Okay Alibaba's cave.
can find out about this quest with the qlist commandor by going to the quest card machine and typing card 118. These are how tyou get clues about quests.
As to the cave itself this one is an interesting one.
To begin, you'll have to go to old carthage excavation camp and then go east from there and you'll find yourself in a desert.
this is a maze rather like the one in the newbie academy. There are various mobs to kill like snakes and such, but the ultimate goal is findin your way out.
somewhere there is a room with a nomad digging, a rock and a plaqe that tells you a little about the cave.
I don't recall exactly the directions here, but if you use the smell command you should find a room that smells of water, go south from here and you'll find an oasis (that is assuming you don't just run into the oasis as I did).
Now here is where I had to learn a command, since in the oasis you need to use "look direction" to find out where to go.
When you find a ridge to the east you can climb the ridge.
Now if you explore the paths you'll find a dying man who tells you that the only way of getting into allibaba's cave is by disguise. So find a thief and kill him, (there is one in the thieve's lookout).
Now, wear the thieves galabaya and go and fin huge stone that blocks off the cave (I believe it's down the east fork of the ridge), the stone should tell you what to do here, though to be honest anyone who has ever heard the legend of Alibaba should know this part.
Now hopefully your in the cave, and it's actually smaller than it seems. Looking in the earns can get you both food, but also disturb some sleeping thieves who are agro, but easy to knock off.
go south until you get to the central hall then take the east passage.
If you explore there you'll find the stables, however exploring north you'll find the dungeon cells with a convenient gaoler.
Do I need to explain what to do here?
Onc eyou have the cell key, checkout the last cell and greet the man in there. note that what you need to say in conversation is fairly obvious, eg, when he asks you if your joining the thieves say no.
He'll then give you some directions if you find Alibaba's office.
Now go back to the central hall and head to the south.
Go through the armory and up to Alibaba's bedroom and search. note that in 4d you often need search several times.
You'll find a south exit, go through there and you'll find a secret passage with a sandal bag. Take the rusty key from that bag and either retrace your steps or search again then go east into the stables.
Now, you need to find Alibaba's office and of course it's west, from the central hall, indeed in the direction of laughter should you use listen.
If you explore south you will find a potter's workshop and south and west finds a kiln, this is a proto deathtrap so avoid it.
Exploring north however the dining hall. if you read the description you'll find a west door, go through here to find Alibaba's office and sure tenough if you check behind the portrait in there you find some directions.
Now here was where I made a miner mistake and got matters wrong, since actually the directions you get are dead accurate and can be followed from where you are provided you search for hidden exits a couple of times.
I however didn't realize about the need to type multiple searches and so went off exploring, which was fine, but didn't tell me how to complete the quest. However if you search in this room, then in the next few rooms along those directions you'll eventually find your way to Alibaba's treasure room and a meeting with the man himself .
hth.
I am getting the strong impression that the quests in this game are! fair, or at least are intended to be fare, but do require searching and making full use of the mud's parza for examining things, and hopefully these should illustrate things a little better.
With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)