The thrill is for many people is designing redstone circuits to automate things, like mine carts and traps. Others like to be creative and build structures. I find some of that stuff interesting, but it's not my love. I haven't played minecraft seriously for a couple of months. Some more traditional RPG elements would be nice for me, but probably not others. Combat is a joke and and once you know how to set yourself up the first day, nothing is likely to hurt you, short of falling off a cliff or into deep lava. If you find a good cave system, then exploring can be fun, but again, combat is not a concern other than creepers but you just carry some food with you.
I like the game, but I wish there was other things to do other than build.