I think it starts from the extremely common but also extremely MISGUIDED idea that "videogames need to operate on a different level of abstraction than pen & paper" (which usually is a roundabout way to claim that they need to be about "gamey stuff" like "numbers in combat and shit" rather than aspire to achieve the illusion of a coherent adventure in a credible fictional universe).
At the core of it, video games ARE literally built on a different foundation to pen and paper games.
Notably, the very important difference is that pen and paper has an actual DM, while video games have to pre-program every interaction that can be done.
This means there's a lot less freedom to "Role-play" in a video game because you're inherently restricted to whatever options the developers actually coded into the game. While in pen and paper, you can do ANYTHING you want (So long as the DM agrees) and then the DM will adjust the game to incorporate it.
Hence video games tend to focus more towards aspects that allow for more freedom and interaction, i.e. combat. As opposed to pen and paper where most of the fun is just from roleplaying as your unique character you personally designed every aspect of.
Personally, this difference between mediums is why I don't care much for "Blank Slate" characters in video games. Such characters will always end up restricted in what is possible based on what actions are coded into the game and what dialogues are available (I know some people seem to like headcanoning dialogues into people saying completely different things... But to me I can't do that. As if I start ignoring what the game is actually providing I may as well just close it down and simply imagine my own story instead).
While in pen and paper, having the blank slate to create my own character is great and can allow real freedom to actually explore that character's personality which the DM will accommodate due to the dynamic nature of how the medium works.
But that aside, i'm not sure how that became the central point of contention of the thread, since this is NOT a discussion about rest.
It's a discussion about world simulation, day/night cycle, NPC scheduling or more in general immersion.
Well, with day/night cycles and NPC scheduling, invariably there will be the concern about passage of time.
Both in terms of "How do I wait out time so that I can find an NPC I need to interact with (Such as a shop)" as well as "Can we include a system that tracks the passage of time so we don't have some "Emergency time critical quest" that sits around being available for literal years of time passing"
Of which people will jump to resting as a mechanic. Whether it's something like the D&D system to recover resources, access crafting, healing up or removing exhaustion. Or something more akin to JRPG's such as the Atelier series or games like Rune Factory or Harvestella which have rudimentary day/night systems and stuff like seasons (For to grow different crops and for time critical quests to progress)
Especially since in terms of immersion, a need to actually rest would be relevant. Given that people need to sleep in order to function. It can also be somewhat jarring when you see NPC's follow schedules that includes them going to sleep at night, while the protagonist and co just run around forever and never once stop to sleep or eat.
