Musing a bit though, we tend to convince ourselves there is value in our gold coins, exp, etc.
When you get right down to it though they only exist as arbitrary values stored on a computer. If you go in and change them, they can say whatever you want.
I think this is what he means about grinding.
Maybe subsequently the value of a good game isn't the end resulting Pokemon team or character build, but the journey to get there.
I love RPGs when they present a new challenge or the story progresses a bit while you're leveling up.
It's just that some of the old RPGs, in particular, would leave you in a spot where you needed to gain a few levels fighting the same monsters, hitting attack over and over, without any real danger to your party, just so you could proceed to the next quest. That part is harder for me to stomach sitting through nowadays.
That's why I like games such as Chrono Trigger: basically no random encounters, you can see and avoid most enemies my running around etc. Most of the value of such games comes from the story. You're interested in how it's going to advance / end. And fights are just a nice addition to see heroes struggle to the end instead of just being passive spectators.
Musing a bit though, we tend to convince ourselves there is value in our gold coins, exp, etc.
When you get right down to it though they only exist as arbitrary values stored on a computer. If you go in and change them, they can say whatever you want.
I think this is what he means about grinding.
Maybe subsequently the value of a good game isn't the end resulting Pokemon team or character build, but the journey to get there.