Breakfast Topic: What do you do while you're doing archaeology?
by Mathew McCurley 
Feb 15th 2012 at 8:00AM
One night while I was out in the Uldum desert, painfully sulking my way from one failure of a dig site to the next, I got a whisper from a fan and reader who just wanted to say hello. "You caught me at the best time, in fact," I told him. "I'm just bored doing archaeology."
This became a thing. We got on pretty well. Other people began to send me messages during my archaeology sessions. If you know my name (pretty easy to find me if you look hard enough) and I'm on WoW late, you should say hello. You just might get me right in the middle of archaeology.
What do you like to do to pass the time while doing archaeology?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
razion Feb 15th 2012 8:08AM
Podcasts like the WoW Insider Show, the Instance, and Convert to Raid can glaze me over much anything for a good six hours. When I'm out of fresh podcasts, I tend to revert to internet radio stations. I will, however, feel the inclination to alt-tab to a new series I've been watching between flying if I'm too sleepy for music. As a result, I tend to enjoy the flights more than the actual activity of archaeology itself.
viciouspen Feb 15th 2012 8:08AM
watch hulu
Rezai Feb 15th 2012 8:09AM
I listen to the WoW Insider Podcast or audio books.
Nina Katarina Feb 15th 2012 8:10AM
I like archeology. I don't need to pass the time while doing it, archeology is something I do to pass the time while waiting on a raidfinder queue or a battleground, or in that dead time between when I sign on and when the raid starts.
It's soothing and relaxing, just me, the swoosh of my dragon's wings, the new music as we drift from zone to zone. I land somewhere and I remember what it was like questing there, think about how it's different now than it was before. I collect my three sites and drift off somewhere else. Sometimes I'll get on a flight path and check if I've got enough for solves, or get into a conversation in guild chat.
But mostly when I'm archeologizing it's because I'm in my zen zone.
I take it back, I don't like archeology. I love archeology.
Calicia Feb 15th 2012 8:20AM
I can't say that I *love* it, but arch, like fishing, is something that I can do while the spouse is watching something on TV that I'm not really into. Dailies, fishing, arch, AH, farming ... all stuff that allows me to be semi-engaged with RL.
Everclear Feb 15th 2012 9:50AM
False. The best way to pass the time while doing Archaeology is to not do Archaeology and play the Mass Effect 3 demo instead.
Caz Feb 15th 2012 10:08AM
Nina said it better than I ever could have. I enjoy archaeology, as well.
Nivella Feb 15th 2012 2:59PM
I don't love archeology like you do, but I don't hate it like other people do. It's a nice relaxing thing I can do while waiting on dungeons, but I would also like for there to be improvements that reduce RNG and whatnot.
LordVashtal Feb 15th 2012 8:12AM
.......Pray.
C'mon, RNG gods! Please head my call! Twelve canopic jars and still no vial of the sands! Please, this time!..........Oh, look, another night elf digsite. Thou art cruel, and ANGRY gods!
Blayze Feb 15th 2012 8:13AM
Turn-based Facebook games. Or I did back when I could muster the will to get yet another sandcastle.
Will Feb 15th 2012 8:18AM
Crack jokes in guild chat, and leave BBC America running in the background so I can listen to Gordon Ramsay swearing.
DarkWalker Feb 15th 2012 8:19AM
I just don't. I pretend Archeology does not exist.
Archeology is a mix of RNG and travel time. The only thing in game I hate more than RNG rewards is pointless travel time.
For other situations where I'm having to pass the time while playing, if I'm in a good mood I pick my 3DS and start playing something. If I'm in a bad mood, I just log off and go do something different, instead of wasting what should be entertainment time.
Camo Feb 15th 2012 2:27PM
Archeology.
A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.
How about a nice game of chess?
Lannden Feb 15th 2012 2:38PM
This is my feeling about it. Never forget kids, friends don't let friends do archaeology.
Avaric Feb 15th 2012 8:26AM
I like archaeology, it's what I do to pass the time between randoms or waiting for raids to start.
ejunk Feb 15th 2012 8:26AM
I do archaeology between BG queues.
Jorges Feb 15th 2012 8:27AM
The same thing I do when farming herbs or mining: fire up EpicMusicPlayer. Oh, and read the little writings that comes with all the stuff I dig. Some of them are very interesting.
Lars Petersson Feb 15th 2012 8:32AM
so far I haven't bothered with archeology. Maybe when I have all my toons to 85...
Zable Feb 15th 2012 8:34AM
I die a little inside after each night elf solve.
Joakim Feb 15th 2012 8:42AM
I work.
No, really. I work. I have two screens, one with WoW, one with the relevant stuff I need for my work as a freelance writer. So while going from Point A to B with regular air taxi, let's say from Hyjal to Uldum (about 10 min flight), I can get at least half a page or a whole page done. Takes a bit of proofreading afterwards but all writing demands that.
If I don't have an article or something, I read. Right now King's 11.22.63. And besides that I managed to write to complete repu grinding guides for the guild website and watch Treme. Twice.
Strange one, Treme. It kinda grows on you, even if it is a bit boring to start with - sort of like archaology :)