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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jmartkdr2" data-source="post: 8237234" data-attributes="member: 7017304">XP is redundant if the players are already doing stuff because it's fun. If players do stuff because playing the game is fun, the added reward of points for doing so adds very little, and requires a lot of bookkeeping. This is especially true if the dm doesn't want to encourage any particular kind of play: I want my players to engage with the setting, but I don't care how. They can go for treasure or glory or power or justice or whatever they like. They can do this by fighting or talking or stealing or whatever clever plan they want. My players know that if they don't engage with the setting, no game happens, so I don't feel any need to make them act.Therefore, for my style of play, any xp system would need to perfectly balance every possible approach - which in a ttrpg means I need good, balanced, non-arbitrary numbers for stuff I haven't thought of. How much xp should I give for a course action I can't imagine yet? It's much easier for me to simply give them a level once they hit some downtime, after they've had enough time to use all the new toys they got at the last level-up.Now - that's still only one context. In open table games, I honestly can't think of an alternative to xp (in general) that could work. Do whatever you want with the numbers, you need a system to calculate when pcs advance.</blockquote>