A Discussion on Metatrust

[Torchwick]

This discussion is particularly interesting to me because I play a very beloved character (the popularity of whom I sort of detest), and I’ve gotten metatrusted a fair few times. One time, I had rolled wizard, and I was sort of recruited to defeat a changeling by security because they trusted me to do it? I recall hearing “I hate wizards, but I like Ribbert” over the radio. They did happen to be right about me being mostly useful, and I don’t regret helping because it ended in a changeling with wizard powers catastrophe that made the entire round very entertaining, but I definitely felt odd about the whole thing. I was a wizard. A known antagonist should not have been recruited by security just because it had a funny frog face attached.

I do suppose being able to recognize metatrusting while it’s happening is valuable, but I wish I could figure out a way to stop or prevent it from happening to me and I’d imagine other people feel the same way. And yeah, one could change their playstyle to ward off familiarity, but a very stubborn part of me feels as though that’s just capitulating to the bad habits of others. That being said, this doesn’t happen to me personally incredibly often, but I figured I’d share my insight.

Honestly this. I’ve run into a rut where I’m paranoid that I’m hurting the game and community because the characters I personally love to play are well known. My only solution to this that I hope works thus far is to discourage behavior in which people favour me. Asking specifically for me instead of another doctor just because you know me? I’ll make myself busy and let the other doctors help you. Try to push people into getting RP out of others. I have ahelped scenarios in which what I believe might have been blatant metatrust led to me being handed AA on a stowaway shift. 

It’s difficult on both ends. I’m not saying ‘woe is me I’m popular’, but more like… I wish I didn’t feel guilty for playing the characters I want to play, yk? But yeah— that’s my take. You can’t always help that people enjoy your characters, but you can encourage better behavior and ahelp if it’s too weird.