I'll do anything in a game to avoid having to grind.

I'll do anything in a game to avoid having to grind.

That said, grinding is “grinding” because of the monotony involved. If the game can give you enough interaction & variety within that repeated act of fighting monsters or whatever, then that game is so much better for it. And, like others mentioned, I think thorough grinding should be as optional as possible.

I could tolerate it as a kid, but it feels like a frustrating waste of time now. Every now and then I still subject myself to the hours of grinding, though, because old habits die hard… Both for me and RPG designers…

The Star Ocean series (particularly Star Ocean II) was ahead of its time when it introduced the ability to do things like cooking or pickpocketing in order to help gain experience, and those things actually managed to be exciting and challenging ^_^

I think diversity is the key here. Like you said, games with more thought put into the battle system are often the more entertaining ones. I haven't played more than 11 hours of it so far, but I'm curious to see how I like FFXII, since people say it essentially auto-grinds for you.

Ever since then, I normally play through RPGs by solely leveling up as I go along and things have been going great for me. The sense of accomplishment felt from taking down a boss or thoroughly exploring a dungeon without feeling overpowered really helps add to games feeling challenging once again. That in mind, makes me feel like I didn't pay so much for yet another feasible quest, resulting in adding value to both the purchase and the experience.

Similarly, avoiding the desire to grind also allowed me to take advantage of, and therefore enjoy, what separates one RPG from another: the battle system and the accompanying rules and restrictions surrounding the overall game design. I can say that taking my post-grinding era approach to something like Dragon Quest, for example, had allowed to me to not overlook every little feature that makes a Dragon Quest game what it is (and so forth with other games).

Outside the “don't grind” approach I've taken, I have still found myself from time to time doing what I dread to do. However, in these instances it's grinding as I have fun, or perhaps: grinding when it really isn't grinding. The main culprit would be action-RPGs, as they are usually designed around their action oriented battle system which means that a lot of thought was put into crafting that aspect in the game in which players are expected (or expecting) to be having fun in. As a result, I find myself looking forward to getting into battle to beat up some wandering beasts with the tap of buttons, moreso than trying to advance the actual plot. During these battles, some kind shmup mentality seems to possess me: “How many of these enemies can I take down with trying to replenish any health?” “Let's see how well I do at avoiding their strikes and attack patterns!”

Whoa! What DID I just write here…?

I like what Ishaan and Louise have said, the use of discovery can turn grinding into something more natural. It's no longer grinding; it's a hunt, either for rare monsters, treasure, or just new locations to explore.