New GM needs help!!!

[Scublacus_Venn]

So. I've been GMing for about a month and a half now. I'm running the Dark Heresy Forgotten Gods module which is very investigation intensive. My warband, however has other ways of dealing with things. For instance, in our most recent session, they entered a camp in which they could have interrogated the smugglers or simply looked around as there was plenty physical evidence to their heresy. However, before anything, they entered the camp with a tank and blasted everything to the ground. I'm afraid that my players will not be getting as much out of the game as they could, as well as missing out on the information in the camp they destroyed. Does a more experienced GM (or anyone, really) have some advice I could use on this problem?

[BWR]

Sounds like there is a difference of expectation for the game. It's important that GM and players are on the same page of what the game is going to be about and how it should progress. I've been on both sides and it is frustrating when you feel that the players are morons or the GM is an ********.
You have basically three options now:
- let them run the game into the ground. While it might be tempting to let them crash and burn due to their own mistakes, this can backfire and cause needless animosity between you and them. If they feel you have been unfair by not telling them important information and then punishing them for not knowing it (in this case, what sort of game it was to be), it's not good. OTOH, some players accept this and if you did tell them beforehand that this was an investigative game and they still act like bulls in a china shop, they have only themselves to blame.

- tell the players that they are Doing It Wrong. This can be done as subtly as AYSYWTDT or asking leadings questions like "will you capture and interrogate anyone?" or as bluntly as "this is an investigative game and you guys will fail if you don't start investigating"

- scrap the adventures as written and turn it into something more in line with what the players are already doing. They want mindless combat, give them mindless combat.

[goto124]

Were the players aware this was supposed to be an investigation game?

Just tell them again.

Then talk with them to figure out what kind of game to play.

Also, I'm curious about how they got a tank in the first place. You meant the literal military tank, right?

[Takewo]

As these fellows here, I think it is important that you talk to them. Tell them that it is supposed to be an investigation game and stuff.

But also, I think it is important that you respect their will. If they want to enter in a smuggler's camp and burn everything. Well, let them do it. I think that leading questions, while a good resource to give them ideas or help, are just that "leading questions". That is, questions that tell your players what they are supposed to do.

Also, if you want another kind of advice, don't rely too much on what a piece of paper says. If it says: "the party must go to the Forgotten Caves of Oblivion" and the party decides not to go, well, then change the adventure according to their actions; but just making them end up there somehow means that they have no impact in the game and are only allowed to follow a predetermined course. Having to stop and figure out tracks or investigate/interrogate/whatever people for the sake of the adventure is pretty much the same. If they want to just blow things up (even if it's not a smart idea given the situation), let them do it.

[Scublacus_Venn]

What is "AYSYWTDT"?

And yes they got a real military tank from the planetary sanctionaries (police force).
They miraculously passed a requisition check for it.

[Shadowsend]

I would say flip it then, and make the "smugglers" actually imperial agents. This helps you in two ways, possibly even more. 1. It makes them use force more carefully in the future. 2. Gives you a new railroad should you need it (their task wasn't finished and it was whatever the original next task was, and since they snafu'd, they have to fix it, or else demerit time.) If the players ask you about it, remember that the Imperium of Man is a VAST bureaucracy which will work against itself depending on the goal and the leadership's corruption level.

The agents who got killed could be following a corrupt leader who didn't care what happened to them, leading the players to start investigating him (create ties to previous trail)

[Lord Torath]

What is "AYSYWTDT"?Yes, Please. My Google-Fu is failing me on this one.

[Brendanicus]

Yes, Please. My Google-Fu is failing me on this one.Are You Sure You Want To Do That?

The scariest words any DM can say.

[bulbaquil]

What is "AYSYWTDT"?

"Are you sure you want to do that?", I think.

[Honest Tiefling]

Are they having fun blasting things apart? I've never played Dark Heresy, through I am under the impression it doesn't lead very well to blasty blasty tank fun time as well as other settings. It could very well be what your players want and will enjoy, so consider a change of tone if you are okay DMing that.

An alternative, is that if your players are also new, sometimes players resort to murder-hoboing if they don't know what to do. They might have missed earlier clues, or are unused to RPGs, or don't know how to use their skills or even how to properly use them, so decided to light everything on fire until something happens. I am not trying to insult them, but I imagine that people with a good deal of weaponry who are in constant, deadly peril who cannot trust those around them are probably going to break and use massive amounts of violence at some point.

[Maglubiyet]

Were the players aware this was supposed to be an investigation game?

Are the game designers themselves even aware of that? Despite their attempt to dress up Dark Heresy as an RPG, it's still based on the 40k wargame.

I mean come on, the first two stats on your character sheet are Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill. What else are you supposed to think? It's basically a step further than the GW mini games, like Necromunda.

Acolytes can pretty much do whatever they want without fear of reprisals. Heresy is everywhere and anyone who resists is clearly guilty. With access to chainswords and flamers and other, much more powerful weapons than RL investigators typically carry, why bother questioning anyone? The game itself is a license to murder.

[neonagash]

I'm inclined to agree with the last poster. And your players.

The entire 40k setting is one of my all time favorite settings. But it's also the epitome of "kill it with fire before it kills me. Then blow up the corpse to be sure " .

Hell the inquisition can legally destroy entire inhabited planets to prevent small pockets of heresy from spreading. They wouldn't bat an eye at the death star wasting Alderaan.

These are not good people. the entire emperium is terrified of inquisitors. They're the gestapo with giant space ships and super nukes.

The characters were playing it pretty much by the book.