Is it ok to get bored with the OK group?

[Lacco]

2) Someone mentioned Shadowrun earlier, and that gave me an idea. Play it like Shadowrun. Assume their characters are experienced adventurers relying on common knowledge (in adventuring circles anyway) about monsters. They've been around the block, so they do know to break out the acid when dealing with trolls, just like a competent Shadowrunner can ballpark the abilities and weaknesses of likely opponents. Remove that from your story expectations. The "quest-givers" are, in fact, Johnsons whose only function is to hire (and occasionally betray) the adventurers. The task might not be to go kill the monster, though. It might be to extract information, make deals, bribe officials, retrieve artifacts, extract a prisoner, persuade an individual to switch allegiances, solve problems in ways that bigger guns won't always work. (Diplomancy will need a fix, though.) They might need to hobnob with nobles, they might need to build relationships with outfitters who can supply them with the stuff they need to get the job done, they might need to keep the peace between competing adventurers' guilds. They might need to expressly avoid open combat with any ranking members of the organization they're up against, because it could start a war, or the retaliation would be bad enough that they'd have to go into hiding or flee the city, or some such. They have to engage other elements than "beat the monster's DR" if they want to get the best outcome, or even a non-disastrous outcome in some cases. They've got to be clever, they've got to engage, they've got to accomplish goals that don't just involve "go kill monsters."

Also, throw in time limits and decision points that affect mutually-exclusive goals. Give them decisions they can't just optimize for--if they do X, they can't do Y (unless they come up with something clever you hadn't accounted for but that would work), because there isn't time or because it will otherwise eliminate the opportunity.

That would be me...

This would help - I think. And yes, switch away from the "kill monsters" attitude.

Another idea that would help - they get message that they are needed in the city (a big questgiver with a big heroic quest will need them next week...directly at midnight at the cathedral.

Of course, they get to the city in two days.

...what do they do for the rest of the three days? My way would be to improvise whole city (ok, I prepare some inns, taverns, points of interest, but not whole city) and make non-fighting encounters.

The cutpurse at the market? They catch him, he surrenders.

The priests arguing over whose religion is better? They are best friends, but like to discuss religion - and PCs can join or leave them.

Let them stay there for 3 days. Tell them beforehand that they will have to "survive" 3 days. Switch to slow speed (e.g. you are "resting for the rest of the day? what are you specifically doing...? praying takes around hour. You memorized the whole spellbook. What now? You are boooooored. And there's whole city to explore). Disallow any rolling (e.g. I gather information about some questgivers? Weeeeeell...no. Where do you go? Who do you ask?).

Or - if you are not fine with improvising, prepare encounters - but non-lethal.

...most probably this will freak them out completely

Iacco36 suggests playing a different system as part of their post....

Fri suggests playing a different system as part of their post....

Iacco36 ALSO suggested changing up standard encounters, but when Denthor says the same thing in a more detailed manner...

Bruh. BRUH. BRUUUUH.

Wut r u doin

I think it's standard marketing thing. It's not what you say, but how

When I faced similar issues I introduced a new player into the group - who had a different playstyle. It made DMing a bit harder, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but did change the vibe.

Aaaaand this is golden idea. Find a player that plays the style you like. It can do miracles. I did it once when I GMed for a group of WOW players who only wanted to hit things and got quite bored because they didn't find magic ring in the wolf carcass. I took my best roleplayer, the guy who pulls you into the game with his roleplay. And miracles happened...