How to fall back in love with the hobby

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**jreilly89**

BigWaaagh wrote:
Distance makes the heart grow fonder...or whatever that saying is. In 45 years of hobbying/gaming, I've seen my WAAAAAGH for the hobby ebb and flow. It's only natural. I'd like to say there's a formula or solution-in-a-bag I can prescribe, but there just isn't. Explore other things, or other aspects of gaming. A fresh view can very invigorating. Finally, remember, this is a hobby, not a cult. There's no penalties for stepping out of the rotation.

This. It's hard to be "on" all the time. I did 40k non stop for about a year and a half and almost got burnt out. Then I stepped back and got back into PS4/D&D/board games and I've never been happier. I still paint ocassionally and play about once every 3 weeks, but it;s nice not always playing the same game.

**Jehan-reznor**

Pick up another hobby, and cycle times between them.

**Fenrir Kitsune**

Eilif wrote:
snurl wrote:
This is where historical scenario games come in handy. Instead of playing against an "equal" list, often the forces are mismatched from the start. How long can you hold off Burnside at the lower bridge at Sharpsburg? How long can you hold the Alamo? Can you stop the panzers at Bastogne?
With wargames, the play's the thing.
Get away from WAAC-minded players and try a few friendly games. Or, swap sides with your opponent.

I agree, but it's not limited to historical gaming. It just requires that you have an opponent more interested in putting together an interesting scenario than in list-building. Takes a bit more work, but it can be fun to sit down with your opponent and discuss how you can play out a specific tactical scenario.

It might be something like, "Let's play out the invasion of an imperial outpost". Then you think about victory conditions and objectives. The next step in most games would be each player going back to their codex and working out the best army, but INSTEAD, the narrative-minded players discuss what units might logically be involved in such a scenario and that guides the units chosen.

Sometimes it's even provided for you. Battletech comes to mind. It has dozens of scenario books that not only give you the victory conditions, but also show you how the board will be and which units are involved. Of course they are often modified by the players, but it's a very good guideline and leads to a very different way of playing.

Of course it must be mentioned that games like 40k that have so many different layers of unit load-outs, rules, special rules, etc, etc. actually reward heavy list building and rules-stacking. There are many games that are not quite so encouraging of such behavior.

The more work that is put into the game, the scenario and approach, the more rewarding it can be. Steering people out of "the normal 40K" breaks their bad habits.

**Pilau Rice**

Take a break. I wouldn't sell everything off just yet as you might regret it later.

Put most of your stuff away and go on to do something else. Leave a few bits that you are sure that you want to get finished out. You don't have to do anything with them until you are ready, but you might get the oomph to just jump in again that might make you enjoy the hobby.

I've been painting pretty crazy lately and have been up and down playing games a few times a month, more than I have done for a long time. I'm not at the same stage as you but i'm happy to put it away for a while, and my hobby stuff, just so that I don't burn out. I've left a squad of Raptors out that I need to get painted so I am reminded that I do have a hobby and when I feel ready, i'll get get them finished and book my next game. It might be in a few weeks time, it might be a few months. There is no rush, it's for me to enjoy and do at my own steam.

**Brother Claudio**

Thebiggesthat wrote:
snurl wrote:
What is bothering you the most?
Opponents?
Game play?
Painting?
Prices?

I used to be big on WHFB, but now I'm playing Bolt Action, Frostgrave, and Mordheim; and loving it.

It's more that the games I play, I just can't enjoy. I'm bored of either being kicked in the head with loss after loss, or spending time building knowledge and trying to learn only to have it dismantled. Beginning to think I'm just not cut out as a gamer.

Honestly, if I could sell the lot I'd be delighted, then pick up a couple of bits to paint. The sad thing is, I'm at the stage where I'm that fed up I find myself stripping models after painting, as I'm not even happy with my standard of painting anymore.

The main thing is the spark isn't there.

I've been there too. It might seem like a chore but I would really recommend going through everything you have and deciding what you genuinely want to keep. By this I mean what will you actually use again. I had 3 armies a year ago and so many minis I never actually used that I fell out of love with it. So I sold almost everything. The only thing I kept was 2 Blood Angel contemptor dreadnoughts (purely because I loved the models and was happy with my paint job). Everything else I sold. 40k is brutal as a game. Price, Game Play and unfortunately opponents can be unsavoury shall we say.

After getting rid. I wouldn't suggest diving back in to 40k straight away. Take a break and enjoy other tabletop games that friends play maybe, so you don't have to fork out for models. But if you are a die hard 40ker like myself. I'd really suggest grabbing a hold of a 40k board game: Assassinorum, Deathwatch and Space Hulk.

All of these games are so much fun and so much more relaxed than 40k. I genuinely love all 3 more than 40k at the moment. That being said all 3 games have helped spark my intrigue again for 40k.

**AegisGrimm**

I think my current burnout is a result of years and years (20 of them, now)of no dedicated opponents (although I immensely enjoyed the painting and modelling side), coupled with having our first child. It just seems like I have all these tons of great ideas (hooray gamer ADD) but the production side of things started to feel like such a chore I never can buckle down to get things finished like I used to, as I very nearly always have to paint up both sides of any game.

All the in-progress projects started to feel overwhelming, and actually made me regret what used to be my largest creative outlet, which is not healthy.

I'm currently trying to get my toe back into things by starting some forces for Kings of War, with the thought that it's a great game with a lower rules density, which might work better with the wife and my lesser gung-ho gaming buddies, and to top that off I am trying it out in 15mm scale. I figure the outright complete scale change feom what I have done for 20 years will not only allow for faster painting-to-table time, but also for tricking myself into feeling like I am not just adding to my immense 28mm collection with stuff for yet another game when there's already so much to finish.

**odinsgrandson**

Ok, I know where you're coming from.

I have had way too many projects, and no time to get them done. But look at the new shiny! I can let you know what I've done:

- You must create boundaries about picking up new projects without finishing old ones. Hey, look at that cool new kickstarter? Well, it ends in 30 days, and if you can finish painting all of these Space Hulk minis by then, then go ahead and pick it up.

- Go through your projects and pick out which ones are projects that you will do, and which are not. You could ebay the extras, or just call them bits. But don't keep your projects that you don't want to do on your to do list.

- Lastly, you might need to pick smaller projects, or ones where you can feel the progress faster. I tend to avoid huge minis for myself, because I often run out of steam. And you don't need your hobby to be a chore, right?

- Look for places to play. Maybe have a regular game night? I know I always feel more excited about projects that are going to get onto a table and play a game that I love.

Anyway, that's my advice.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Thebiggesthat wrote:
So, it's finally happened. I hate this hobby.

I'm not sure it's a reactive thing, and it's not a knee jerk, this feeling of ennui has been building for a while, but it's gone beyond the imaginary line I set and I'm not sure what to do.

So those that have been in this situation, what did you do to get out of this slump? I've invested thousands into the hobby, and short of a combination of burning and ebay, I'm stuck with a constant reminder of something that boils my blood when I'm in the same room as it. So for those that have come back after a time away, or stepped away for a period of time, how'd you do it?

Box it all up and put it in the attic/basement or where ever. One day it will call to you or clearing it out you can be rid of it.

Its been very tough for me in the last few years, no regular gaming partners for 40k, the awful state of the rules. Only recently has my interest and optimism been rekindled, slowly, via 30k. I certainly understand the funks you can go through, but so much of my armies are personalized and converted that I simply will not be parted with them, even if I'm not actively using them.

**Nazrak**

Another +1 for taking a break. It's what I did, for somewhere in the region of ten years. When I came back I had a much better idea of what I wanted out of it, and which stuff simply wasn't worth the stress or hassle.

**Easy E**

Well, I would say if you hate anything, you really need to stop doing what is causing you displeasure.

For me it was cutting out pick-up games and stopping reading all the threads online. Then, I spent time trying out different games and models I liked and even just writing my own stuff.

**Rainbow Dash**

For me I switched scales, going to 15mm and will drift to 6mm eventually (and maybe 10mm if I get that Alamo scenery from old glory).
I got sick of 40k sometime ago, and what with that age of sigmar stuff not going the way I liked I moved on.
I play 9th age, but I've played this style for too long and want to move on.

**chromedog**

I stop gaming and do something else for a while.

The hobby will still be there later for you to return when you choose to.

I didn't suffer school-age gaming burnout (I didn't start gaming until AFTER I'd finished school), so never had to deal with peer pressure at school about it or any of the baggage that goes with that.

**pox**

I try and balance modeling, painting, bikes, and video games. Too much of one burns me out, whilst a good balance energizes me. (Playing makes me wanna model and vice versa, for example.)

Everyone has suggested a taking a break or trying something new, so I'll throw out a different suggestion.

If you wanna fall back in love with gaming, go big. I mean, really, really BIG!

If you like gaming over modeling, design scenarios, a campaign, or an escalation league.

If you like modeling over gaming, make a giant centerpiece. Choose something that is in your wheelhouse, but more difficult then you are used to. Make something grand.

Make terrain. Nothing changes a game like custom terrain, from small skirmishes to grand battles. Hell, go all out and make a full custom board.

Lastly, play Diablo 3 and make it a goal to get the giant green dragon wings. (You only need to get mastery level on all 24 set dungeons!)

**gungo**

I was burnt after 4th edition. Packed it all away came back during mid 6th picked up a new rulebook and codex. Started building and painting to relax after work. 7th hit I finally felt comfortable with my army I started playing it at the local shops sporadically and a few local tourneys once I had my army mostly painted. On bored moments at work I even made a campaign and I started building highly themed and game boards for it at home. Still working on my basement and building my own game room. Point being it's a hobby and not a job. Don't get so involved and just have fun.

**Hellfury**

Thebiggesthat wrote:
snurl wrote:
What is bothering you the most?
Opponents?
Game play?
Painting?
Prices?

I used to be big on WHFB, but now I'm playing Bolt Action, Frostgrave, and Mordheim; and loving it.

It's more that the games I play, I just can't enjoy. I'm bored of either being kicked in the head with loss after loss, or spending time building knowledge and trying to learn only to have it dismantled. Beginning to think I'm just not cut out as a gamer.

Honestly, if I could sell the lot I'd be delighted, then pick up a couple of bits to paint. The sad thing is, I'm at the stage where I'm that fed up I find myself stripping models after painting, as I'm not even happy with my standard of painting anymore.

The main thing is the spark isn't there.

I think you're just barking up the wrong tree for a tasty squirrel.

Gaming is good. There are a ton of other games out there that require little in the way of financial/emotional/learning and time investment.
Boardgames. No. Not monopoly, unless that's something you know you enjoy.
No, I mean groovy distractions such as Nexus Ops or star wars risk, or even some thinky or light euros like carcasonne or or lords of waterdeep.
King of tokyo, as random as it is (its just godzilla yahtzee afterall) is a truly great time.
Best boardgame I have ever played was "Survive!". Its been around since the early 80's and has been back in print for over half a decade now.

No minis to paint. No terrain to set up. Just read a few pages of rules and have a good time with your friends.
Afterall, isn't that one of the reasons you got into gaming in the first place?
If not, then you have a lot of soul searching and reevaluation to do for your leaisure time and why you make the choices that you do.

**jreilly89**

Hellfury wrote:
Thebiggesthat wrote:
snurl wrote:
What is bothering you the most?
Opponents?
Game play?
Painting?
Prices?

I used to be big on WHFB, but now I'm playing Bolt Action, Frostgrave, and Mordheim; and loving it.

It's more that the games I play, I just can't enjoy. I'm bored of either being kicked in the head with loss after loss, or spending time building knowledge and trying to learn only to have it dismantled. Beginning to think I'm just not cut out as a gamer.

Honestly, if I could sell the lot I'd be delighted, then pick up a couple of bits to paint. The sad thing is, I'm at the stage where I'm that fed up I find myself stripping models after painting, as I'm not even happy with my standard of painting anymore.

The main thing is the spark isn't there.

I think you're just barking up the wrong tree for a tasty squirrel.

Gaming is good. There are a ton of other games out there that require little in the way of financial/emotional/learning and time investment.
Boardgames. No. Not monopoly, unless that's something you know you enjoy.
No, I mean groovy distractions such as Nexus Ops or star wars risk, or even some thinky or light euros like carcasonne or or lords of waterdeep.
King of tokyo, as random as it is (its just godzilla yahtzee afterall) is a truly great time.
Best boardgame I have ever played was "Survive!". Its been around since the early 80's and has been back in print for over half a decade now.

No minis to paint. No terrain to set up. Just read a few pages of rules and have a good time with your friends.
Afterall, isn't that one of the reasons you got into gaming in the first place?
If not, then you have a lot of soul searching and reevaluation to do for your leaisure time and why you make the choices that you do.

Holy gak, King of Tokyo! That game is truly a blast, and if you want something more tactical, pick up King of New York.

**Bottle**

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