EXPERIENCE AND LEVELING UP

author=LockeZ

author=Erave
Am I the only one who enjoys leveling up and grinding?

No, but for a developer trying to make a game that's actually potentially challenging in any fashion whatsoever, freely allowing unlimited gaining of power - via a method that requires no skill - is a nightmare.

I agree. The player's skill comes in identifying which path is the path of least resistance, therefore grinding is less monotonous if you can make the player determine what kind of grinding is the most optimal for that moment, and vary the type of grinding that will be most beneficial for them to continue. This is why weaker enemies provide less experience, because there needs to be incentive to battle stronger monsters (providing extra challenge, for greater reward).

You should give the player a choice between low risk/low reward, medium risk/medium reward, and high risk/high reward options. That way, if they choose to grind on low risk/low reward monsters, then it will be slower. However, if you are skillful in strategy, you can succeed in the high risk/high reward option, and thus proceed further due to your smartness.

This is probably why grinding is so popular in RPGs in general: they don't know how to reward player smartness. If only there were a way to let players choose what monsters they can battle... oh that's right, certain monsters can be limited to pop up in certain locations. That requires the player to be able to access several areas at any one time, which lead to several paths. Then you have the problem of providing content when some non-linearity occurs. A great RPG has a good combination of both linear and non-linear components, to improve yourself in different areas.