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Okay, I am a relative Noob to RPGing but an experienced gamer. On a Game like Battletech a player can have any of the sourcebooks handy during games and it is acceptable, not considered meta-gaming. The other night while playing Starfinder, a creature was mentioned and I remembered it from being in Alien Archive, which I had in my backpack. I was not trying to be a jerk, and did not realize that some people would consider this meta. The GM was cool, realized I wasn't trying to be a jerk and said how some people might be offended. Okay, well and good. But what is allowed, what is not, what is legal but being a "that guy meta type"? Thanks
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Generally the player options so things like the core, Armoury, etc. Looking up stats of enemies is generally bad form as you can get that information by in game means. Generally if its not something your character would know, looking it up is bad form. For instance coming across a new race using weapons you’ve never seen (like the Kishalee stuff in Dead Suns) looking up their stats before you are given them would be inappropriate.
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Okay, I am a relative Noob to RPGing but an experienced gamer. On a Game like Battletech a player can have any of the sourcebooks handy during games and it is acceptable, not considered meta-gaming. The other night while playing Starfinder, a creature was mentioned and I remembered it from being in Alien Archive, which I had in my backpack. I was not trying to be a jerk, and did not realize that some people would consider this meta. The GM was cool, realized I wasn't trying to be a jerk and said how some people might be offended. Okay, well and good. But what is allowed, what is not, what is legal but being a "that guy meta type"? Thanks
Player stuff is allowed at the table. You need the rules you need to run your character, including the base rules, your class etc.
DM stuff you should NOT be looking at during. The adventures and monsters are pretty high on that list. There might be an exception (if someone rolls a 45 to ID a monster I'm just going to hand them the monster) but its pretty rare.
Its important that your character doesn't act on information that your player has but you don't. So if you see a funny looking lizard Bob the player may know that Leafytree the druid should shut his eyes, but Leafytree isn't supposed to know that without investing in a knowledge skill.
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The short answer is "Whatever the players and GM decide". There's no official rules that allow or disallow a particular book. This is more around social norms than stated rules.
That said, a player having info about monsters you're facing or the adventure you're playing in is clearly in poor taste. Or at least it is according to most social convention I'm familiar with.
Having the CRB is nearly mandatory. Having an alien archive book might be odd, but might be needed if you're playing a race from that book.
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Thank you both for these answers. So the CRB would be appropriate to have and refer to on a rule question, but grabbing the Alien Archives to look up the critter isn't if you are a player? Correct?
Right, you shouldn't be looking up the bone eater while fighting the bone eater.
Right, you shouldn't be looking up the bone eater while fighting the bone eater.
You make it sound dirty. :)
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Find out the name, look it up later - or memorize the alien archives.
You'll probably ruin a bunch of surprises for yourself, though. The first time a PC is bitten by an Akata should be a memorable situation, but if you know what's coming, it won't be as entertaining - specially for the GM.
Just don't use player knowledge as if it was character knowledge.