There are different styles of play. I have been in games that essentially were board games with a visit to shops in between the exploration and combat. I have

There are different styles of play. I have been in games that essentially were board games with a visit to shops in between the exploration and combat. I have also been in games that barely touched the dice at all and combat was handled by DM fiat after the players laid out their strategy in very broad terms. Both types can be fun, depending on your personality/mood at the moment. The Storyteller System used by White Wolf for the old World Of Darkness series struck me as a very good balance between the two, back before children and grad school essentially put an end to my playing.