It is boring but I found every once in awhile I felt like chopping some wood in Skyrim for arrows I'd sell the excess for a profit, but that's because I'm now a seasoned player in Skyrim. When I first started off I didn't know anything about Oblivion and the Elder Scrolls. I was essentially walking in blind. After being killed by everything due to being a level 7 I started chopping wood in Riverwood to essentially buy gear to level up my Smithing and character. That's RPGing in a massive world. That mechanic was boring as hell, but it did provide a certain safety for a new player like myself to get better gear and learn my surroundings without the frustration of constant engagements going to the enemy and just dying all the time due to lack of knowledge or poor armor and weapons.