ZEPHYR'S PROFILE

>Roy examined the box. But nothing was found inside.
>Roy examined the drawer. It contains clothing.
>Roy examined the stove. A lovely steak is being roasted.
>Roy examined the window. You can see all the way to the town square from here.
>Roy examined the mattress. It contained someone's secret savings! Obtained 100G!
>Roy examined the tree. It's a large oak. It was likely planted here during the second era when...
>Roy examined the ground...

Uhm, yeah, we can see where this is going. Depending on the type of game, you're allowed to examine your surroundings in some form. Some games will only give you messages when you examine something of importance, or when you actually find something, giving you a bare-bones message such as "You found 10G!".

Then there are other games where almost everything you examine will give you a descriptive box. And it that case, it can vary even more. Worst case would be close to giving you the whole back-story of an object, but that is not common.
Some people like that extra step, but most times what you see is what you need in terms of the game scope.

Most gamers love to explore and loot. In that regard, most people will dig through whole houses to find hidden trinkets. Descriptions will be at times appreciated, but when there's an allure to checking everything, it will grow tiresome pretty fast.

Some games will counter this by adding small hints on the object, or use utility-items or magic that show or give a hint of hidden items to avoid mindlessly examining everything.

What level of examine do you put in your game, or how much do you prefer when playing the game yourself?

Secondary question: What are your thoughts on hiding items in an environment that requires such form of exploration?

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For myself, I prefer minimal descriptions. Seeing lengthy dialogue boxes is enough. Examining everything can be such a repetition. All I want to know in the end is if there's anything hidden. It's also comforting to know that not every tree needs to be examined, or else I'd hate every forest segment...