The problem with video-arch

The problem with video-arch 

Embarking on an adventure is a very exciting process. For those of you that have been to a completely new place or ever played an RPG game, you will know very well that feeling of being completely lost. The liberating feeling of being able to do what you like, the unfamiliar setting, the freedom of being to do whatever you choose; it's very exciting, but very overwhelming.

Starting this blog on video games and archaeology was like being a kid in Toys R Us and being told that I could have everything I wanted. The problem is where do I start? How to choose what to go for first? How do I put all these ideas into something that's useful and interesting and not just an exciting ramble?

I can't - is the short answer. The possibilities of the applications of video games in the wider circle of archaeology is just so vast that there is no way I could possibly write about all of them. I couldn't even list all of the applications. Even under broad titles such as heritage, simulation, education, there's still too much to be covered. Not only is there a quantity of ideas, but these ideas are deep and sometimes complex and it's not just a simple case of "we could use sandbox games to simulate medieval town life, next topic please."

This is why I've found it so difficult to put pen to paper recently (or fingers to keyboard if you like.) Each time I've tried I have been overwhelmed by all the aforementioned issues, and have gone back to widely dreaming about these ideas in the safety of my own mind. 

This post is therefore an apology in two parts. The first apology is for the lack of posts. The second one is an apology in advance for the convoluted mess which will spew forth from my fingers and onto your screen as I try and condense and cover all these ideas in a completely haphazard fashion. 

I think what would be easier is a Q&A style of blog. Give me the seeds of ideas and questions that these posts have brought up, and I'll expand for you. Maybe there's a game you enjoyed as a child and you wonder how that sort of game could be applied. Maybe it's your sector of archaeology, or perhaps you've seen something on here and you want to know more. Give me strands and I shall spin them into thread.

Below: Feeling lost? Video archaeology is as straightforward as playing EVE Online *cough*