Sorry to hear that DW.
Thanks for trying, and good luck with your future games too.
I'm sorry if it came across that I was criticizing your game; it was not my intention to do so. I've just had a love/hate relationship with Eberron. I want to love it, I bought all the 3rd edition books, ran several games there, even set my only 4e campaign there. It's just lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not your game, it's my issue.
On the other hand, I have to apologize for my long absences. I ended one job, search for and began another and moved my life and child 10 hours south to a new home. It's been a somewhat busy time and I'm afraid my participation suffered.
I wonder if a game set during the Last War would solve a great deal of my Eberron issues. It seems to me that Eberron desperately needs a world-spanning issue or arc to really tie it together for me.
I may have to think about that...
...-See, but that's why I play Pathfinder/3.x. I like that it blends roleplaying and tactical, gamist choices together so well. Whether character creation, planning for an encoutner/trip, combat, spells, feats, skill capabilities, etc. It gives the world parameters, like real life has parameters. Certain things can be expected to function in certain ways, allowing players to interact with the world on their terms best they can.
I see your point. Just not the type of game I'm interested in. I tend to want to suspend reality when I game, and not have rules for everything. I get enough of that in real life :-). Nothing wrong with the type of game you like, I don't consider my style superior...just probably would never jive. To me just the GM saying "you're -2 due to poor lighting is enough. I don't have to know why. I don't mind crunchy roleplaying games (I'm an old school Rolemaster player), just don't particularly like tactical games...including chess.
I guess that's why they make different styles of games...and have multiple successes.