Yep Dragon Quest Builders is nothing close to a normal DQ but I'm still liking it. I'll buy it eventually but not for full price.

I would have liked better combat maybe. As it is, it's more linear minecraft than DQ. Not bad, but I'd like to see a proper DQ on current consoles.

Problem with the article is it never establishes a concrete definition of grinding. Is it having ceaseless combat encounters, or is it fighting constant encounters to raise your characters to the appropriate level where they can beat a challenge?  Grinding is an artifact of video games, not role-playing games as they originated.  But even then there are video RPGs, famous example being Baldur's Gate 2, where grinding is not even a possibility due to hand placed encounters. Cleared areas stay clear, no respawns. No coincidence that few video games have felt as much like a pen and paper campaign than that one. It's also no coincidence that the most grinding is to be found in games coming out of Japan, where the influence of pen and paper games is nearly completely absent. For most developers there, their conception of what a RPG comes from other video games.

You're right. She doesn't really differentiate between different RPG types. It's weird because she mentiones that to her, gaining experience is the most exciting part of an RPG, and I don't even really know what that means?  I think she means RPGs get good when you have unlocked stronger skills and mastered combat to add depth to your gameplay. There is a companion article she wrote before this one where she mentions 'Social Features' , the term she uses to describe perks and XP gained from interacting with characters in your party and she generally wanted to see other forms of xp growth apart from combat. 

Is it really a grind if you're enjoying the core mechanics? That's the question I've always had. People talk about grinding in Destiny or Dark Souls but I don't find that the case. The combat in both Destiny and Dark Souls are so satisfying that spending a few hours doing something I've already done for a reward isn't really an issue for me.

No. I suppose not. I think in terms of Destiny, it's catching up to get to new content updates when it's considered a grind. I haven't played the game so I can't say but I have heard it referred to in this way, possibly because of my references being professionals with podcasts or journalists who really can't afford to take time to play an MMO or RPG, so they refer to it as a chore that gets in the way of their work/life. In the case of Dark Souls, I see xp farming as a cheat to get through tough areas, but I've also been able to get through tough areas with low XP, which is why I enjoy those games. 

I don't mind grinding if the battles are really fun.  That's why battles are usually the most important part of an RPG to me.

It's all about the rewards. You get them at the right times and it all seems worth it. Hold them back too long and you starting thinking, this is just work. 

I generally don't mind the grind in traditional RPGs, as it leads to rewards that are fairly handed out. In most games you really don't have to grind unless you're looking to beat an optional superboss.

Where I have a problem with grinding is when you're expected to find 100 orc scalps, 50 dragon spleens, or other such vendor trash to complete a pointless fetch quest, which is the case with most MMORPGs I've played including WoW. I also primarily associate grinding with free-to-play games, where they intentionally make the gameplay tedious in order to entice you to spend money on microtransactions.

I never minded grinding as a kid but as an adult it really depends on if i enjoy the combat system. If the fighting system is weak i certainly wont enjoy or even care to grind. 

I think this was more to the point of what the writer was complaining about. But some people like grind and some do not? Endless debate.