Game WISH #92
#92 asks about burnout.
Have you ever gotten burned out as a gamer? What did you do to combat burnout? Which things you tried helped, and which ones didn?t? Which ones would you recommend to a gamer with burnout?
I’ve gotten burned out on campaigns, systems, and even groups, but never gaming in and of itself. I love my hobby, and with a few exceptions, I’ve been privileged to game with very good friends since I was an undergraduate. (Ten years next month; time does indeed fly!)
Personally, I find that a change of scenery is always good. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, whether it’s always the same setting or genre, same type of character, or the same people. For me, gaming is all about the story, and stories do need to end eventually. It follows, therefore, that a campaign that doesn’t move or wanders aimlessly burns me out faster than anything. (I’m having that problem with the Lunar Ellipse right now; I think there was too much early buildup and not enough payoff. Any suggestions for moving this game along are enthusiastically welcomed!)
For the burned-out gamer (or anyone suffering burnout of one sort or another, really), I’d suggest the following; if a permanent change of scene is not practical, find a way to take a sabbatical. Yes, you can. If you’re not having fun, why are you staying in the game in the first place? Read something that has nothing to do with your current campaign. Get people outside your gaming group together for board or card games. Take a class in something you have always wanted to try. In short, do anything that has nothing to do with the source of the burnout. You can always go back, and when you do, who knows what new ideas you’ll bring with you?
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