I believe the two books also have extra material added to them .

This place is confusing.. Do NPCs carry on conversations between themselves..?
I just made a farmer and I'm utterly unsure about what I'm supposed to do next.. I just talk to people and try to get a job?

What are you talking about?

It's hard to tell NPCs from players, which is good. There's an OOC <> command, which lets you say something OOC, if you're utterly lost.

It's just a bit disconcerting typing think what's this guy on about? I asked him about the weather! and then realising.. oh.. it's an NPC. Of course, I didn't Think that

On the slightly off-topic/on-topic topic of cursing IRE: Lusternia has become way too addictive. I actually counted, and I have discovered that I have slept, on average, 1hr, 33min, 16sec less than I normally do; I have skipped breakfast three times (for those Sunday mornings), lunch five times and dinner once; and I have actually pressed the "Return" and "a" keys so much that the pad thingy below has been mashed so badly that when playing an online FPS, I will randomly strafe to the left or cut short a text message because it takes no force to push them.

I think since Lusternia opened, I've spent roughly...2-3 hours of free time NOT playing on it. I've gone back to sleeping 6 hours instead of 8 like I did in the interval between Achaea and here, actually have more than one friend to talk to, still don't eat at all, and...am doing just as well in school. That's not just addictive.

Not that I'm complaining. I don't really care about any bad effects it has

Best way to tell is usually their descriptions when you LOOK at them. You'll quickly come to tell "by ear" whats written by a player and whats written by the admin

And if when you look, after their brief description, it says "is serving here", or some sort of action, they're probably an NPC.

I started playing SOI awhile back and didn't know what to do so I sat around and found grubs all day. Got boring.

Tip: roleplay.

You must just be used to IRE's systems where you don't need to roleplay, it's just a numbers game.

NO... I just needed some guidance. Also, it is kinda hard when everyone has their own little groups set up already.

Well, I haven't noticed any "little groups" set up, anyone will want to roleplay no matter who you are. And the players will help you if you ask on OOC.