Who's Afraid of After Action Reports?
WHO WAS THAT GUY AGAIN? The absolute worst thing that can happen in a mystery RPG is for the players to awkwardly sit around in silence because nobody is sure what they should do. The GM feels bad, the players feel bad, and the session grinds to a halt, often until the GM tepidly reminds everyone about Ms. Rodney's missing dog two sessions ago. It's the worst not just because of the awkwardness, but because having to be pointed in the right direction breaks down the entire machinery of an investigative RPG. Making the right connections and teasing apart a complicated situation is the whole fun of playing one! When roleplaying God has to step down from on high to give everyone their quest, you lose out on the joy of solving the mystery. I'm being a little pessimistic and giving a worst-case scenario for the sake of example; getting the game going again is way better than languishing in limbo, it's not bad to reappraise players of their options or remind