I finally tried out this “Azerothian Archives” thing which is basically just archaeology, except bad. (Technoscrying is OK, but the elemental clicky stuff is horrendous).
So they made similar mechanics and even the theme is archaeology… outside the profession, signalling they won’t bring it back ever in a real way. Which is strange, because with regional splits, Dragon Isles and all future parts could have separate mini games anyway.
Archaeology needs some work, the developers aren’t happy with how it played out or ended up. Although collecting artifacts and exploring history is thematic to exploring the Dragon Isles, the excavation mini-game of Archaeology is not currently planned to return. They’d like to figure out something better to do with it in the future.
Archaeology is something that needs some work. We’re not super happy with how that played out. It’s not something that’s going to be part of our initial efforts in Dragonflight. Thematically, the idea of learning about the relics, that’s going to happen across the Dragon Isles, but we’re not returning to the excavation mini-game form of it. We want to figure out something better to do with that in the future.
It may get reworked in the future, its uncertain.
I hope it comes back.
I really wanted it to be back when they added this achieves stuff in the last patch.
Yeah, I really hope that archaeology will NOT be like these 2 activities. Imo they’re worse than the original archaeology mechanic.
yeah i gave up on the new archaeology thing. its terrible
I’ve not even started it yet, too many other things to do 
There’s some irony of how they claim to not be happy about how archaeology functioned and then bring… Azerothian Archives 
I meeeeean it’s making archaeology look like an immense success in comparison.
Azerothian Archives is absolute crap due to how it’s done, as mentioned… should’ve utilised the Archeology profession.
Instead we got yet another area event exploited by lazy sods AFK’ing…
It will be just weird when they finally do revive archaeology that Dragonflight has something similar that doesn’t count as archaeology.
And I’m glad I’m not the only one being weird by finding the new mini games bad.
The event was kind of the best part, though… because it’s an area event like any other. The other stuff associated with the Azerothian Archives… bleh.
From what I understand these interviews were before DF? In that sense I’m wondering if they see this as a/the rework, or if they are still planning something else. The goggles are ok, personally I still enjoyed the original digging better. The rest is all unnecessary fluff tho imo.
Can we just keep the original Archeology?
That worked and was fun for me at least.
All these new systems and multiple rankings levels for reputation aren’t fun.
To be fair, the reputation does absolutely nothing 
If it works like BFA arch it’s fine, if it’s like MoP or WoD then NOO
I think they meant a full rework of the Archeology as a whole. We still have atleast 3 xpacks to go so I hope they will come with some nice gold diggin- I meant, new and exciting “excavating activities”.
After having leveled up archeology on like 7 characters to grind the Ultramarine qiraji battle tank mount, i 10000000% support an archaeology rework.
Hate the archive mini games. I loved archaeology, it was very relaxing and fun to find treasure. It was honestly fine as it was imo and they should have kept with it.
I would like it if they just reworked the Archaeology profession into what we have as technoscrying now, it’s the same idea (Here’s an area, find the hidden object), but less of a drag in bigger search areas, you know, not as stop-start as the profession, i still have nightmares of that digsite in southern Redridge…
I’m not a fan of the elemental thing, with the elemental standing on top of that totem every time, bloody nuisance.
I do like the new characters introduced with Azerothian archives, we need some more side-characters, not everything should be about the same dozen people all the time, and their VA is fun.
Agreed. The thing that needed work was the reward system.
Maybe they could have intergrated a type of ‘discovery system’, where you get a ranking as you dig up more stuff - stuff that should have a permanent personal place to put it on show imo; an instanced area with a museum like place where all of your archaeology stuff is on display. Every expansion would unlock a new room within that instance to store the new things you’ll discover.
As you gain ranks, you unlock rewards. Voila. Simple system. Easy to incorporate lore into it and a permanent way to see all the antiquities you’ve dug up.
Yes, like we had in our garrison. I believe we also had something similar in Legion but having one in your own garrison was awesome. Another reason for player housing!
The bit with the totem and elemental is awful. Even if you ignore how buggy it is, the execution is just poor. The search radar is probably better than the digging we have had in the past.
It does feel like this is something they looked into as a replacement for Archeology then made it an event based thing for DF instead.