reality that even the most formidable characters can be challenged and must remain on guard.
▶ Ignoring Consequences:
✧ Wrong: “Despite being captured by the enemy, she strides confidently into the next scene, as if nothing happened.”
✧ This emote ignores the significant event of being captured, making it seem as though the consequences of that action are nonexistent.
✧ Correct: “After being captured, she struggles against her restraints, her heart racing with fear. She knows she must find a way to escape and is wary of her surroundings, aware that every decision could lead to dire consequences.”
✧ This emote acknowledges the capture and its impact on the character. It reflects the emotional and narrative weight of the situation, allowing for meaningful character development and interaction with the environment.
If your character is captured or injured but you continue to RP as if nothing happened, that’s a form of god-modding.
When a character is captured or injured, those events typically carry significant narrative weight. Ignoring them undermines the story's continuity and the impact of those events on the character's development and relationships. By acting as if nothing happened, the player is dismissing the consequences that should logically follow from the situation.
▶ Unrealistic Survival:
✧ Wrong: “He walks into the bustling market after surviving a week lost in the wilderness without food or water, looking fresh and energetic. He casually greets the vendors, asking for the latest goods without showing any signs of fatigue or hunger.”
✧ This emote ignores the realistic consequences of being lost for a week without sustenance, portraying the character as unaffected and unrealistic.
✧ Correct: “He stumbles into the bustling market, his clothes tattered and eyes sunken from a week lost in the wilderness. He grips his stomach, the hunger gnawing at him, and leans against a stall for support. ‘Please,’ he says to a vendor, his voice shaky, ‘I need food… it’s been days since I’ve eaten.’”
✧ This emote recognizes the character’s struggles and the physical toll of their experience, enhancing the realism and emotional weight of the situation.
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Why is God-Modding a problem
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✧ Ruins collaborative storytelling.
✧ Creates resentment between players.
✧ Makes scenes unbelievable — in Gorean lore, no one is untouchable.
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Part III - When to Involve a Moderator
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Before contacting a moderator about someone you believe has metagamed or god-modded, we recommend reaching out to the other player first. They may not be aware of their actions. Keep in mind that players in Gorean SL have varying levels of experience with roleplay and Gor. Please try to resolve the issue directly before approaching a moderator. Remember, open communication is key; if parties do not communicate, one may not realize there is a problem.
✧ Mod calls are final and ooc harassment of mods will not be tolerated.
✧ Be patient and when a mod says "hold a moment" or "please wait," do not keep bombarding them with messages.
✧ Once a mod makes a call do not go to another mod expecting a different outcome. If you do the 1st contacted mod's ruling is what will be enforced.
✧ Only Mods will mod a situation. Do not bombard Admin or the owners for a modding situation. The ONLY time you can ask an admin to mod is if a Mod is not online
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The Moderation Team Will Moderate
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▶ Rule Violations:
✧ Clear metagaming or god-modding.
✧ Power abuse in combat or collaring scenes.
✧ Forcing unwanted RP or consent breaches.
▶ Disputes Escalated IC turned OOC:
✧ When IC conflict turns into OOC harassment or arguments.
✧ Staff may step in to mediate and keep IC boundaries clear.
✧ Behavior That Disrupts Roleplay:
✧ OOC interference in IC events.
✧ Retaliation through alts, OOC gossip, or manipulation.
▶ Scene Integrity:
✧ Enforcing combat or capture rules.
✧ Ensuring fairness in scripted events or raids.
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The Moderation Team Will Not Moderate
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▶ Consequences:
✧ If your character is insulted, loses a fight, or faces IC punishment — that’s roleplay, not a rule issue.
✧ Staff won’t “rescue” you from in-character outcomes.
▶ Story Direction:
✧ Staff won’t decide who wins a political rivalry or who gets promoted IC — that’s for roleplay to decide.
▶ Minor Style Disagreements:
✧ Different writing styles, posting speeds, or IC interpretations aren’t rule violations unless they cause disruption.
✧ If two people are in rp and one person leaves the scene while the other is doing a response but is taking a moment to type. The person leaving is now more than 20 meters away so the other person sends the emote via IM.
✧ This is not considered Meta-gaming in this instance but any further communication in IM should stop after the first reply.
▶ IC Hurt Feelings:
✧ Gorean RP often includes power dynamics, harsh words, and dominance — this is part of the genre.
✧ OOC discomfort or limits should always be addressed out-of-character, privately with the person you are rp’ing with.
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Part IV — How to Avoid Problems
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✧ Keep IC and OOC separate.
✧ Ask consent before assuming control of another character.
✧ Use “emotes” or “attempts” instead of actions that assume success.
✧ Clarify scenes in OOC if unsure (“Hey, is it okay if my warrior tries to knock yours down?”).
✧ Respect staff rulings and remember: the goal is collaborative storytelling.
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Part VI - Who to Contact for a Valid Moderation Situation
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Amyr Gorzilla Mahalah (amirmahalah)
Ƥяιуα Şтᴇᴇʟᴇ Ǥяιαунᴇαят (atiriya)
Aza (azara.magic)
Skyrn(geegee2016)
Closing
Metagaming and god-modding aren’t just “rule breaks” — they erode the trust that keeps a Gorean city alive.
Every citizen, free or slave, warrior or scribe, has the power to shape this world through fair and immersive play.
Thank you for being a part of Teletus, we are glad to have you. If you need further help with understanding more about metagaming and god-modding please reach out to an admin.
Blessings,
The Teletus Admin Team
