Guild Wars 2

Like the title says what is grind to you in GW2 and other video games?

Is grind something that a person has to do to finish a goal?
Is grind leveling your character to the max level to get to the better content?
Is grind just playing the game for a couple of hours or more?
Those are just three questions I am sure there are many more than this.

I do not really see grind in a game that I like. Reason is it’s not grind if you like playing the game. If it is an MMO then it is not going anywhere so take your time and enjoy what you are doing in it. Enjoy the game that is why you got it not to stress out about how much grind is being forced on you.

Grind as people call it is actually a good thing, because it gives gamers something to do.
I remember taking a few characters and bringing them up to God Walking Amongst Mere Mortal status. Did I grind them in GW? Nope I did it cause I had fun with my guild and some friends that did the same as myself. According to other people though I was a no lifer.

Those were the people that would get on every day go to one or two places and do the same thing over and over and over. At least I did different things I also farmed here and there. Now who is a no lifer?

Any way I just want to know what grind is to people.
Please just give opinions on the subject do not argue no sense in that.
Grind is different for everyone.

Grind is when one engages in content one would prefer not to do to obtain some outcome of the content.

Unfortunately “grind” is a term that is extremely subjective. I think the only commonality between most (not all, most) definitions is that it involves repetition.

Personally, I label anything I “have” (read: force myself) to do repeatedly and don’t enjoy doing, in order to achieve a desired goal, would qualify as grind. Of course, what I label ‘grind’ on one day, may not constitute grind on another because in instance A I’m not enjoying myself, but in instance B, I am. Depends on what I’m doing, who I’m doing it with, and why I’m doing it at the time.

In general, if I’m required to complete a task more than 3 times to get a reward, it’s a grind. Everyone’s tolerance is different. I say in general because if I’m aware that I’m only doing the “maze” just to get the “cheese” then it lowers my tolerance.

Crafting ascended gear is a herculean grind because it goes far beyond the bounds of my tolerance. I’m running the same “maze” over and over and over to get many pieces “cheese”, all so that I can get a different piece of cheese (which is actual the same piece of cheese, ad infinitum).

Grind is content which does not engage me but is a barrier to access content I need to progress in a game. Grind content typically needs to be repeated in rapid succession to get use out of it.

Grinding for money or materials is also “farming”.

To me there should not be a need for grinding or farming. When dungeons or raids are involved the content is engaging enough to not be a grind.

It’s doing some repeating task to increase a general number / currency to then be able to do something else. For example, grind XP to level up to do lvl x content, grind gold or tokens to buy item y and so on.

Farming on the other hand can be a similar task but now you do if for a specific RNG drop you know can drop there. So you are working directly toward that item while still having a possible repeating task.

In GW2 if you want to get many rewards the most viable option to get them is grinding a currency (mainly gold) to then buy the item you really want. So that is what the grind in GW2 is about.

If you would compare that to some other games with less of this type of grind it’s usually possible (in a reasonable way) to directly work towards that item without the currency in there.
That can be with farming or rewards are given for completing a dungeon or a quest or some other content.
An example of that in GW2 would be the http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mini_Liadri_the_Concealing_Dark . Or an example of a farm would be doing the MF dungeon (back when that was possible) to get the backpack or the mini to drop.

However for most items in GW2 there is a currency grind to get rewards them or at the very least the currency grind is the most optimal way to get most items.

repeating a task several times, not for enjoyment but for its rewards.

Grinding, as I see it, is being compelled to repeat an activity in order to advance.
Farming, is repeating an activity in order to obtain a specific goal.

As far as GW2 is concerned, there is really not much grind at all. You don’t need to repeat anything in order to advance your level, personal story, living story, etc.

However, there are plently of farms, and reasons to farm. But by at large, these things are not REQUIRED in anyway in order to advance.

Grind to me is trying to get something that takes a very long time to get.

Legendaries are a grind
Ascended armor and ascended weapons are a grind
Ticket scraps are a grind
Pretty items are a grind

Think that covers it all.

Oh wait, there are 2 ends to the grind spectrum:

1. You grind for all of the above.

2. You buy gold/gems with cash to get them in an instant.

Now THAT covers it methinks ;-)

Grinding for me is doing the same task or the same type of task again and again to obtain something that cannot be obtained otherwise or as effectively as doing said tasks

Grind is unwanted, but required repetitive tasks that gives little in return.
Farm is voluntary, but not required repetitive tasks to get the best return possible.

Grind to me is when a task any task gets really boring and unenjoyable and repetive, so it becomes a negative.
However despite getting 50/50 in HoM and getting gwamm in GW1 I never once felt like I was grinding, because I always stopped, took a break or changed to something else before it got too boring.

There is nothing in the game (or any game) that is worth sitting through any lenght of something unenjoyable. Yes I do want a legendary weapon, but I don’t want it at the expense of having a good time, so it might take a while and that is perfectly okay… I will get there, in my own time, doing things I like. Thus to me not grind.

Grind is when something becomes a chore, or in worse cases feels like a job.

It’s not always a bad thing; it gets derided when the content involved has no substantial interest, depth or meaning. It generally becomes really bad when it’s perceived to be a integral part of the game. Guild Wars 2 for the most part doesn’t have this beyond high level fractals that gear gate you, but this is pretty subjective. Some of us have very different definitions of required.

grind – noun
what i do to my enemies bones to make my bread

What is grind for me? Anything that I find tedious and am requried to do for an extended amount of time (kind of relative) in order to achieve something I want.

Examples: Leveling a toon to 80 and unlocking all the traits the intended way. Crafting ascended and legendary gear. Killing the 1000 giants for the achieve.

Indigo got it in a nutshell. If you are having fun doing any activity then it is not grind. If you are not enjoying what you’re doing, but you have to do it to achieve some reward you want, or to earn access to content you do want, then that is grind, and it’s entirely subjective from person to person whether a given activity is “grind” or “gameplay.” Some players would view a mindless EotM zerg as bring grind to gain levels or rewards that they want on the way to running dungeons, while others might view running dungeons as a grind so that they can earn skins that they want for doing EotM runs in style.