Here is something I quite like about skill checks in this system, which I noticed in another thread that not everyone is necessarily familiar with.

I call it "macro" and "micro" scale for skill checks.

It means that you can either play the skill check as the result of one specific interaction that you roleplay in detail with a specific NPC, or you can consider the skill check to cover a large amount of time and and space, whatever it takes to come up with a result.

For a Streetwise check to find some information on the street, one way to play would be to let the players wander through the streets, roleplaying out in detail every interaction they have in the various bars they go to. This is the "micro" scale.

You could play out each conversation they have with a bartender, a drunk in the corner, a thug guarding a secret backroom, etc. For each one you could make Streetwise checks and/or whatever other checks might be needed. Charm, Deception, Negotiation, etc.

This could play out over 30 minutes or more of game time. Depending on your group, it could cover an entire session.

The "macro" scale would be to make one Streetwise check and have that roll cover several hours (or even days)' worth of investigation among the local lowlifes. You could narrate the flavor of what they experience over that time, but come up with one result at the end of it.

This could be done over just a couple of minutes of game time.

The same can be done with Negotiation, Knowledge skills, etc. Any kind of investigation is ideal for this kind of scale. This is also where Talents and dice results that speed up a check come in handy.

If your enemy is on the move and will arrive in the city in 6 hours, then the difference between 2 hours of research and 4 hours of research could be significant.

It all depends on the mix of personalities in your group and what your gameplay style is. If you all prefer investigation and roleplay, then you might favor playing out each interaction. If you're aching to get to the big battle, then your knowledge and investigation checks might be best handled in just a few minutes.

What are other people's experiences, do you all use these different time scales when making checks?