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<blockquote data-quote="gorice" data-source="post: 8446980" data-attributes="member: 7032863">So, this is a tangent on a tangent on a tangent, and a whole can of worms as well, but I think you're working with a much narrower definition of 'system' than the original epithet assumed. For example, personally, 'social combat' mechanics are not something I want in my games, but having things like stakes, an understanding of what different characters want, and a connection to the game's broader trajectory or reward cycle is absolutely necessary to stop social scenes falling flat. A fantasy shopping scene won't work if the characters don't want to buy anything, and if the things they buy can have no effect on the game later. So, even a completely 'freeform' shopping scene in D&amp;D is actually strongly mechanically anchored.This is pretty much the implication of the '<a href="http://lumpley.com/index.php/anyway/thread/119" target="_blank">fruitful void</a>' idea from your later comment. Mechanical procedures are used to generate the space for people to play. This is actually my main line of critique regarding 5e: it has good procedures for creating this void for some use cases, and horrifically inadequate ones for others.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="gorice, post: 8446980, member: 7032863"] So, this is a tangent on a tangent on a tangent, and a whole can of worms as well, but I think you're working with a much narrower definition of 'system' than the original epithet assumed. For example, personally, 'social combat' mechanics are not something I want in my games, but having things like stakes, an understanding of what different characters want, and a connection to the game's broader trajectory or reward cycle is absolutely necessary to stop social scenes falling flat. A fantasy shopping scene won't work if the characters don't want to buy anything, and if the things they buy can have no effect on the game later. So, even a completely 'freeform' shopping scene in D&D is actually strongly mechanically anchored. This is pretty much the implication of the '[URL='http://lumpley.com/index.php/anyway/thread/119']fruitful void[/URL]' idea from your later comment. Mechanical procedures are used to generate the space for people to play. This is actually my main line of critique regarding 5e: it has good procedures for creating this void for some use cases, and horrifically inadequate ones for others. [/QUOTE]

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