the Answer is Not on your Character Sheet

Player Agency: Freedom to Think Creatively
The information on the original game “character sheet” is not much more than “name”, “class”  the six “ability scores”, “alignment”, “hit points”, “experience”, and “treasure”. I usually like to sketch a crude portrait on my character sheet, but that is pure vanity. Equipment, including weapons and armor, and consumables including ammo, torches and rations, should be noted on the character sheet as resource management is a part of the original play. What does not exist on the character sheet is a list of skills or powers.
This difference between skill system games and those systems that do not include skills is one of  how they address player agency. A list of skills tells the player what their character can do, and gives a “value” score that represents how likely they are to succeed at using the skill. Players of such “skill based” systems typically look through their list of skills and choose one to use in a situation they find their character in.
What happens when there is no list of skills? Creative thinking! Imagination outside the box.
It has been my experience that skills can limit player agency if they rely on the character sheet to give them the answer to the question, “What does your character do?” Players may assume the list of skills is “complete” and represents the entirety of what their character can try. It can be viewed as a “menu” of choices. “Pick a skill and roll the dice!”
What happens in the absence of the skill menu is often creative thinking. Problem solving is a basic human ability. We all do it every day in our real lives. We assume games have rules and that playing the game means following the rules. This is true, but the assumption that if the rules don’t say you can do something, then it is not allowed does not apply to role-playing at any table where I am referee. One of the primary strengths of tabletop role-playing games is it’s ability to go beyond the written word. The existence of the referee, the judge, is to make rulings so players can be creative and try things not covered by the rules as written.
This is why I enjoy rule systems that are brief and encourage at the table referee rulings - it empower the players! This is the revolution in game play that has been so captivating over the decades and has established tabletop role-playing as a hobby distinct from other forms of gaming. The stifling effect of too many rules goes way beyond what’s on the character sheet. The more written rules the player has, the more they are likely to study the rules and develop strategies to take advantage of those rules. This is smart game play, but it can hinder role play which ideally relies on imagining a character in a challenging situation and what that character will do in response. Thinking about the rules can easily break player immersion in the developing fiction.
Not everyone plays a game for the same reason. Nor does every player want the same thing from the game experience. Players may engage the rules and experience their enjoyment from clever application of those rules. Players may also during play immerse themselves in the make-believe of the game and for a time enjoy playing the role of their imaginary character in a fantastic adventure. The hobby supports both styles of play. The choice is yours.