librarius_arcana
First Post
buzz said:
Well in my EXP, if it's what I think it is, it does mean all RPG's,
[Sigh] Retiring from RPGs. Here's why.
Well in my EXP, if it's what I think it is, it does mean all RPG's,
librarius_arcana
First Post
buzz said:
I'm guessing it's a statement, to explain why he's not going to be around/involed/etc
and maybe just to see what everyone would say on the subject
buzz
Adventurer
Maybe poeple hate to see him go. Maybe poeple have been through the same thing and want to talk about how they handled it. Maybe the basic issue of burnout is of interest to people. I'm betting heavily on the latter, seeing as how many other forums have spawned threads based on Bio's post.Mistwell said:
I dunno. I just post here.
Strange, it's been just the opposite for me. When I was working and doing the career thing, it seemed that I had plenty of time for hobbies. After a string of layoffs in the evil business, my number finally came up. Now I'm back at the university going an entirely new direction, and I have little time to devote to things like D&D.
IMO, it's not just having/being a good DM, you also need good players. When I DM, having good players makes it so much easier. It doesn't feel like I'm shouldering the entire thing.
IMO, it's not just having/being a good DM, you also need good players. When I DM, having good players makes it so much easier. It doesn't feel like I'm shouldering the entire thing.
Geek Messiah
First Post
Agamon said:
Actually I know several gamers who left the hobby and havent come back. For some that may be true, but its not true for everyone.
Geek Messiah
First Post
Biohazard
I know how you feel. Before I got the current group I am in it took almost 2 years for me to get a new group.
I too almost quit. Now I play and its ok but its not as fun as it used to be. I have tired running games and playing. I am actually currently triming my games down to only what I use.
If I were to lose the group I am in (due to moving or something else) I would be right there with you, I would sell all my stuff and move on because to me it wouldnt be worth it anymore. But currently I am playing and having some fun so I will stick with the hobby a little bit longer.
Good luck in whatever you do
I know how you feel. Before I got the current group I am in it took almost 2 years for me to get a new group.
I too almost quit. Now I play and its ok but its not as fun as it used to be. I have tired running games and playing. I am actually currently triming my games down to only what I use.
If I were to lose the group I am in (due to moving or something else) I would be right there with you, I would sell all my stuff and move on because to me it wouldnt be worth it anymore. But currently I am playing and having some fun so I will stick with the hobby a little bit longer.
Good luck in whatever you do
Mycanid
First Post
Good luck to you sir ....
I began in 1979. RPG'ing from those days will always be a part of us, no matter where we go or what we do. Those wonderful formative years are always dear to us ... and for several reasons! ... May they be an occasion of gratitude and thankfulness for you and the others who enjoyed gaming with you.
I began in 1979.
RPG'ing from those days will always be a part of us, no matter where we go or what we do. Those wonderful formative years are always dear to us ... and for several reasons! ... May they be an occasion of gratitude and thankfulness for you and the others who enjoyed gaming with you. I've had similar feelings. But, I don't like board, card or computer games nearly as much as RPGs. So, I haven't quit yet. I recently took a hiatus (partly voluntary and partly involuntary) of over a month from my weekly group. It was good. I did some gaming-related stuff, but some I quit for the same period; including reading & posting on certain web sites--I was spending too much time here & elsewhere--so, this is my first post in a month & a half!
Prior to that, I was running Savage Words and loving the much, much reduced preparation and running time & effort required. It really let me focus on the story.
Before that, I got rid of a bunch of RPG gaming material. Some of it was played out. Some of it was just read & enjoyed. All of it needed to go. I could still stand to get rid of more, but I don't feel the urgency anymore. There are a few classic books on my shelf that I will probably never get rid of. The rest needs to be stuff I am using right now.
Last week, I started the Warhammer Fantasy RPG that I thought was dead in the water. I'm running it fast & loose (or quick & dirty). I'm not putting a lot of my time into it. I've already invested time in reading the main book and the module, Karak Azgal. It was too much work to convert it to Savage Worlds or d20, which I might have preferred, and none of the players were too interested in those options. So, I made some small changes to the game to make it easier & more fun for me to run and more epic & enjoyable for the players to play.
So, my suggestion is to find an RPG that better balances your investments & returns. You've already done it with other games. You may even be able to change the way you play your favorite RPG to make it less work for you. In short, do what's convenient for you--everybody else does.
Prior to that, I was running Savage Words and loving the much, much reduced preparation and running time & effort required. It really let me focus on the story.
Before that, I got rid of a bunch of RPG gaming material. Some of it was played out. Some of it was just read & enjoyed. All of it needed to go. I could still stand to get rid of more, but I don't feel the urgency anymore. There are a few classic books on my shelf that I will probably never get rid of. The rest needs to be stuff I am using right now.
Last week, I started the Warhammer Fantasy RPG that I thought was dead in the water. I'm running it fast & loose (or quick & dirty). I'm not putting a lot of my time into it. I've already invested time in reading the main book and the module, Karak Azgal. It was too much work to convert it to Savage Worlds or d20, which I might have preferred, and none of the players were too interested in those options. So, I made some small changes to the game to make it easier & more fun for me to run and more epic & enjoyable for the players to play.
So, my suggestion is to find an RPG that better balances your investments & returns. You've already done it with other games. You may even be able to change the way you play your favorite RPG to make it less work for you. In short, do what's convenient for you--everybody else does.
Thanks for your support of the hobby and good luck!
I know a lot of guys in your same situation. My gaming group switched to boardgames (so many great ones nowadays) and the occasional Moldvay-Cook D&D game. 3.5 requires a significant investment of time to play and that just doesn't appeal to a group of guys in their 30's with demanding jobs and families.
Don't get rid of your books though. Your kids will thank you.
I know a lot of guys in your same situation. My gaming group switched to boardgames (so many great ones nowadays) and the occasional Moldvay-Cook D&D game. 3.5 requires a significant investment of time to play and that just doesn't appeal to a group of guys in their 30's with demanding jobs and families.
Don't get rid of your books though. Your kids will thank you.
Same advice on books.
Also playing since '79, also father and, well, not quite 35 (34 so far). Because of my traveling ways (I hate staying in one state/country more than 6 months) I DM off-the-cuff a lot. And I haven't had a steady gaming group in years. The last time I tried, I found that EQ and the random Jihad/Illuminati game caught my fancy much more. Ah, computer graphics.
Anyway, jump 5 or 6 years, and a new continent. Here I am in Poland, married and with a baby, and we were at the grandparents one weekend - on a little farm in Poland where I don't speak the language. Because it's a 'little' boring there, I thought I'd break the monotony by throwing an impromptu D&D game for my wife and her two brothers (bastardized 1e/2e combo from memory). The next month they started buying books and dice. The next summer my wife, my baby and I went to the states. We found a group and played all summer (and I got to meet my longest-standing RL hero, Gary Gygax, after talking to him on these boards - thanks so much ENWorld and Gary!). Then we returned to Poland.
After talking about it for months, I realize I am excited by the idea of playing again. I order some stuff from eBay (getting books in English in Poland is expensive and tough). And now we have a new gaming group, consisting of me DMing, my wife and her brother, and three other friends. None of the three friends had gamed before. One barely speaks English. Except for an emergency RL trip to Berlin for one player, no one has missed a session yet. And I am remembering how much I Love gaming.
OK, there is a point to all this. Interest comes and goes depending on many things, including real life and other options. Maybe you'll come back to it, maybe not. It's a game. It's meant to be fun. If it's not, something else is all groovy. I haven't played C&C, but heard its rules lite, so that's an option. Random card games (Illuminati is my favorite) are options. Board games and video games are obviously options. Beer and pizza is always an option. So's an afternoon/evening hanging out with your kid. Whatever you do, just be glad ya did it. And trust me about the sunscreen.
Take care man,
Aaron
Also playing since '79, also father and, well, not quite 35 (34 so far). Because of my traveling ways (I hate staying in one state/country more than 6 months) I DM off-the-cuff a lot. And I haven't had a steady gaming group in years. The last time I tried, I found that EQ and the random Jihad/Illuminati game caught my fancy much more. Ah, computer graphics.
Anyway, jump 5 or 6 years, and a new continent. Here I am in Poland, married and with a baby, and we were at the grandparents one weekend - on a little farm in Poland where I don't speak the language. Because it's a 'little' boring there, I thought I'd break the monotony by throwing an impromptu D&D game for my wife and her two brothers (bastardized 1e/2e combo from memory). The next month they started buying books and dice. The next summer my wife, my baby and I went to the states. We found a group and played all summer (and I got to meet my longest-standing RL hero, Gary Gygax, after talking to him on these boards - thanks so much ENWorld and Gary!). Then we returned to Poland.
After talking about it for months, I realize I am excited by the idea of playing again. I order some stuff from eBay (getting books in English in Poland is expensive and tough). And now we have a new gaming group, consisting of me DMing, my wife and her brother, and three other friends. None of the three friends had gamed before. One barely speaks English. Except for an emergency RL trip to Berlin for one player, no one has missed a session yet. And I am remembering how much I Love gaming.
OK, there is a point to all this. Interest comes and goes depending on many things, including real life and other options. Maybe you'll come back to it, maybe not. It's a game. It's meant to be fun. If it's not, something else is all groovy. I haven't played C&C, but heard its rules lite, so that's an option. Random card games (Illuminati is my favorite) are options. Board games and video games are obviously options. Beer and pizza is always an option. So's an afternoon/evening hanging out with your kid. Whatever you do, just be glad ya did it. And trust me about the sunscreen.
Take care man,
Aaron
