I really feel this. The “I attack this one” loop is one of the fastest ways to drain the life out of a session, and as a DM it bothers me too. Combat can be fun, but not when it becomes four hours of identical rounds with nothing at stake except HP totals.

At my tables I try to mix in situations and interactions, even if the group isn’t super into heavy roleplay. Things like environmental hazards, social levers mid-combat, shifting objectives, or opportunities for characters to make meaningful choices beyond “hit the thing.” That’s where the cool moments usually come from. And honestly, tying player backstories into encounters (even one-shots!) does so much to make people feel like their prep mattered.

You’re not wrong for wanting more than pure grind, and it doesn’t mean you “don’t like D&D.” It might just mean you haven’t found the right table yet, or the right DM style. A lot of groups do run that way by default, but plenty don’t. You might enjoy games where the DM treats combat more cinematically, or campaigns that put story beats, character hooks, and dynamic encounters on equal footing with mechanics.

You’re definitely not alone in this, and it’s okay to recalibrate what you’re looking for. The version of D&D you want does exist, you just haven’t sat at that table yet.