Guild Wars 2

So I keep reading posts in this forum that state a mandatory grind. Let us break those last two words down..mandatory and grind.

Mandatory meaning something that is completely necessary to function properly. Grind is subjective, however its base meaning for the general population is a repeated activity that becomes mundane no matter how exciting it once was in order to achieve some level of goal. That goal could be leveling, finding a specific item or just collecting vendor trash to sell. So then a mandatory grind is a grind that is needed to function properly in the game, anyone see a problem with that statement? There is no mandatory grind, there is no activity that you absolutely need to participate in repeatedly in order to compete in this game.

You are choosing to participate in a mandatory grind because you want what that grind has to offer you. No one and no thing is forcing you to farm, grind, run the same dungeon or any other activity. If you want to explore, puzzle jump, visit with friends, make a new character, fight random monsters, help guildees with content you have already passed etc..then you can, its your choice. Neither WvW or SPvP will be greatly hindered nor saved through your selfless sacrifice of temporal opportunity cost. If you are in a guild that only does the high level content, well that was your choice, you knew what your guild was like before you joined them.

None of us need an item right now to play, we want it. It is freely available to pursue if we so choose, it comes with an opportunity cost. That cost to pay is not mandated by the game, its our own decision.

This is not an ascended speech, I do not care about ascended in the way that some of you do. This is a conversation detailing the truth of grinding and time cost, and that truth is that we decide what is a grind and not a grind. I do however believe that we need more to do, more activities that are not based in combat and are purely meant for entertainment.

What Im personally concerned about is when we get offensive infusions and how they will work.