ProtoRPG:Conversations
Talking with people is the best way to collect informations and help you progress through the game. Talking to merchants allow you to buy and sell stuff and pay for services. Conversations are started by using the Talk command (press T and then the direction to the character you want to talk to).
Once the conversation starts, you can ask people about something by typing keywords. Most people will tell you their name and job, but beyond that it's up to you to pick up keywords in what they say and ask them about it. You can end a conversation by just using the bye keyword.