First, here's the actual account of what happened when Thurgon and Aramina met Thurgon's brother Rufus. I don't expect you, @bloodtide, to read it - as you seem not to have read any of the actual play reports I've pointed you to or posted in replies to you - but it may be interesting for someone else who is reading along:NEVER in my game has something like this happened: Player "My character wants some potions of healing. Lets say my character's brother is just walking down the path with 25 potions of healing for me." DM-"WOW! Ok...Roll your Circle Sike Check, DC 10. Player-"I got a 14!" DM-"Wow, wow! Suddenly you see your characters brother walking down the path RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! He spots and says "here are 25 potions of healing, bro!"
Second, if we generalise from healing potions to rewards in general, then what is the basic structure of D&D play in relation to rewards? It's that players do <stuff>, and as a result accrue rewards. There's nothing inherently virtuous about the <stuff> being (say) beating up on Orcs rather than (say) growing crops and husbanding cattle.There was a reunion between Rufus and Thurgon. But (as described by the GM) it was clear to Thurgon that Rufus was not who he had been, but seemed cowed - as Rufus explained when Thurgon asked after Auxol, he (Rufus) was on his way to collect wine for the master. Rufus mentioned that Thurgon's younger son had married not long ago - a bit of lore (like Rufus hmself) taken from the background I'd prepared for Thurgon as part of PC gen - and had headed south in search of glory (that was something new the GM introduced). I mentioned that Aramina was not meeting Rufus's gaze, and the GM picked up on this - Rufus asked Thurgon who this woman was who wouldn't look at him from beneath the hood of her cloak - was she a witch? Thurgon answered that she travelled with him and mended his armour. Then I switched to Aramina, and she looked Rufus directly in the eye and told him what she thought of him - "Thurgon has trained and is now seeking glory on his errantry, and his younger brother has gone too to seek glory, but your, Rufus . . ." I told the GM that I wanted to check Ugly Truth for Aramina, to cause a Steel check on Rufus's part. The GM decided that Rufus has Will 3, and then we quickly calculated his Steel which also came out at 3. My Ugly Truth check was a success, and the Steel check failed. Rufus looked at Aramina, shamed but unable to respond. Switching back to Thurgon, I tried to break Rufus out of it with a Command check: he should pull himself together and join in restoring Auxol to its former glory. But the check failed, and Rufus, broken, explained that he had to go and get the wine. Switching back to Aramina, I had a last go - she tried for untrained Command, saying that if he wasn't going to join with Thurgon he might at least give us some coin so that we might spend the night at an inn rather than camping. This was Will 5, with an advantage die for having cowed him the first time, against a double obstacle penalty for untrained (ie 6) +1 penalty because Rufus was very set in his way. It failed. and so Rufus rode on and now has animosity towards Aramina. As the GM said, she better not have her back to him while he has a knife ready to hand.
Classic D&D play (to speak at a level of generality) requires the players to solve the GM's puzzle (ie, to beat the dungeon) in order to get those rewards. Obviously Burning Wheel has very little in common with classic D&D play.
Post-DL D&D play mostly has the players work through the GM's pre-authored situations in order to get those rewards. Burning Wheel has a bit more in common with this sort of play, because it also emphasises players working through situations. It's just that the situations are driven by the players as much as, or even more than, the GM. There is nothing inherently virtuous about <the situations> being established primarily by the GM rather than having the players contribute significantly to their content and stakes.
I don't understand why you keep imputing this stuff to me that has nothing to do with how I play and GM RPGs. I've posted actual examples. You don't seem to read them.How is a player making all kinds of demands ANY DIFFERENT? The player hands the GM a huge block of text and says "this is my person player novel, make it happen servant GM!" and the GM says "Yes, player, we will play through your novel, just as you wish"