I don't feel guilty, or ashamed, thank you very much. I've spent tons of money on cards in the past and not regretted it whatsoever. I'm not ashamed of that. I had disposable income, I was really into magic, I spent it on magic. No shame there.
Of course I don't want to quit. Are you kidding me? I love the game. But like a lot of people here have said, it's just not really something I can sustain anymore.
Believe me, I WANT to keep spending money on magic. The problem with that is that I have a certain amount of money, and once that money goes, it's gone. There's no saving up, there's no just waiting or working for new cards for my deck because there's no money coming. And there isn't going to be probably for years.
I didn't really have my mind made up before, but now I'm pushed towards definitely quitting. It's going to be hard, but in the long run, maybe it'll help.
can't sustain it any more but love the game? pauper, edh, draft, sell you bulk and switch to legacy, modern is fairly stable, play casually only. there are so many formats that don't require a heavy monetary investment every few months. do you want to quit? no? so don't. find a different format. find the format that suits your budget, or quit. those are your two options. you know they're your two options. it doesn't take the rest of us to make that clear, it takes you accepting it.
Something I should have brought up before is that you could make a Cube with a bunch of your cards. Now I know that many people have Cubes that are worth in the 10 of thousands, but you don't have to. You could put plenty of fun, yet inexpensive cards and still have a very varied Cube. The Sphinx that tutors and the Sphinx that puts someone to 10 life from your Avatar are pretty inexpensive cards. I believe even Sharuum is well-priced. Then you could invite friends or other people to play your Cube. (Part of the reason I thought of this is that I noticed someone from my area posting here on mtgs about if anyone wants to play his Cube.) I would want to, but don't really have the time, as any of my playing time is dedicated to grinding. But some day, I wish to just "have fun" like this.
Look up Cube play and building here on mtgs. It is like putting a HUGE deck together, then you draft with friends by splitting it into sets of 15 cards. Finally you make decks and play each other. I've only played once before and did horribly, so I don't know the best. You can check here on mtgs though. Obviously it's going to take some trust on your part if you invite others who you don't know and it's probably not the best idea in certain demographics.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Telling me to draft with my friends, when I've clearly told you I have none does nothing. Telling me to find a better format, when I've researched formats and deck prices and what formats my local stores offer does nothing.
If people actually bothered to A.) read my original post and B.) Read my responses to the very questions/suggestions they start typing while looking at the title, maybe this thread would have been worth posting.
@unorthodoxconqueror: My LGS figures out tournaments. I could discuss it with them, but since they don't do it already and have quite an established player base, I'm guessing there's not enough interest to make it worthwhile. Also, my friends (when I lived in my old town where I had them) and I talked about doing our own events when our store closed down, but ultimately it was too much of a logistics nightmare, trying to find a place where we could rent or at least borrow, that would be big enough. I live in a second-story two bedroom apartment with my mother. Not a whole lot of room for magic tournaments up here. Who would I have to play magic with on facebook? I have honestly no one on my facebook in my new town. Again I could talk to people at my game store, but I'm not sure how much I'd want any of those people coming to my house. I feel you on C, honestly. C is most of the reason I'm in this goddamn mess in the first place.
I'm thinking I might see if I can start selling good chunks of my collection to vendors or online. Yeah, vendors don't give you as much, but they're also much easier to sell to and don't require hassle with shipping and a paypal account. I'm looking at hitting up a local vendor and see if I can get rid of some of my old standard stuff that I still have, like Geralf's Messengers and Sorins and such. If I can drop the two or so pages of old standard "money cards" (that are worth like $5 now if that) that I have for like, half price, I MIGHT be able to have enough money to set aside for rotation. But again, with my current enthusiasm level of magic, and with the headache this thread has caused me, I think it'd be a better idea to just quit and take the cash.
Don't let people from an internet forum get you down. We are just random people who are out there and everybody has their own agenda. I've seen people who post here just for trolling purposes.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I will look into my EDH scene, but like I said, looks like most of the people around here are playing 1v1 competitive, which can often be freaking expensive too.
I have a perfectly fine deck right now, I can probably get like, one or two budget cards for it from JOU and just roll with it until rotation, maybe I'll win enough or be able to sell or trade for enough to keep playing after that. If I can't, well, then I can look into the other options. Maybe I'll actually have friends or circumstances will change by then.
1) Card Problem. Proxies!! <snip>
2) Player Problem. Sorry this one is going to take more work. You need to post on CL/FB/whatever and try to find like minded people (or just one person really) and you're off to the races.
3) Don't take this personally... but, maybe you should quit and sort other things out first.
As for money, someone's always got more and someone's always got less.
Infraction for advocation of illegal activity -Rax
I will look into my EDH scene, but like I said, looks like most of the people around here are playing 1v1 competitive, which can often be freaking expensive too.
I have a perfectly fine deck right now, I can probably get like, one or two budget cards for it from JOU and just roll with it until rotation, maybe I'll win enough or be able to sell or trade for enough to keep playing after that. If I can't, well, then I can look into the other options. Maybe I'll actually have friends or circumstances will change by then.
I figured inasmuch. If you need any help with getting cards, let me know. Kindness of strangers is not unheard of.
I have some pretty competitive standard budget decks (like $30 or under). IDK if that helps. You always need expensive cards for standard. Ask me if you would like to see a list.
If you can't afford a $30 deck, and a $5 entry fee and sustain yourself then quit, or at least standard. The problem then is you won't have human interaction. You may have to give that up then, because you must do what you have to inorder to survive. You could still walk around your area and talk to people if you want human interaction.
Since you like games you could look if your area has a Pathfinder Society or some sort of RPG group gathering, IDK if you like RPG's, but you don't have to spend money on it and you get to sit at a table with real people and play games.
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Current Decks:
Standard-
Modern (Semi-retired)- RBudget GoblinsR WBudget Death and TaxesW
Right now I'm running a mix between devotion and Black-White. It works fairly well, basically it's a midrange/tempo deck that lays down threats with huge p/t to mana cost ratio (6/6 for four, etc.) and says "deal with it."
Most of the time I get by with cutting cards that make decks better, but don't make them good. I could run Mutavaults in my list, but I don't need them. I would be better off with Thoughtseize, but Duress works as well, etc. I am hoping to get Hero's Downfall and Thoughtseize though.
I'm thinking I might cash out of that come M15 and try and play with the PvZ Hydra, if he's not incredibly expensive.
Besides like two tournaments, I basically have been on a long hiatus from magic.
Walking around my area and talking to people? Ahahahahaha. Sorry, I don't just walk up to people on the street and strike up a conversation. Who the heck does that?
So yeah, I think I'll TRY one last time. Maybe I can make it work, probably I can't but if I can, good, because literally everything else is to going to basic hell if it doesn't work out by rotation, then I'm done.
Walking around my area and talking to people? Ahahahahaha. Sorry, I don't just walk up to people on the street and strike up a conversation. Who the heck does that?
Well you could, and it would be human interaction. You probably do that in Skyrim, this would be similar but IRL.
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Current Decks:
Standard-
Modern (Semi-retired)- RBudget GoblinsR WBudget Death and TaxesW
yeah cards arent cheap best thing to do would be draft and try to trade up for what you need. itll take longer but its probably the best thing if you want to save money and buy singles when you have extra money. i find edh to be a good format bc most stuff is cheap and the expensive cards have subpar counterparts that work just fine ie Diabolic tutor vs demonic tutor. hopefully everything works out though
Well, I mean, you COULD. But I feel like most people would be super uncomfortable with someone just walking up to them out of nowhere and striking a conversation. Yeah, it's cool in Skyrim because it's a video game and you need to get quests somehow.
I dunno. There's just something I really like about FNM Standard. You don't necessarily have to know this person. You don't even necessarily have to talk to them beyond "I'll play" "Go" and "Good Game" but it's like this connection. You're matching your wits against theirs. You built your deck to suit you, or because you thought you would win more with it, or you though it would be fun, or whatever reason, they built their deck the same. It's like all those hours of testing and card choices and trading and sifting through binders and reading of strategy culminate in these 2-3 games with a total stranger where you both are being tested not only on your respective skill, but on your deck choice, your card choice, and also some just luck.
Honestly, it sounds like there is a lot going on that is contributing to your decision, and that quitting magic may provide some relief to the stress, particularly financial. But I think you made a great point that it serves as a "night out" for you. I think in the end you need to weigh the intangibles of playing, even if you are unable to be competitive. It can serve as a great way to get your mind of things, interact with others, which may be worth some of the cost of playing at FNM or being unable to buy cards.
EDH is going the way of every other format. Look at the red 8-drop in JIN and tell me WotC isn't creating money cards for EDH players too. Soon budget EDH decks will be strictly inferior to their flashy counterparts.
You're thinking really black and white. You don't have to quit magic, maybe you just play a little less. Live within your means and work some stuff out and get the basic foundation of your life solid. Then add recreation and silly expensive cardboard hobbies.
It's okay to be depressed. It's okay to be ill. It's okay to be annoyed by people's inconsiderate nature. These are all things you can't control. Work out the things you can first.
Could everyone PLEASE stop whining about card prices? I know it sucks, I have to deal with it too, but no amount of moaning will change it.
This isn't really true. The OP is quitting magic because he can't afford to stay in the game, and that's true of a lot of people. Other people would likely be willing to spend more money if they could get a higher return on their investment, but remain casual players because of the barrier to entry.
If this becomes a large enough problem, WotC will recognize that lowering prices can actually increase their profits.
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Currently Playing...
Modern: Kiki ChordWBRG
TokensWB
EDH: Kuon, Ogre AscendantBBB
This assumes of course that competitive constructed is where WotC's market is. This is probably not true. Limited and casual players buying boosters for kicks is where they get the majority of their money. The secondary market being expensive helps the stores that sell the cards, which means they buy more product if it is selling well. So the secondary market being high could actually be helping WotC's bottom line.
Telling me to draft with my friends, when I've clearly told you I have none does nothing. Telling me to find a better format, when I've researched formats and deck prices and what formats my local stores offer does nothing.
If people actually bothered to A.) read my original post and B.) Read my responses to the very questions/suggestions they start typing while looking at the title, maybe this thread would have been worth posting.
@unorthodoxconqueror: My LGS figures out tournaments. I could discuss it with them, but since they don't do it already and have quite an established player base, I'm guessing there's not enough interest to make it worthwhile. Also, my friends (when I lived in my old town where I had them) and I talked about doing our own events when our store closed down, but ultimately it was too much of a logistics nightmare, trying to find a place where we could rent or at least borrow, that would be big enough. I live in a second-story two bedroom apartment with my mother. Not a whole lot of room for magic tournaments up here. Who would I have to play magic with on facebook? I have honestly no one on my facebook in my new town. Again I could talk to people at my game store, but I'm not sure how much I'd want any of those people coming to my house. I feel you on C, honestly. C is most of the reason I'm in this goddamn mess in the first place.
I'm thinking I might see if I can start selling good chunks of my collection to vendors or online. Yeah, vendors don't give you as much, but they're also much easier to sell to and don't require hassle with shipping and a paypal account. I'm looking at hitting up a local vendor and see if I can get rid of some of my old standard stuff that I still have, like Geralf's Messengers and Sorins and such. If I can drop the two or so pages of old standard "money cards" (that are worth like $5 now if that) that I have for like, half price, I MIGHT be able to have enough money to set aside for rotation. But again, with my current enthusiasm level of magic, and with the headache this thread has caused me, I think it'd be a better idea to just quit and take the cash.
Try finding a group in the area that plays Commander. It is pretty easy to make decks assuming you have 1 legendary creature in your collection. EDH is very social as it is a multiplayer format. There are many threads here and on the commander page about looking for playgroups/playgroups looking for people. Find one that seems cool and enjoy.
I've found that I always get my money's worth back when drafting. I even make money, sometimes. I tend to place high, though. Drafting, then selling whatever's worth anything, is a great way to play the game without busting your wallet.
People really like me at the LGS beacuse I also tend to give the rest of the cards I drafted to others, because I don't need them and they're not worth anything anyways. I don't leave the store with more than 2-3 cards more than what I came in with, but I'm happy because I got to play and I know I made others even happier. I have my collection and Legacy staples, so standard cards are of very little interest to me.
By going to these gatherings (ha), you make contacts. I don't know if you have trouble socializing with strangers, but having a chat with some of the more open-minded players there can lead to all sorts of things, even friendship. Generosity opens the hearts and loosens the tongues of even the shiest peers, let me tell you. These people are your doorway to all sorts of new experiences, even job opportunities (which sounds very important to you).
I don't think you should stop playing if this is the last human interaction you have left. But you shouldn't limit yourself to it. Use it as an opportunity to get into other social circles, non-magic related. Maybe some of them go out for beers after (maybe you're not old enough, sorry).
I read that you study online. Maybe it would be nice to take 1 class per semester at your local university or college? Take something that interests you. It costs money, but it's better than any hobby, imo. The more you go out, the greater the chance that something will happen to you (good or bad). But that's life.
As someone who has just recently gotten back into magic, I would definitely look into doing FNM drafts at your lgs if they have it. It seems like the human aspect of the game is really important to you, and I've found a little more of that in drafting. In a way, you get to share the experience with all 8 (or however many people are there) instead of just your opponents, who are probably going to be a bit more competitive if it's another format. Another added bonus of drafting is that it's not too difficult to make it pay for itself, either by winning store credit or selling rares. I'm not really sure any of the other formats other than standard are that great of an idea, because most take a decent amount of upfront cash to get into and/or require a playgroup. If standard is really all you are interested in, my only suggestion would be to try and either find unplayed but good decks, or speculate new cards to resell. From what you've said, though, neither really seem like a good option.
But that's only if you are convinced to keep playing. I've essentially started playing magic 3 times (left and came back twice), and I've certainly found that 1) coming back is super easy, and 2) it's getting easier and easier. It's really hard to let go of, but I feel like you might have already made your decision. It sounds like you're going through a really rough part of life, but it also sounds like you're making good choices and working now to make things better later. Maybe Magic doesn't fit into your life right now, and that's alright. When you're out of school, you'll be able to pick it right back up again, and you might even have more time and money for it than ever before.
If you decide to stop playing for a little bit, maybe you should pick up D&D or Pathfinder? I'd be willing to bet that your lgs holds some game nights for those, and if you told them you were interested in playing, they would absolutely help you find a group. It would take almost nothing to start playing, and you'd get a lot of time with new people, who would actually get to know pretty well. If neither of those are really your thing, check with the lgs to see if they hold any board game nights. It would get you the same kind of thing, but more strategy if you're more of a melvin than a vorthos.
Another option, though one I really do not recommend, would be DOTA 2 or LOL. Totally free to play, and since they basically require a mic to play seriously, you still get a lot of interaction with other people. That said, I have found those communities to be some of the worst around, at least for new players, and everyone I know who plays them is borderline addicted. Last semester, 2 of my room mates played and one of them actually had to drop out because he never did any work, and I'm not sure how the other is still here either, because the only time I see him out of his room is when he's going to the door to get delivery. Doesn't really seem like what you're wanting in your life right now.
I know this is a long post, but I think you deserve it. Giving up a hobby is really difficult, especially when it feels like you're being forced too. Plus, with all the work you're doing and all the stress you're under, it really sounds like you could use a way to unwind. I would say though, that tabletop games are a fantastic way to meet people. I used to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, and playing board games was tremendously helpful in helping me move beyond that. I was taking medication for both of them and seeing a therapist weekly a little over a year ago, when I started getting back into board games and magic, and now I don't need either. Absolutely hang out at your lgs and even if you don't pay magic for a bit, try and see if there's some other games people play there that fit in your budget. If you still want to feel connected to magic, follow MaRo's blog, if you're not already, it's a fantastic way to feel connected, both to the game and other players. I think you're a good person, and I know you'll make the right choice. Life sounds like it's really tough right now, but it sounds like you're tougher. Anyways, here's two articles by MaRo that I think are really great: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr216, http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr218
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can't sustain it any more but love the game? pauper, edh, draft, sell you bulk and switch to legacy, modern is fairly stable, play casually only. there are so many formats that don't require a heavy monetary investment every few months. do you want to quit? no? so don't. find a different format. find the format that suits your budget, or quit. those are your two options. you know they're your two options. it doesn't take the rest of us to make that clear, it takes you accepting it.
Look up Cube play and building here on mtgs. It is like putting a HUGE deck together, then you draft with friends by splitting it into sets of 15 cards. Finally you make decks and play each other. I've only played once before and did horribly, so I don't know the best. You can check here on mtgs though. Obviously it's going to take some trust on your part if you invite others who you don't know and it's probably not the best idea in certain demographics.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)If people actually bothered to A.) read my original post and B.) Read my responses to the very questions/suggestions they start typing while looking at the title, maybe this thread would have been worth posting.
@unorthodoxconqueror: My LGS figures out tournaments. I could discuss it with them, but since they don't do it already and have quite an established player base, I'm guessing there's not enough interest to make it worthwhile. Also, my friends (when I lived in my old town where I had them) and I talked about doing our own events when our store closed down, but ultimately it was too much of a logistics nightmare, trying to find a place where we could rent or at least borrow, that would be big enough. I live in a second-story two bedroom apartment with my mother. Not a whole lot of room for magic tournaments up here. Who would I have to play magic with on facebook? I have honestly no one on my facebook in my new town. Again I could talk to people at my game store, but I'm not sure how much I'd want any of those people coming to my house. I feel you on C, honestly. C is most of the reason I'm in this goddamn mess in the first place.
I'm thinking I might see if I can start selling good chunks of my collection to vendors or online. Yeah, vendors don't give you as much, but they're also much easier to sell to and don't require hassle with shipping and a paypal account. I'm looking at hitting up a local vendor and see if I can get rid of some of my old standard stuff that I still have, like Geralf's Messengers and Sorins and such. If I can drop the two or so pages of old standard "money cards" (that are worth like $5 now if that) that I have for like, half price, I MIGHT be able to have enough money to set aside for rotation. But again, with my current enthusiasm level of magic, and with the headache this thread has caused me, I think it'd be a better idea to just quit and take the cash.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I have a perfectly fine deck right now, I can probably get like, one or two budget cards for it from JOU and just roll with it until rotation, maybe I'll win enough or be able to sell or trade for enough to keep playing after that. If I can't, well, then I can look into the other options. Maybe I'll actually have friends or circumstances will change by then.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
2) Player Problem. Sorry this one is going to take more work. You need to post on CL/FB/whatever and try to find like minded people (or just one person really) and you're off to the races.
3) Don't take this personally... but, maybe you should quit and sort other things out first.
As for money, someone's always got more and someone's always got less.
Infraction for advocation of illegal activity -Rax
I figured inasmuch. If you need any help with getting cards, let me know. Kindness of strangers is not unheard of.
If you can't afford a $30 deck, and a $5 entry fee and sustain yourself then quit, or at least standard. The problem then is you won't have human interaction. You may have to give that up then, because you must do what you have to inorder to survive. You could still walk around your area and talk to people if you want human interaction.
Since you like games you could look if your area has a Pathfinder Society or some sort of RPG group gathering, IDK if you like RPG's, but you don't have to spend money on it and you get to sit at a table with real people and play games.
Standard-
Modern (Semi-retired)-
RBudget GoblinsR
WBudget Death and TaxesW
EDH-
RWBAlesha, Who Smiles At DeathRWB
GGGFreyalise, Llanowar's FuryGGG
UBW$100 Sharuum the HegemonUBW
Most of the time I get by with cutting cards that make decks better, but don't make them good. I could run Mutavaults in my list, but I don't need them. I would be better off with Thoughtseize, but Duress works as well, etc. I am hoping to get Hero's Downfall and Thoughtseize though.
I'm thinking I might cash out of that come M15 and try and play with the PvZ Hydra, if he's not incredibly expensive.
Besides like two tournaments, I basically have been on a long hiatus from magic.
Walking around my area and talking to people? Ahahahahaha. Sorry, I don't just walk up to people on the street and strike up a conversation. Who the heck does that?
So yeah, I think I'll TRY one last time. Maybe I can make it work, probably I can't but if I can, good, because literally everything else is to going to basic hell if it doesn't work out by rotation, then I'm done.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
Well you could, and it would be human interaction. You probably do that in Skyrim, this would be similar but IRL.
Standard-
Modern (Semi-retired)-
RBudget GoblinsR
WBudget Death and TaxesW
EDH-
RWBAlesha, Who Smiles At DeathRWB
GGGFreyalise, Llanowar's FuryGGG
UBW$100 Sharuum the HegemonUBW
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion Combo
GUEzuri, Claw of progress Morph
GUBSidisi, Brood tyrant
RWGisela, Blade of Goldnight Random red white cards i dont use.dec
GBLoam Pox
Modern
UBFaeries
GBWGoyfless Abzan
On Squirrels
On Risen Executioner
I dunno. There's just something I really like about FNM Standard. You don't necessarily have to know this person. You don't even necessarily have to talk to them beyond "I'll play" "Go" and "Good Game" but it's like this connection. You're matching your wits against theirs. You built your deck to suit you, or because you thought you would win more with it, or you though it would be fun, or whatever reason, they built their deck the same. It's like all those hours of testing and card choices and trading and sifting through binders and reading of strategy culminate in these 2-3 games with a total stranger where you both are being tested not only on your respective skill, but on your deck choice, your card choice, and also some just luck.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
UWRMiraclesRWU
Modern
UWRControlRWU
Standard
Ummm no...
Trade Thread
It's okay to be depressed. It's okay to be ill. It's okay to be annoyed by people's inconsiderate nature. These are all things you can't control. Work out the things you can first.
This isn't really true. The OP is quitting magic because he can't afford to stay in the game, and that's true of a lot of people. Other people would likely be willing to spend more money if they could get a higher return on their investment, but remain casual players because of the barrier to entry.
If this becomes a large enough problem, WotC will recognize that lowering prices can actually increase their profits.
Modern: Kiki ChordWBRG
TokensWB
EDH: Kuon, Ogre AscendantBBB
#FreeContractfromBelow
Try finding a group in the area that plays Commander. It is pretty easy to make decks assuming you have 1 legendary creature in your collection. EDH is very social as it is a multiplayer format. There are many threads here and on the commander page about looking for playgroups/playgroups looking for people. Find one that seems cool and enjoy.
People really like me at the LGS beacuse I also tend to give the rest of the cards I drafted to others, because I don't need them and they're not worth anything anyways. I don't leave the store with more than 2-3 cards more than what I came in with, but I'm happy because I got to play and I know I made others even happier. I have my collection and Legacy staples, so standard cards are of very little interest to me.
By going to these gatherings (ha), you make contacts. I don't know if you have trouble socializing with strangers, but having a chat with some of the more open-minded players there can lead to all sorts of things, even friendship. Generosity opens the hearts and loosens the tongues of even the shiest peers, let me tell you. These people are your doorway to all sorts of new experiences, even job opportunities (which sounds very important to you).
I don't think you should stop playing if this is the last human interaction you have left. But you shouldn't limit yourself to it. Use it as an opportunity to get into other social circles, non-magic related. Maybe some of them go out for beers after (maybe you're not old enough, sorry).
I read that you study online. Maybe it would be nice to take 1 class per semester at your local university or college? Take something that interests you. It costs money, but it's better than any hobby, imo. The more you go out, the greater the chance that something will happen to you (good or bad). But that's life.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
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But that's only if you are convinced to keep playing. I've essentially started playing magic 3 times (left and came back twice), and I've certainly found that 1) coming back is super easy, and 2) it's getting easier and easier. It's really hard to let go of, but I feel like you might have already made your decision. It sounds like you're going through a really rough part of life, but it also sounds like you're making good choices and working now to make things better later. Maybe Magic doesn't fit into your life right now, and that's alright. When you're out of school, you'll be able to pick it right back up again, and you might even have more time and money for it than ever before.
If you decide to stop playing for a little bit, maybe you should pick up D&D or Pathfinder? I'd be willing to bet that your lgs holds some game nights for those, and if you told them you were interested in playing, they would absolutely help you find a group. It would take almost nothing to start playing, and you'd get a lot of time with new people, who would actually get to know pretty well. If neither of those are really your thing, check with the lgs to see if they hold any board game nights. It would get you the same kind of thing, but more strategy if you're more of a melvin than a vorthos.
Another option, though one I really do not recommend, would be DOTA 2 or LOL. Totally free to play, and since they basically require a mic to play seriously, you still get a lot of interaction with other people. That said, I have found those communities to be some of the worst around, at least for new players, and everyone I know who plays them is borderline addicted. Last semester, 2 of my room mates played and one of them actually had to drop out because he never did any work, and I'm not sure how the other is still here either, because the only time I see him out of his room is when he's going to the door to get delivery. Doesn't really seem like what you're wanting in your life right now.
I know this is a long post, but I think you deserve it. Giving up a hobby is really difficult, especially when it feels like you're being forced too. Plus, with all the work you're doing and all the stress you're under, it really sounds like you could use a way to unwind. I would say though, that tabletop games are a fantastic way to meet people. I used to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, and playing board games was tremendously helpful in helping me move beyond that. I was taking medication for both of them and seeing a therapist weekly a little over a year ago, when I started getting back into board games and magic, and now I don't need either. Absolutely hang out at your lgs and even if you don't pay magic for a bit, try and see if there's some other games people play there that fit in your budget. If you still want to feel connected to magic, follow MaRo's blog, if you're not already, it's a fantastic way to feel connected, both to the game and other players. I think you're a good person, and I know you'll make the right choice. Life sounds like it's really tough right now, but it sounds like you're tougher. Anyways, here's two articles by MaRo that I think are really great: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr216, http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr218