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Thoughts on gridning?

Discussion in 'General RPG Discussion' started by Dame6089, Jun 15, 2015.

  1. FuZyOn

    FuZyOn Well-Known Member Regular

    Grinding can get pretty boring at times but if you want to have good items in a game it's vital to grind your way up. I think there needs to be a balance, but grinding never gets boring with friends! :D
     
  2. qag

    qag Well-Known Member Regular

    As a whole, I dislike grinding, especially in Singleplayer games - those should be balanced so that the average player can beat them with minimal to know grinding. With MMO's, it's a bit different, since I know the developers want to make sure players continue to play the game for a long time, and grinding is an easy way for players to do that. In the end, I think the best way to go about grinding is to make the content interesting enough so I'm less focused on watching an EXP meter go up and more focused on the fun I'm having playing the game.
     
  3. Kitty Reeves

    Kitty Reeves Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove Regular

    I'm okay with grinding, but after a while it can get mind numbingly tedious. There is actually a game on GaiaOnline right now (I know, shut up) that is literally nothing grinding. That's it. It's basically a low grade Pokeman rip off, but there is nothing but "battling" (I use that term loosely) and level grinding. Ugh.
     
  4. ISKMogul

    ISKMogul Well-Known Member

    Grinding is one of those mechanics that have become synonymous with RPGs in general. The balance between meaningful gameplay and progress versus grinding lies in how the player works his/her way through the game. A game that focuses too much on grinding and min/maxing stats runs the risk of losing player interest due to monotony. But, a lot of developers have seemed to take the easy path of "level=difficulty", basically creating an environment where the amount of grinding is directly proportional to the game's difficulty. This is a big problem because challenge should come from mechanics acting against the players actions, forcing them to think creatively. Grinding isn't innovative or challenging.
     
  5. Azrile

    Azrile Well-Known Member Regular

    I think grinding should always be an option, but not required. I know at times there is nothing I want more to do then just mindlessly grind some mobs.

    In WOW, when I get this urge I go for one of the vanity pets that drops 1:1000 or so. There are slimes on Thunder Island that drop one, and that is my usual place to go. I donĀ“t know, sometimes it is just relaxing and fun when you get in a rhythm of killing stuff.

    In UO, we used to do the same thing for gathering leather.
     
  6. Zimbitt

    Zimbitt Well-Known Member Regular

    A lot of the times in games I'll blow right through the game and get to a boss or point that is to hard to beat at my current level and I'm forced to grind it out. It's part of the game's mechanic and can be fun sometimes.
     
  7. ConureKeeper1990

    ConureKeeper1990 Active Member

    For the most part I'm okay with grinding for a while, but eventually I have to switch and do something else. Sometimes I actually like putting on some music and grinding mindlessly in Final Fantasy games. It's not exactly fun, but it relaxes me and sometimes I need that.
     
  8. Cereus

    Cereus Well-Known Member Regular

    Depends on the grind. For gear? No thank you. If it's mindless and I had a nerve wracking day something like material collecting's alright. Or the occasional rare mount grind. As long as it's not essential to gameplay I don't care. It's kinda therapeutic in its stupid mindlessness.
     
  9. sorrowscall

    sorrowscall Well-Known Member

    I find it to be mindless, and yes, at times relaxing. However, I also find it to be a neccessarry evil. If you just plowed through a game then you wouldn't get the whole experience. I believe grinding (though it can sometimes be annoying) helps immerse someone into the game.
     
  10. ericnail

    ericnail Member

    It's my least favorite part. Anything that I have to do over and over and over without there being any real change becomes a chore to me. I seriously wish there was a solution to fix this. Many times you have to in order to get where you want but the idea of it makes me not even play or if I do start I usually don't last very long. It puts me to sleep!
     
  11. Jasmine2015

    Jasmine2015 Well-Known Member Regular

    I don't like grinding all that much. Sometimes all I ever wanted to do was dodge an enemy and guess what? I waste time beating that enemy. Sometimes it's worth grinding if you are behind in leveling up, looking for rare items that might be dropped, etc. If I don't have a specific purpose to grind, I won't do it. I don't find it relaxing at all.
     
  12. guruproto

    guruproto Active Member Regular

    I actually love grinding in video games. One of my favorite games is Disgaea, which focuses heavily on grinding multiple characters to a ridiculously high level (999+). The enjoyment I get from grinding comes from the feeling of facing a boss when you're 10 levels above him; it's satisfying to plow through their hit points and claim victory without breaking a sweat. I know a lot of people are turned off by grinding, which is why I think developers should have systems in place to make it less of a hassle.

    When developers reward gamers for grinding, such as the case for most MMOs, players will have more incentive to grind, and it becomes less of an annoyance. Optional grinding or having a variety of activities that achieve the same end goal (get to LV 25, for example) can ease the repetitiveness and make it more fun.
     
  13. ACSAPA

    ACSAPA Well-Known Member Regular

    I'm one of the people that finds grinding relaxing because of the repetitive, mindless actions. And I find it gratifying when my hours of plodding along finally pay off and I'm leveled up enough to beat a boss.
     
  14. ACSAPA

    ACSAPA Well-Known Member Regular

    Korean-style? No wonder you read all those stories about Korean gamers dying of kidney failure or letting their kids starve to death while they play RPGs nonstop.
     
  15. lunaticred

    lunaticred Member

    Grinding consistently in rpg's is the best way to gain experience, as well as currency. I feel accomplished after a session because I level up a good amount and I have a lot of cash in my pocket, so it's a win-win situation (with the exception that you spend a good couple of hours on it...) Variety is the key to not getting super bored with grinding. When you find new monsters or bosses, it's a new experience and much more entertaining than fighting the same old pack every time.
     
  16. SpartanScooter

    SpartanScooter Well-Known Member Regular

    I don't like it that much but I wouldn't say that I hate it. It's true that many developers use it as an excuse to make the game longer, but many popular RPGs don't require it at all. In FF VII for example, I could play through the entire game without having to go out and grind levels once.

    I just battled all the random encounters and my level was always sufficent. I wish more RPGs worked like this. (although the random encounter system itself is pretty dated and I hope more RPGs move away from it)
     
  17. ISKMogul

    ISKMogul Well-Known Member

    I've found that traditional grinding that turns resource collection or XP gain into an active activity has somewaht fallen out of favor. Games that blend passive, time-based investments with active gameplay; lke F2P games that essentially disguise the grind behind other mechanics are more preferable to me, and seemingly to some other gamers as well. No one wants to spend all of their time doing the same monotonous task over and over.
     
  18. tinybutnotfangless

    tinybutnotfangless Well-Known Member Regular

    I don't mind grinding, so long as there is variation in type of grinding. If the game offers more than one way to level up, then having the option to grind is fine. Such is like Star Wars The Old Republic. For the quests, you have the main thing you have to do, then a secondary bonus if you choose to do it. You go to X place to do Y thing and if you so choose, you can also do Z thing too. In WoW, though there are many quests, the quests themselves are quite linear. You go to X place to do Y thing. Also, sometimes, it's fine to be mindless.
     
  19. Fozz

    Fozz Well-Known Member Regular

    If I am grinding for more than one purpose, I usually don't mind. For example, not just for leveling, but also for gear, new items, gold etc. But straight mindless grinding where I feel it's just for one goal? For some reason, that is mind numbingly boring.
     
  20. razer

    razer Well-Known Member Regular

    I quite dislike grinding. It can potentially ruin games for me, so I wouldn't cry if I never had to do it again.