"Noobs" vs. Old School Players (Part 2)

My current group is using the D&D Next play test rules, and is an interesting mix of new and old school gamers.  It has been interesting to see how old school D&D players and new players are responding to the system and its trappings.  Some of us have been out of the hobby for some time (as I had been until the Fourth Edition promotional pod casts).

I hope this is not agist. 

The above picture is a metaphor for old school gamers who are looking for THAC0 on their Fourth Edition and D&D Next character sheets, and wondering what to do with "at wills", "cantrips", and "channel divinity". (Channel divinity powers are now where one finds turn undead, but they can alternately be used to flavor the cleric class with different special abilities).

And this is one...

Why isn't the channel changing?

...is for First and Second Edition players who pick up D&D Next character sheets and say, "Hit Dice. I know what to do with those!"

One of my favorite moments of the character creation session I recently referenced in part 1 of this post was when we could not find a "backpack" or "misc. equipment" section on the character sheet for D&D Next.  Of course, there is a big section for equipped items, such as what are you wearing on your head, and for armor, fighting hand, off-hand, etc.  The player, who is returning to gaming from First Edition said, "But where am I going to write down the various gems, stones, and treasure we find!?"  I kind of chuckled because this is something none of the groups I played in, nor the groups I have DM'd for, have ever done.  She was serious though.  I had played enough Eye of the Beholder to be able to throw out lapis lazuli and peridot as a joke.

These may not be tiger's eye, but they sure are pretty.

The important learning here is that there are indeed individual preferences at the table.  There are players (dare I say "still players") who want the precious materials they find to be detailed for them.  In the past I might have said, "You find 30 gold pieces worth of gems," once every few encounters to break up the monotony.  Now that I know I have a player who is into that, it is incumbent upon me as the DM to cater to her preference.  You better believe I will work to make sure I include a couple of jewels by name and vague description of mass and quality in their loot piles.  I'm gonna make those PCs work to figure out how much each is worth! Hell, it could become a whole adventure for them to have the stones appraised?!?

The same player is looking over her character sheet a few minutes later and says, "So, it's ten copper to a silver, ten silver to a gold, and ten gold to a platinum... and what is electrum worth?"  I might have slightly insensitively rolled my eyes before replying, "If you don't know, we're going to have to look it up."  But guess how many copper and electrum pieces they found after their next encounter.


Do you track these kinds of things in your games?  Do you count arrows or use strict spell component rules?   How do you keep it fun?