Neverending "Yes ... And" Feedback Loops in Mysteries

[Umbran]

And the only reason I'm being critical about how they're handling it is because they're getting bored. They're "optimizing their way out of the fun."

Analysis paralysis is a real thing.

Fast way out - change the narrative state instead of waiting for them to finish looking for information.

Like - Whoever stole it finds out the party is asking lots of questions. They throw some thugs at the party, hoping to kill them or scare them off. The thugs crack under questioning, or are part of a known gang, or they have other information that can take the players up the rungs of the ladder toward the actual thieves.

Alternatively, "You heard the stolen thing just got sold at auction and taken away to a collection in another city. Investigation is now moot. Here's the next adventure hook."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Like - Whoever stole it finds out the party is asking lots of questions. They throw some thugs at the party, hoping to kill them or scare them off.

Chandler's advice, as per @SJB: Thugs burst in, weapons drawn. Any survivors will know the key clue the party is still hung up on. If they're all dead, they'll have a note in their pocket that clears it all up.

But I still recommend just letting things get weird and crazy. An unintentional multiplanar sex farce will be the campaign you tell stories about for the rest of your lives.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I have a standing though unwritten rule - if interest is flagging for anyone, it’s time for a fight. Something to shake things up.

You are in good company. This is one of my favourite pieces of D&D advice, curtesy of Raymond Chandler:

When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand

Edit: I see it’s already been quoted. I think this advice works better in D&D than for mystery novels.

For a less combat focused RPG than D&D, you can extend it to something that happens that advances the plot if the players spend too long on something. E.g. they are (over) interrogating a suspect when they hear a bloodcurdling scream.

Something I have done is have additional murder victims lined up. The smarter the players play, the more innocent NPCs don’t die.

 

[Umbran]

Chandler's advice, as per @SJB: Thugs burst in, weapons drawn. Any survivors will know the key clue the party is still hung up on. If they're all dead, they'll have a note in their pocket that clears it all up.

I believe one of the FATE rulebooks puts it as something to the effect of, "When in doubt, have ninjas attack."

But I still recommend just letting things get weird and crazy. An unintentional multiplanar sex farce will be the campaign you tell stories about for the rest of your lives.

That would still require them to take action, which they don't seem to be doing.

 

[payn]

I believe one of the FATE rulebooks puts it as something to the effect of, "When in doubt, have ninjas attack."

Worked for Dolph Lungren's Punisher movie and when Steven Segal remade When Harry Met Sally.

 

[TiQuinn]

I know the answers. The theft was intended to kick off the adventure and get the party involved with tracking down the group that stole it. And what the artifact is provides some information about the cult involved.
And I guess the stuff about the artifact is interesting, but I think they're spending way too much time researching the artifact and trying to find allies than doing the exciting stuff and getting the artifact back while they have the chance.
And the only reason I'm being critical about how they're handling it is because they're getting bored. They're "optimizing their way out of the fun."

I would say give them all the details they want in one shot and make it clear that’s really all there is to know.

 

[Deset Gled]

You don't want to just say "no - they refuse to talk to you" or "no - you can't find any information," so you put a little bit of flavor in there, something seemingly unrelated. And then it ends up in an endless loop of tangled conspiracy theories, no one able to focus on the original mission, feeling they can't trust anyone because everyone has some dark secret.
...
What do you do in this situation? Just tell them "no, stop looking for clues and do the obvious thing that you need to do."

I think they're spending way too much time researching the artifact and trying to find allies than doing the exciting stuff and getting the artifact back while they have the chance.
And the only reason I'm being critical about how they're handling it is because they're getting bored. They're "optimizing their way out of the fun."

It sounds like you know the answer, you're just having trouble doing it:

Say "no".

No some "Well, no, but..." long winded explanation with room to wiggle. Not "no" with new tangential information that has a tiny chance of being useful later. A real "no".

At a meta-level, pretty much all of the other ideas people are giving you here are basically fancy in-game ways of telling the party "no". A man with a gun or a ninja attack is a violent "no" to put the players back on track with force. Proactive NPCs can be a narrative "no" that tell the party one plot hook is over and it's time to start a new one. Or you could literally, as a DM, out of character, tell the party "no more investigation" and move on. But the theme is always the same. NO.

I've said before that "Yes, and..." is a tool for improv groups, not RPGs. And the situation you are describing here is a great example of why I believe that. Break the cycle. Be the change. Be the GM. Just say "no".

 

[Piperken]

What do you do in this situation? Just tell them "no, stop looking for clues and do the obvious thing that you need to do."

(To further complicate the situation, I have two players who want mostly to roleplay and investigate - perfectly happy with no fights at all. I have two other players bored out of their minds and disengaging about the convoluted plot.)

Along with three-clue & node based articles ppls already mentioned & what clues generally should consist of, another tip I've found useful is to have a sheet of free-floating clues (the truths, that BookTenTiger mentions) on hand, that on their own function as an additional framework beyond whatever the created or published mystery provides.

It's perfect for these instances you've described. They may not be what the PCs anticipate they'll find, and so function much like a rumor does in a less niche adventure, but advances their progression even if the route e.g. let's explore these connections we feel exist between these rival nations and orgs! does not.

 

[Retreater]

So the group's fissure between who wants to have action VS. who wants to keep pursuing mysteries came to a head last session. Both sides started arguing about what is "fun" in an RPG.

We had a fight. There was essentially a TPK, but they survived (I fudged it - which I hate to do - but the encounter design was my fault and well beyond what they could handle). So the mystery is frustrating to the action players, the TPK combat was frustrating to the action players. The players have no goals or direction. My prep is just a list of "here's another stop on your journey" because if I add any conflict, there's just a never-ending quest log of stuff that doesn't get done.

This campaign is falling apart after 2.5 sessions. And I'm quickly losing the motivation to do anything with it.

I'm trying to apply the Lazy DM tips, but nothing works. They rush past interesting locations. They collect secrets and clues but do nothing with them.

Do I need to run a "on the rails" AP/published adventure? (I had sworn them off, but they're not doing well with having freedom.)

 

[Committed Hero]

So the group's fissure between who wants to have action VS. who wants to keep pursuing mysteries came to a head last session. Both sides started arguing about what is "fun" in an RPG.

We had a fight. There was essentially a TPK, but they survived (I fudged it - which I hate to do - but the encounter design was my fault and well beyond what they could handle). So the mystery is frustrating to the action players, the TPK combat was frustrating to the action players. The players have no goals or direction. My prep is just a list of "here's another stop on your journey" because if I add any conflict, there's just a never-ending quest log of stuff that doesn't get done.

This campaign is falling apart after 2.5 sessions. And I'm quickly losing the motivation to do anything with it.

I'm trying to apply the Lazy DM tips, but nothing works. They rush past interesting locations. They collect secrets and clues but do nothing with them.

Do I need to run a "on the rails" AP/published adventure? (I had sworn them off, but they're not doing well with having freedom.)

Was this an IC fight or players arguing at the table fight? If the players are essentially at odds about what kind of game it's going to be, I think you have to step in and tell both sides to be patient and you will try your best to keep everyone entertained - with the implicit understanding that this might mean alternating story types. Also, you deserve as much input and anyone else about what kind of game you want to run. Make sure your desires for the table are known to the players.