Ironically, "strict situation linking" tends to be the least use of the "as though/if" that I have, due to as being previously described, it's seldom necessary. *Coughs.* Unless one goes afk for just a few seconds due to handling some RL thing.
Generally, it looks like the primary use from most peoples' part is to further enhance the emote itself.
A simple *smiles* tends, in my opinion, usually tell a little bit too little. It looks so... flat... Sometimes, one just does "smile-smile", but many other times, one does it in a specific way that the text-wise *smiles* does not tell.
An improvement would perhaps be *smiles brightly*, *smiles sadly*, *smiles foolishly*. I would already consider that quite enough.
But... *she smiles brightly as she steps through the door to the candy store, looking around with eyes wide open as though she had not seen candy for ages* tends to be even more interesting in my opinion! While one could of course have cut it down, leaving the "as though she had not seen candy for ages" out to be left for rolls, I personally find the "unnecessary rolls" a little bit flow breaking. If it's "important" like if you were in a conversation with someone known to backstab another in the blink of an eye, a roll is perhaps best in those situations to see if a smile is geniue or not. But... hrm... I find the situations as best if two people can handle it without any rolls nor any OOC (!) at all! Tricky, yes... and not always feasible nor wanted...
Just a few examples taken from in game:
*She tilts her head slightly as the little one is still turning the glowing ball back and forth, a tiny frown on her forehead as though being in deep concentration.*
*She nods a little bit, although quite absentminded, as though not really noticing what she's nodding to.*
*She leans a little bit closer, her face shining in curiosity, as though that would help her to have a slightly better look at the book.*
*She smiles and looks down at her child, carefully wrapping the blankets around her as though to shield her from the night.*
(etc, etc...)
And lastly to steal an emote from Acacea...
*She listens to the 'sound' of him, trying to hear again what she noticed before, and hums echoes of that which is suppressed as though trying to tease it out or better understand the nature of what is heard.*
Acacea wouldn't be Acacea if she had just written: *She listens to the sound of him and hums.*
... would she?
Edit: Oh... by the way... short comment on that... in many situations, an extra descriptive emote by itself already explains what the emote is directed at. For example, the book one... there is little to not doubt that it's a response to the book being presented!
And... last comment! The "as though" and "as if" are just... "like"... It does not truly tell what exactly one's character thinks about the situation. It's to give a more clear picture of who it's done, not trying to say "this is exactly that way". I generally try to aim it so it becomes descriptive in a way that I think most others would think how it was!
Like... the candy store emote... If someone answered to that: *He laughs heartily when watching her.* Do you want me to buy you some of it?
The answer from that could as well be: *She glances back at him with a puzzled expression.* Buy... what...? Oh!! *She laughs a laugh mirroring his own laugh.* That's great! I collect price tags! *With her fingers drumming on her forehead, she murmurs.* Although... I'm not sure you can buy the price tags themselves...
