I don't get it. I just don't get it. Why do players see everything as grind? Games take effort, and when you look at things as work, that effort can be seen as grind. However, a fundamental part of RPGs is the acquisition of experience, usually by completing tasks. To some extent, there will always be grind. I really suggest players that don't enjoy this play style to go elsewhere. I'm not trying to be snarky here, but it's annoying seeing people complain about grind because there are quests that require you kill X amount of whatever, etc. It's the nature of the game. You can't expect FPS games to not have shooting or player killing, so don't expect RPGs to not have leveling.

Guild Wars 2 does have grind and things to work towards, I look at both as a positive thing. They've avoided making essentials unobtainable and lessened the grind for those things. However, they give you plenty of achievements behind the grind and make it worthwhile. As long as the grind doesn't become like LoTRO's virtue system, I'm fine with it.

It's weird to read these responses. I won't disagree that there is no grind in GW2, of course there is. But it doesn't feel like that to me. I got to level 80 and I actually don't remember how I got there... I just did bit of that and bit of other, pretty much what I felt I'm up to at the time (apart from brief copper ore grinding to push forward my crafting).

Maybe one big difference, I don't actually count gathered exps or levels... I just do stuff I want at the moment and exps and levels somehow naturaly come themselves.

Also why can't you go WvW and level up there? To me it sounds much funnier than grind those levels the way you don't like. So yeah full 80 does more damage... but you will get there eventually, even if it takes longer, who cares if it's fun time? For me I'd rather spend an hour of fun time, than 10 minutes of boring grind.

For me as the heart quests where so boring the game is even more of a grind than others.. i had fun for about day donig quests and then i realsied they where some of the most boring repetative quests i have come accross in an MMORPG..

Sure you can do other things to lvl like WvWvW pvp err wait no i cant massive Qs.. oh wait i can craft.. err well when i was playing trading was broke quite a bit.. oh wait i can do the so called amazing dynamic events.. sure some are fun but others are just as boring as heart quests..

I always say if you find a game a grind dont play.. and im sticknig by my words and not playing.. but i had to post to say NO gw2 has not got rid of the grind.. sure you can lvl in different ways but they are not the first to do this..

Level 34 now. Just finished a level 25-35 area and compelted everything except the vistas. No crafting, no personal story, no pvp. And no grind at all. Well, killing the same creatures over and over get's a bit boring but that's it. I also like how I have to do only one level appropriate area without pvp, crafting and personal story so I can save the others for alts.

I see no grind. Most of the hearts I get by accident, there are more ways to get them then is listed in the explanation text.

The only thing which feels a bit grindy is having to kill NPC's over and over because they spawn really quick. and killing them takes a pretty long time to die. Especially when you are exploring an area, trying to jump on places, looking for hidden caves, etc. it can be a bit "grindy" having to kill yet another Spider 10 seconds after you killed his friend.

But that's it.

Can I just say that people who play mmorpg's complain about them the most. It SOUNDS like you guys want to play single player games like ffxiii or god of war, because there is no way for a developer to put as much variety as you are asking for into an rpg with current technology.

I've played WOW and LOTRO, and I've played games like Maplestory and FLYFF. Big difference in the level of grind. If you compare LOTRO or WOW to GW2? BIG DIFFERENCE in AT LEAST the visibility of the grind. I'm completely aware that i'm killing x amount of centaurs or wargs, and sometimes i look at the bar sayin "come on come on". But its not a chore and sometimes i'll do a quest again before hiking off to find the next outpost, group of dynamic events, skill point, vista.... oh yea, i leveled up. cool.

Arenanet has made a big departure from what is around currently and were not even talkinng about the combat anymore, and honestly i'm pretty satisfied especially considering there's no monthly charge.

Originally posted by Leethe

So have they taken the grind out of the picture?

The answer is yes, and no.

and...

 

While Guild Wars 2 isn’t completely grind free, it’s the first MMO I’ve played that doesn’t force the player to go through painful and mind numbing tasks.  Just be giving the player options, they achieved a lot.

None of you actually read this bit at all, did you?

Well to me DEs and hearts are mind numbing tasks.

Grind is how you define it.

When there is a break in DE's and I don't feel like seeking out Hearts, I explore, gather, and craft - got 22-24 on a toon last night going from 48 Armorsmith to like 115 (inlcuding exploration XP, gathering XP, killing XP for mats/stuff in my way, crafting XP, and daily acheivement XP.)

So all the people saying that the hearts and DEs are mind numbing must think WoW and every mmorpg is terrible right?  If you are grinding in crafting your doing it wrong, use the discovery method and it speeds things up.  Basically what I'm saying is why the heck are any of you here if you are complaining about things that are in EVERY mmorpg? 

I have never felt like the hearts are mind numbing why, because I actually enjoy playing the game.  This game is one of the few mmorpgs that is fun at every level, you don't have to wait to start having fun.  The combat is a lot more skillful and the combo system is a blast when you start using it properly.  All the people rushing to level 80 should chill out and enjoy the freaking journey.  This rush to level cap is what is going to make you think the game is a grind, because your so focused on your level that you can't enjoy ANYTHING your doing in the game.

Every mmo from theme park mmos, to sandbox mmos are going to have grindy aspects.   But it is largley your perception as I haven't felt like I have been grinding at all I have just been enjoying the heck out of the combat and exploring new areas. 

This game has largely gotten rid of the grind, I can get 4 levels in one sitting and I don't even realize it.  So I greatly disagree with people who say this is a grind.  You could say anything is a grind, really, mario is just running and jumping, shooters are just shooting people etc.

Point is basically I think that if your calling this game a grind your playing it wrong, your not enjoying the content you have and are just waiting for level 80.  Just learn to enjoy every level and the grind will disappear.  If you think hearts and DEs are mind numbing and grindy then stop playing mmos, as the hearts have had some of the most interesting "quests" I have played in an mmo.  Doing math for the asura, making from potions, healing soldiers, sure they start overlapping but I have never done stuff like this in an MMO before, and each heart moves so fast I never feel like I'm spending hours at 1 heart, its more like 10 minutes.

i lvled a lvl 30 warrior only by gathering stuff and completing map 100% with out killing anything unless iam force to do it ,

you dont have to grind to level

but yes in the end u will grind ur gear in dungeon but that ur choice,

I am not sure why people try to differentiate one grind from another.  The truth is, no matter what you do in a game, everything is a grind to some degree or another by the very nature of it.  PVP is a grind for rank.  PVE is grind for loot.  Crafting is a grind for skill and product.  Playing is a grind for recognition and fame.  Everything in gaming is a repetitious act, and therefore a grind.

Sometimes I wonder why people harp on getting rid of the grind (intense repetitive whatever) in games.  If you don't want to grind, stop gaming and enjoy life and the grind that comes with that.

Get rid of grind?  Impossible.