Asking myself "Why?" about gaming lately...

[reapersaurus]

[parody] Hello, all.

My name is Dr. Midnight, and I use these boards as a personal therapy session.

Every other month, I state some personal factoid and effectively troll for people to prop up my personal life. [/parody]

Doc - get a sac and talk to the people.

Preferrably at the table, when the situation is fresh and clear in all your minds.
Not just the DM.
If the style of play is not "to your liking", than either do something about it or shut the hell up.

You're an adult, and a highly rational creature.

Don't look to others for the maintanence of your own feelings and interests.

 

[EricNoah]

Eric, what sorts of signs are you seeing that might lead you to see "the day?"

Oh, you know, typical mid-life crisis stuff. Why don't I have kids yet (not that I want any, but why don't I and what do I want to do with that energy instead), what will my life's legacy be, some recent reminders of my own mortality. The feeling that I don't read as much as I used to and actually may almost now be incapable of reading a story without thinking "ah ha, that would make a good idea for D&D." Then there's the feeling that (in terms of D&D) there might not be that much "new" to do when you've been doing it this long. But it could just be that I'm a little burned out on DMing (been doing it for about 7 years straight).

Or it could be that left over Chinese food...

And I don't see it coming right away by any means. But as time goes on it does seem less and less likely that I'll be doing this forever.

 

[EricNoah]

And also - Eric is an ENnies judge and does a number of other RPG-related activities, as well as having publishers send him their wares...he must be around RPG stuff constantly.

Literally. I can barely move through my office any more!

I've GOT to get some bigger shelves...

 

[EricNoah]

[parody] Hello, all.

My name is Dr. Midnight, and I use these boards as a personal therapy session.

Every other month, I state some personal factoid and effectively troll for people to prop up my personal life. [/parody]

Doc - get a sac and talk to the people.

Preferrably at the table, when the situation is fresh and clear in all your minds.
Not just the DM.
If the style of play is not "to your liking", than either do something about it or shut the hell up.

You're an adult, and a highly rational creature.

Don't look to others for the maintanence of your own feelings and interests.

Uh oh! Folks, we have to keep our voices down, we evidently woke reapers-R-us from his nappy nap! He's all cranky!

 

[Nightfall]

I personally won't forget you Eric! I'll make a point to carve on my tombstone "Eric Noah was a great man, and to him I owe the loss of the rest of my sanity." That make you feel better Eric?

 

[reapersaurus]

Uh oh! Folks, we have to keep our voices down, we evidently woke reapers-R-us from his nappy nap! He's all cranky!

LOL
What is this, a Support Group?

If Doc (or you, or anyone) is going to wuss out and vent to others about what he should do, when he is clearly the only one that should be determining that (and I'd think his course of action would be painfully clear), I'd think a little tough-love shouldn't be a surprise...

 

[madriel]

Tom, I think you need a break from your current group maybe even from D&D entirely. It sounds like there's too much real life friction between everybody. Take a break before it starts to affect relationships away from the table. Trust me. I was in Holy Bovine's campaign that broke up five years ago and some of those friendships were never the same again.

 

[Nightfall]

Completely off topic but I have to say, Madriel is the BEST clerical poster I know!

 

[Henry]

Oh, you know, typical mid-life crisis stuff. Why don't I have kids yet (not that I want any, but why don't I and what do I want to do with that energy instead), what will my life's legacy be, some recent reminders of my own mortality.

Been there, doing that now. My wife and I are going down this exact road right now. We are at (PAST) the age where we are supposed to be "settling down," having the 2.5 children, etc. But we feel no paternal or maternal instinct whatsoever towards having our own, and wondering what's wrong with us. It's a growing trend that many couples are having children either very late in life, or not at all - and as far as we are concerned, it's O.K.

But it could just be that I'm a little burned out on DMing (been doing it for about 7 years straight).

BINGO!

I have learned over the years that the worst thing that can kill a hobby for you is to immerse yourself in it. The time in my life (recent up until this year) where I was ONLY taking in Genre stuff was the worst for my ideas and creativity ever.

Just don't get back in like you used to be, Eric. You are the type that gives 125% to whatever you set your mind to, and that's not always healthy.


Doc Midnight.

My advice follows same lines for you. If you find a hobby not fun, do something different. D&D is not like smoking - you don't have to give it up forever. Play if the mood strikes you, do something different otherwise. Your best bet might be to organize "board game night," or "basketball night" with your friends. Make it about the getting together and cutting up, not about the game itself. My friends and I play D&D predominantly, but it's not really about the game - it's about the friends and the cutting up for the weekend. A good game night always recharges my batteries for the week, whether we played an RPG or just went out to see a movie together. There's only one thing that charges my batteries more, but that's just between me and my wife.

 

[Weeble]

It all boils down to what you think happens after you die.
And having kids? Don't rush. We have plenty of mouths on this planet to feed already.