Dealing with DM Burnout
Hey guys, thanks for coming in
To make a long story short, I'm pretty burnt out DMing and would like advice on how to cope/ manage it
It all started not long after first picking up AD&D 10 years ago when I was 13. I loved the game alot but the DM's I played with were formulaic to say the least, so I started DMing a year or two later. I made them challenge their preconceptions, threw curve-balls, moral choices, character development etc... They loved it, and my ego swelled.
I've been with several gaming groups (and several systems, 1st edition 3.0, 3.5 pathfinder, WoD, 4e, Dragon Age, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc...) but I invariably end up DMing, most players would prefer to, you know, PLAY rather than run a game so it almost always fell to me, and I acted as a player in the game less and less. For a little while I didn't have a gaming group so I went to the internet (first GITP then here) and began DMing. I was able to resurrect my gaming group from high school and we began to play again... but of late I find I'm not looking forward to game nights anymore. The thought of DMing strikes me now as more like work than the fun it used to be, I don't get the same sense of joy out of writing up settings and scenarios like I used to... I still enjoy playing quite alot when I get the chance, but I fear that me saying no to DMing might mean an end to the gaming group and alot of disappointed players, plus I take a certain amount of pride in being a good DM and just giving up doesn't sit well with me
So...yeah. Do you folks have any advice, stories of similar issues? Should I just wait it out and hope the urge strikes me (the typical thing for being burnt out I've found). Any other advice?
Either way, thanks for listening
Oh and mods, wasn't sure if this topic belonged here or in the in the general discussion section, if you think the latter feel free to move it, probably more traffic there anyhow
To make a long story short, I'm pretty burnt out DMing and would like advice on how to cope/ manage it
It all started not long after first picking up AD&D 10 years ago when I was 13. I loved the game alot but the DM's I played with were formulaic to say the least, so I started DMing a year or two later. I made them challenge their preconceptions, threw curve-balls, moral choices, character development etc... They loved it, and my ego swelled.
I've been with several gaming groups (and several systems, 1st edition 3.0, 3.5 pathfinder, WoD, 4e, Dragon Age, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc...) but I invariably end up DMing, most players would prefer to, you know, PLAY rather than run a game so it almost always fell to me, and I acted as a player in the game less and less. For a little while I didn't have a gaming group so I went to the internet (first GITP then here) and began DMing. I was able to resurrect my gaming group from high school and we began to play again... but of late I find I'm not looking forward to game nights anymore. The thought of DMing strikes me now as more like work than the fun it used to be, I don't get the same sense of joy out of writing up settings and scenarios like I used to... I still enjoy playing quite alot when I get the chance, but I fear that me saying no to DMing might mean an end to the gaming group and alot of disappointed players, plus I take a certain amount of pride in being a good DM and just giving up doesn't sit well with me
So...yeah. Do you folks have any advice, stories of similar issues? Should I just wait it out and hope the urge strikes me (the typical thing for being burnt out I've found). Any other advice?
Either way, thanks for listening
Oh and mods, wasn't sure if this topic belonged here or in the in the general discussion section, if you think the latter feel free to move it, probably more traffic there anyhow