Grinding is a pejorative term used in computer gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to gain access to other features within the game.^[1] The most common usage is in the context of MMORPGs, in which it is often necessary for a character to repeatedly kill AI-controlled monsters, using basically the same strategy over and over again, in order to advance their character level to be able to access newer content. Grinding can also appear in other games in which features can be unlocked.

Overview

Synonyms for grinding include the figurative terms farming (relating the repetition to tending a farm field), treadmilling (a comparison with exercise treadmills), and pushing the bar (a reference to Skinner boxes in which animals, having learned that pushing a bar will sometimes produce a treat, will devote time to pushing the bar over and over again). Related terms include poopsocking and catassing, which refer to extended or obsessive play sessions. Used as a noun, a grind (or treadmill) is a designed in-game aspect which requires the player to engage in grinding.

The most common form of level treadmill is the practice of killing monsters for experience points. The player constantly chases after the next level in order to be able to defeat the next slightly stronger monster. The outcome of MMORPG combat tends to depend more on the character's numerical statistics than the player's skill. Thus there is usually little for a player to do beyond clicking an attack button until he or she wins, or is forced to flee when nearing death. So whether fighting small rats or large demons, the player is performing essentially the same actions, the only difference being the larger numbers in his or her character and the monster's attributes. In the eyes of critics, the player is essentially running forward while going nowhere, as on an exercise treadmill.

Why grinds exist

The idea of having a designed in-game aspect which requires a player to not be entertained for a period of time seems contradictory to good sense, but has been justified in several different ways. The most common of these is that requiring a player to spend long periods of time to gain game power ensures a level playing field: a player will not have an advantage from the very start as a result of having better aim, faster reactions, or better tactical knowledge.^[2] If they did, then via the Pareto principle the top players in these fields would quickly dominate the entire game. Although the Pareto principle will still apply to the amount of time spent grinding, at least every player will have the potential to reach the top 20%. This was explored further in Raph Koster's 2003 presentation Small Worlds.^[3] To many critics, this is exactly what is wrong with the gameplay concept of levels and grinding, namely that it is designed to discount skill.

Another alternative to grinds would be to remove designer-defined objectives, leaving the player free to do whatever they want. The problem with this is that many players might be confused about what they are supposed to do, or they might lack the motivation to do much of anything in the virtual world.^[2] Strictly speaking, a game with no objectives is sometimes called a "software toy" to reflect the different reasons for playing.

Players often criticize grinds as an obvious method of requiring the player to play the game longer. They argue that the most interesting gameplay comes when their character is at the highest levels, where they can effectively participate in raids or player versus player combat. They believe that the MMORPG provides motivation to add treadmills is to slow the time it takes to reach the highest levels so that the player pays more subscription fees along the way.^{[citation needed]}

Some enthusiasts of the genre have objected to the term grind as an oversimplification of an MMORPG's gameplay. They argue that, like traditional role-playing games, there is no goal in MMORPGs other than to enjoy the experience. However, some would argue that in traditional RPGs, players play to act out their character as well; in fact, some players deliberately create weak characters because they find them interesting to play.

Another criticism of the entire leveling concept is that it often allows the player to avoid difficult challenges (such as strategic or reflexive challenges that one might encounter when fighting a powerful opponent) by simply spending a large amount of time battling weak characters in order to ascend enough levels so as to have little difficulty vanquishing the main enemy. This has been compared to having a cheating mechanism built into the game and critics have said that this mechanic leads to RPG players being more likely to avoid challenges in life itself.^{[citation needed]}

It has also been observed that intense grinding can actively damage the role-playing aspect of a game by making a nonsense of the simulated world. A classic example of this occurred in Star Wars Galaxies, where skills were improved by using them. It was therefore possible to see groups of three people, in which:

• One person was repeatedly deliberately falling over, taking a small amount of damage each time.
• A second person was healing the first, increasing their healing skill, and taking "stress" damage themselves.
• A third person was dancing for the second, relieving their "stress" damage and increasing their dancing skill.

The IGDA Online Games Special Interest Group has noted that level treadmills are part of the addictive quality of MMORPGs that caters to those who play more than 25 hours a week (hardcore gamers).^[4]

ArenaNet made a series of online RPG games called Guild Wars in which grind was initially removed.^{[citation needed]} Indeed, the level cap of 20 was easily achievable and meant not to be the point of game, usually reached by a third of the game and the most powerful equipment was easily achievable even for casual players. But due to criticism, grinding aspects were introduced in subsequent campaigns in the form of Titles that offered in-game bonuses for grinding actions. Elitist titles required over a thousand hours of playtime. However, it is worth noting that all of these titles do not affect player versus player combat and only have a minimal effect on PvE combat (limited to various PvE only skills).

References

See also

• Experience point
• Level (computer and video games)
• Progress Quest