Guild Wars 2

Hello!

Joined not so long time ago, so excuse me for this apparently trivial question.

In the context of PvP, what does “meta” mean? From the context it seems somewhat a synonym to “build”? It could be a shortened “meta-event”, which would make sense, but it isn’t.

I’m just curious what exactly does this term mean and how it has developed.

Thanks for your time reading (and maybe answering) this.

“Meta” refers to the most common builds that are being used at the time. Currently we have a condi-spammer + spiritranger meta, because 9/10 people out there are using condition builds or a spirit ranger.

If you see “meta is awful” that means people are fed up with the mainstream OP builds everyone is using.

just to be clear, meta doesn’t mean a single build, but the overall picture of builds. a single build might be referred to as a meta build, or you might ask if a particular build is meta, or if you ask about the meta in general it’s a question about what builds are popular.

Thanks Gandarel and milo for clarifications! It’s really interesting, all this naming of things. So far I’ve noticed “meta” and “running with xxx” (where xxx is build or weapon), which seem to be popular in GW2 PvP talk .

The “meta” is short for “the metagame”, and basically means ArenaNet’s overall approach to balancing the different classes and overall gameplay…right now it means a heavy use of conditions for DPS.

The term meta or metagame as used here (to me) means the game within the game. Or the game above the game, however you want to look at it.

Conquest mode (the game) will develop and foster the individual classes, builds, and tactics that are the most effective at winning the game.

The effect this information has to influence team compositions and tactics would be the meta or metagame.

Ideally there would be multiple viable options (multiple metas). However many seem to be in agreement that the current GW2 tPvP meta is too narrow and does not have enough variation.

Meta is derived from and adding to itself, basically. So, meta data, would be the data within the data. In this context when someone says meta, it basically refers to the game within the game.

So, there is PvP, then inside of that game there is “build wars” and “comp wars” which is it’s own essential game, which becomes the metagame.

All rambling aside, it just means what’s currently been determined to be the most effective builds and comps in accordance with the current balance/state of the game.

Meta is Greek for “about”. The metagame means literally “about the game”.

felivear.1536:

So, meta data, would be the data within the data.

I actually have that name saved.

felivear.1536,

Actually meta data would mean data about the data: such as information about the how the database is structured.

My understanding, at least in the context of Guild Wars, is that “meta” is simply the community buzzword for flavor of the month.

All these definitions are somewhat skewed, but still relatively close to its definition.

Meta, or metagame, means what builds, players have chose what work at the time. For there to be a metagame, players must then react to said builds, and add some kind of counter-play. Developers constantly changing things from their end only makes a metagame worse, because that by definition means there is none. If the players are making changes, and then developers have to make changes, there is a metagame.