Originally Posted by JandK
Originally Posted by Gray Ghost
If the only benefit to not helping is that you don't have to engage with an annoying mechanic, and not helping could potentially cost you the combat, because now you're down a damage dealer and the owlbear is likely to turn its attention to another target, then the mechanic itself is bad and needs some kind of alteration.

I don't think I understand what you're saying. Is this what you mean?

Example:

"I don't like this mechanic."

--then why do you use the mechanic?

"Because it helps me win."

--but you don't want the mechanic in the game?

"Correct."

--what would happen in that fight if the mechanic weren't in the game?

"I would lose the fight."

--so you would rather lose the fight than have the mechanic in the game?

"That's right."

--then why do you use the mechanic?

"Because it helps me win."

Yeah, that's it pretty much. In my experience it's harder to make a choice to let yourself lose. If the option is out of your hands entirely, then you can put it down to either not enough skill on your part, bad luck, etc. But opting to just not use it entirely means that you're actively hurting your own chance to win. You're not losing because you don't have enough skill, you're losing because you didn't want to deal with an annoying mechanic. I don't think most people would consider that a satisfying loss. You don't come away feeling as though you gained more experience or system mastery from it, because you know exactly what you could have done to win, you just didn't want to deal with the tedium. And if the only benefit to making a choice is because you don't want to deal with a mechanic, then the mechanic probably needs a second look.

To go back to your prior example, it's not going to the doctor and complaining about getting bruised every time you punch yourself in the face. It's going to the doctor and complaining that punching yourself in the face is curing your stomach aches.