i have looked at the first few pages here, and i cant see this listed:

ok, first off, i have sold some stuff to this guy at the old camp (for 22 gold/ore...w/e) and i dont see it in my inventory, or anywhere on me screen/info pages, i would have thought it would added to the *ore* chunk i picked up near the start... i was wrong (still only shows *1 blue ore*... now about BUYING stuff... ok, so i sold that stuff for 22 ore, i know this because the stuff i sold is NOT in my inventory, now, when i try to buy stuff (i tried buying 11 ore and a piece of bread which cost less than 22) it wont let me, i click *accept* but the items are still in the *buy* pannel, so i press esc/tab to close the window, hoping it will move over to me, but it doesnt, i tried clicking *refuse* (in case of a bug where the text is reversed) and nothing happens, but obviously when you click *Back* it exits out of the *shop* screen... what am i doing wrong?

So to summerise:

1) where can i see my *gold/ore* or w/e its called?

2) how to actually use the *shops*

and more points:

3) is there anyway to *hot-bar* my weapons/potions? (to use any healing stuff i have to keep bringing up the invent screen to use them, most of the time this ends in death in the time it takes to get to the coorect page/item so i have to save before every single fight)

4) + 5) how do i block? is it *active* (where you have to press a button) or *passive*? (where anything such as shields: i havent found any yet; counts as your defence)?... also, where can i find those people Diego sends me to? (example: Graem is by the north gate... WTH is the north gate? there is no compass)

5) how to find my way around? (landmarks etc) EDIT: SEE NO. 4) + 5)

6) whats the best way to *level up*? doing quests vs monsters vs exploration (if you get exploer exp)?

7)*leveld areas?* ok, so i just blasted my way through the wilderness to the old camp, and the mobs were quite easy... is there any area to *strictly avoid* until im *leveld*? or does the game level as you do? if its the earlier, how do i tell if they are tougher than me (without getting killed... i mean do they have a thing saying *i'm a level 15 orc, you will die*? or something?)

8) some *boxes/chests* i come into contact with are *fake*? by this i mean i have come across one or two and when i press the action (CTRL) button, instead of bending down to it he just kind of *shrugs*, might this be a bug, because even without a lock pick he still *bends down* to some locked chests.

9) anything else i have missed?

thanks

no offence intened (you have been a great help)

but you missed my point... i *sold* some things already from my inventory (they are not there any more) and where my *starting ore* is (the one i grabed near the start) NO MORE appear, (even though i sold stuff for the price of 22) must be a bug??

thanks again

EDIT: for more info about 2) please read the begining paragraph

Oh, right, trading is like bartering, so you put items on both sides before suggesting a deal; if you want something from the trader's site you choose it, whether it's ore or something else. The values are shown at the top. Traders will accept any deal where they get equal or greater value.

Gothic II onwards have traders give gold directly without having to select it.

oh, ok... thanks... so this means i have *lost* the items that i *gave* to the shop?

Best start a new game then... thanks for all your help :)