[Ghost of V]

What is the exact definition of 'grind'? I think this needs to be established.

[Rushy]

What is the exact definition of 'grind'? I think this needs to be established.

The game has chokepoints that necessitate doing a similar task over and over again in order to progress to more content.

The opposite is true. All you can do is grind.

Yes, well, I suppose that is true if  your goal in Elite is just getting more credits. Apparently a vast swathe of players have taken to blowing up each other nonstop, since rebuying your ship is a silly amount of money and really all there is to do is PvP all the time. It bothers me even more that no ship in Elite apparently has a specific role, but rather the bigger more expensive ship is literally better.

[Ghost of V]

Well, Eve, being a sandbox game, has no conventional checkpoints. The userbase practically morphs the game's checkpoints based on various things, but mostly the fastest way to get to more content. You said yourself that everything is mined and made by the userbase, so the game itself is pretty much a grind fest just because of that principle. Mine, make shit, sell it to people, make a corporation by making a lot of money (I guess? Haven't played much), and then sit on your throne reaping rewards at the end of the day. Basically a grind based game. Any game with a living economy eventually becomes a grind fest, just like real life.

But you can actually die in real life.

[Rushy]

Well, Eve, being a sandbox game, has no conventional checkpoints. The userbase practically morphs the game's checkpoints based on various things, but mostly the fastest way to get to more content. You said yourself that everything is mined and made by the userbase, so the game itself is pretty much a grind fest just because of that principle. Mine, make shit, sell it to people, make a corporation by making a lot of money (I guess? Haven't played much), and then sit on your throne reaping rewards at the end of the day. Basically a grind based game. Any game with a living economy eventually becomes a grind fest, just like real life.

But you can actually die in real life.

Well for starters I said chokepoints... not checkpoints. Secondly, you, personally, don't have to grind. That's the point. If you want to grind to earn money, that's your choice, but earning money doesn't constitute a grind. You can earn billions just by blowing shit up all day. Some of the players enjoy doing the industry and enjoy doing the mining. It's not grinding if you like it or don't have to do it. In WoW, for example, if I want the end-game content I have to grind bear asses. There is no other way around it (you could theoretically level by PvP'ing, but that'd take decades to actually accomplish and is functionally nonexistent).

[Ghost of V]

Are you saying that you can get straight into endgame in Eve without doing any tedious grind work?

[Particle Person]

There is no endgame. You can be useful in engagements with people who have been playing for years with about one day of training, though. The answer to the question you're trying to ask is yes.

[Rushy]

Also, none of that one day of training actually involves grinding. Hell, most merc corps will give you boatloads of frigates and gear so you can be a scout tackler.