It doesn’t feel like that though. For example, trying to earn money and progress by going into the cave or whatever to fight nets you almost no money gains and eventually your gear can’t keep up.

As someone who doesn’t enjoy farming sims because they feel like work, it just doesn’t feel like the game cares if you progress in other ways. A lot of the other options feel tedious because of the drastically lower rewards you get from trying to earn money those ways

Thing is, that’s ok. The game just isn’t for me and I am fine having moved on.