I always thought that the "Traders' Courier Arrives" quest was never really a quest. You just happened upon the guy, talked to him, and made note of it. Could this be changed to register as a rumor instead or something? I know it's not really a rumor either, but it seems lame sitting their in your quests log. As for the moathouse, I kind of think clearing it out should be a quest. There's never any mention made of it aside from your reputation. I never played Vicks and Wedge, but I think that was a good idea. After all, in the LN storyline, for example, Kenter Nevets asks you to go there.
vicks and wedge = munchkin mod. Gaear - doesn't the trader's courier initially show up in purple lettering, showing that there's a quest there you haven't started yet? Like talking to Fruella's dad and hearing he has a daughter of marriagable age (only other quest I can think off which definitely does the same).
Maybe... ...the courier arriving could be linked to the fellow 'helping' with Burne's castle construction; it would thus provide proof of sabotage to Burne & Rufus, and point the PC's toward the traders. The guy in the barn was a groom for the horses in the original module, and that was all he did. Troika were the ones to give him a greater role.
Hmmm, will test. Seem to remember talking to the father of Carl and getting the purple script. Could be wrong though. edit: found it. You get the purple script if you have no conversation skills. Or decide not to use them. Test: load a one party. Run straight to where courier is. Choose option which does not use a conversation skill. Result purple script. I'd agree that the whole trader thing could use a bit more work though.
New but learning I spent the last few hours reading and researching many of the threads here; patches etc. What a community! I just picked the game up for 10$ at a office depot couple of weeks ago. I think I will reinstall the game and apply all the patches and extras as described. But I wonder - having already played through the moathouse - in my inventory there is Larameth's diary and a battle note to the church priest that I cannot read. Were these documents supposed to run movies that didin't run? Or am I missing some way to click-on and read them? win-xp dir-x-9, toee cd and official patch 2 and 3 (put patch 3 in before I found this place) Thanks!
In the bottom right hand corner of a characters inventory screen there are two boxes displaying hands. Dragging an item onto the left hand (so to speak) 'uses' an item. Dragging an item onto the right hand drops an item. Reading is done by dragging onto the left hand to use the book or note.
I'll just add that if u knock back a quest, it comes up purple: eg the obvious example, if u don't take up the drinking game. "No, I'm a paladin, I don't drink to excess. Please go to hell".