[Sigh] Retiring from RPGs. Here's why.

[Calico_Jack73]

It recently hit me: why spend hours preparing a cool horror scenario for my group as I try to master the rules for new WoD when I can just sit down with a bag of chips and play Silent Hill 3?

Two words... social interaction.

I've felt some of the same gripes as you but I keep gaming for the social interaction aspect of the game. The adult American culture has become more and more withdrawn. No longer do people have anything to do with their next door neighbors beyond saying "Hello" when their paths cross coming or going from home. I've seen it happen to my parents. My father used to hit the clubs and have a bunch of friends that he'd hang out with. Now he spends his evenings in front of the computer playing Microsoft Flight Simulator. I love my dad but I never want to get to that state. As I've gotten older, married, and become a father I've found that it gets harder and harder to find a reason to get out and meet new people and playing D&D is a great reason to do that.

 

[Belen]

Anyway, I bid you all farewell. And maybe one day we'll meet again for a session of Star Munchkin.

Biohazard
Old School Gamer, 1980-2006

I agree with you and have been considering something similar for quite some time. I would probably still attend the local gamedays, but I am having an ever increasing difficulty with gaming.

I am deriving very little enjoyment DMing and being a player isn't as cool anymore either. My current plan is to get away from straight D&D style fantasy for a while and see what happens.

 

[Scribble]

I started gaming back in 1980 with the D&D red box Moldvay set. Since that time I've played tons of games and systems, up to and including D&D 3.5. But lately (in fact, for the past couple of years), I have to say that my heart just isn't in it. And I've realized why.

1. I usually DM. And it's so much work that it just isn't worth the time involved. Preparing a new adventure for my group is, in my experience, akin to creating a new board game for them every session. And once they finish the adventure, it's over, never to be used again (at least not by that same group).

Yeah... DMing IS a lot of work... and if you're just not into it, it makes that work feel like 10 times as much. It becomes no longer a hobby, and instead just annoying. Which is no kind of feeling to have for something you have gotten so much fun out of in the past.

Take a break. Step away from it. I've been there before. But as others have suggested, keep your stuff. Pack it away in a box if you have to, but keep it. I remember I had a similar meltdown a while back. (about when I started college.) I was busyt with school, and just bored of spending time writing adventures. I took a break. It lasted about 4 years. I was thinking about selling my stuff. While sorting it all to get ready to take photos of it for ebay, I started flipping through the AD&D DM's Guide... Ideas came flooding in, nostalgia hit... I called a few friends and we started a session. Haven't stopped since.

Now I'm not saying I'm typical of ALL gamers... But why not prepair for just in case.

3. Lately I've been getting into something I never thought I'd enjoy: board games. We've been playing Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Arkham Horror, Attack! and Risk 2210. I'm finding that board games, for me, are just as much fun as RPGs (often more; see #1 and #2) and are FAR less work to prepare. You simply set up the board and play--your mind free from churning over the various aspects of the game between sessions.

Some board games are fun... A lot of good party type games seem to have come out lately. Apples to Apples is lots of fun.

4. Video games. I also started video gaming in 1980 with the Atari 2600 and a recently bought a PS2 and a GameCube with tons of cool platform and survival horror games (my two favorite genres). It recently hit me: why spend hours preparing a cool horror scenario for my group as I try to master the rules for new WoD when I can just sit down with a bag of chips and play Silent Hill 3?

Eh... I can get into video games for a bit... But they quickly get old for me. Toio mindless and uncreative (on my end.)

And chips are greassy and make you fat.

 

[Lockridge]

Biohazard,
Your post reflects many feelings that I've had over the past few years as well. I'm a husband and father in my 30s as well and have recently made the decision to take a break from D&D and read books and play board games for a while.
After a while I just realized that I wasn't enjoying D&D as much. No one has time to prepare anything interesting and the roll-playing game that I loved became little more than a table-top tactical game. Some folks like this but others don't.
Strangely I've also just joined the boards so I guess I'm not looking for a total break.
Good luck - I'm sure you'll be happier.

 

[National Acrobat]

I understand completely, having started gaming back in 1979 with the Blue Book, I recently myself have gone on hiatus, packed all the books up, and have stopped RPing totally for the foreseeable future. For me it was a combination of RL things where I really had to decide what came first, and once I stopped playing with my RL group because of those things, I've discovered that I didn't have the desire to run my online games either.

I discovered that I simply didn't enjoy it at all right now. No energy to put into it, a total lack of creativity and the most important, no drive to do it, which wasn't fair to my players.

So, we'll see what happens after a year or so away from it all, but I can certainly sympathize with you, because I'm there as well.

 

[pogre]

I took a fairly long break from RPGs (over a year) and played some board games in the intervening time. I eventually put together a new group - and you're right that does take effort! I have often been tempted to sell everything during hiatus, but I'm glad I did not.

Good luck and enjot the board games!

 

[Henry]

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.

In Biohazard's case, it seems he's STILL gaming, just not RPG'ing. It sounds like he's using boardgames for his social interactions, and Video gaming when he gets the itch at home on a weeknight. He's still getting in his fun and friends time... just not with RPGs.

 

[Fenes]

1. I usually DM. And it's so much work that it just isn't worth the time involved. Preparing a new adventure for my group is, in my experience, akin to creating a new board game for them every session. And once they finish the adventure, it's over, never to be used again (at least not by that same group).


I think that RPGs themselves have changed; contrast the simplicity of OD&D (1974) with the monster that is D&D 3.5, with its two DM's Guides and two PHB's! I think it takes a certain kind of person to play, and especially DM, an RPG nowadays. Back in the old days, anyone could do it (and did it)--hell, I was 10 years old when I DMed my first game of Moldvay basic. Today, however, it's a full-time job, almost. You have to be a university student without a family who spends hours of times studying the rulebooks to master the game. I'm 35, married, and a father. And I just don't want to devote the time and energy anymore.

You can cut the prep time down enormously with a few tricks.

 

[Geek Messiah]

In Biohazard's case, it seems he's STILL gaming, just not RPG'ing. It sounds like he's using boardgames for his social interactions, and Video gaming when he gets the itch at home on a weeknight. He's still getting in his fun and friends time... just not with RPGs.

Right, in Biohazards case that may be true, but not in all cases (as the person I was replying to seemed to be be sa ying. I have taken breaks and come back and while I was somewhat refreshed I still dont enjoy the hobby like I once did.

If I ever loose my group or I totally have had enough then I am at a point where I will look at it as "it's been 18 years, its been a good run" and I will sell my games off on Ebay and never come back.

I figure I have a good year, year and a half and then I will be done for good. While I am glad others are enjoying it I am just getting burned out and it may be time to move on to something else

 

[Geek Messiah]

Biohazard,
Your post reflects many feelings that I've had over the past few years as well. I'm a husband and father in my 30s as well and have recently made the decision to take a break from D&D and read books and play board games for a while.
After a while I just realized that I wasn't enjoying D&D as much. No one has time to prepare anything interesting and the roll-playing game that I loved became little more than a table-top tactical game. Some folks like this but others don't.
Strangely I've also just joined the boards so I guess I'm not looking for a total break.
Good luck - I'm sure you'll be happier.

Just a quick question: There are other rpgs that cover other genres, have you tried any of those games? Maybe playing something other then D&D will spur your imagination and get you going again.