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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9774515" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think it's more than just this: it's also about increasing the proportion of play time spent on the stuff that matters to the participants. So it's like the RPG design analogue of editing a film (or, at least, some aspects of editing).Rolemaster is, for me at least, a striking illustration of the issue (because I've played so much of it). When it is performing at its peak, Rolemaster produces intricate detail of character and situation, and tremendous colour (especially in combat, because of the crit charts; but not only in combat). But there is a lot of slog - in record keeping, injury and recovery tracking, working through complicated resolution frameworks, rolling the dice that lead up to the crit rolls, etc - that doesn't generate this same degree of intensity and excitement.A system that can generate all that colour, including the intricate detail, but without the intervening moments of slog, is - for me - just an improvement. Which is why I love Burning Wheel and Torchbearer! I'd play them in preference to RM even if I had the same endless time as I did when I was younger.</blockquote>