[UA] Pro-active players (was: Dark Arc got me thinking)

[Aaron Harmon]

Getting players to be pro-active can be a challenge. A friend of mine
recently ran a CoC game and had pretty much given the players every clue
that existed (newspaper clippings, wiretap transcriptions, photos, letters
betwen bad guys. If you know CoC you know what I mean). The players would
keep complaining that they had no idea what they should be doing. So he made
a list of clues, with explanations next to each clue. Everytime they failed
a Notice check, he would reveal a clue to them (that they already had, and
had not followed up on) and explain that if they followed up on that clue,
they would learn SOMETHING IMPORTANT. They still wouldn't follow up on
clues. He wanted to start handing out clues with instructions printed on
them.
Example:
Player: Wow, I really have no idea where to go from here. The story line
really has me confused.
GM: You suddenly have an idea. Remember that letter you found from the cult
leader? You suddenly get a feeling that if you followed up on it, you would
discover something important.
P: What letter?
GM: It's in the file. I gave it to you. It says "Letter from Cult Leader" at
the top.
P: Oh, right. What about it?
GM: Well, what does it say?
P: I don't know.
GM: Well, lets try reading it, shall we?
P: OK. (Reading) "Dear Cult Leader, I sure hope no do-gooders show up to
disrupt our evil ritual. All our plans would be revealed if that happened.
By the way, it is at my place at 11:45PM on the 3rd of June. Bring an
appetizer."
GM: So....you have anything to say?
P: Umm...I got nothin'
GM: How about you go check out that ritual?
P: Why would I do that?
GM: Well, because you might learn something important.
P: Like what?
GM: Nevermind....Wanna play Gears of War?
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