I depends on the group I suppose.
"There's a man in the room" is enough to evoke a player response. Including the eyepatch as part of the presentation is even better. A more detailed description of the things about him that are immediately obvious would be better still.
Presentation and content are roughly equal.
Okay....let’s continue with our one eyed brother killer example. The player made a character whose goal is to find his brother’s killer, the one eyed man.
GM 1 gives that player this bit of narration:
“The Great Northern road has been little more than a muddy trail for the past two days. The rain’s been incessant, varying only between total downpour and deluge. Finally, as night begins to take hold, you see firelight in the distance. You head towards it and are relieved to find it’s an inn and tavern. There’s a sign swinging wildly above the door, it reads ‘The Whispering Eye Inn’.
“You make your way inside. A small bell rings when you open the door. The small common room is packed with travelers seeking shelter. They look up at you with uninterested expressions, before turning back to their drinks. You remove your sodden cloaks, hanging them on a row of pegs along the wall beside the door. Immediately, the warmth from the large fireplace across the room hits you. You’d nearly forgotten what warmth was.
“The tables are all full, so you make your way to the only available seats, a pair of stools by the bar. As you cross the room, a redheaded serving girl emerges from the kitchen with a tray full of bowls, and a delicious smell wafts your way. From behind the bar, a bald man of middling years and a red beard smiles at you and gestures toward the stools. ‘Come in and warm yourselves, friends. What you smelled is my old marm’s beef and apple stew. I’ll have Tansy fetch you each a bowl. It’ll warm your bones.’ He looks at each of you, his eyes taking note of your gear, but he does not react in any way. He nods as you sit and then asks ‘Wine or ale, friends?’
“Soon enough you’ve a drink in hand and a bowl of stew before you, and you think your clothes may actually be less wet than they were. The bell rings, and heads turn to see who’s entering. The tall man removes his wide brimmed hat, revealing long dark hair. He shakes the rain from his hat with a look of contempt. He then eyes the wall pegs reluctantly before finally hanging his hat and cloak on one of the hooks. He moves with an economy of motion that you recognize as that of a fighting man, and indeed, a finely crafted sword hangs at his hip. One hand comes to rest on the pommel as his gaze sweeps across the room. Again, his lip curls dismissively. Wiping rain from his face, he makes his way into the room. You feel like perhaps you know this man, but you can’t say why.“
Now, GM 2 gives that player this bit of narration:
“You’re all seated at the bar of the Whispering Eye Tavern. It’s raining heavily outside. The common room is a bit crowded with folks taking shelter from the rain. The front door swings open, and in walks a man. He’s wearing an eyepatch.”
Which of these do you think will engage the player more?