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MrJonnyboy

Dealing with Wurm burnout?

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What do you guys do when you burn out on the game (if at all). I've been struggling to get back into the game the last couple months. Any tips or tricks you guys do?

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One of two things, for me. Either:

 

Getting stuck into a new project which isn't going to be a repetitive grind. So new highways and mines don't do it for me, but what has is: making a new deed inspired by a particular thing, collecting animals for a wildlife park, going on the road with a horse and my tent and exploring unknown servers, going to stay with in-game friends on their deeds for a few weeks and using that holiday from my own deed to explore their bit of the world or get to know their community.

 

or

 

Scaling back the aspects of Wurm that require regular maintenance and can feel like a chore (like keeping animals that don't graze, keeping farms farmed, keeping my orchards pruned and in shape, maintaining fences for off-deed pastures) and sometimes that means giving some animals away, or letting something you spent money and resources on go, finishing up a farm or orchard and letting it go wild for a while, or moving off-deed animals on-deed or to an allied deed for a while to just let the fences decay. AND THEN picking two or three new skills to try in Wurm - like cooking and discovering recipes, or forestry, or toy-making, or fishing, or archaeology, or jewelsmithing - that I can explore from the comfort of my established deed without the pressure of daily and weekly chores that I *have* to log in for or else. With the chores removed, I'm then free to only log in because I want to, not because I feel I have to. It takes me back to the low-pressure chilled out discovery process that I so enjoyed in the beginning when I was a member of someone else's village and didn't have a bunch of things I was responsible for maintaining. 

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The best way to deal with it is to find a new game to play. 

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I have had few "melt downs" because of wurm and have had to take long breaks(sometimes half a year), lots of issues that bugs me does that, but how i have managed to get back up so to speak, is that i listen to my self, take few months off from wurm and play other games. When i think i could come back, i toy with the idea of coming back and if i feel even slight anxiety, i take another month off... repeat until feeling good, when that happens, take baby steps.. come to play the game, hang around in deed and see how you feel overall, if you feel good, do something you like, if not, take another month off. Last time i was about 3 months away before coming back.

 

Like crimson said, cut off the chore stuff, let the stuff rot in the field if you don't feel like doing it. This game is like a second job, there tons and tons of micromanaging and chores constantly that you must do daily... or do like i did, i disbanded my own deed at exodus and joined my brothers deed at xanadu and i have tiny cabin in his deed where i keep my crap. Now i don't have pesky daily chores.. although i miss having my own deed. I have been in a brink of selling out the last few times now so i figured, i cut a bit my expenses and my responsibility and try it out that way. I have played couple months now after the last break and i have asked couple of times now if this game is really worth my time. So i don't know, maybe my time is coming to an end in near future, even with the burnout breaks. without my brothers, i'm sure i would of quit already.

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I mostly set up myself some goals, grind that skill to x, make distillery and stock huge amounts of alcohol to age, make all my tools from steel/or best material for it, make all tools with my signature, rare, from steel, next will be supreme i guess :D Stock up x amount of specific fruits, crops, materials I rarely burnout, when i don't feel like grinding or choping bricks i just run around and explore or build untill i get bored of that and then grinding is relaxing actually. Oh and also very often while doing repetitive work i watch youtube or some tv show. My mentality is a little bit different than most peole, i guess i have hamster genome that makes me to have stuff stocked which Wurm fulfill great, and also want to be self sufficient as much as i can :)

In short i have ton of plans i want to do by myself in wurm without buying anything and very little time to fullfil them all.

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I have never suffered from burnout in Wurm so on the premise that 'prevention is better than cure':

 

Variation whenever possible. I always try to avoid focussing on one skill and tend to simply 'go-with-the-flow'. I do a little bit of this and the something else. There are a few things I do focus on and they are farming and the harvesting of wild fruit and nuts but this is the exception.

 

I also usually play in small bursts such as an hour or so in the afternoon and maybe a couple of hours in the evening (more at weekends)

 

I probably do not gain the skills that my play-time says I should but I honestly play for enjoyment and relaxation. 

 

Some folks seem to work for hours producing things to sell- and there is nothing at all wrong in this- but I prefer to gain skills and make my own tools. I do however buy the occasional tool / weapon in an attempt to support the economy.

 

My method will not work for everyone but it does for me with the result that I have probably only failed to log-in to Wurm on a handful of occasions in the last 8-9 years. I still enjoy playing as much as ever and there is always something new to experience or a new skill to enhance. The new additions to the game means that I am always learning and that is what keeps the spark alive.

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I very rarely "grind" one skill. I typically will get a wild idea I need 20 beehives for my farm, imp those up. I want rings for my priest to enchant... That type of thing. Occasionally if I'm really close to a milestone on a certain skill I'll spend a day or two grinding it, but I feel burnout real quick. One thing I find really helps is when I feel that I will get on my horse and just ride, no destination in mind. I've spent days (for someone who plays less than I do, weeks) lost "somewhere". I check out other people's deeds, see if I can find a way to the top of that mountain, etc. 

 

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Just play the game. dont grind for a while. explore see the sights. say hi to new and old players as you pass them, start a conversation. you know do something different then before that caused you to burn out.

 

Good Luck. 

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As someone who's suffered 2 burnouts myself, my first thought is to not let your gaming become a chore. If you feel you HAVE TO log on every day, it'll burn you out faster than logging on when you feel like it, and spending that period doing what you want to progress with that day. Sure, that's not saying you can't grind that skill you feel you need, but you shouldn't stay up all night doing it either!

 

Despite my previous.. hardships with Wurm and other things around me, the few years I've taken away from the game helped me miss it enough to come back, re-prem 2 toons and even log on at 6am in the morning just to check up on stuff.

 

Have fun and take care of yourself 🙂

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On the run up to the winter holidays there was a lot of pressure for me to use my usual skills to gather resources for other players that wanted them.  I got a bit worn out trying to meet demand because my health was not good, so I let folks know I was not going to take orders, and I was going to look out for my own health, time and space.   Over the holidays I premmed another completely different toon, which I had not played in ages.  The skills this 'holiday' toon had, were almost completely different than my usual ones and so it was like a breath of fresh air.   I was able to create a lot of crafted items, which I was not normally able to offer people, and met some wonderful new players I had never met before.  The 15 day prem has now ran out on the toon, but my health is much recovered now and I am happy to just be  back on my main toon doing my normal stuff, after this little breather. :) 

 

If you can, I also recommend choosing a new server to go on holiday.  A few minutes of research, to find a cosy pub or inn near the water and book yourself in for a few days - a change of scene or a change of pace could be all you need.  Look after yourself MrJonnyboy! :) 

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I've been logged into this game a third of my life since finding it:

[09:58:09] You entered through the portal to Wurm on Wrath day, week 2 of the Snake's starfall, 1032. That's 2405 days, 7 hours and 8 minutes ago.

[09:58:09] You have played 822 days, 21 hours and 31 minutes.

 

For me though, I'm not always doing busy work. Sometimes I login and chat, sometimes I login and forget I'm logged in, other times I decide "hey, im gonna grind skills to 90!" 

 

Inspiration comes in waves, motivation to get projects done has highs and lows, I find the best way to deal with burnout is simply ride the highs and lows. Forcing yourself to do tasks when you're unmotivated leads to resentment of the act, it's how people wind up feeling burnt out most in my thoughts, that title or the goal being more important than their own ebbs and flows mean they simply can't recharge. 

 

It's easier to recharge from low than it is from empty, so take the peaks and troughs in your stride. 

 

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Hi Jonny,

 

Take a break...play your other games.  You can log in just to chat with us and not actually play if that works for you.  Like everyone has been saying, don't push yourself to play as that will probably make it worse for you.  The other suggestions are very good and I have disappeared for a few days to a few weeks to play other games and to do other real life stuff.  Come back when you are ready.

 

Hugs

Sav

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2 hours ago, Retrograde said:

Forcing yourself to do tasks when you're unmotivated leads to resentment of the act, it's how people wind up feeling burnt out most in my thoughts, that title or the goal being more important than their own ebbs and flows mean they simply can't recharge. 

 

 

It's easier to recharge from low than it is from empty, so take the peaks and troughs in your stride.

I think you yourself saw that with me back just over a year ago. I felt obliged to log in and play, keep grinding, keep doing something to keep skilling. I got burned beyond the point of resentment of the actions I did ingame, but started to resent the game.

 

Honestly? If you can, just don't log for a while if you feel that'd be more beneficial. Play something else, watch that new show or do that new thing. Someone likened Wurm to a drug, it makes you feel productive even though in reality you're not.

And if you don't want to waste that prem time you have? Grind an AFK skill. Repair is godly if you can get some lava tiles on the go, and some other skills I'm sure that can be mentioned. Just run Wurmassist in the background to give a little pop up when your action queue is empty so you know you have to tab back in at some point.

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I've had burnout a few times. Usually I'll take a bit of time off or just log in to listen to the music/birds while doing something else IRL and maybe sail around a little. Or redecorate. Rename all my animals. Anything that's not grindy. 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Retrograde said:

I've been logged into this game a third of my life since finding it:

[09:58:09] You entered through the portal to Wurm on Wrath day, week 2 of the Snake's starfall, 1032. That's 2405 days, 7 hours and 8 minutes ago.

[09:58:09] You have played 822 days, 21 hours and 31 minutes.

 

 

[18:55:21] You entered through the portal to Wurm on day of the Ant, week 3 of the starfall of the Leaf, 997. That's 3896 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes ago.

 

Pushing 11 years...  wow, time flies.

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56 minutes ago, Madnath said:

I think you yourself saw that with me back just over a year ago. I felt obliged to log in and play, keep grinding, keep doing something to keep skilling. I got burned beyond the point of resentment of the actions I did ingame, but started to resent the game.

 

I also recall telling you to stop playing, because time and again it's the one core reason so much permanent burnout happens, people run to empty and push themselves beyond. 

 

You can always add wax to a candle as long as the wick is there, but if the wax burns and the wick is gone, it's just not possible. 

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For me, I just take an actual break from playing. I ensure that my deed is paid up for a while in advance and that all my horses and animals are well fenced. I also ensure that all my animals are unhitched and none are wearing saddles. Once that is done, I take a break from the game, just checking the forums from time to time to keep up with the changes. I long in every now and then to ensure that the deed is all in one piece... but don't stay for more than just a few minutes. Eventually, it's the forums that reignite my passion for the game. When I see Retro's Valrei Internationals, posts of deed construction or events in the game, I eventually get my desire to play Wurm back.

 

For me, such breaks can be short or long, but I always know they are just a break and I will be back. It's hard for me to imagine quitting Wurm for good. It's home.

 

When I do take such breaks, I really don't worry about Wurm at all and usually just play different games for a while. Or nothing at all. The moment I realize that in other games I cannot build my own ship, design my own house or prune trees, I miss Wurm :)

 

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Several folks have made excellent suggestions and I'll echo some of them while offering my own experiences over the last several years.

 

  1. Find other players you enjoy being around: Looking forward to seeing certain people online is always a reason to log in.  Are there toxic players in your alliance?  Does alliance chat just feel endlessly tedious?  Consider finding or forming a smaller alliance of people whose company you truly enjoy.  They're out there and they are wonderful.
  2. Grind skills only when you're in the mood: You may log in one night planning on spending your entire 5h sleep bonus working on Weaponsmithing, but after an hour you're just dreading every mouse click.  Stop.  Do something else around the deed that needs doing.  Explore a part of the server you haven't been to in a while.  Redo that one part of your mine you've been meaning to get to.  Stock up on raw materials for your next project - can you ever have too many iron ribbons?  Or just log off for the night.  It's OK, Wurm isn't going anywhere.
  3. Eliminate as many 'chores' as possible: As Crimsonearth points out, logging in only to deal with things that absolutely need to be done before it's too late is no fun.  If you hate the thought of dealing with the upkeep on a Thing, consider letting go of that Thing.  Yes, breeding five-speed sheep at one point may have sounded like fun - but it's OK to give up that hobby once it becomes a chore.  (NB: I am still trying to breed five-speed tortoises for reasons even I am beginning to question...)
  4. Ignore the haters: Certain individuals seem to participate in Wurm only to tell everyone else how much they hate playing the game.  That's on them, not you.  It's OK to enjoy the parts that you find enjoyable, even if that thing doesn't increase a single skill ever.  I met someone recently that just travels from server to server to meet new people and found that wonderfully refreshing.
  5. When the thought of just logging in feels like work, it's time to take a break:  When Wurm starts to feel like a second job, it's probably time to play something else for a change.  Shortest break I've ever taken was a week.  Longest was two and a half years.  Maybe you won't ever log in again, and that's OK too.  But at some point when you find yourself missing the sunsets, the bird calls, or the shape of a mountain range near your deed - you'll know it's time to log back in at least for a little while.  And maybe you'll discover that you suddenly have so very much to do again.
  6. Wurm is a story that you gradually tell yourself over the years: Sometimes you have a million projects you're itching to get to, sometimes it feels like there's nothing else to do.  Only you can reveal the story of your character's life in this world.  I wish you all the best in discovering how that story unfolds.
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Hey Jonny, I hear you and understand but can't really offer any ideas beyond what the others already did. I tried all the above basically but finally gave in to burn out back in November and decided to disband and take an indefinite break . It is still the game I have loved the most over the years and I do miss it, being one of those crazy peeps who logged in every single day for years, but the population dropping so much made it feel depressing to log in to an empty or virtually empty server and alliance all the time (and I had no interest at all in Jackal since I was never a fan of rifts anyway). Then Rolf sold off the company and that really hit me. Then a graphics update screwed up most of my dyed items which I treasured, and suddenly that was all it took :(

 

Anyway, I still keep up with stuff on forum, discord and twitter, and know I will return at some point, either to start fresh if and when it makes it to steam (though I'd much rather be able to move my existing toons), or back to WO if that fails to happen, on a different server maybe, whichever has an actually active population.

 

Good luck Jonny, if you need to take a break just do it :)

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I let myself de-preme and just relax.

My home looks after itself, lots of forest.  I take a chill from the grind and just go explore.

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i just start up factorio or path of exile and play them until i feel like doing stuff in wurm again and then i play both wurm and 1 of those 2 games at once

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I usually hop over to Overwatch, Apex Legends, or Rainbow Six Siege and shoot things until I need to Wurm to unwind 😛

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Been through there twice, although the 2nd time RL circumstances had a major part in it as well.

 

What I learned is:

 

1) Don't do big project in one go. Building 4 (now 5) Colossi in one go may look nice, but the preparations and building takes lots of time.

Instead, cut up big projects in smaller ones (like doing only the Vyn colossus); then put your attention at some other things instead (being it projects to dig out a canal, a community project or whatever) until you at one point log in and think: "You know what.... Let's build that Fo Colossus this month!"

 

2) Don't focus at the grind or the skill ticks.

I noticed that the more you focus at your skill ticks and the increase you (don't) get is only going to be frustrating at some point when you do need a certain level of skill  to build things.

Instead, just do what you like and more important enjoy! what you like and eventually you get the skill you need. If it isn't today, then it'll be next week or next month.

 

3) Don't make Wurm your favorite game you play 24/7.

Instead, leave it for a few days once in a while and play another game. And make sure that other game isn't a sandbox game.

 

 

 

 

In case you're already burned out, just make sure the most important animals are taken care off, all important goodies are stored in your wagon, L-cart and / or ships and the deed got a few months of upkeep and leave the game be. Things will be a small mess when you come back - and especially the fields - but at the same time that may also provide a nice challenge to be done while you continue at a large project or whatever.

It sounds rude, but Wurm survived the years before you joined; it'll survive the months you aren't there too.

Instead, go outside to enjoy  the weather,  spend some more time with  your family, play other games, go to the movies or a restaurant; but do whatever you want to do as long as it doesn't concern wurm.

 

Oh that also means that you won't build that outside shack to store your tools in you've been postponing for the past few years. ;) 

 

Most important thing: don't play the game to get from 1 - 100 weapon smithing in 3 weeks; instead just enjoy it. Grinding is a part of it, big projects are a part of it and showing off is a part of it; but that doesn't mean you have to do that all the time.

While enjoying the game may make a grind longer, it's eventually far mor effective as just grinding and trying to get the best skill ticks out of  that tool. Simply because there's no grinding at all if you leave the game; while you still grind your skills the moment you are enjoying it. And, enjoying the game can be done by simply talking in alliance, freedom or GL-freedom chat all night and having noting done at all too.

 

 

Thorin :) 

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