Too much Flavor?

[roguemetal]

Day 8 of running a Pathfinder campaign. I have introduced a menagerie of unique spell components. I have added specifications of robe and garb that factions wear, including defining features of their ranks. I have detailed the symbols that lie among strongholds. I have mentioned what the party's allies wear so they may hope to place where they are from and avoid betrayals. I have described items in the rooms that have value recognized in their markings if recognized. Players could use these as hints, but each and every time they are ignored and the party opts to use high diplomacy and divination to figure things out. Should I stop adding flavor? Was it too much to expect story beyond combat?

[avr]

Ask your players, or get a friend to ask them if you can't get a straight answer. Asking the internet is not your best option here.

[Deophaun]

It seems like you have overloaded them with detail and are trying to insert an additional stage between characters recognizing the physical presence of a symbol and characters identifying that symbol. If the symbols are known, and your description indicates they are, then say the faction it belongs to. You can still add flavor around it, but if the characters know that the priest's robes mark him as the High Heirophant of Heironeous, then you should say that.

And no, it's not too much to expect story beyond combat. But, that doesn't have much at all to do with the problem you described.

[evil-frosty]

They probably just cannot remember all the detail. Maybe you could make them a cheat sheet of relevant details? This might help them start to incorporate them into the game more. For instance for me I will remember something I read more often then something I heard described once maybe twice. So hopefully a cheat sheet will help them remember and then they have the info all right there as well.