How do you know when it's time to leave the hobby?

[civsmitty]

More and more lately, I find myself...disenfranchised? with 40k. I find myself actively avoiding games of 40k, every new release brings on a deep wave of cynicism in me, and even the community itself is deeply polarized about the game now (like it or you're wrong; hate it or you're stupid). 

 

How does one know when it's time to pack it in and leave? I feel nostalgia is the only thing keeping me here.

Edited October 3, 2017 by civsmitty

[Sete]

Well I feel the same way. I'm still around holding a candle for Guard/Inquisition/BT.

 

Haven't played for a while aswell.

But it's part of my daily routine at my breaks at work to have a look at the forums, and see the news and the general shenanigans of the hobby.

Ayne in the future things will take a turn for the best.

[Schlitzaf]

1) It’s a chore to play. Your only playing a game due some kind of notion of weekly obligations (Dailies on MMO’s are a good example of that)

2) Your first thought on getting a new army or otherwise is trying to get cheaper miniatures*

3) You have let your army fall into disrepair. If you aren’t motivated to repair a broken arm (assuming it’s not the lack of time), you are less likely to want to sit down and game with the model.

4) Finally most of the time you spend at an LGS is web surfing alone not hobby’ing or engaging with the rest of the community.

 

Ultimately it’s a hobby, we grow up. Bare with me for a moment. But 5 years ago, Toy Story 3, came up. Andy stopped playing with toys and which gave set story and theme that Pixer wanted to talked up. He grew up and went off to college. And left Woody and company with a new kid. While you need not do the “get rid of your models,” your not the same person when you got into the hobby. The hobby isn’t the same, as it was when you first joined.

 

Life goes on. Time goes ever onward. And things change. If you are simply bored, you find the hobby taxing and otherwise. Drop it cold turkey. No one gonna judge you. Miss you, maybe. But judge doubtful.

 

In other words don’t be Willy from “Death of a Salesman”.

 

*Your first and primarily reason to buy a model in this hobby is you like the look and want to make it. If buy something (if you could in theory afford GW prices) simply because it’s cheaper, and for literally no other reason (I.e not because it looks aethestically or visually similar to the GW product or that you prefer it over aethesically over GW, just that is cheaper). I’d ask yourself is 40K, the game system you want to play. There are other miniature wargames that are cheaper and more balanced/streamlined.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Schlitzaf

[the jeske]

If your pro activly avoiding w40k stuff, then it is time to leave. In general if something like w40k isn't fun anymore a break is a good thing. If after some substential time you return and it is still not fun, then it is not something for you. And there is nothing wrong in that.

[WarriorFish]

Maybe when you start asking people on the Internet what to do If you're not enjoying it as much take a break. It might just be some burn out or perhaps you want to do something else with your spare time. I don't think anyone ever does one hobby solidly, you'll naturally migrate in and out of things. Maybe you never come back or maybe you do. Just see how it goes

[Shockmaster]

The minute a hobby stops being enjoyable then it is time for a break, trust me it can do you a lot of good to step away, I just got back from an almost five year break from playing 40k/GW and now I am enjoying this hobby as much as I did when I was a kid first starting out.

[Brother Christopher]

Civsmitty, is it really only nostalgia that keeps you around or maybe you've also invested a lot in the hobby, both time and money. How large of an army (or armies) do you have?

 

I feel rather disaffected with what's going on in the hobby - I can't find the time to actually play the game, I'm disappointed with the lacklustre and sub-par rules for the Black Templars, I'm not a fan of the advancement of the plot and the introduction of Primaris. But I have collected a massive army that is done in maybe 30%. And although I'm not interested 'in the hobby', I still treat my army as my hobby and find pleasure in painting and converting miniatures. Also, despite a certain radicalisation of the community, this forum remains an entertaining place.

[NovemberIX]

It sounds like it's time to pack everything up and walk away for a while. It's all to easy to get stuck in a loop, especially when part of that loop is habit. From how many threads and posts I've seen about regret, I'd say hold on to your models and what not, but take the break, walk away, see if it comes back to you in a year or 3, if not, then maybe it'll be time to pass your stuff onto a new hobbyist.

[Rik Lightstar]

I've had a couple of long breaks, enforced and out of choice, and in both cases I've benefited from them in the long term.

 

Even in terms of shorter breaks, maybe a 6 or 12 month rest would be beneficial.

 

For me, finding other hobbies really helped, yes juggling them is hard and I tend to be more of a hobby butterfly these days, DnD or similar for a while, then 40k or X-Wing, sometimes I just do more running instead or I find a new game like the Marvel Universe game which I enjoyed while it lasted.

 

If your hobby is a chore/obligation/commitment and you'd rather be doing something else, then it's time to move on for a while. Otherwise you actually risk becoming somewhat toxic to your local community too.

 

I would say however, don't sell all your stuff, or give it away, or bin it, keep at least one army and some scenery if you have enough the space, you might well be glad of them in the future and the money has already been spent.

 

Rik

[Rik Lightstar]

I felt the other thing you mentioned deserved a separate reply.

 

Tribalism in online communities is pretty endemic these days, everywhere online it's almost required to align yourself to a particular group, be it politically (right/left), your views on new models (amazing/terrible), your opinions on films or products (1 star/5 stars), there seems to be less room for or acceptor nuanced views these days and that's certainly bleeding into hobby forums.

 

It is certainly less prolific here however than many places and that is I suspect almost exclusively down to the Mods and Admins here steering a steady but difficult course between balanced moderation and censorship.

 

Rik

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

DO NOT SELL YOUR STUFF! 

 

Take a break if you need to.

 

Pack the models up and put them in the closet if you need to, but I've personally known several people and read of many more on the internet who got burned out for a while and sold all their stuff and then regretted it a few months or years later. 

[Dagoth Ur]

DO NOT SELL YOUR STUFF!

 

This, so much this. I got out of MtG ten years ago and sold most of my stuff, only to come back three years ago and lamenting all the stuff I lost in sentimental value. Now, whenever I feel like dropping out of a hobby, I carefully pack it up, put it somewhere dry and safe and bid my time. You know how they say, once addicted to plastic crack, always addicted to plastic crack. Just put your stuff away and do something else. Maybe pop into your store/online community every once in a while, maybe something will grab your attention.

[Adeptus]

Yeah, don't sell your stuff. Put it in a box, stick it in the attic/basement/shed and leave it there for now.

 

Have you tired of 40K specifically or wargaming in general? I find that I get burned out on any given wargame if I don't take a break now and then. At the moment I'm in full 40K swing, every day is painting 40K models, working on 40K terrain, planning new armies, etc. But I know I'll get bored wtih it, probably after getting a pantsing from the new Astra Militarum codex, and I'll want to take a break for a while. Then it will be back to SAGA, X WIng, Armada, Shadow War: Armageddon, NetEA, etc.

[civsmitty]

Civsmitty, is it really only nostalgia that keeps you around or maybe you've also invested a lot in the hobby, both time and money. How large of an army (or armies) do you have?

 

 

Probably 4500 of Orks and a solid 8000+ in preheresy Alpha Legion.  I love painting Orks, but the thought of playing...eh.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Honestly, the burnout is with 40k specifically. I've got a Heresy game coming up I'm excited for and I'm happily painting and basing both AoS and Bolt Action armies.

[Brother Sefiel]

Hello

I've played one game since 8th arrived, and it makes me feel a little disappointed from time to time, but GW's actions have disappointed me more.

It's certainly not impossible that things will improve in the future (but that's probably 5+ years down the line, if ever).

Unless there's a pressing need for space/money, keep your stuff.

[Slave to Darkness]

I know how you feel, I have no love for 40k now, the rules are awful and the fluff isn't much better. But as others have said just take a breather, try something else for a bit. I've started playing Lion Rampant and SAGA to keep me going and I am totally hyped for Necromunda. Just sit out 40k for a while and enjoy the finer things in life like red wine and fine cheeses. :D

[m0nolith]

Come to Heresy.

30k as it is isn't just a result of the rules, models, lore etc etc.

 

A big component of what makes 30k be 30k is the fact that a significant portion of the player base came to it from 40k because they felt exactly like you do right now. It's really the players that make 30k as fun as it is because 30k attracts those players who don't want to put up with the things that you seem to be tired of.

 

For whatever reason, with a few exceptions, you don't come across "that guy" in 30k.

 

The nostalgic feelings I have for the former thing that 40k used to be, I feel for Heresy in the present, so it can't really be nostalgia then.

Edited October 4, 2017 by m0nolith

[Scribe]

When you need to ask, you know. :p

 

Just pack it up and take a break, but I agree, don't sell.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Pretty much what Scribe said. Not much more to it.

 

But when it comes to coming back, here’s what I hope is a novel idea. Store and hide your stuff away, except for one book/rulebook/etc. Put a clue in there as to where you put the next clue. Perhaps put a clue in a file on a computer, which has another clue, and so on and so forth. (Make sure you have a skip code so you can retrieve your stuff if you lose a sequential clue, or the starting clue.) If I was going to leave the hobby that’s what I’d do. Make it a fun experience to get back into it after a while, and make it just mysterious enough to repique your interest.

 

My two cents.

[Grand Master Laertes]

One never really quits the hobby, if he has the "hobby gene" in his blood. He can take a break, even a long one, spanning for long years, but someday a small spark might rekindle in his heart, and even start burning more fiery than before.

 

I know, because this has happened to me (6 years gap) and to most of the hobbists I know (one of them had a 10 years gap before founding the biggest gaming club in the city just because he wanted to get back in the hobby).

[Warhead01]

I've been there. In the middle of 5th edition I had had enough.  I didn't like the rules or want to venture to the shops. Before that I had attended tournaments and gamed there almost once a week but I don't know something changed. I found no energy for it. I think the tournament crowed might have been a large part of it. I stopped identifying with the people playing and didn't want to be around them. (by which I mean the things they were bringing to the table as armies seemed less and less like armies to me.)  I also recall being very tired all the time back then I was going through some shtuff with work and it was affecting me. 
I quit from the middle of 5th edition until a few months before 7th was released. 7th was a drag and even though I love 40K I just found it difficult to stay excited to play and even hard to find the time which didn't help. One of my problems with 7th was nearly every game feeling like a loss before I even made my army. Having you favorite army suck that much is no fun at all. 
My friend got me into AoS last year and I've really enjoyed that game. 8th edition is a lot of fun and I look forward to playing which is something I have missed. I still have trouble finding the time but I actively look for it.

 

As far as how do we know when to quit.

Was your last game fun? What about all the last games this year? 
What made them fun or not fun? Was it you or something else? 
Do you own all the models you care to ? (I kinda do.)

Is there something else you'd rather be doing? 
 

Just ask yourself a few questions and do what ever it is you want to do.  
and as was said above don't sell your army, or at least keep one of them. 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Warhead01

[Prot]

I see you've been a member here since '08. I don't know your age but I wouldn't say that has a lot to do with it other than to note some of the younger guys do seem to move away from the game as their social lives may kick into high gear for a little while, then often, several come back.

 

I've taken one break from this game for a year. But otherwise I've been playing a lot, collecting, painting, reading for many years. It's always acted as a break from real life for me, so if it's ever viewed as something 'I just want to avoid'... I'm out.

 

My advice would be to put your stuff aside, take a break from the forum, games, etc, for a minimum of a few months, and I really mean a few months. Anything less and it's not a real test. Come back in a few months (or more) and you'll instantly have your answer.

[Ishagu]

Everyone goes through hobby highs and lows, and the interest we have in the hobby is not a constant. Why not pack everything away for a while and pursue a new hobby or pastime?

 

One day you might decide to return :-)

[Stoic Raptor]

I've got the type of personality that finds a subject of interest and immerses myself in it to the point of obsession, and when that dwindles I take a break and focus on something else with the same intensity.  Eventually I come back around to each of the variety of my interests, whether it's months or even years later.

 

I took a break from 40k after 2nd Edition.  Kept those models that I'd painted, sold the rest - not out of choice but out of financial necessity.  Returned for 4th, same thing happened as before.

Came back on the tail end of 5th but didn't play a game until 6th (and then only one game before 7th came out).  Had to sell my armies again because I was out of work, again not by choice.

 

So I do swing back to 40K seemingly on every even numbered Edition, and if I'd been able to afford to do so I'd certainly have kept my stuff and set it aside.  The great thing about taking a break is that when you come back, things seem fresh and more fun.

[Azekai]

Sounds like it is less about the hobby (since 30k and AoS are still interesting for you) and more about burnout related to the 40k fanbase. Civsmitty, you mentioned a polarizing effect that was sapping your enthusiasm. Are we talking about being fed up with a meatspace community or an online community? I only ask because they are different animals.

If it is in a real-world group or club, some folks are just jerks or not a good fit, and it might be worthwhile to find new gaming companions.

If it is online, people in just about any sizeable group tend to lose sight of individual perspective and rhetoric naturally gets driven toward the extremes. Under those circumstances it gets a lot easier to treat each other like flaming turds. I don't know how to fix that, and I am not sure society at large does either. :P