I've been playing since before AD&D. As a GM I believe that my duty is to create a world and provide the background for the players to explore and find the path that they want, not to guide them by the nose. I am old enough that I enjoy role-playing more than roll-playing so would rather have a fewer, more dramatic, more significant combats than trying to see how many battles I can pack into a session.
That said, first and foremost the game should be about everyone having fun. These games are inter-active storytelling and we should try to make stories that we all would like to read.