Did you ever quit the RPG hobby?

Why?

And what brought you back?

What do you mean by quit?

I never left.

Several years ago, I had a bad incident with a couple of bad players as a GM. And that caused me to pull away from GMing. Which I haven't done since.

It also sparked a quest through new game systems for those I found as a better fit for my personal gaming style and story approach. This quest was largely successful. And it resulted in my finding game systems that were more compatible with my tastes and approaches.

I also started putting serious effort into my writing around that time. Which very much scratched the constant creative itch I have. It's resulted in a series of graphic novels and prose novels that are in publication now.

I think of me near quitting of the hobby as a crisis of faith. It forced me to look elsewhere for avenues of creative expression. Instead of just relying on a virtual game table and unappreciative players for a response to my creative endeavors.

Aside from the Temple of Elemental Evil computer game (a version of 3E) and one solo AD&D adventure I DMed for an old friend, I have not played D&D since right before the first Lord of the Rings movie came out (2000 ?)

I've worked late nights for years and moved two hours away from my old group but I finally have regular weekends off, so I'd like to start up again. I never played 3.5, Pathfinder, or 4E. My preference is 1E AD&D, but I've bought the 5E books.

I had long hiatus from college until my first son got to 5 or 6 years old. Then I've found my old group again, and new ones. Now I play once a month. Mostly fast stuff like PbtA.

I had a long hiatus from about 1996 to 1999. I was disillusioned with the state of AD&D at the time, and didn't find the alternatives too much fun - the whole "dark, gritty and realistic" trend left me cold. So I mostly moved on to computer games, and only played the occasional one- or two-session game, most of which were disappointing. Honestly, I had lost the way. In 1999, I bought Palladium Fantasy on a lark, and realised that this was the kind of enthusiastic, high-energy fun I have been missing all along.

I owe a lot to Kevin Siembieda.

I've left. I found that the right people are key. If I can't find them, I stop gaming for long periods of time. Most people are annoyingly obsessed about having one particular thing in their gaming to the exclusion of everything else which doesn't work at all for me.

I never said to myself 'I quit gaming' and promised not to play again.  When I started college I didn't have a gaming group so I didn't play for a couple of years.  I think my junior year with the release of 3rd edition that there were enough people playing that I started again.

When I relocated to a new city after graduation, it was really easy to find a group for 3.x, so I've been playing consistently ever since.

I had an extended break once due to way too complicated personal life, but always intended to start back, and did.  In high school, I quit over a girl.  I'm not sure how that would have gone long term, as much as I enjoy gaming.  Fortunately, I didn't need to find out.

I've quit when I was too busy with other life interests, such as partying, schooling, etc. I usually come back when I am injured and recouperating.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1102228Did you ever quit the RPG hobby?

Why?

And what brought you back?

Quit? No, because that implies a voluntary decision, but I had a decades long hiatus because of my work hours, I could never be sure to have the time and/or was too fucking tired after working 12-14 hours shifts for 6-7 days a week.

Just got back about 2 years ago.

I had a big break from about 2001 to 2010, where I moved and didn't have a group for a long time. I found RPG.net and still kept up with and talked about the hobby until I found a new gaming group.

I played from the late 80s to early 90s, then got distracted by weed. Bad move.

Restarted around 2007. Then stopped again because of a bad group dynamic and what amounted to bullying.

Some online play around 2014. Nothing for a few years because of bad group experiences and lack of groups. Attempting to restart again but anxious about meeting people.

Like a lot of the other posters, I didn't take my bat and ball and go home, disavowing myself of RPGs. Around '99 I got a job that required a lot of travel. Between that and "life" happening, I didn't have a lot of time for my hobbies and put them to the side. 3 or 4 years ago the topic came up with some new friends and I've been DMing various games ever since.

I didn't play much for much of the '90s, though still running a few things, and I had a year out 2007-8 after my son was born. But generally constant since 2000 & the release of 3e D&D.