Different kinds of "Grind" (Destiny)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Monday, September 17, 2018, 11:05 (2263 days ago) @ CruelLEGACEY

One thought that sticks out in my mind when I think about this topic is the idea that there are different kinds of grinds, and they lead to very different experiences for me.

Unlocking my Whisper catalyst was a sort of Grind. It involved completing a very difficult mission, then completing a harder version of that mission, then going back in every weekend to beat it again and/or collect materials from hidden chests.

I loved every minute of it.

First of all, I loved the mission itself. I've probably run through it between 20-30 times at this point, and most of those runs were done helping other players beat the normal mode, which didn't count towards my catalyst progression.

On top of that, I knew exactly what I was working towards, and I could track my precise progress the whole time.

Finally, this "grind" was not locking me out of other activities that I might have wanted to do. There were no power-level gains involved. It was all about taking this awesome weapon that I love to use, and making it a little more powerful. This entire quest, IMO, is Destiny's "power fantasy" at its absolute best.

I would put "grinds" like the Ace of Spades quest in a similar boat. It has nothing to do with power level. It's all about chasing a specific reward that expands your power "outward" rather than "straight up". Same with Sleeper, Polaris Lance... even the new subclass missions.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Dreaming City, in no small part because I'm chasing the Reverie Dawn armour, based purely on the asthetic. I'm constantly repeating the same patrols and public events, looking for chests and high value targets... just enjoying the atmosphere and the scenerie and the fun combat, all while working towards this goal of a complete set of armour. There are some bumps in this road (like getting my 6th pair of Titan boots before getting a single helmet), but that's a minor annoyance in an experience that I'm generally loving.

But then there's another kind of grind: what I would call a "vertical" grind. This is typically where power level comes into play, and certain activities are locked behind a power-level barrier. This is the kind of grind that I'm generally not a fan of (although it very much depends on the details). But regardless, I think it can be helpful to keep in mind the idea that there are different types of grinds when we talk about this stuff, because simply saying "I want more grind" or "there's too much grind" is actually quite vague.