Runescape is probably the best example of a game that's tried to 'fix' its mechanics. In Runescape, there are interesting quests and minigames that can you can do to train skills instead of just grinding (and i haven't played very recently, but i've heard it's just getting easier and easier). This is a noteworthy solution to an extent, and it's fairly effective if you can pull it off, however, you end up running into another issue if you rely too much on it for too long and continue to add onto the game. There actually ends up being "too much" to do. It sounds really dumb to say that, since surely more stuff to do is better, but it can begin to feel like there's too much going on at once. It easily becomes overwhelming if there's too much variety, but if you can keep it in the sweet spot, it could definitely work.
I suppose, really, it's not so much about simply removing grinding, but making the more repeated activities interesting and evolving with the player. You can't let the task become essentially muscle memory. Minecraft isn't the best example for game design, but mining in it is oddly hypnotic. You can end up mining for hours because the player can't predict all the cards they're being dealt. There are well-implemented external unknowns involved. You don't know what's behind the curve, and you can't be sure of your surroundings. Maybe the mining itself can be considered grinding, but your brain is focused on several other things at the same time. It'd be hard to make a non-linear game with little to no repetitiveness, so instead, you keep the player conscious and entertained.
sorry again pass; it's a sickness
