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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7408185" data-attributes="member: 42582">The difference from what you describe, though, is that the need for the narration to establish immersion is not the same as what you were referring to in the post to which I replied.In "story now", the principal source of immersion should be the fact that the situation is "thematically compelling". That is, the GM - in establishing the framing - is drawing on already-available stuff that everyone at the table is committed to. So the need to build a "word picture" by reference to sensation is less. The description of the setting provides a context for action rather than itself being the engine of immersion.In Cortex+ Heroic this is formalised via the mechanic of "Scene Distinctions" - the GM may declare up to 3 scene distinctions (and may spend GM-side resources for more if desired) at the start of an action scene. In the session I GMed yesterday, the first scene involved the PCs - who had just crossed a frozen mountain lake - commencing their final ascent into the northern mountains. The scene distinctions were Chill Winds, Narrow Defile Between the Peaks, and Unpassable Snow. This, together with the description of their adversaries (a flight of wyverns, one with a rider; and the chieftain of the mountain folk), sets the scene.Later on, after the PCs left the village of the mountain folk, them were confronted by the Earth Giant (as they knew they would be). The scene distinctions were Boulders Aplenty, Terrible Drops (which had an attached mechanic increasing the risk of PCs falling down them should they or the giant edge towards them, or break away their edges) and Clear Skies (the PCs had climbed so high there were no more clouds about them).These distinctions establish a context in which the PCs (as directed by their players) take action. They can also be operated upon - eg the PC sorcerer used his magic to dismiss the Unpassable Snow, and again to create eldritch walls and nets to neutralise the threat of the Terrible Drops. In an earlier session, a different PC was able to rescue villagers in need of rescuing by succeeding on actions to eliminate a Frightened Villagers scene distinction.Other systems handle this differently: but in 4e, for instance, one way to convey the really salient elements of a situation is via mechanical specification using the rules for traps, hazards, terrain powers and the like. The setting comes to life through its role in resolving the action rather than simply via description.Once the source of "drive" or momentum in "story now" is appreciated, you can see the error of description in your (2). The PC tries because s/he has hope! And the player, rolling the dice, has the same hope. So there is not disparity at all, but rather congruence!</blockquote>

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