We've been taking a long break from Warhammer, but I've finally started reading The Enemy Within in preparation of running it shortly. During the Menagerie scene there was something that gave me pause. It suggests that Act One would be in story mode and there would be a rally step before starting Act Two in encounter mode.

The whole story mode/encounter mode thing had been a big trouble for me when running the last game. I just always had trouble wrapping my head around it. And for whatever reason it may never have occurred to me or really to let is sink in that rally steps would trigger like that. I guess that's what the Rules As Written say, but I've never done it like that.

Should I? Has that been happening and working for other groups?

I activate "encounter mode" when we go to initiative. Here are the two instances:

1. When the PCs are attempting to INFLUENCE an NPC for something significant. This is because it takes a couple rounds.

2. Combats and chase scenes.

I ditched "acts" all together. Any rule that uses the word "Act" is instead changed to 24 hours. "Can be used once per Act" means once per 24 hours.

As for rally steps, I allow the players to declare when that happens. Sometimes I veto if its in a tense moment.

jh

I keep the loose idea of Act/Episode structure to the extent of modelling that "intense dice-hitting table bits of play (social, combat or other, such as chase scene, research and investigation, a leg of travel) should have the periodic "Act" recovery (rally step) and every 2-3 of those should be a larger break - Episode recovery (the real recovery).

That mechanical reminder about how often accumulating stress etc. can be brought down easily blends into a narrative/play/story reminder that "every few bits of intense dice play, we should reach a conclusion/twist/notable point in story"

You can see in my Steward of Grauwerk adventure for the 2013 Scenario contest my "narrative time" approach.