Simulationst or Light

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

I usually pick a couple areas of the rules where I want more details (depending on the genre and campaign), and use that to zoom in on that part of the action, mechanically. The rest of the areas of the game I just use the basic system and glaze over the finer details.

That describes how I run my campaign, too. Sometimes I go a step further and turn on the extra-detailed rules when one specific scene calls for them, but otherwise leave them switched off. For instance, I don't bother looking up exact modifiers to Explosives (Demolition) and whipping out the calculator to determine the damage when somebody slaps a C4 block onto something fragile during a foot chase, but I do work out all the details when the entire adventure culminates in a demolition job. Likewise, I'll fret the details of bleeding, surgery, antisepsis, and long-term recovery for a mortal wound, but never for a 1 HP knife cut in a minor brawl.

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

My current campaign is pretty "talky" (to the point of soap opera sometimes), so there are entire sessions where the rules don't matter

There's a huge element of that in what I said above, too. There are entire months of weekly gaming wherein the dice get rolled maybe four times. I don't rely on rules to provide "realism" in situations like having discussions with friendly NPCs, or when the PCs make plans, assemble gear, and assign tactical roles. I find that I can get a fairly intense level of detail without using the game system at all. Indeed, I find conversation and preparation more immersive and believable without constant interruptions for dice rolling.