What do YOU think of grinding?

[PrimoThePro]

Upon waking up, I come down to my basement, and get thoroughly beaten down by some hobo who lives under the stairs. This event caused me to wonder... What does the Escapist think of grinding? If you don't know, grinding is the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining game-play in order to gain access to other features within the game.(Wikipedia)
Essentially, it is when you have to collect 6 Zebra hoofs. Then you go out and do it. My brother, (Sev07) says "It can be fun, not always, but keep in mind I don't play WoW anymore..."
I say it's boring no matter what. There's no point, and no immersion. So what do you think?

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EDIT: Me and my brother were talking again, and based on answers thus far, grinding is a necessary evil. I just wish there was an alternative. So escapist, follow-up question, what could be used instead? Shadow of the Colossus does perfect without grinding, so what could other games do?

 

[Sneaklemming]

I don't do it. I can't stand it. It bores me to hell and back. If I ever got short on cash in eve, I would window the game, and watch some family guy while I ratted (grinded) for however long it too me to get bored of family guy. Thankfully in eve I'm at the point where I rarely have to do that.

 

[Swifteye]

It's a nesscary evil. Personally I think there is some ways around it if one is willing to experiment with how whole process of how rpg stat things could be done. So far no one really is but some games are better at it than others. Say for instance final fantasy tactics series. You could go into pretty much any level and win given that your stratgy is sound and you make precise movements. But with a little extra grinding it just makes a battle easier to deal with.

Now pokemon is some really bad grinding. It's really inflexible to the point to where you have to grind your pokemon for days before they can be useful. And honestly there's very little point to doing it after you beat the elite four.

Of course in those online mmos it's actually fine to grind. After all what else would you be doing?

 

[Ironic Pirate]

If the combat is fun, it's even more fun to get something for doing it.

So I potentially like it.

 

[Juk3n]

I can stand a little grind, in an MMO, if i theres a quest/achievement based on killing a certain grind-high (talking about high hundreds, maybe thousands) of the same creature, and my reward in maybe, a 10% damage boost against this creature type, then thats grind with a purpose. I can do that all day. Grind for cosmetic rewards is the stuff i can't stand.

 

[Yelchor]

I see no point in grinding either. I can understand the concept of wanting to feel like you've worked hard for your reward which could be satisfying as your character grows in strength and power, but in the end I just want to advance without having to spend days on the same thing.

The way it's done in most MMOs are just a lazy way to have the player continue even though there's no real point in it.

The only reason I keep playing World of warcraft is beacuse of the roleplay community.

 

[Aux]

I have to be in the right mood to grind. Depending on the difficulty of the grind I may do something else such as watch TV while grinding.

 

[Sneaklemming]

Of course in those online mmos it's actually fine to grind. After all what else would you be doing?

In the case of eve - you'd be pvping. Whenever you fight (grind) the NPCs its only to make money - but there are many many other ways of making money in eve without grinding, so it is possible to avoid grinding in eve.

Which is why I don't like people thinking that grinding is unavoidable - since eve proves it is avoidable.

Even doing "raids" in eve is considered grinding - but some people are into that thing.

 

[Hosker]

It depends on the combat and if the reward for doing so is good enough.

 

[Dark-Dreymer]

I won't grind a game on a first playthrough, that ruins the fun for me. But once I've beaten a game I like to go back and grind, try to unlock stuff I didn't get the first time etc.

My worst ever grind was on FFVII. I had Climhazzard before I left Midgar and was level 60 with a ton of Master level materia before I went to the Temple of the Ancients.

 

[RevRaptor]

Grinding sucks, it's not gameplay it's a freaken chore.

 

[Sneaklemming]

I won't grind a game on a first playthrough, that ruins the fun for me. But once I've beaten a game I like to go back and grind, try to unlock stuff I didn't get the first time etc.

My worst ever grind was on FFVII. I had Climhazzard before I left Midgar and was level 60 with a ton of Master level materia before I went to the Temple of the Ancients.

I was the total opposite - First time I went to the temple of the ancients I was getting my ass handed to me, and I had to grind on an earlier save because I couldnt beat the red dragon at the end =P

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I have a love/hate relationship with grinding. This is only for MMOs, mind. Grinding for materials/reputation/whatever is something mindless and functional that you can do while talking to people. I hate being forced to do it for some things, but just for whatever, I'm down.

Also, it's not bad to do while basically vegetating because it's fairly stress free, and has some benefit.

 

[Mcupobob]

Well as long as theres many different kinds of grind, as for Wow I can grind quest, Honor points, gear, xp, gold, ect ect. Even the game Oblivion has grind, such as grinding quest, gold, gear, xp, ect ect. So yeah grinds not so bad when there is a varity of different things you could jump back and forth too.

 

[wolfboy23]

Grinding is one of the reasons that I have issues enjoying MMOs. That being said I can enjoy it a little bit if I enjoy the battle system used enough and think the grind is worth it in the long run. Two games that I didn't mind grind in, and somewhat enjoyed it, are Tales of Symphonia and FF12.

 

[StBishop]

Grinding is one of the reasons that I have issues enjoying MMOs. That being said I can enjoy it a little bit if I enjoy the battle system used enough and think the grind is worth it in the long run. Two games that I didn't mind grind in, and somewhat enjoyed it, are Tales of Symphonia and FF12.

Because of the Chain?

I like grinding. I don't like being forced to grind.

I like games that allow me the option (or the illusion of an option) of grinding or not grinding.

For example: if I'm asked to go and clear the pass of goblins and the game will keep spawning them if I make a camp before leaving the pass, I'll do it for days.

If the game asks me to get 3 merloc tails and after killing 50,000 merlocs (all of which had tails) I've still only found two. Then I am not a happy camper.

 

[wolfboy23]

Grinding is one of the reasons that I have issues enjoying MMOs. That being said I can enjoy it a little bit if I enjoy the battle system used enough and think the grind is worth it in the long run. Two games that I didn't mind grind in, and somewhat enjoyed it, are Tales of Symphonia and FF12.

Because of the Chain?

I like grinding. I don't like being forced to grind.

I like games that allow me the option (or the illusion of an option) of grinding or not grinding.

For example: if I'm asked to go and clear the pass of goblins and the game will keep spawning them if I make a camp before leaving the pass, I'll do it for days.

If the game asks me to get 3 merloc tails and after killing 50,000 merlocs (all of which had tails) I've still only found two. Then I am not a happy camper.

Not so much the chain. Probably from the License Board because it rewards you for the amount of kills you have and allows you to develop your characters in a way that you want to. Not the way that the game wants you to.

 

[Flour]

I play Disgaea, which should answer the question.

For those who don't know the games: characters can reach level 9999 multiple times and equipment can be leveled to 100. This leveling happens on the same few maps, repeated as often as required.(currently the Disgaea 3 level map has been cleared over 2500 times)

 

[MetalDooley]

Can't stand it.It's one of the reasons I've never enjoyed JRPG's.It's frankly just a bullshit way of artificially increasing game length