Metagaming Player

I will be running the Starter Kit in a few weeks for my group when our DnD campaign comes to an end.

One of the players in the group likes to metagame and I’m positive he will read the books in advance (I can provide examples if requested). Has anybody altered the storyline and/or combat encounters to keep the story/game surprising? Looking for outside ideas to help me differentiate my thought process.

I’d prefer not to kick him out to preserve friendships. Last time I talked to somebody in the group about cheating (privately of course) ended in the two of us not talking for 6 months and he dropped group.

I've heard tale of others swapping things up in the start-up kit, so it's nothing unheard of. If you think changing some fights up in the adventure would keep your players on their toes and preserve the friendly vibe around the table, then I say go for it. Maybe change around some events that won't inconvenience the overarching plot, or add a few new enemies or hinderances or what-have-you.

Tell us how things go once you get the chance to play.

I will. I've made a few minor changes already.

I use the books as a framework, but ultimately, anything can change.  For instance, in the Void, I seperated the whole party and they were each tested for their worthiness to reach the void crystal.  Legacy had to save he daughter (pre powers) from Baron Blade. Wraith had to learn the lesson of relying on her friends. I re-enacted Spite in the bell tower, except she was able to save Sara and Eduardo with the help of the Freedom Five.  Absolute Zero had to face a fire breathing dragon in a lava pit to save Tachyon. Tachyon had to outrun Friction and save her from herself. Unity, was faced with a choice between machines and humanity as her best friend, Omnitron X, went rogue and was trying to kill the Freedom Five. 

Anyway, the books are just a guide.  Espicially issues like Tomb of the Bizzare.  Just some room descriptions, a scene tracker, and some ideas for obstacles.  It's all up to the GM to create the connective tissue, or just start from scratch and make it your own.  

Hope that helps! :)

Ran the first session yesterday. I made some changes but left other key items in the same place they were. The player in question never showed any reaction to changes nor did things that would make the scene easier.

Would no reaction be a good reaction in your opinion?

Yes, it is.

Gotta love metagaming players.  Not sure if you've tried talking to the group (and not singling this person out) about your expectations.  If I'm running an RPG from a sourcebook, I tend to make it clear that they should avoid reading it at all costs.  Not in the context of "You'll be punished" but rather "You'll ruin the fun for yourselves and everyone else."  That's never failed me before.  Turns out that most people stop making stupid decisions when they know they'll be letting their friends down.

Or, at least, make DIFFERENT stupid decisions.

Depends on the player.

Amen to that, bro.

Thank you everyone for the input and ideas. Talking to the guy about metagaming won't work, he seems to be narcissistic but wants the admiration of others as well. Another guy wanted to always succeed, even if it meant fudging dice rolls or purposefully doing basic math wrong. The fun that twists have introduced for the players though has actually encouraged meta-guy to accept failure.

I'm glad that things are working out for you and your group. :D That's the thing about the Gyro system and having Major and minor twists;

Failing a roll does not mean failure. Getting hit just makes you stronger. Playing to your principals means you are good in your area, so let your teammates cover your back and handle their own specialties.

I haven't had the chance to play too much of the system yet, but there's a good chance it will become my go-to for difficult players.

I think the key is to not pitch the game as an RPG.  When I talk about it I say that this group is a team of writers at a comic book company.  They are primary writers for their hero and I am the editor in chief.  We are going to write a series of stories together.  Each issue is part of a mini story arc (collection), and the dice are going to help us guide the story in exciting directions.  In terms of each character succeeding or failing a particular mission; it may or may not affect how the story is told next issue, but it's still your issue.  All the experience is the same either way, and once we finish the story, you'll have a collection to draw upon the next time we write another story.

There is no winning or losing this game. A failure to defeat the villain at the end makes your heros even more interesting, because they now have the potential to regroup, retrain, rebound, and defeat the villain the next time.  Spiderman wasn't able to save Gwen Stacey. He wouldn't even be Spiderman if he was able to save Uncle Ben that one night. Superman got killed by Doomsday only to return a year later even stronger. The most intersting stories in comics are the ones where the heros are forced to overcome the greatest odds, and they are often beaten and bloodied, forever changed by the trauma. 

Metagaming this system will just make for a boring story.  Maybe turn it around on them.  Create your own metagame where each of the comic writers are competing for issue sales.  The hero with the best role playing, most creative use of powers, and overcomming to hardest failure us able to sell the most issues that month. Kind of a game outside the game. :)

I remember some folks being discouraged by early descriptions of the RPG as “you’re a bunch of comic writers working on a story” rather than “you’re a bunch of super heroes trying to stop a crime”, but this is some seriously excellent advice. I’d say it’s also proof you can approach the system either way.