40K burnout

[mattblowers]

40K has long been my main squeeze for miniature wargaming. Now looking back I realized I've played exactly 1 game in 2022 and that's a year our new codex came out. That unbelievable. When my son was a teenager, we played 1-2 events per month, play tested 3-5 games a week, and played with our club another 2-3 games per week. My wife was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 plus COVID years, so that is understandable. I just can't get back into the game. It feels so much different to me than it ever did: a set number of turns, smaller table, prescribed terrain, etc. There is a metagame within the game where you have to manage CP, objectives, secondaries, and so on. The game can be lost before setup let alone a single dice being rolled. It feels more like a calculus test that I haven't been given the formulas for yet. I've gone through many iterations of 40K burnout when I usually come back after a few months, but this time is feels different: it's been 3 years since I was regular player of the game. When I do look at coming back I keep thinking, "nope, not for me". The pace of changes is mind spinning. The pace of FAQs, erratas, and straight up complete rule changes is nearly impossible to keep up with if you aren't dialed in. Codexes are literally out of date by the time they release. Major points changes and sometimes massive core rules have changed by the time you get a codex, let alone read it, build a list for it, acquire the models, and build and paint them.

Lately I've been playing other games a lot more: Bolt Action, Blood and Plunder, Black Powder, etc. I find these rule sets much more beer and pretzels and less calculus. I can not play a game in 3 months, not have kept up with all the press releases, and still show up with a reasonable chance to understand and win the game. That and my work situation has significantly changed where my hobby time is pretty limited. Most of my hobby is by myself building/painting. At best I get to play about 2x a month. I just don't think that is enough to keep up with 40K and it's hard to keep up interest in a hobby where I get my teeth kicked in every time I do show up. Maybe 40K is just for the young bucks now.

[naviedzony]

I've had a 40k burnout for over a year. You just need some rest. Wait till the 10th edition comes up and maybe the breakneck pace of the game releases will be more menagable.

[hivefleetkerrigan]

I hear ya. The pace of change is hard to keep up with. I also don't like ITC style secondaries as I can lose due to a bad pregame decision. Also sounds like your local area is incredibly cutthroat right now.

If you want to get back into 40k or at least play with the models, then I might recommend one of the following:
1. Kill team. It's fast paced and reactive. I'm just getting into it recently and it's a blast. Games can swing wildly in the same turn depending upon decisions made.
2. Tempest of war. This is similar to the old maelstrom and takes away a lot of the pregame bookkeeping of competitive 40k. The downside is still the strategem/faq/rules bloat
3. Boarding actions. These are 500 point battles set in a space hulk. They've basically axed all but 3 or 4 strats that are universal. No relics or warlord traits either except for a common set. It vastly streamlines games and reduces rules bloat. If I was going to teach someone 40k I'd start here. Note: there is one FAQ noting changes for armies (x is allowed or this psychic power costs more).
4. Wait till 10e. Rumor has it it's coming out this year. I know many people are hoping for a reset to reduce the killing power of the game.

If none of these are appealing taking a longer hiatus from 40k is fine too. Definitely do miss your presence in the hive though.

[infornography]

I am right there with you really. I keep up with nids and GSC, but that is really pretty much it. My pile of shame looms over me. I have been assembling when I have time and recently started collecting Admech because I always wanted an Admech army, but I haven't played a single game in this edition. The thought of it gives me anxiety due to sheer absurdity of how many strats there are out there. It is too much!

I like that GW is actually tracking relative army strength and that they seem to usually be pretty measured with their application of the nerfbat (recent nid smackdown aside). I think they are starting to get a feel for how to balance this beast, but they need to get a handle on the rules bloat. I couldn't get a new person into the game as it is, and I know quite a few old players who just don't play anymore because there is too much. I hope 10th ed will bring back some measure of sanity. Maybe I'll even play a round this year :-).

At the end of the day, this is a hobby. If you aren't enjoying it, put it on the shelf for a while and do things you do enjoy. Right now I still enjoy the building models part of things. If that ever gets to feel like a chore, I'll have to find a lot of closet space :-).

[mattblowers]

Feb 21, 2023 20:43:51 GMT infornography said:

I couldn't get a new person into the game as it is, and I know quite a few old players who just don't play anymore because there is too much.

Isn't that the truth? Crazy. I keep trying to pick it up, but everytime I do the gap between my knowledge and what is today is bigger.

[Hive Bahamut]

As someone whose garage group has died within the last 5 years myself I can see it. There were 6 of us at the height, now barely 2.

It turns out people change, and their schedules with it. 1 quit because it is "too expensive," (relative term, cheaper than most man hobbies, having done some research.) 1 quit because they hate reading and painting, and another because they didn't keep up with rules. Finally the last because they could never learn how to play, other than jam everything forward and wonder why they lost everygame.

There was a joke I saw once, about how men between 30-45 pick an avenue. WWII, or smoked meats. This also explains a heavy reason why a few chose not to follow. They wanted more "concrete, or realistic" (which IMO is being dishonest to those that died,) and so used lack of realism as a contributor.

I had almost quit 40k myself, until I found a new community. Sure there are more tryhards, but it has definitely raised my enjoyment of the hobby. It turns out playing with jaded players who wanted to only WIN, but used casual stuff was much more toxic to the hobby than I expected. Since then I haven't looked back.

At the end of the day if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it. Time is finite.

[purestrain]

Play boarding actions, fast paced 3 strats and basic upgrade for the Warlord to fit your fancy.

People can still meta slave it but I mean just don't play them and it's like 5 minutes wasted before someone else would take their place

[nbmraptor]

I feel this too. Recently had my first child which naturally slowed down my gaming some. On top of that, I just can't (or maybe don't want to) keep up with the rate at which rules are changing. I enjoyed it at first, but when I'm only really playing once every few months and so much changed that I have no idea what's going on, it gets a bit much. Been looking into other systems, came across warsurge which looks interesting. And can still use all my Nid models for it. Will see if some people in my gaming group want to try it out

[mattblowers]

Feb 21, 2023 21:23:18 GMT Hive Bahamut said:

I had almost quit 40k myself, until I found a new community. Sure there are more tryhards, but it has definitely raised my enjoyment of the hobby. It turns out playing with jaded players who wanted to only WIN, but used casual stuff was much more toxic to the hobby than I expected. Since then I haven't looked back.

Fortunately the majority of historical players in my area are not that type. I have run into a few at tournaments though. I encourage them to switch to 40K. I don't disparage friendly or competitive play, but mixing of them causes friction. Expectations is key.

At the end of the day if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it. Time is finite.

Very true. I still love the hobby and it is the primary way I destress. That and motorcycles. I don't really have any other hobbies. I don't golf, RV, camp, hike, boat. I do go to the range from time to time, but my arsenal hasn't changed in years. My main gripe isn't the competitiveness of it. Chess is competitive, but stable. The instability means it feels like a different game if you are away for more than a few months.

[mattblowers]

Feb 22, 2023 5:58:35 GMT nbmraptor said:

I feel this too. Recently had my first child which naturally slowed down my gaming some. On top of that, I just can't (or maybe don't want to) keep up with the rate at which rules are changing. I enjoyed it at first, but when I'm only really playing once every few months and so much changed that I have no idea what's going on, it gets a bit much.

So much this.

Been looking into other systems, came across warsurge which looks interesting. And can still use all my Nid models for it. Will see if some people in my gaming group want to try it out

I like 1 page rules (which ironically is more than 1 page now) but no one in my area wants to play it. It's hardcore 40K or pick another game.