the easy way to solve this is to be like star ocean and make the player use his/her eyes and common sense to figure out problems instead of the heavy hinting that is in most games
Wrong way
Random NPC:"oh my i left my necklace in the haunted caves . could you go fetch it for me

Main Character" really i will go check it out" if shes so weak why did she ever go there

Right way
Main character: enters town and is about to leave when a woman comes and tells him her friends have disappeared and more thugs are around. The game ppl will have scorch marks in the field that will lead him to a volcano

subtle hints make games better and more realistic