Grinding in MMORPGs is a sensitive topic. It is often used to keep players engaged over the long term, but at the same time, many players find it annoying. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch has recently fallen in love with the grind in Black Desert. For him, it has something relaxing and almost meditative about it.
When I tell someone that I’m having fun grinding, I get strange looks. Grinding is usually considered exhausting, time-consuming, and unnecessary. I myself had trouble with grinding for a long time, especially when there weren’t even real tasks to do, but just mindlessly killing mobs.
That has changed in recent months. It may well be due to the fact that it was winter, you were constantly restricted due to the pandemic, and there simply is a lack of exciting new MMORPGs, but grinding has turned into a kind of outlet for me.
Nowadays, I manage to completely relax while doing it and also to let go of the frustrations of everyday life. Grinding surprisingly does me good, and in this article, I want to give you a little insight into why that is.
Slaying monsters, making progress, and watching Netflix at the same time
How did I get into grinding? I’ve had my fun primarily in the MMORPG Black Desert over the past few months. It is known for being “grindy”, also because there is no max level, allowing you to essentially play endlessly. The highest European player has currently reached level 66.
That very player, Florian aka RisingSun, told me in an interview back in April 2020 that he enjoys grinding in BDO. At that time, I found it hard to comprehend. In fact, I had laughed at grinding for many years, ignored it, and somehow found it unnecessary.
“Why would I spend hours hitting the same mobs instead of going into dungeons with other players, doing PvP, or experiencing exciting stories?”
But in recent months, my mindset regarding this has changed:
- Being with other players can be frustrating and annoying. Wipes are stressful, and when it comes to really hard dungeons, communication via voice is essential.
- Engaging in an exciting story, on the other hand, requires concentration and the will to actively follow it.
- PvP also has a mix of frustration and exertion, at least if you, like me, always want to win.
But sometimes there are just days when you don’t feel like communicating or simply have no concentration left for an exciting story. In the past, that was quite rare for me, but in recent months it has happened more often.
I needed an outlet, an activity in games that I can do without concentration. And so I turned to grinding.
What do I do while grinding? Currently, I spend most of my time in Black Desert. The game offers an incredible many options for engagement, including an exciting economy system, housing, role-playing, or PvP.
I, on the other hand, have chosen the most mindless activity imaginable: killing mobs.
The game world of Black Desert is divided into various “spots”, or places where many monsters of a certain level gather. At these spots, you just grind by defeating the mobs. Once you’ve reached a certain level or later obtained gear, you then move on to the next spot. Done.
Why do I do this? Depending on the grind spot, you have to be a little careful if the monsters suddenly become too strong, but basically, you can grind completely mindlessly and without paying attention to what’s happening. I usually stay slightly below my AK level (my attack power) to keep it easy.
Grinding has several positive aspects for me:
- I can shake off the stress of the day by dismantling monsters
- I gather loot and XP, which still brings me progress in the game
- I watch live streams on Twitch or series on Netflix, contributing to relaxation
- I chat a bit with my guildmates at the same time
The second and final aspect is also the reasons why I like to grind in an MMORPG and, for example, don’t dive into a single-player game.
Because on the one hand, I gather progress and reach new areas or gear, which gives me a positive feeling and helps me when I want to enjoy real MMO content again. On the other hand, I still have contact with people I enjoy chatting with or sometimes playing with.
Grind is only good when it’s optional
Am I now a huge fan of grind? Not entirely! Because Black Desert and the mindless killing of mobs are a bit of an exception for me. While there are minimal advantages to leveling beyond level 63, the small attribute bonuses do not play a decisive role in gameplay.
Therefore, grinding in Black Desert becomes essentially optional after a certain point. And in my opinion, that’s “good grind”, when I can go through it but don’t have to.
However, if the grind becomes mandatory, for example, because there are no more quests or a certain item level is required, I remain critical of this “playstyle”.
Black Desert also has “bad grind”, or an aspect that I don’t particularly like. To level equipment, you need luck and can also lose levels. A system that I don’t like at all and one reason why I didn’t play Black Desert for a long time.
Which game almost completely forgoes grind? Guild Wars 2! And not without reason, it is one of my favorite MMORPGs. There, leveling up to level 80 and obtaining the best equipment is done quickly.
The game also relies a bit on “fashion grind”. You make it your goal to look particularly good, for example, by farming certain armor sets or unlocking colors to dye them.
What are your thoughts on grind? And what can you totally unwind with in games? Let us know in the comments and the survey!
In Guild Wars 2, I also had one of my weirdest gaming experiences. I was paid real money to die in raids. Read the whole story here: I was paid for dying in MMORPG raids and it was great.
