Man in the Funny Hat
Hero
I'm nearly 56. Been playing D&D since 1976. Only thing that has prevented me playing in the past (or will in the future) is getting a group together to play.
I Discovored D&D Later In Life Than I Would Have Liked And I Worry That....
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Taking a long hiatus from gaming helped with that. When I moved back to my hometown and re-established old friendships I had lots of gaming catch up to do.
Kickstarter also helps. I have more disposable income now that I did when I was younger and it is nice to support game developers and I can't be accused of not trying new games. Some never make it to general distribution.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
One thing that I'm learning about TTRPGs that I would never have expected back in the 80s is that they are an excellent cross-generational activity. I don't mean as a family game, I mean for creating and maintaining friendship across generations.
In America at least, we have this artificial age-based social strata that we tend to keep to. Obviously having kids or can influence who you are going to spend time with, but even with kids out of the picture, we still tend to keep within fairly narrowly defined age groups in our recreational choices, in who we hang out with as friends. I think it is because RPGs draw so heavily from our communal story telling behavior.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Kyle, not sure that you are still following this thread, but, as others have written, don't worry about it.
If you truly enjoy your life and are satisfied with how you are living it, but find you don't have time or interest in gaming any more...what's the problem? I think you are more worried about losing things important to you as you mature and take on other responsibilities. This is a concern as old as humanity. Maybe it is more of an issue in modern, Western societies, especially America, where we worship youth, created the concept of "adolescence" as some separate phase of social development, and drag adolescence on into our 30s in some cases.
But adults have always played. Adults have always gamed.
The creators of this hobby we enjoy were older. They were influenced by middle age men who designed the war games that influenced them, who were influence by the strategy games that were designed and played for thousands of years in nearly every culture you study.
Kids play with pebbles. Adults makes codified rule sets to create adult challenges that they can enjoy with other adults and they call it Go. Figurines become chess. Toy guns become real guns for hunting, target shooting, skeet, etc; rough housing and running around with other kids become sports.
From the Egyptians playing early forms of chess with carved figurines (action figures), the Chinese and Japanese playing Weiqi/Go with pebbles, the H.G. Wells getting on the ground with other grown men to play war games with tin soldiers, we've played.
I stopped playing TTRPG when I went to college. Didn't miss it. Had new friends, girl friends, new activities and interests, a lot of work to do, then there was post-grad studies, career, family, etc.
I got back into gaming a few years ago, in my early 40s. Move back to my home town and some old friends were still gamers and they introduced me to some board games and card games I really enjoyed. I missed out on the board game explosion in the 90s. God are games better now. Missed out on the collectible card games. Hated Magic the Gather when I had friends just starting to get into it. Still don't like the random-pack collectible aspect of games like MTG or Pokemon, though I'll enjoy playing with someone elses cards and I do like deckbuilding games like Smashup.
But it was Skyrim that got me back to D&D.
Never was a huge computer gamer, though I enjoyed games like Zork and such that I could play on my TRS-80 as a kid or on my friend's more game-friendly Commodores and early Apples. Friends and I used to write our own text and simple-graphic adventure games, because there just wasn't that much to buy. But I hadn't played computer games since graduating from high school. I bought the PC version of Skyrim on impulse when my wife and kids were visiting family overseas for a couple months.
I was blown away. The graphics on my large plasma screen tv were amazing. My love for fantasy and character building and leveling was rediscovered. I spend nearly every non-working hour playing, until I started getting irritated and bored with it. After the main storyline was completed, it was just house building game and the side missions were formulaic. And it was a lonely, solo hobby.
Just about that time the 5e PHB came out. I bought it because Pathfinder turned me off. But 5e was like a cigarette to an ex-smoker. It was an old lover who was still in great shape and better looking then ever, just more mature and easier to hang out with. I started building my campaign world, got some old friends together to play some sessions, and was soon posting for players on Meetup.com
Still have work and family, so I only run games once a month, but I make sure to work it in. I go to the local Con once a year to get in my fix to PLAY rather than DM.
I've also discovered a lot of new, innovative games and rediscovery old favorites with a make over.
The hobby will always be there for you. Take care of whatever you need to take care of in your life. Don't worry about having to take time away from the hobby. If you like what you are doing with your life, keep on doing it. The hobby will still be there for you when you get back and it will look fresher for it. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and all that...
That said, one bit of advice. If you marry, or otherwise get in a long term relationship, make sure your significant other understands your interests, even if you are not active in them now. You don't need to marry a gamer—fine to have lovers and spouses with different interests. But it can be hard for an S.O. to adjust to you taking 4 hours a week, 8 hours a month, etc. for gaming if that hasn't been part of the rhythm of your lives. That is the biggest challenge with being away from the hobby and getting back into it when much older.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
One thing that'll really help, if you can swing it, is to find (or start) a stable settled group to game with: people who have lived in your town long-term and don't look likely to leave, people you've known through college, etc.
Lan-"worked for me"-efan
Wepwawet
Explorer
I'm now 37 and I'm playing D&D more than I ever did!
I also started at college, but most games I played then lasted about 2/3 sessions. I even tried my hand at DM'ing but it was way too much work as I had to do it all myself (and honestly, the resulting story would be alright at most).
Now I have plenty of money to spend on books and Adventure Paths, which makes running games much much easier. The time is a problem, but I managed to find a group of interested players that put some time aside every two weeks to enjoy D&D.
I basically stopped playing videogames now, I don't have the time, and because of D&D I find that my actions are very limited, and I find the gamist need to find potions and magic items in the most unlikely places quite annoying
I also started at college, but most games I played then lasted about 2/3 sessions. I even tried my hand at DM'ing but it was way too much work as I had to do it all myself (and honestly, the resulting story would be alright at most).
Now I have plenty of money to spend on books and Adventure Paths, which makes running games much much easier. The time is a problem, but I managed to find a group of interested players that put some time aside every two weeks to enjoy D&D.
I basically stopped playing videogames now, I don't have the time, and because of D&D I find that my actions are very limited, and I find the gamist need to find potions and magic items in the most unlikely places quite annoying
smbakeresq
Explorer
I am 48, its better now playing with the kids 9 and 11 then when I was that age playing with my friends. As you age you really enjoy building PC more and role playing more, especially with aa group older people like me as you have less reservations about embarrassing yourself then you did when younger. I have a group we play in and one guy had an elf ranger with a throat injury wherein he couldn't speak. Would never speak at the table. I played a dwarf fighter and would just drink beer the whole session, when the wizard and bard talked strategy too long I would just charge in to start combat. The bard would sing spells at the table. Fun stuff.
smbakeresq
Explorer
This is key also, you can afford stuff and also you can search the intertubes for stuff. As you get older you appreciate the world building more instead of running the stat blocks.
Kyle Johnson
First Post
Thanks Again Guys 
. I can relates so much to what i've read here. I think i just left my long term adolescents earlier this year. I'm truly becoming an Adult and going through several stages of growing up all at once. I will say already now that my routine is getting settled i'm finding time and energy for my gaming self. I'm excited about growing up but didn't wanna lose a part of me that was so important for so long. It's nice to see that that Kyle will be with me in some form throughout my life.
Also great community here. I notice tabletopers are some of the nicest people you can meet.
. I can relates so much to what i've read here. I think i just left my long term adolescents earlier this year. I'm truly becoming an Adult and going through several stages of growing up all at once. I will say already now that my routine is getting settled i'm finding time and energy for my gaming self. I'm excited about growing up but didn't wanna lose a part of me that was so important for so long. It's nice to see that that Kyle will be with me in some form throughout my life. Also great community here. I notice tabletopers are some of the nicest people you can meet.
