Storytelling Minigame improvements

[Navi]

Some storytelling changes I would love to see involve making the storytelling minigame more skill vs difficulty based. Currently, it’s more like a combination system, which while fun, loses its appeal once the sequences are figured out. Sometimes, I want to weave an entirely new sequence of story, but I’m not rewarded for such a thing. I have to follow one of the five sets of elements for a reward.
It seems like all my storytelling skill does after 200 skill is increase the potential riln and experience reward from telling stories, which I have no complaints about. Even so, I am unable to deviate from these preset sequences without losing some riln or experience gain.
Ideally, the system would assign difficulty checks to each element based upon the crowd mood. This would give the storyteller more freedom to weave a tale they desire. Perhaps by deviating from the obvious crowd pleaser story, the monetary reward suffers, but the experience reward should still rival that of the highest reward.
I think some talk has come up regarding random encounters that might require the storyteller to adjust their formula, such as hecklers and random events. I think this is a great idea, and maybe each location where storytelling takes place could have its own set of encounters. For example, a bar fight is more likely to break out in Shadgard’s taverns than the Dominion’s. You are more likely to need to compete for the crowd’s attention at the Mummer’s camp due to so many performers, etc.
If anyone else has any suggestions for these mechanics please do share, as well as any feedback.

[tulpa]

Perhaps more skilled storytellers could tell a kind of 'serial' tale, in multiple locations. They're good enough that a loyal fanbase would seek them out from place to place. The player would get a message when they OBSERVE, something like 'You recognise some of the faces in the crowd. It seems they attended your last performance.' The player could then play to that crowd, picking up elements from the previous episode in their tale for a nice bonus.

I also think higher skilled storytellers should be presented with more complex choices, whereas beginners below 200 skill must choose from a narrower selection of themes and emotions. 'More complex' could also mean additional steps in the process (more than five 'acts' if you like), allowing them to 'weave in' additional elements, as you put it, more easily.