It is a bit of a grind getting established and familiar with the mechanics. But it's not so bad once you start taming animals that are useful tools. Certain creatures have passive abilities that help you out a lot and other creatures have the ability to gather particular resources effectively and that seriously cuts down on the grind time when used effectively. I have really only played single player so I have been able to take my time plugging away over months in my free time. My game play style is more relaxed than others I've seen. I just kinda developed a system of partial grind and partial exploration that kept me satisfied with development. There is some serious no life players out there that have apparently spent solid weeks and months just playing and grinding up to pointless levels. I don't see the appeal in that, I like the feeling of vulnerability. I honestly got hooked after one particular session devolved into a long run and gun scenario through a jungle at night, it was so chaotic and fun that I was hooked. Fucking dinos popping up all over can make things unpredictable. All that being said, your criticisms are valid and accurate. The taming is the worst part, it's such a boring process. I have figured out some methods to eventually create a self sustaining breeding program for all creatures, similar to my description of the penguin camp.