So i haven't gamed in over a month...

[oxybe]

and i'm really not missing it.

for a while now, my group had been using a system that i wasn't too keen on. the campaign ended and the GM pitched a new one.

i frowned for a bit, but in the end i went "whatever, at least i can hang out with my friends."

so he runs a module or two and things are moving much slower then i had hoped, some of the pitched ideas are falling flat for me and i'm losing interest in the game world. i've long since stopped hoping for the system itself to interest me... after a few years of playing it, i still didn't warm up to it.

so when the last module ended i tipped my hat and thanked them for 7-8 years of fun, but at this point, i'm bowing out. it's not them, it's me.

that was over a month ago. they ran a one-shot while the GM got his stuff in order for the next module in the series and i'm not getting antsy and going "should i email and ask for my seat back?" like i was somewhat expecting myself to do (IE: maybe all i needed was that little break).

but no.

i'm keeping occupied with other things and other friends during the normal gaming night. while i do miss some of them (work schedules and whatnot make meeting up for non-game related stuff hard) i still find ways to keep myself entertained and to be honest, i'm having more fun.

anyone else ever been in this situation? where TTRPGs simply stopped being something you cared about?

i guess i can't say i don't care about TTRPGs. i still do. every so often i'll look up a freebie or hear some piece of information on an upcoming system or that some system i heard about months ago is finally out or getting ready to be released, but beyond that i'm just not interested in running or playing in a game.

[valadil]

I like taking breaks. When I play game after game after game it feels like I'm throwing whatever scraps of an idea for a character out there, just to keep up with the flood of gaming. I'm rarely enthusiastic to play like this and can't get invested in my characters. Fast forward past a 6-12 month break and I've got enthusiasm and ideas again. I don't have to play the first concept I can think of because I have 5 more that are just as interesting. All my best characters have come out when I've returned from some time off.

[Crake]

I like taking breaks. When I play game after game after game it feels like I'm throwing whatever scraps of an idea for a character out there, just to keep up with the flood of gaming. I'm rarely enthusiastic to play like this and can't get invested in my characters. Fast forward past a 6-12 month break and I've got enthusiasm and ideas again. I don't have to play the first concept I can think of because I have 5 more that are just as interesting. All my best characters have come out when I've returned from some time off.

How many different games do you play at any one time? From the sounds of it you go through a fair few games (and different characters) in a short period of time then shelf the character? I could imagine how that would get exhausting and would require a break.

I prefer to play the same character over a longer game, sticking to the same character for over a year if possible, and I find that even short breaks (we usually play any given game once a week, so a short break would be 2 missed games or so) really impacts my play in a negative way, as I find myself detached from the character and unable to get into his shoes.

That said, I also couldn't imagine quitting gaming, I play 2-3 times a week and it's something I really enjoy and look forward to

[Kaww]

I prefer changing systems, changing my role in the party, then being a GM or a ST for some six months or so, rather than abruptly quitting. But, yes I've had a period when for two or three weeks I was sick of gaming* and I felt as if it was a chore. We then switched to boardgames twice a week for about a month or so and I felt like being an ST again.

As for having systems you don't like, I believe everyone has one. I like WoD as a system, in fact I love it, but I dislike playing a werewolf/vampire. Just as I dislike D&D when crazy high level is hit and the world starts breaking down (sometimes quite literally).

* I must point out that we were gaming three to four times a week for 5+hours per meeting.

[valadil]

How many different games do you play at any one time? From the sounds of it you go through a fair few games (and different characters) in a short period of time then shelf the character? I could imagine how that would get exhausting and would require a break.

Back when I did my first sabbatical I was playing three times a week. I knew it was too much but I had a hard time saying no, especially when gaming was the only chance I had to see some of those people.

Otherwise, yeah you're right. I do tend to play in groups that favor shorter games. The reason for this is that we all like GMing. We'd rather give everyone a chance to run a 3-6 month game than have a single GM run a game forever. It probably doesn't help with my burnout.

But I have a kid now so it's a moot point. I've gamed exactly once in the last two years. If I ever find time to game again, I doubt too many games will be a problem I face.

[oxybe]

i don't have as hectic a gaming schedule as some of you guys... i gamed once a week or every other week, depending on scheduling issues or real-life interventions..

and yeah, like crake, i prefer to play one PC over a long period of time, especially if we expect me to become invested in the game world and the events happening around our characters. quickly going from new PC to new PC is a good way to kill my interest in the game.

the last two games i was in were each 2+year long campaigns.

but yeah, no clue if this sabbatical is going to be extended or permanent. i might get an itch to play in a game, but so far it hasn't come about.

just curious if others have been in my boat before.