PrtyLizardJedi, (I like your new Avatar and Sig pics BTW!)
As far as scripts go feel free to look at the source scripts included in my ORD Mandell mod, that is why I included them, you can learn a heap from them.
Side Quest/Journal Entry Creation
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On side quest creation,
the Journal Blocks and their text entries are controlled by a GFF file called the global.jrl file, and activated through Dialogues.
The
global.jrl file is editable in a
GFF Editor (I use Ewaldtheunimaginatives [
I think thats his name] Java based one), open the file and you will find an entry list, open the global.jrl in the ORD Mandell or Jawa Shop mods I made and look at the last 3 entries, the one for RedHawke (Basic), then Warren's (This one has 2 possible LS and DS endings), and lastly Major Stygians (Basic). Just follow a similar format to what I have there when making yours and you should be good to go.
The only fields you need to concern yourself with is;
Name (CExoLocString) = This is the Name that will appear in the Journal Icon window. (For RedHawke this was simply her name)
Priority (DWord) = The sorted order the quest will be displayed from top to bottom. (I have no idea, I have used 3 & 4, you can always expiriment)
Tag (CExoString) = the refrence text to be referred to in your dialogue files Quest field.
Entry List = This is the area/tree that contains the Text description for the quest itself, and it contains on each sub-node;
>
Text (CExoLocString) = This is the text you want for a particular stage in the quest. (Usually one for the initial aquisition, a possible middle one, and a completion text message) This is the part where you do some of your storytelling, the other part is in the NPC dialogues.
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ID (DWord) = This is the number (In increments of 10 starting at 10, 20, 30, etc.) that you refrence in a dialogues QuestEntry field to change the Journal Text to this particular node.
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End (DWord) = This is set to 0 this keeps the quest entry in the Active Quests window, if this is an ending entry set to a 1 so your quest will go to the Completed Quests window.
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XP_Percentage (Float) = Leave at 0.0 as I have no real Idea what this actually does, I assume you can give Xp with this, I have not tested it.
As you can see the global.jrl is where you write out your new quest so the game can display it.
When you are constructing your dialogues that affect your quest you can have one quest span several seperate dialogues.
For Example: In my recruit RedHawke Mod, the Starting Journal Entry For RedHawke is in the first recruiting dialogue, the next two entries are in the NPC story dialogue while she is in your party, and the ending entry is in the Exit dialogue.
Merchant Creation
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The script to activate a merchant is in the ORD Mandell source scripts as well (
Though you will have to change the merchant tag in the script for your own use).
All you really have to do is create an
NPC and a
dialogue for them with a tree ending with a node that has the PC select something like
"What do you have for sale?" and
you attach the open merchant script at that point, with KT now having a Merchant Editor it is rediculously easy to create the actual merchant file.
With KT simply
open an existing or create a Merchant .utm file for your NPC, place in the Items you want them to sell, and save the .utm.
Pack the (1)activate script, (2)the NPC .utc, (3)the NPC .dlg, (4)and the NPC .utm, plus (5)the NPC spawn script and edited game dialogue (if any) into your module or drop them into override and go in the game to your spawned or placed NPC and test it out.
Check out my Elder Rodian Merchant Mod for reference on how to do a merchant.
Both of these tasks arent really very hard, Quest Creation is just tedious, write everything out beforehand and take notes step-by-step on where you are in the quest creation process, especially what dialogue file activates what stage, this helps immensely.
I hope this helps with a couple of the things you asked about!
dont take any offence bud, im in a jam atm 
RedHawke's KotOR & TSL Mods Site. (Back Up, Thanks to ChAiNz.2da) 
Deadline!!
Linear Mode
