I should know this already, but looking for opinions.

Here is a room description from X3:

"You are in a small cemetery with about twenty-five or thirty roughly etched grave markers. Encircling the cemetery is a high, man-made, stone wall that opens to the south and disappears behind an eye-catching tombstone to the north."

1. From the description, one should infer that 'look behind tombstone' is an intelligent action, right?

Looking behind the tombstone reveals another exit from the cemetery.

2. Should I create a 'look behind' verb for the tombstone or should I create a command in the cemetery 'look behind tombstone; look around tombstone; look at the back of tombstone; etc, etc, etc...'? I guess the dilemma is... are there more logical attempts other than 'look behind tombstone' that I should be aware of? If so, what are they and I assume I should use a command in this example, right?

3. Generally speaking, what is the advantage of using a command vs a verb in a case like this?

By the way, I plan on NOT having object verbs displayed in the panes, only the objects. At least for now I think so.

Verbs:

1. no guessing the input command, but you also have to deal with having the hyperlinks/buttons, less perceived freedom/control for the user vs more
2. the Verb (and thus its hyperlinks and buttons) can be toggled (thus controlled) between hidden/revealed, but this can be difficult if you're not good with scripting/coding (as it involves List/Dictionary Attribute usage)
3. Verbs are for a specific Object
4. anything else I'm missing aobut them

VS

Commands:

1. guess the input command (though you can provide ways, a 'progressive hint to optionally ultimately an answer' sytem, for them to know the Commands), see #1 about Verbs above
2. universal, generally requires more scripting work, and you have to do more 'error and exception handling' scripting
3. I'm not sure if Commands can be toggled on/off like Verbs can be, aside from toggling on/off the Command input bar itself at the bottom.
4. anything else I'm missing about them

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generally, they're about the same functionally... it's more an art as to which is better to use (or whether to use both) for yourself the game maker, the user/player of the game, and/or the various scenerios in your game design.

Verbs are best if you have different things behaving differently to the command, whilst commands are best if you have looks of different things behaving the same.

For EXAMINE <item> is the same behaviour for everythung so is a command. ATTACK <item> might be best as a verb if attacking monsters is very different to attacking people or doors. That only works if the verb script is the type, not each monster; if you are not happy using types, do it as a command. LOOK BEHIND <item> is probably best as a verb if there is more than one thing to look behind; you can add a script for each individual item, all of which are different. The advantage of using verbs in these cases isd that Quest has already determined that this is right objet or type, so you do not have to worry about testing if this is the tombstone.

As HK alludes to, verbs have built-in support for the display and inventory verbs, but it is pretty easy to add it for commands too.

I gotta be honest, I don't know if I'd necessarily think to look behind that tombstone. Unless it had been previously established there was something concealed in that graveyard, or clues in the description itself, or in the description of the wall.

I agree with Marzipan. By putting 'eye catching tombstone' people are more likely to look at the tombstone. How about
" The high stone wall encircling the graveyard opens to the south. Most of the gravestones are quite low. The only point where the wall is obscured is where it passes behind ine particularly high stone with a granite cross." I think this draws more attention to the obscured area of wall. You can then put " You look behind the gravestone. A tunnel leads under the wall into The Oval Office. " (or whatever)

On the subject of commands v verbs. I find that commands are more picky about the wording than object verbs. Commands have to be 'those exact words' or they won't work, verbs are more easy going and allow 'the' and 'a' to be put in or omitted.

There are ways to handle that in a command, but it is a good point. Verbs does it without you having to worry about it.

I do have a hint elsewhere in the game that is optional but there if needed. You can ask other NPCs about the name on the tombstone and they'll tell you that he used to live behind where his tombstone is. I guess it's how difficult I want to make it. I will tweak it a bit for sure so thanks for the advice.

Also thanks for points on verbs and commands. Helpful.

On a side note, I went back and did some editing of X1... WOW. Talk about some really awkward use of commands. I rarely used any verbs and it is a big game! Lol

I would suggest leaving it as it, and seeing how your beta-testers find it. Obviously find some that have not seen this thread.