Why I Left Life Steal SMP: Creative Reset and Time Constraints

Bry quit LIF steal due to stress, lack of creative freedom, time constraints, and a desire to focus on personal relationships and diverse content creation.

### Real Talk: Why I Left the LIF Steal SMP
* 😓 The decision to leave LIF Steal was driven by a combination of factors, including **stress, time commitment, and creative direction**.
* 🎮 Initially joining LIF Steal in Season 3 as a content creator, the pressure of the server's popularity and **intense gameplay dynamics** started to weigh heavily over time.
* 🤝 The community confusion caused by leaving without a **clear explanation** was a factor in the decision-making process.
* 🌟 Despite feeling creatively drained, the supportive community, especially player **Prince Zam**, played a significant role in the decision to return for **Season 5**.
* ⏳ Overcommitment to multiple SMPs and content creation projects led to the realization that it was necessary to **focus on fewer commitments to maintain quality**.
* 💔 The most challenging aspect of leaving LIF Steal was the **people and relationships** that were no longer as **accessible** outside the server.
* 🏝 Looking ahead, the plan is to **explore new servers and content ideas**, while also considering the possibility of **returning to LIF Steal in the future with fresh inspiration**.

I quit the LIF steal SMP no explanation, no warning, and today I'm going to expose the truth as to why, mainly because I'm sick of other people making videos about it. Welcome to the very first episode of what I'm calling, uh, Real Talk, where I talk about something that's on my mind while playing a slightly realistic version of Minecraft. Oh, look, gorillas, probably, probably not friends. Now, I don't want this to be some kind of like clickbaity nonsense video this time, so I'm going to go against the grain of every instinct in my content creator body and give you the TLD drr right at the start. And here it is, there is no tea, there is no drama, I just needed a creative reset, that's it. Now, anyone who does want to make, uh, a click baity what happened Ral LIF steal video can go away, and anyone else that wants some more thoughtful explanation, well, buckle up, buttercup. Uh, to really understand why I left, you probably need to know how I got

into life steal in the first place. And and I forgot I I I can't actually uh. I can't actually chop wood with my hands so we need to get stone. See, it all started way back at the beginning of 2021, I think, when my friend Rec RP uploaded a video titled something like I joined a YouTuber Anarchy smpp. And at the time, I had never heard of Life steal, I had never watched a single life steal video, I didn't even know who any of the life Stealers were uh, but I was friends with wreck and so it kind of peaked my interest, at least to watch his videos. I supposed to do with this oh what just happened oh I got a flint Shard let's go more Flint please and that's exactly what what I did for probably about the next 6ish months. And in that time, I really still had no idea what life steal uh really was, especially behind the scenes. What in the heck is that you gross dude but since I had no idea

what life steal was, and I was just watching RE's videos because WCK was my friend. When life steal opened up applications for people to join in season 3, I was not interested. I remember that a lot of my friends at the time were planning on applying, and they were asking me if I was going to apply as well. And every time I said the same thing, absolutely not. Not out of anything against life stealers or the server itself, I just didn't know anything about it other than it was a PVP server. And I don't know if you know this, I am not a very good PVPer. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, oh, the monkey, mean, ah, I was pummeled by a Capuchin monkey. Hey, hunger reset, let's go. Anyways, like I was saying, I am not very good at PVP. But over that probably two-week period, maybe it was a week where people were applying to life steal or talking about applying to life steal, I was getting

more and more interested, I guess, because it felt like more and more of my friends were going to leave the server I was playing on to go play there. Uh, so probably like 2 days before applications were due for season 3, uh, I sent a message to the one and only wck RP himself. Because here's the thing about wreck, he is probably, in my opinion, the most realistic person I have ever met, at least the most realistic content creator I've ever met. And he's not going to tell you something just to save your feeling, you know, like he will tell you the truth no matter what. And so I sent him a message, and in typical Rec RP fashion, he sent me a very nice, long, and thoughtful response. Oh, speaking of Rec RP melons, which I can pretty much sum up in saying life steal is not all about PVP, that he would help teach me PVP if I wanted to learn, and that he thought that I could make some pretty fun content with some of the members, uh, already, which meant a

lot to me because I think a lot of people who join SMPs and stuff just do it. It's so hard to commentate when I'm constantly in danger, but I think a lot of people who do content creation and who join servers and stuff just kind of do so without a lot of thought, you know? It's just like, Oh yeah, this seems like a place I could make a video. Cool, let's do it, and not a lot of thought as far as like, what's the symbiotic relationship that we would have or could have. So it was kind of a big relief to hear that somebody felt like I could not only make content there, but I could be like a genuine, good member. So that pretty much made up my mind, and I decided to apply after all. Hey, crafting table, now we're talking. Wow, it's taking me so long to get to this point. Holy cow, look at that watermelon. Replaces my thirst and my hunger. SS the water in watermelon, let's go. And just as I was putting

together, uh, my thoughts on how to make an actually interesting application video. I got a DM from parrot himself who asked, Bry, do you want to be in life steal season 3? And so I responded and said, A place for me to cause a little chaos, I'm in. But I still didn't know anything about life steal, not their names or channels, anything. And I think that gave me an interesting perspective. But I also think that lack of investment prior to joining was a telling precursor to my time on the server in general. I mean, I remember after season 3 started, talking to Wreck again, and him asking me, Can you believe that we're in life steal? And I was like, Yeah, who'd have thought you and me on a PVP server, that's crazy. And he goes, Wait, do you understand how big life steal is? To which I responded, I no. So he brought up some Google Trends, and I can't remember for sure, but at the time, life steal was the second or third most popular SMP in the world. And I had

no idea whatsoever, but that conversation kind of changed the way that I approached Liv Steel. Because now, I felt this overwhelming pressure to live up to the expectation that I'd imagined an SMP of that popularity would have. So, thanks a lot, Wck RP. No, but that did push me to learn a lot as a content creator and resulted in Season 3 housing some of my all-time favorite videos I've ever made. And it was extremely, extremely stressful. And that brings us to the first reason why I left Life Steel. Because for all intents and purposes, Life Steel is a ton of fun. But when you guys watch these videos and people are betraying each other or worrying about who to trust or people going for revenge, or you know, whatever it is, so stressful. It is constantly a stress fest on Life Steel because you really don't know what people are plotting and planning, even outside of the server. Like we could be in a Discord chat just talking, and then like 2 months later, that conversation will pop up in

somebody's video when it turns out they were playing you the whole time, and now they're going to kill you in some way, shape, or form, and it's just like it's just constantly terrifying, and I think that the stress of that really starts to weigh on you after a while because you can really only take the stress of like who can I trust, and when are we like friends versus when are we in content mode for so long, and it may sound like that a negative thing, but to me that was always very positive because it showed that it is a lifestyle to be a part of life steal, you know, and it takes a lot of dedication to do it justice and to really take advantage of the opportunity. In between the pressure and The NeverEnding stress of have not knowing which of my friends I could trust that day, it kind of just started to wear me down. Oh, we got a storm coming in, storm be Brewing, seagull get your head down, all right, let's find some shelter for this storm, holy cow, oh all.

my melon went rotten. Oh no. Anyways, so throughout season 3, uh, we had some really good times, and we had some really fun adventures, and it was a lot of, it was, it was a lot, a lot of fun, but by the end of season 3, I think the stress and the pressure finally just kind of got to me, to the point of like, I needed to take a break, uh, is also so about the time that I started making like 100 days content, and kind of focusing more on the ideas of what I was doing and the experiences, rather than the stories. Oh, the temple, let's go, let's seek shelter in the temple from the storm. We're just going to wait it out in here for the night. I think this seems like a good place, this seems like a wonderful place to be. What just happened? Ah, silverfish, silverfish. It was a trap. Don't kill me, I'm on my bed, you can't kill me when I'm in my bed, that's what I look like when I die.

that's fun anyways. Like I was saying, going into season 4, my heart just really wasn't in it anymore. I just needed kind of some time apart and some time away. And so, that is exactly what I did. But there was one side effect to me leaving Life Seal that I was not expecting or thought through all the way. And that was the community confusion. Now, to be fair, I've never really been like one of the core main characters of Life Steel, so I don't think there were too many people that were overly concerned that I wasn't there. But for those that were wondering where I went or what happened or why I wasn't around, they didn't really have an explanation. And it didn't really feel very fair. And it's not a mistake that I intend to make twice. But man, I will tell you what, leave it to Prince Zam. Like Zam probably is one of the biggest reasons why that monkey I thought was chasing me, probably one of the biggest reasons why I even decided to come back to Life.

steel after my sabatical because Zam throughout the entirety of season 4 would invite me to be a part of his live streams, which kind of just kept me AF float in my interest within life steal. Like without Zam being there and doing that and taking that time and putting in that effort, I don't know if I would have come back or not, but it really meant a lot to me for Zam to do that. Uh, it showed me, you know, that even though I wasn't making content there, that I still could find a place and that there were people willing and able to include me in things, you know, even if I wasn't there to make content. It was still fun to just hang out and be around, uh, to do things, and that people would take the time to invite me like that, that is a really big deal, and I really appreciated that, and it's really what I needed. But what was also cool is that even though I was finding success in like 100 days content at the time.

nobody was upset or mad. Like those pillagers, like everybody was really supportive and excited and kept telling me how cool my videos were and how excited they were for my success. And it was just really, really cool. Ah, why are we so mad? Ah, don't brush me. Oh my gosh, it's a terrifying place. But even with all that being said, we were so far into season 4 that it kind of felt wrong for me to even try to jump in. Like there were so many storylines going on and so many factions, and at some point it just felt like if I jump in now, I'm just going to be more of a side character distraction than I am actually going to be a useful part of the interactions and storyline that everybody's working on. And so it was best for me to just put season 4 away entirely. And so I did. But in the meantime, some other friends of mine started a different server called the outcasts SMP. And even a little bit

before that, my other group of friends started a server called No Name. And so suddenly, uh, I went from focusing solely on this 100 days content. Oh God, leave me alone to being wrapped up in three different smps, none of which I was able to dedicate enough time to to really justify even being a member. Unfortunately, I'm poison bad water. It'll do in a pinch. I'd rather be poisoned than die. Oh, do not poison from you though. Holy, leave me alone. Ah, why is it so fast? Half a heart, give me a break, dude. And so birthed the third problem, uh, for me on the life steal SMP. Over commitment and lack of time because like I said, life steal is kind of a lifestyle. Like when you're in it, you are in it. And now being a part of three different servers and doing 100 days content, I was just completely overwhelmed and didn't have enough time to do any of it to the degree that I really wanted to. And so I made a decision, a decision to

choose only two only two types of content and to focus only on those and to give whatever I was going to choose uh my full attention. And those two things that I chose were no name smpp and life steal season 5. I chose no name because there's really no pressure to noname like whatsoever. We kind of just play random games and just have fun together. And it's actually one of my favorite parts uh of the of the of the week or bi-week that we get together and and get to hang out. And I oh my oh Pirates but I chose life steal as well because frankly I felt like I owed it to all of you and my server mates for just totally bailing on season 4 Al together. And that was not how I wanted to go out on Liv steel. And besides that like LIF steel like welcomed me with open arms like I cannot tell you how nervous I was sitting in the season 4 Discord and seeing that the invitation to the season 5 Discord had already

expired, and so I had to reach out to Parot and be like, Hey, I know I wasn't super active in the last season, but like, can I get an invite to the new server? And without hesitation, he was like, Absolutely, here you go. I didn't have to explain anything, I didn't have to like go into detail about my commitment or anything like that. Life seal just accepted me and like wanted me to be a part of it, and that was that. And they had every right to say no, like, You've clearly proven that you can't commit to this server. Like, that would have been completely understandable. What I cannot believe and understand is that they just decided, Hey, that's cool, like, we get it. Come on back, absolutely we'd love to have you. Like, that's so mature of them and by far more gracious than I probably deserved. Ow, ow, ow, ow, I deserve this. See, this, this is much more what I deserve. And so I decided that every video that I was going to put out on my channel during

this life steal season 5 season was going to be a life steal video or with other life stealers, uh, obviously referencing the random internet video that reck and I did. But the caveat going into the season, like before we even logged on for the first time, was that this would be my farewell season. I want to give it everything that I have and then at the end of the season, find a nice bow to put on life steal and go out in a fashion that I felt like was fitting for my time that I'd spent on there to that point. And so, like day one, uh, I went into it with like a 100 days video on life steal and I teamed up with a bunch of players that I always had wanted to team up with. And on top of that, I wanted to make sure that I got to interact with every single new player on the server as well. I had an entire freaking bucket list of things to get done and to do on that server for my final season. But during that whole season, something

happened that I wasn't really prepared for, and that I wasn't even kind of expecting, and that was the number of people uh who were leaving like wreck had obviously left in season 4, and then parrot left early in season 5, and vitality left, and subs left, and it was kind of just a big bummer to be honest, but at the same time we had so many new people that were adding totally new life to the server, and so I guess the server was just kind of evolving into something something new, which was super cool, but it did kind of feel like the end of an era. Oh my God, you're adorable, oh my, there's three, oh what, ah, I got hit by fly, ah, why, I need watermelons, watermelons, God dang it. I don't even know what I died to that time, but this new era on life steel was actually super super cool, especially like all the different storylines and plots that everybody was concocting and coming up with and working on together, and the

collaborations. Like, it was just so, so much fun. And I won't lie to you. During the last half of the season, I wanted to go back on my decision so badly. Like, I wanted to just tell everyone, you know what, I really love playing here and I really enjoy playing with everybody, and I'm super excited for the future of the server, so why wouldn't I want to be a part of it? But then I remembered that little voice in my head spouting off about symbiotic relationships of servers, because I dedicated a lot of my time, effort, and energy into Life Steal this last season. And don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it. I think we made some fantastic videos. But at the same time, I was just kind of creatively drained. I mean, I still feel like there's a lot of really good juice to milk from this Life Steal machine. But at the same time, when I think about the ideas that I have right now that I get really excited about creating.

content for I find that I'm brainstorming ways to make those ideas Fit Life steal, rather than just coming up with ideas that are already based around it. And so I kind of just wanted to take a step back until those ideas start to flow, that match more with life steal itself, you know, instead of just, oh my God a hole hello uh, instead of just, you know, relying on other creators to come up with really fun, cool ideas for me to play off of and try to riff off of. I want to be able to come up with said ideas, like I want to inspire other players, and I want to be inspired creatively, and be able to execute my ideas and inspirations without having to think of, will this fit the life steal vibe? And that's again, oh God the okay, at some point I will figure out how to purify bu this water so it stops killing me, but honestly it kind of seems a little marrish, you know, because the life stealers would absolutely accommodate to whatever ideas I wanted to, 'cause that's

we've done it before, like the whole Carnival, right? They were accommodating me so hard with that idea. Like, like President Wo was get making me Immortal so that I wouldn't get banned off the server so that everybody could participate in the carnival 'cause it was such a big project, right? And as much as I appreciate that, and as much as I love them for allowing me to be Bry on their server. Oh my God, what is that? Hello, do you? Oh, it's vicious. Oh God, it's vicious. No, okay, it's your Forest. I'm not here. That's yours. I'm sorry, I inverted. But the thing is, I don't feel like I want the life stealers to accommodate me. I don't want anyone to have to accommodate me, you know what I mean? Like, I appreciate them so much for it, but I want to come back to this server when I have ideas for life steal, you know? Not just to play off of ideas and not to have to ask for exceptions or whatever.

like I want to do this the right way and have time to do that and that uh is where probably the most important element of all comes into play. Time. I do not have much left apparently. Holy cow I am on death constantly in this mod pack. Please don't attack me kangaroos. I've seen the Australian videos but time is probably the most valuable currency in the world and I can tell you content creation is the biggest time suck of a career you can choose. I can make a whole video talking about the the the the horrible uh unhealthy side of content creation and how much time it takes but number one thing that it takes away from is the time that you would want to spend with the important people in your life and I know a lot of you already know this but I am a married man. I am an old married man which puts me in a very different place than a lot of the other people on Liv steal and it's not to say that they have any more time than I do by any means like they have jobs they

have school. You know, they have a lot of their own responsibilities as well. The difference, I think, is that my free time and what I like to do in my free time revolves completely around spending time with my wife because that is the person that I want to spend every moment that I can with. And honestly, there would be no brzy videos if it wasn't for my wife's support. And she's the most supportive person in the world and has let me be a part of this server that has taken so much of not just my time but her time with me as well. And because of the commitment of being on a big server like LIF steal, especially one that if you're not around then you're just not getting the content, and if it's your job, that's kind of a big deal, you know? So, in a way, it's kind of just growing in different directions, I guess. And at some point, I think friends grow back together, and I'm so excited for that day because I don't know if you could tell in

my goodbye LIF Ste speech in my video. But I legit teared up and was trying to compose myself because I love those kids so much. Oh, I'm going to get teary-eyed again just talking about this. Anyways, all that is to say that right now I just want to focus on the relationships in my life and want to spend more time there than what life steal specifically kind of requires to be a real member to the degree that I want to be. I also want to live on that island. Nothing bad ever happens on Islands. What is that? No sir, sir, sir, just no sir. You are disgusting. Why guess the island was a bad idea. So, I guess if I had to sum up why I left life steel, it's complicated and there's a lot of reasons, but the hardest part of leaving is the people that I don't get to see very often anymore. Fortunately, that also brings us to what is next, which I'm very, very uh excited for. I almost got struck by lightning.

my God, that would have been so epic and sad. So, what are these very exciting things, you ask? Well, it's actually pretty simple. Basically, just bounce around from server to server and idea to idea to make the funnest videos I can based on things that I find interesting. And let me tell you, after dedicating almost a year straight to life steal, I am so excited to share some of these ideas with you guys. I just want the watermelon dude. Just, oh God, just let me have the watermelon dude. Oh God, including making some more of these commentary videos as well if you guys want them. If not, and you think this is stupid and that this real-world thing is just way too intense 'cause I've already died like five times, then you, I, I get it. But if you do want to see more, then leave me some ideas in the comments of what you'd like to talk about. And as always, tune in for the next one.

Why I Quit the Lifesteal SMP.

Branzy Bits

The creator left Life Steal SMP for a creative reset, with no drama or tea to share.

They initially got interested in Life Steal because of a friend's video, but had no real knowledge of what it was about.

Despite friends applying to join, the creator had no interest in Life Steal due to their lack of PvP skills.

Joining Life Steal Season 3: A Surprising Invitation

The speaker reached out to Rec RP for advice before applying to Life Steal Season 3.

Rec RP's supportive response and offer to teach PVP influenced the speaker's decision to apply.

Despite joining with little knowledge, the speaker's unique perspective and lack of prior investment set the tone for their experience on the server.

The Stressful Experience of Being a Content Creator for Life Steel

The pressure to meet the expectations of a popular SMP was overwhelming for the content creator.

Life Steel's environment of betrayal and constant stress took a toll, leading to the decision to take a break.

The focus shifted to creating different content and experiences, away from the stressful storytelling of Life Steel.

Feeling Disconnected from Life Seal and the Impact of Prince Zam

The speaker took a break from Life Seal in season 4, causing confusion in the community, but Prince Zam's live streams kept the speaker engaged and ultimately motivated their return.

Despite finding success elsewhere, the speaker received support and encouragement from the Life Seal community.

The advanced storyline in season 4 led the speaker to join a different server, the Outcasts SMP.

Struggling with Overcommitment to Multiple Gaming Servers

The speaker was overwhelmed by being part of three different gaming servers and creating 100 days content, leading to a decision to focus on only two servers.

They chose the No Name SMP for its low pressure and fun environment, and the Life Steal server as a way to show commitment and gratitude for being welcomed back.

The speaker was surprised by the gracious acceptance and support from the Life Steal server despite their previous lack of commitment.

The final season on the Life Steal server was meant to be a grand farewell, filled with collaborations and new experiences.

The season was marked by the departure of many players, creating a sense of both loss and new beginnings.

Despite the temptation to stay, the creator felt creatively drained and decided to move on to new projects.

Struggling with Creative Inspiration and Time Management in Content Creation

The speaker is struggling to generate ideas that align with the "Life Steal" theme and wants to be more self-reliant in creative inspiration.

They feel grateful for the accommodation and support from the "Life Steal" community but want to contribute in a more independent way.

The speaker emphasizes the challenge of time management in content creation, especially as a married individual, highlighting the significant impact on personal life.

Prioritizing Relationships and New Beginnings

The speaker is leaving the LIF steal server to prioritize relationships and spend more time with loved ones.

They are excited to pursue new creative ideas and make fun videos, expressing a desire to engage with their audience's interests.

The decision to leave is driven by the desire to focus on personal connections and explore new opportunities for content creation.