Help, I'm losing interest in the hobby...

[ForeverHero]

So have you ever lost interest in the game/hobby to the point where you just want to quit for a while? I played a couple of games this past Friday and ended up losing both games. The thing that bothered me most wasn’t losing the games as both players did very well but I wasn’t having fun at all. I found that I was getting really frustrated and wasn’t having any fun at all. I used to look forward to days when I could play a game or hang out all day and relax but lately it seems like I cannot switch off real-life and unwind; guess I need a vacation or a new job 

Sadly, I made the decision to drop from the current campaign and hang up my models for a while, some of my friends recommended that I focus on putting my Skaven army together but I’m thinking I need a break from everything. It almost feels like having a second job…

I’m curious if this is normal or am I just having a bad day/month/year as I have tried various things to keep my interest in the game but nothing has really worked at this point. Recently, I’ve started up a couple of new armies like Imperial Guard and Orks but I’ve just seemed to have lost interest in them as well. The thing that bothers me is that I have invested thousands of dollars in this hobby and for some reason none of it has sparked my interest like it used too.

Any ideas on how I can rekindle my interest in the game/hobby? Maybe something that has worked in the past for you may help me find my path back to enjoying it once again.

Cheers,

FH

[Lerra]

It almost feels like having a second job…

It sounds like you've burnt out a bit. Try doing only what's fun - it's a hobby after all, and there is no reason to do it if you are not enjoying your time. Do you want to work on your Skaven? No? Oh well, no big deal Take a break, and if the idea ever seems appealing, start doing whatever tickles your fancy. When it stops being fun, move on to something else with your free time.

Don't worry about, "But what if I don't want to come back?" Most hobbyists regain their enjoyment after they get rid of the burn-out, and if it's not fun, what's the point? I've noticed that pressuring yourself to enjoy the hobby is counter-productive. That just makes hobby time stressful and it feels even more like work.

[Atrotos]

From personal experience I'd say life is like a tri-pod. You can usually narrow your life to three inter-dependent sections that, together, describe your entire life. For me there is My Fiance, My Work(Studies), and Gaming. My life can only be stable if things are even across all three legs. My advice to you would be to figure which of the legs in your tripod are giving you trouble. An example from my life would be my studies mean I can't make much money. This affects how much I can enjoy time spent with my future wife and how many models I can buy.

I think you'll find that if other things in your life are bringing you down it can affect your hobbying as well. What you perceive as disinterest may simply be real life eroding your will to have fun either because you're stressed or lonely or what have you. I say this because it seems unlikely that after years of investment one can simply loose interest in this game ergo it is not a problem with the hobby but something else.

Hope that helps

[Just_Me]

Yeah, that's a fairly normal wax and wane. I know I have all but dropped hobbies for a while only to revisit them later with greater passion and new insight. The only reason I have stayed so constant with 40k and its derivatives is because there is enough variety to keep me going; I may drop modeling for a while and just read the fiction, or I may shift my focus to Battlefleet Gothic for a bit, or just do some conversion work for the fun of it instead of stressing about completing an army, or do some background writing to develop my existing armies, or maybe I just play Dawn of War for a while. Not to mention the variety of flavors that exist within the hobby, I currently have different 5 armies, most of them only 1,000 points, when one gets boring for a bit I move on to another one.

Don't fight it, and don't worry about it, if you need a break then you need a break, when you feel the desire again you will get back into it. Explore something different for a while, or revisit an old hobby you dropped when you started 40k.

[Melissia]

In the hobby yes, in the lore/fluff, no. Without the lore/fluff, the hobby is nothing, and I in fact actually don't enjoy the hobby that much to begin with... it's mostly the games and the lore that draws me.

[Lord Azaghul]

Take a break.
I while back a friend of mine said “its just game, don’t do a damn thing you don’t want to”
Keep it that way. Put the models away for a while, go read, go write, watch a movie…until you feel like painting/playing again.

I had to put my fantasty armies (dwarf o&g) in the closet for about 6-8 months because the game just stopped being fun. I basicly got burn out after two back to back tournies, playing against nothing but powergaming daemons and undead ( I’ve always hated those two armies). It almost ruined fantasty for me. Even now its difficult to want to do much with them, but I pretty much only pull them out for casual club games. Even when 8th ed rolls out I don’t think I’ll be heading back to the fantasy tourinment scene. But hey I did want to paint some orcs the other day.

Thankfully I had just started 40k when this was happening, and it was a nice change of pace. I am currently engrossed with my guard. I also think focusing on one army at a time helps maintain interest over an extended period.

Keep in mind – its supposed to be fun.
Just don’t sell your models yet!

[ForeverHero]

Just don’t sell your models yet!

No way would I sell my models, burned out- yes, crazy - no

I thank everyone for your comments and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that has felt this way. So I'll take some time off and comtemplate the meaning of life, which I know is 42 but it still doesn't make any sense then again like the game the writer of that novel was British.

Cheers,

FH

[BuFFo]

Oh yeah, this is just the human condition. You get bored with something you do constantly. Some people may takes years to reach this point. For me, every 3 years or so I just lose interest and stop playing 40k for about 6 months.

Just take a break and do other things.

[Just_Me]

... the meaning of life, which I know is 42

Nice, Douglas Adams is hilarious...

Anyway, everyone needs a break once in while. Don't stress, take some time off, and you will come back to the hobby refreshed and happier.

[Dark_Templar]

I used to play with a group of a$$hats when I was younger and ended up leaving the hobby for ten years.

I dont really game much anymore, but my love for the hobby and universe is bigger and better than ever.

I am just devastated that some punk kid in my family (haven't worked out which one yet, but I will) stole all my minis.