i think there's no "proper" way to play the game. there a several and depending on whom you playing with, interests will differ. some like to be super-realistic, some are super-arcade and some don't care at all. you play the game so its you who's in charge to decide which way you wanna play the game. there may be some things which aren't usually the taste of all, like total over the tony hawk like skating, that may be through many of us skating irl and watch rl skatevideos, normally its stupid to keep the rl boundaries within a game, but its all for the looks of it. but in the end its you who is playing the game and wants to have fun with it. why would you let go the fun for yourself, just to please someone else?