Sometime when you do the right things somebody will tell you what to do next, sometimes you just have to find it out yourself. The clues are mostly there, but often very obscure. Put these in the front row. During the course of the game some characters will have to be dismissed. Shops are open from 6 hours through 21 hours.
Inns are always open.
You will probably loose some or all characters, so save often. It is sometimes best to heal people with spells before sleeping since sleeping doesn't heal very much but always restores 50 spell points. It seems that the thieves' power increases in proportion to your own so it is always possible for someone to die no matter how experienced you are. Don't forget to keep an eye on your strengths during battles since if you becone too weak your blows are of no use. It is also useful to note what items each shop sells so you don't waste time looking for something later.