Archived comment by Saint:
That sounds like a reasonable theory. A party can easily suck that bad, if most of the group is trying to wander off on their own, or if one or two of the guys in the party really aren't in the mood to play and keep screwing with the stereo, or if one min/max powerhouse character gets all the action and everyone else gets bored. Or, if the general party is evil and you are supposed to be doing heroic acts.

Warning, anecdote time: Once, my party was forced to go rescue a hostage prince. On the way, we wiped out a farm family on the edge of town, so we could have a rent-free place to stay. We burned down a couple of bars. And, finally, the geas over, we muted the king's pet wizard before stripping him of his gear and selling him into slavery.