Game Design Have you wondered why some game seem to be so dull, and them sometimes just light up and be awesome? This post might give some hints. Maybe the game lacks a "cruise control"? Like I wrote in the comments, I think T&T is the gold standard here. It is so easy to play as just a game where you collect AP, gold and roll dice. It's also a game with a slick generic resolution mechanic which can fade into the background and let you do story gaming and acting out without encumbered by needless crunch.
Rules expansion Have you been running a game, just like me ignoring encumbrance because there was no way or the painful way? This might be the way to do it. Common sense and a set penalty. I'm stealing that for my next game!