Archaeology is more time consuming than fishing, and other professions. I had forgotten why I no longer do archaeology. To experience the Pandaria archaeology I am currently leveling up from scratch.
So far reached 225/300. It’s very boring even with the boost of fragments per digsite.
The boring factor comes with flying back and forth throughout the continent. Sometimes I go afk while flying. Sometimes the character dies after reaching the ocean. Sometimes I have literally fallen asleep until next day while flying to a distant location. Flying is boring. Don’t think anyone likes to see the same scenario for 15 minutes straight flying from Eastern Plaguelands to the Cape of Stranglethorn, and then another 10-15 back again.
Archaeology needs to be account-wide. Probably other professions as well. It’s absolutely unnecessary to level it up on each character.
Making mounts and pets account-wide is a move in the good direction for players. Non-core professions need the same treatment: First Aid, Archaeology, Fishing, and Cooking. These are not for-profit professions. These are mostly “individual character’s convenience” professions.
Back to topic with Archaeology, Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms are massive in comparison to Outland, Northrend and Pandaria.
I’d like more variety in the level up process. Right now, I am stuck at the boredom of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor until I reach level 300. The developers should even it out the level requirement among Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, Northrend, Outland and Pandaria continents so one can spend as less time as possible on each continent.
Let’s say — level 1-40 zones get Archaeology 1-100 and you can only see those digsites.
Level 41-60 zones get Archeology 101-200 requirement. You only get to see those digsites.
Level 61-70 zones get Archaeology 201-300 requirement in Outland
Level 70-80 zones get Archaeology 300-400 requirement in Northrend.
Level 80-85 zones get Archaeology 400-500 requirement in Vash’jir, Mount Hyjal, Uldum, Twilight Highlands, Tol Barad, Deepholme.
The requirement numbers don’t need to be that range in specific. Just an example.
This prevents players from having to fly 15 minutes from Felwood to Tanaris, or from Eastern Plaguelands to Cape of Stranglethorn. It narrows the distance to fly by digging only half of the continent from X to Y archaeology level requirement.
Those who wish to dig lower level digsites, there should be a toggle on/off to view low level archaeology digsites — for those who wish to unlock rares they didn’t get while leveling up Archaeology.
Moar Options
Offer other options from level 1-300/ maybe up to 450. Currently, players only have digsites + lengthy travels. The Pandaria archaeology sites are a good example of variety.
Instead of digging, digging, digging, digging on a single digsite, players can find these interactive doodads: statues, scrolls, tablets, glyph stones, bones, bells, shields, weapons, paintings on a wall (outdoor) or within caves. Mark those with a special symbol with the tag “place of interest”.
People can choose to do:
- only digsites
- only interactive doodads
- both
Feedback and ideas are welcome.
The problem with archeology is the same as the general major problem with WoW’s design. The travelling is boring, as hell.
People stayed in cities and used summons and portals for a reason. Forcing people to slowly walk to their targets for 85-90 or make them fly around to get the simplest thing done will satisfy no one. Blizzard simply cured the symptom instead of the cause. The cause: travel is boring in WoW. Symptom: people don’t move out of cities.