FF14 is in a content lul but super popular? Here is why.

[Ayuhra]

I want archaeology content, so to speak, but no archaeology system. Let me explain.

Essentially, any leveling system is just going to be a series of lock-outs. You cannot do thing #44 until you've done sufficient prior things to unlock thing #44. Certain lockout procedures may be more rigid or more flexible, and may ultimately seem a good thing in that their constraints create a more curated course through which to progress, but at the end of the day they are only restrictions.

I don't want to have to care about the lore of Cutter's Cry or Qarn or the areas around Qarn, etc., just to be allowed to find out more about Sharlayan. And given that leveling progression systems in XIV tend to be far less flexible than in WoW or the like, that's all I can imagine an archaeology "system" really doing -- giving me "must do"s before I can access my "want to do"s.

All that would be far, far worse, even, if Archaeologist were made a gathering class, as it'd remove any possibilities for progression from otherwise lore-rich dungeons and require a whole separate gear set just to use for those who want to just go Indiana Jones (combat + archaeology).

I would personally like something more along the lines of ESO's antiquarian system over WoW's archaeology.

It's not its own job, so you can do it while you do other things. You can level it wherever you want. Bosses, dungeons, certain enemies in the overworld drop "leads" that give you an easter egg hunt to a big dig with a valuable item. Smaller digs drop less valuable but still interesting items. It'd be a fun way to get glamour/pets/mounts and all of the digging could happen in the overworld which would give FFXIV's overworld some much needed additional content.