Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you are confused by and we will try to include them in future editions!


The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to many video games: Farming/Grinding

Farming/Grinding: Intentionally and repeatedly performing the same game sequence in order to guarantee in game experience/levels, resources, materials, or equipment. This can be as simple as playing in the same area for long lengths of time, or as complex as repeatedly organizing and replaying entire multiplayer encounters. Farming can also be more materials and resources focused. In contrast Grinding tends to focus more ion gaining levels or XP. Grinding can also refer to an extreme case of farming where the optimal sequence to guarantee what is being sought after is not fun, or even worse, frustrating and disengaging. The line between farming and grinding is subjective and can differ wildly between players.

Examples:

  • Horizon Zero Dawn: You can search an area and collect the parts. Once you have gathered everything leave the area and reenter. This may trigger a new battle in certain areas and the resources will respawn.
  • World of Warcraft: Provides areas you can continue to reenter to battle and gain resources or experience
  • Minecraft: You can create spawn points for resources that you can repeatedly harvest and structures called mob grinders allow the structure to gather the enemy. Depending on how the structure is created, the destruction of the enemies can be automated or not.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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