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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6587258" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think some of this is a little cargo-cultish, in the sense of replicating earlier procedures without the contextual imbedding that made those earlier procedurals rational.For instance, in Gygaxian D&D taking the time to explore a room is a trade-off that involves risk - extra wandering monster rolls - and costs resources - detection spells and the like - but has the potential to yield treasure, and thereby resources and XP. Managing those trade-offs, including making astute judgments based on metagaming the dungeon design, the GM's known preferences and inclinations, etc, is part of being a skilled player.But once we move to a different context, where the "reward" is not a resource and PC-booster (as treasure is, in a Gygaxian game), and where the "cost" is not a hard mechanical risk (of wandering monsters) but rather boredom at the table (nothing interesting is there to be found, so it's just that much longer before we get to the good stuff), then it's harder for me to see what exactly the skill consists in. Especially when the sort of metagaming that is at the core of Gygaxian play (know your dungeon tropes, know your GM's preferences, etc) is being expressly eschewed.To me, it seems to be coming very close to having to eat one's greens before getting to dessert.(For some more general thoughts, see my next post.)</blockquote>