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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jacob Lewis" data-source="post: 9765806" data-attributes="member: 6667921">[USER=7045806]@DinoInDisguise[/USER] I think the core of what you’re getting at—using fewer words and letting players fill in the gaps—is absolutely right. Description doesn’t have to be exhaustive to be effective, and motifs are a good shorthand for building consistency.What I’d emphasize is that description isn’t just about painting a picture. Its function at the table is to frame decisions and set tone. If a detail doesn’t help the players decide what to do, or establish the stakes of the scene, it’s often more clutter than value. This is where “less is more” really earns its place—every extra sentence risks pulling attention away from the game itself.The tricky part is that we’ve built up a kind of cultural bias in the hobby where a GM’s “quality” gets measured against how much detail they can generate. Long descriptions, elaborate backstories, endless world-building—it’s treated as a marker of skill. But in play, those same details often get in the way. They obscure choices, slow pacing, or simply overwhelm. More does not necessarily mean better; sometimes it just means heavier.And this ties back to player agency. The more complete the GM’s description, the less room there is for players to question, interpret, or invent. If we stop short, we leave space for curiosity and improvisation. That back-and-forth is a big part of what separates TTRPGs from other media. A novel can afford lush, exhaustive description because the reader is a spectator; a game table thrives when imagination is shared.That’s also why I think comparing to video games is useful. If players want full visual and audio immersion, video games deliver it better than we ever can. What makes tabletop unique is that it asks everyone at the table to bring their imagination to bear. The GM’s role isn’t to overwhelm with detail, but to spark just enough that the players take it further.So in practice, I’d frame description with three questions: does this set the stakes, inspire action, or leave space for imagination? If it doesn’t do one of those, it’s probably better left unsaid.</blockquote>

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