Some guy on QT3 wrote:

While I know you just listed off abilities in 4E, 3E is not less flavorful. You are just prescribing people's flavor text for them. Instead of, "Some dude charges so I AoO'd him, then whacked him to death with a full attack." It could have read, "I watched the orc charge in and cut down a villager, I threw a dagger to try and gain his attention. It was too late, but suspecting he'd turn and charge me because of the dagger, I readied myself for his attack. Orcs are such predictable creatures. Side-stepping him I caught him with the edge of my blade and then turned around an cut him down with a series of powerful thrusts to his midsection." One is an exercise in creativity, the other is just reading off a list.