Eu4 crisis - total burnout

[Krajzen]

I don't know what happened but for a prolonged period of time I am horribly bored by EU4. I mean, I had the best game ever as Japan, then very nice Swedish game, and then I launch it as different countries and try to immerse but everything feels extremely bland, like if I was staring at a blank Word page. Totally no excitement, no immersion, nothing, just slow clicking on buttons and looking at numbers. I played 80 years as Uzbek->Bukhara, very nice country but I stopped playing as I have totally no pleasure from it.

This is weird because that happened suddenly and dramatically and I am still excited for Common Sense DLC and 1.12 patch but when I launch the game itself I feel nothing. Sure I have a little problems with mood recently but for example Pillars of Eternity still entertain me. I did a break from EU4 for 2 - 3 weeks and when I return I still don't enjoy anything. This is so deep void I am not even sure if in a current state I would enjoy new DLC.

Does anyone have/had something like that?

 

[artemis667]

Have a crack at one of the overhaul mods, such as MEIOU & Taxes. You can thank me later

 

[toroltao]

Personally I get this feeling every time a new expansion is announced and I lose a lot of drive to play another game. I'm halfway through a Vietnam campaign but I can't bring myself to finish it now that I know Buddhism is going to be getting unique mechanics in the next patch.

 

[Aries666]

I happens, best to wait until after a new DLC comes out so things are different. Stopping for a few weeks mid cycle means the game is still the same when you come back. Also new DLC = new achievements, which if you are a rabid achievement hunter like me helps.

 

[Nirmara]

There is two main factors that make me take a pause of Eu4.

The first DLC announcement. Each time a new DLC is announced and I have enough information about it, I simply can't play Eu4 until the DLC is out. Not that the game is boring, I just keep thinking about how the new mechanics would influence my strategy and I don't feel like starting a game I will never finish.

Right now, I get my fix with Ck II and the new Endless Legend DLC.

The second is historical interest. I play nations that interest me historically. Sometime, I just don't have any interest in a specific nation or that nation isn't in the time-frame covered by Eu4.

You can always go for the achievements if no nation is inspiring you and you don't feel like playing something else.

 

[farblaze]

Achievements are the only things keeping me going. Sometimes I don't even try hard in the games and just aim for the achievements. Each DLC is a nice refresher though.

 

[toroltao]

The second is historical interest. I play nations that interest me historically. Sometime, I just don't have any interest in a specific nation or that nation isn't in the time-frame covered by Eu4.

Usually when this happens I try to expand my historical knowledge. When I'm out of countries that I'm interested in playing, I pick a country and go read about it.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

No game holds its appeal permanently. Play something you enjoy and maybe EU will be fresh when you return again, if not there's always EU V or something else entirely.

It happened to me with Civ IV and will probably happen with EU IV eventually too.

 

[TheDanish]

Take a longer break. Avoid strategy games and play other genres. After a couple months you might get the itch back.

 

[Jamey]

I get that all the time. I rarely play more than one or two long games per DLC, and sometimes I play zero.

My friends describe me as an "Ooh, shiney!" gamer due to my tendency to get distracted by the shiney new game, update, or DLC.

 

[stevieji]

Or you could even try avoiding computer games of any kind. Try some 'real world' activities - spend some time with some real people - maybe even meet some girls (if that's your thing). I used to do things like that - and as far as I can recall I used to enjoy it. So be thankful - try to see it as a liberation, rather than a bereavement.

Failing that, I've been considering an act of infidelity myself - there's some good looking items over at AGEod - and even though I know it's wrong, I've been tempted - I still love Paradox, of course I do, but the constant DLC abuse has been taking it's toll for a while now. I don't want to be unfaithful, but I just don't feel appreciated any more - and nobody wants to be taken for granted, do they?

 

[Nirmara]

I agree with the "real world" activities. The less I play, the more I want to and the more I play, the less I enjoy it.

 

[zorkman]

It always happens to me eventually however much I enjoy playing a game. I have gotten bored or lost interest in EU4 before, & go away doing something else, but eventually find the urge to play again, usually updating it & enjoying it as much as before. I suggest you just take a break from the game & come back after awhile so it is fresh again.

 

[LastSalian]

Yea, happens to me from time to time. Last time I stopped playing for a long time after getting pissed off when they added the autonomy mechanic. Eventually they tweaked it enough to be playable again

 

[No idea]

I don't know what happened but for a prolonged period of time I am horribly bored by EU4. I mean, I had the best game ever as Japan, then very nice Swedish game, and then I launch it as different countries and try to immerse but everything feels extremely bland, like if I was staring at a blank Word page. Totally no excitement, no immersion, nothing, just slow clicking on buttons and looking at numbers. I played 80 years as Uzbek->Bukhara, very nice country but I stopped playing as I have totally no pleasure from it.

This is weird because that happened suddenly and dramatically and I am still excited for Common Sense DLC and 1.12 patch but when I launch the game itself I feel nothing. Sure I have a little problems with mood recently but for example Pillars of Eternity still entertain me. I did a break from EU4 for 2 - 3 weeks and when I return I still don't enjoy anything. This is so deep void I am not even sure if in a current state I would enjoy new DLC.

Does anyone have/had something like that?

It happens to me from time to time with every game. After a few months you return and you will see how you enjoy playing again.

 

[stevieji]

I agree with the "real world" activities. The less I play, the more I want to and the more I play, the less I enjoy it.

Which is a reasonable description of addiction - in my experience.

 

[Wowi]

Usually happens to me after I finish a long campaign. I stayed away from the game for over half a year after doing a WC, but if I keep my campaigns shorter and more focused (achievement hunting usually) the whole game seems more fresh to me, because once you get past a certain point in a campaign (once you've blobbed) it's just a grind.

Currently trying to finish a "poland can into space" run and I'm already getting slightly bored with the game, whereas I had a ton of fun with other achievement runs before it.

 

[neondt]

All the time. I often go weeks without playing at all. It's not a big deal, just play something else until you feel like EUIV again. Currently I'm back into the game again. Playing an ironman game for the first time (I generally play with loads of mods so it's not an option) as Norway.

 

[Krajzen]

Which is a reasonable description of addiction - in my experience.

I don't even play video games much over past weeks, I guess it's rather about my overall lifestyle 'sleep little, stress much, depress a lot, itch recently broken heart '.

I feel total meaninglessness and void in all activitiws until I meet with people, explore some brilliant plot or read something which somehow manages to stimulate me - peaks of attention - I also run regularly over last weeks. I launch eu4, click buttons and I feel total nihilism 'damn... so I will finish the game as next country... so what? It will all pass...' Well that's nice I try to explore outside world but I am a bit worried by that deep anhedonia affecting even relatively high quality intelligent entertainment such as eu4.

In fact I am now in the weird state of going from straightforward Internet/game addiction to opposite extreme of feeling sick when I interact with them even when I try to enjoy them.

 

[Sparhafoc]

I don't know what happened but for a prolonged period of time I am horribly bored by EU4. I mean, I had the best game ever as Japan, then very nice Swedish game, and then I launch it as different countries and try to immerse but everything feels extremely bland, like if I was staring at a blank Word page. Totally no excitement, no immersion, nothing, just slow clicking on buttons and looking at numbers. I played 80 years as Uzbek->Bukhara, very nice country but I stopped playing as I have totally no pleasure from it.

This is weird because that happened suddenly and dramatically and I am still excited for Common Sense DLC and 1.12 patch but when I launch the game itself I feel nothing. Sure I have a little problems with mood recently but for example Pillars of Eternity still entertain me. I did a break from EU4 for 2 - 3 weeks and when I return I still don't enjoy anything. This is so deep void I am not even sure if in a current state I would enjoy new DLC.

Does anyone have/had something like that?

For me, EU's the kind of game I go through crazy fads about. Then after achieving something spectacular, I get into another game (Kerbal Space Program, atm!) and drop it for a few months. But I always end up coming back for more!