Grinding has existed as long as we’ve had MMOs. In the earliest days of my time in the genre, grinding was the game; I would seek a party in Final Fantasy XI (which took an hour at best as a DRG or four seconds as a WHM) and then sit at camp and grind in the hopes of possibly gaining a level before bed.
We’ve moved on from that as a mandatory thing in every game for every activity. We have not, however, moved on from grinding. Frankly, that’s all right with me. If I’m having fun in a game, I don’t mind grinding as a repeated activity that I’m doing just to keep my wits alive, so to speak. It’s fun for me.
Of course, group size matters. Eureka in Final Fantasy XIV has reminded me of the fun of grinding in small groups with friends, but that’s inefficient compared to a full eight-person group… which feels like too many to me. I like grinding most when it’s two or three people grouping up and hitting stuff as a team. It’s a bit worse when it’s just me on my lonesome in World of Warcraft grinding away at rep or something similar. But what about you, readers? What’s your favorite group size for MMO grinding?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
