I do wish that some of the flexibility (like being able to play any race as any class and have it be a viable choice) was more genuine... but I also understand at least some of where those stats and choices come from.

I understand the appeal of allowing for rule of cool or bending the rules to make something work... And when it comes to a lot of the real plays it is because they're more focused on the "collaborative storytelling" aspect, because that's often what's engaging to an audience.

But using the rules as rules is ALSO a good thing! Those constraints make it a *game* instead of just *roleplay.*