Lost Motivation for the Game

Hey everyone, 
As you might have noticed I haven't been online all that often over the past week. The reason is, I feel like I have lost my motivation to keep playing. When I first joined the game I was determined to become one of the best players in the game and breed an uncommon breed/discipline which started me trying Racing Trakehner then moving on to Racing Shetlands (something which was suggested by Maple and then encouraged further by Hermes Stud). 

I recently celebrated my 3-year Equiversary on the 14th of December but I kept quiet about it, and this year marks the fourth year of me playing. Three years later, I am now one of the top breeders, on pretty much all the leaderboards and I like to think I am well-known and have made some amazing friends along the way (you know who you are). 

However I feel stuck, I have achieved everything I have ever wanted in this game and lots, lots more, and after three years of pouring everything I have into the game including time, energy, and money (rl money included) I feel like I don't have much else to give. 

I know this is just a game, but I have invested so much of myself into this that I feel that I don't have much else to give, and again I feel stuck. I feel ashamed and I don't want to walk out on so many amazing people and those that have done such amazing things for me. I remember the day when Feather gifted me one of Maple's horses that I was too broke to buy when I was about 2 weeks into playing the game. That horse's link is here. 

I honestly feel like crying (stupid I know) but I don't want to simply walk away from something that has meant so much to me, as I struggled daily with my mental health. Sometimes playing EV was the reason I could get out of bed because it helped me establish a routine in my life, and gave me something to look forward to doing each and every morning. But after it all, I have simply lost my motivation and drive to keep trying to breed the best horses. In response to that, I have locked all my horses except my racing shetlands and decided to limit my time on here. 

I dunno what else to do, I think I'm just after some genuine support and a reason to keep playing, as I said, I have achieved everything I've wanted in the game and now I'm struggling to think of another goal to aspire to. 

*Please note this isn't me being angry at the game, I just feel stuck and have lost motivation*

I'm not thinking of a reason to leave, but I'm actually looking for a reason to keep playing and suggestions on what to do. Words of encouragement would be amazing. 

Thanks for reading. 

wasn't sure where to post it, so mods please move it to the most appropriate topic. 

aww i'm sorry you feel that way *hugs* this game has been here for me during some crazy times so i feel very attached to it too! you've been a great inspiration as one of the top players on EV, no matter what you decide to do i hope you'll be happy whether it's staying or leaving ♥

my playstyle is kind of all over the place lol, i have a lot of different things running at once and the fun comes from the variety i guess? i do full herds and little one-off pairs, rare discipline/breed combos alongside common ones. i mix together lines after developing them for a while or just keep continuing an old line through a single foal, like this shetland baby who's descended from a pretty silver mare i adored back in 2019. i don't have a very set way of breeding, even if two herds are similar i'll still have different goals and standards set for them.
i have lost motivation for some projects over the years... i usually lock projects i lose interest in or just change the goals of the project. depending on how i change things i'll either let the old horses die out and start over or i'll continue using the same lines but with a stricter focus.
it's hard to say what exactly could help, but i'd recommend looking at some other kinds of projects and trying some new things out! like color/pattern breeding, no cull breeding, breeding for markings, trying a breed/discipline type you've never raised before... there's a lot of other things i could be forgetting as well. my current shetland project is literally just finding pretty ponies and training them in driving lol.

and if taking a break from the game sounds best, go for it! burnout can happen on just about every game, it's more important that you're having fun while playing than making yourself play a game when you're not really feeling it ♥

Hey, I struggle with Mental Health issues an awful lot myself. Sometimes I'm barely able to get out of bed. EV is wonderful with the locking system; which is what i do when i'm not motivated to deal with my horses. sometimes. you simply need a break from the dullness of life. read a book, pick up 1-3 items from your floor, draw, paint, or simply going for a walk helps me out. 

if you need to take a break; go for it! EV and us will always be here whenever you decide to pick it back up. ♥

I've been playing EV since November 2020 (the pandemic era) and I had few horses back then but look at me now I have a huge collection of horses I can breed!! If you need a break then go ahead!! I feel you girl!! I struggle with my ADHD and Autism sometimes but THAT DOES NOT SLOW ME DOWN AT ALL!! We all will stay strong through the tough times even if it's mental health!l :)

I get it too, it's hard to look after even a small herd sometimes for me these days, and I definitely don't have the energy to even try being on the forums at this point either. I just try to at least get training/autocare done if I can't show/school and break my herd down a lot/lock for breedings when I don't have the energy to manage them properly. Sometimes I might just fill out public notes or do a little pairing up/sort out if I really can't deal with anything else.  

It's okay to take a break and maybe focus on something else for a bit if you can. Or even if you just lock everything and work on just one small group for a bit. 

I can understand in some way as I just took a break from the game because I am losing motivation as well. I only came back because of the recent news announcement but I am not sure how long I will be sticking around this time. 

I know you're looking for a reason to stay. However, I don't know if it's the right move for you from what you stated in your post. It sounds like this game is causing you a lot of mental distress and it's not healthy for you. You should prioritize yourself over a game. You shouldn't be feeling burdened to stay because of your long history. You should be staying because you genuinely still enjoy the game. Outgrowing games, hobbies, and interests are a natural part of growing up. Some people never outgrow their interests, but many do and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. My childhood friend was a diehard Harry Potter fan. She used to buy stuff such as HP games, legos, collectibles, and more. We are in our late 20s now and she recently made her decision to sell/give away everything. She had been losing interest in HP for several years now but held on since she's so invested and it's a huge part of her life. However, it's holding her back and causing her stress. She felt so guilty for "abandoning" HP. After selling/giving away, she told me that she felt free and is able to look back and think of HP as a fond memory. 

My point is if you don't genuinely enjoy EV anymore, then don't force yourself. You shouldn't feel guilty for feeling this way. Take a break until the new changes come, and see if the new changes make the game interesting for you again. If not, that's okay. You're simply just outgrowing a game and there's nothing wrong with that. Prioritize yourself and your mental health, not a game.

^just to add onto what Lucia said: you don't owe anything to EV, especially your happiness. if you're concerned about staying in touch with friends, there are other places you can contact them right? lots of people are in the discord and elsewhere too. people have helped you, and i can understand feeling like you owe them to stay active but i hope no one is pressuring you to keep playing when you don't want to. if you owe EV anything it's to take care of yourself and do what's best for your own health ♥

if you feel weird about stepping away from a game you put irl money into that's completely understandable. in the past i've had a few games i spent a little money on and after a while didn't really feel like playing, so i felt guilty that i "wasted" money. the way i see it though, it's no different from paying to watch a movie or going to a theme park, you paid for something that you enjoyed in that moment. and it's alright if you never watch that movie again or visit that park again, what matters is that it made you happy at a time when you needed it. c:

Don't stay for anyone but yourself. We've had some lengthy talks about EV and our feelings on the game and you know how I feel about it. I know you've come back from breaks before because I asked you to but you definitely don't owe me that! You do what you need to do. If that means a 2 month break and see how you feel after do that, 2 year break? Do it. Well anyway, we can finish this conversation on discord, haha. 

Remember, I've got your back! 

Hey everyone...wow!! 
I'm honestly blown away by how kind and caring you all are, this is something that has deeply and truly touched me. I have been pretty stressed, and mentally exhausted, and like everyone has said I need to put myself first before a game...I mean it is just a game, right? 

But it's hard to let go of something that has meant so much to me over the past few years. I've decided I'm going to take a break from EV for a few months. I'll still log in every once in a while, and maybe buy some art but in the meantime, I'm going to keep quiet and focus on myself and my real life. 

I'll still be on discord if people would like to talk to me there, and my inbox is open to whoever wants to message me, however, please don't be alarmed if I take a while to respond. I'll probably be back once the updates are live, however, I'm not going to hold out any promises. 

Thank you, everyone, for being absolutely amazing XXX

(I'm trying not to cry)

We will miss you Laureal!! :')