Quitting Magic
General forum
Posted on Nov. 19, 2016, 3:08 a.m. by PhotogenicParasympathetic
So I was playing at my LGS last night, and I came to a realization. I used to enjoy playing magic quite a lot, but lately it doesn't hold the same appeal as it used to. I play primarily EDH, because it's a format in which I can play my own way - whether that's making non-powerhouse tribal decks or stupidly complicated combo decks or actually cruel control decks, doesn't really matter. I just enjoy winning on my own terms.
But lately, no matter how the game goes, I'm left feeling upset at the end. Either I lose, and don't like that, or worse, I win, and I'm left apologizing to the rest of the table. It feels like when I spend ten turns durdling and digging through my deck before pulling out a Mitotic Slime/Phyrexian Altar/Rune-Scarred Demon/Ever After/Gonti, Lord of Luxury to play everyone else's entire decks against them and win on the spot, that's not fun. It's also not fun if someone kills my Academy Rector and I get Doubling Season, then drop Tamiyo, Field Researcher and then the rest of my hand for free. It's also not fun if I get Aetherflux Reservoir out with >50 life, because for the rest of the game no one wants to be the one I shoot down for trying to stop me.
I guess, I feel like no matter how I win, whether it's some wonky combo that I found on my own, or an established threat that people use all the time, I don't get to enjoy it. I doesn't seem to matter if the table could have stopped me by having someone take one for the team, or by not wasting counterspells on the bait that I run out ahead of my combo, or by simply not killing a goddamn Academy Rector.
sigh
I don't mean to say that my playgroup is all whiners. The problem isn't them. It's me. I'M feeling guilty for my wins, no matter how much work I put into them, or how much I deserve them.
My LGS, which is a block away from my apartment, is closing next week. There are several others that are only slightly less convenient to get to. I dunno if I'll make the effort. I have a couple of decks that I'm really proud of, and I don't want that time or money to go to waste, but maybe I just don't enjoy the game anymore.
Well. Enough of that. Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Keep an eye on the trading post, if I decide to get out of the game I'll have a couple pretty sweet decks to drop there.
Tyrant-Thanatos says... #3
Take a break. Don't get rid of your cards.
I "quit" magic back when Zendikar originally hit, and came back around Gatecrash. That's a little over three years hiatus. Coming back to the game after being away had a huge impact on my enjoyment of it. I was SO glad I had never gotten rid of my collection.
That's really the best advice I have. If you're not enjoying the game, you probably shouldn't play it, but if you've enjoyed it in the past, clearly there's some element that attracts you to it. Maybe you're just burnt out. Just take a breather, find other ways to spend your time, eventually you'll feel the gnawing desire to return. Or not. Either way.
November 19, 2016 5:10 a.m.
If you don't mind playing online then don't feel bad about selling all your collection. I did at one point and it was easily the best decision I made. So many assets liquidated into cash that I could use on better things.
If you don't enjoy playing magic then the worst thing you can do is force yourself to play magic and hope one day to get back into it. If it's over then it's over. And if you don't mind playing on cockatrice or some other program then by all means - sell out. Especially if you have newer cards that certainly won't appreciate as much in value like older ones did.
I was so glad I sold out and I felt much, much better afterwards.
November 19, 2016 5:14 a.m.
Seriously, don't dump your cards. You'll be back. They always come back.
November 19, 2016 7:26 a.m.
I'm in the same boat. I haven't gone to play at my LGS in about two months now. I don't dislike my Commander decks, but I'm currently not getting any enjoyment out of them. I thought that maybe I just needed something new to work with so I bought a couple of the Commander 2016 decks, but I can't work up the drive to build with the new cards.
The people who play at my LGS aren't overly competitive, so I feel a little out of place because normally I really enjoy tinkering and refining my decks. I try to keep a variety of decks built for different levels of competitiveness but even then the outcomes of most games were getting easier to predict.
I'm probably just going to set my cards aside for a while. I love the community that opens up when you play MtG, and playing the game has often made it easier for me to find people to socialize with whenever I move to a new town. So I agree with a number of the people who have already commented; if you don't need the money then just pack up your cards until you feel ready to play again. That's one of the awesome aspects of the Commander format, decks don't rotate out over time. A decks that's good now will probably still be viable a year or two down the road.
November 19, 2016 9:29 a.m.
Multiplayer magic is pretty bad in general, which is a result of the game's fundamental mechanics. The fact that players are permanently gone if you kill them means people get mad at you for doing so, and this combines with a complete lack of late-game inevitability to mean that games can last hours and hours with no resolution. That's not to say I haven't had fun with multiplayer magic, but it requires the ability to turn off your competitive drive, and to just have good conversation with your opponents without really trying to win.
My advice is to get into 1v1 magic, or, if you're craving some multiplayer fun, start playing some of the awesome board games with mechanics better suited to 3+ players (cough cough Betrayal at House on the Hill). Many of these games are probably already being played at the LGS's near you. And what's more, it may be free for you to play them.
November 19, 2016 2:21 p.m.
grumbledore says... #8
Yea I'd recommend trying 1v1 formats like modern or legacy. Sounds like you play to win, and commander is frustrating with that because it's multiplayer. It's the same reason I have a really hard time getting into it even though I love singleton formats
November 19, 2016 2:37 p.m.
You could also see if anyone in your area plays the Canadian Highlander format. It's a competitive 1v1 singleton format that is kind of a mix between Commander and Legacy.
Sim_Will_CMcantfindmehopefully says... #2
Don't trade or sell your decks unless you need the money, they can increase in value over time and you interest may come back. Good luck.
November 19, 2016 3:12 a.m.