That way, if you mess up or get killed, you won't have to start over from the beginning. There are often clues there. You can always save your game first. As a matter of fact, there are times when the most illogical of actions may yield results you don't expect, but which are necessary. It's helpful to play with a friend.
Different people find different puzzles easy, complementing each other.
When all else fails, try something else. Sometimes commands which you give may not be understood when you think they should be. Please have patience with the parser and try to think of another way to state your command. Hints will then be given in a order approximating the way you might try things. This is the normal mode.