Just another thought on complex key bindings: I don't actually believe that complex item interaction needs a complex interface to work. But the developer will have to get imaginative in new ways. Some examples:
Let's say you want a "Jerome and the lion"-like encounter in the game: A monster/animal with a thorn stuck in a paw. The point is for the player to relieve the beast, who might become some kind of helper. You would add a prefix to make the beast stand out (something like "angry lion" instead of just "lion") and a unique description mentioning the thorn. In a game with a complex key set, you can add a proper command for the situation, something like "Ctrl-P" for "pull out small things that are stuck in bigger things". In a simpler interface, you'll have to emulate the action in a different way. One solution would be to decide that any action that heals the lion results in a message that describes how you remove the thorn and gain a friend for life. Based on current stats and equipment, the player might want to hurl a healing potion at the critter, or apply a first aid skill, etc.
Edible scrolls: In a complex interface, trying to eat a scroll will almost invariably result in a "You can't eat that"-message, but a few special scrolls may be edible. Discovering an edible scroll will of course be a kick, but it may not make up for the hundreds of fruitless efforts to apply every possible verb to every possible item. With a context menu, it becomes less grindy, but also less interesting. Choosing the scroll from your inventory suddenly gives you two options ("eat" or "read") instead of the usual single option ("read"). Obviously, most players will originally intend to read the scroll, but opt to eat it instead, since the possibility is there. Finding an edible scroll may be fun in itself, but the thrill of discovering a hidden property, solving a puzzle, is lost. A more elegant solution might be to add special cases where you can turn something into an edible object. For instance, let's say there is a baker in the village, with a patch of sourdough in his house. Dropping or throwing the scroll into the dough means that the next bread you buy from the baker will have some magic of the scroll, if applicable. This adds a tactical element, as the baker may not take lightly to people dropping random stuff into his precious dough, etc. It also adds a gamble, since baking stuff that's usable, but not edible, will incur a loss, as the item is destroyed and the bread is ruined.
There is also always the solution of adding special objects to perform special actions. That may be klunky in some instances, but it definitely has its uses. For instance, without an "inscribe" command, you might not be able to inscribe the dungeon floor with your sword, a magic staff etc. for special effects. But the developer can add something like a "magic chalk" to inscribe other objects with, spawning a different kind of subgame. The possible complexity is still huge, if the same rune can yield different effects when inscribed on different kinds of objects. "Frost" rune inscribed on "wind" staff yields "ice storm", etc.
So you see, a simpler interface is always better
As always,
Minotauros
