John August, screenwriter for Corpse Bride and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, has come up with seven lessons he’s learned from playing World Of Warcraft. I don’t think I’m alone in saying, if there’s one thing that will save mankind, it’s MMORPGs.
2. Grinding is part of the game…
In WoW parlance, “grinding” is the process of killing a bunch of fairly easy monsters, one after the other, strictly to rack up loot and experience. There’s no adventure to it, no real challenge. It’s tedious and mindless, but it’s often the fastest way to level up, which is why everyone does it.
3. …But grinding is not the game
It’s easy to confuse what you’re doing with why you’re doing it. Just remember: you’re not paying $15 a month to kill the same set of spawning critters. Grinding is a means of achieving a specific goal, whereas the game itself is supposed to be entertaining. So once you level (or get enough deer skins to fabricate that armor), stop grinding and start exploring.
Seven Things I Learned from World of Warcraft – [JohnAugust]
