Taking a break from games… (not one of those threads!)

I was playing FF14 for couple of months now and I was very hooked. Then went on family holiday for 3 weeks and didn't play the game during that time. Back from holiday but I can't get myself to play the game any more! I have to note that I wasn't in mood to play any games the first week I got back from holiday but I think I am now ready to play games but not FF14. This kind of thing has happened before. I take a break from game for 2+ weeks and I can't get back into the last game I was playing!

Does this happens to anyone and any idea why this happens?

It happens quite often for a lot of people especially after taking a break from a lengthy RPG. It's harder to get re-immersed in something if you haven't played it for a while.

This never happens to me after a lengthy RPG.
Happened to me each and every time after MMO rubbish. The next time I'll play some MMO will hopefully be never.

Ever bet on sports? The golden rule - never put multiple pairs on the same ticket.
Play singles!

Originally Posted by JDR13
It happens quite often for a lot of people especially after taking a break from a lengthy RPG. It's harder to get re-immersed in something if you haven't played it for a while.

Thats a very good point. That also explains why I usually start from scratch once I go back to these games after few months etc! Its lost easier to get get immersed when you are starting rather than pick up where you left off.

Originally Posted by joxer
This never happens to me after a lengthy RPG.
Happened to me each and every time after MMO rubbish. The next time I'll play some MMO will hopefully be never.

Ever bet on sports? The golden rule - never put multiple pairs on the same ticket.
Play singles!

It doesn't matter to to me if its single player RPG or MMO etc. I have the same issue if I take break from a "lengthy" game. I think JDR is correct in that its the immersion factor.

I may not be an active role player but we all sort of play a "role" subconsciously when we are playing RPGs. When I take break, I think subconsciously I have broken from that "role play" and its very hard to get back in.

Happens to me all the time. I think for me it's because of a few things but often it's the loss of immersion but also the idea of having tens of other games I could play…

It makes it so much easier to not want to play that one game anymore.

I used to play multiple games at the same time but I don't do that as much anymore because that also caused me to stop playing after a while.

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Basically, I don't take breaks mid-game. If I am forced to take a break, that also means I'll restart when I go again. It's hopeless to get back into a lengthy game. I just can't do it.

Yeah, if I take a break that means I quit. I'll always start over or move on. I just don't have the brain power to remember where I was at or what I was doing and I'll lose the flow.

I started Skyrim (again) and even though I had a character that I played a few weeks ago, I just started over. I had played a couple survival games in the meantime and so it was easier to just restart. The nice thing about Skyrim is that I have 30 new quest mods that I've never touched and totally new companions, though this gal is kinda dull. There are really only 3 or 4 great companions and then 15 good ones and a bunch of "meh" ones.

Yea, this is a common occurrence for me. But I can get back into a game fully, with enough time, after taking a long break. Although I'll admit its easier when it comes to first-person shooters, as these are more about pure action most of the time. As far as rpgs go, my appreciation for game logs - such as conservation logs and quest logs - is strong, because these can be very important, so I can go back and read those to refresh my memory about what is going on in the game.

It's just burnout IMO. I took 2 years off after playing 40 hours of Gothic 2 and went back recently and finished it picking up where I left off. I'm more prone to taking long breaks from gaming completely, sometimes several months at a time. But I always come back and get into it again. Gotta take sabbaticals sometimes I guess.

It is very common for me to take a long break, and comeback to finish a game after that. I don't really mind that. Maybe because I have an excellent memory.

I hadn't thought about it but you are right! I have a few unfinished games ( Arcanum, Alpha Protocol, et. al. ) that I expected to get back to but never have. Now I understand if I want to finish, I have to avoid thinking "I'll just take a break for a while".

Happens to me all the time! Games are for entertainment (i'm sure there's subcategories like social bonding, therapy, etc, but too big of a tangent):



If i'm not being entertained, there's no point to keep playing, and i'll return later (or maybe never? that's ok too!).

Originally Posted by GothicGothicness
It is very common for me to take a long break, and comeback to finish a game after that. I don't really mind that. Maybe because I have an excellent memory.

Wouldn't mind that skill. This is more my situation:

The way I see it, playing the game was more fun than normal life but going on holiday was more fun than playing the game.

Once you get back to every day life boredom levels and find yourself checking whats on TV you'll be ready to play again.

But you should keep going with the motivation and find something else outgoing to do while youre on a roll.

Its nice to know I am not the only one with this "problem"!

I wish I can pick up game few week or months after where I left off since I don't have much time these days for games and starting over means, playing the parts I played once again!

Originally Posted by SirJames
The way I see it, playing the game was more fun than normal life but going on holiday was more fun than playing the game.

Once you get back to every day life boredom levels and find yourself checking whats on TV you'll be ready to play again.

But you should keep going with the motivation and find something else outgoing to do while youre on a roll.

I won't say the holiday was fun compared to playing games! It was family holiday meaning its the first time we were introducing our daughter to my wife side of the (large) family and friends. My daughter and wife had lots of fun but I was I was bored most of the time and worse, had to pretend to like some of them as well!

It's a bit like hacking down a reallky good short story into the keyboard - and then suddenly get interrupted.
It is very very very difficult to catch up that thread again, and it's even worse with the Flow.

Originally Posted by lostforever
I won't say the holiday was fun compared to playing games! It was family holiday meaning its the first time we were introducing our daughter to my wife side of the (large) family and friends. My daughter and wife had lots of fun but I was I was bored most of the time and worse, had to pretend to like some of them as well!

Ah yes, in laws (your birth family) versus outlaws (not your birth family)