Examining Knowledge Organization Systems: The Pokédex
Mentor 1
Laura Elien Ridenour
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
This project analyzed the Pokédex, which is an encyclopedic knowledge organizational system for the fictional game series, Pokémon. The Pokédex is a geographically organized encyclopedia of Pokémon, which are fictional creatures from the Pokémon series of games. Analysis was focused on the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue games in the in-game region known as Kanto. In the games, the Pokédex treats each Pokémon as a unique entity. Each entity has up to two classes called “types” (e.g. fire, water, grass). For this analysis, an entity’s names, classes, and total number of locations each entity was found in each game were recorded in Excel. This was analyzed by creating pivot tables to study the correlation of classes, and the number of locations each entity was found. The results of this showed that certain classes were correlated than others and that the combination of classes were not reciprocal. For example, the primary class “grass” and secondary “poison” collocate nine times, but the opposite combination does not occur. The analysis also showed that Pokémon found in the most areas are also those ranked towards the top of the encyclopedic order, while Pokémon with fewer areas are found towards the later parts of the encyclopedic order in the Pokédex. In conclusion, the Pokédex follows the linear journey mapped out for a player in an ordering system called “routes,” that represent new ecosystems in which each Pokémon to appears. If the player were to record every entity in a route, all the entities should be close to one another in their proximity of the Pokédex list order. And as the player travels in game, the ecosystems become more distinctive from one another, giving the player distinct geographic areas in which Pokémon can only be found.
Examining Knowledge Organization Systems: The Pokédex
Union Wisconsin Room
This project analyzed the Pokédex, which is an encyclopedic knowledge organizational system for the fictional game series, Pokémon. The Pokédex is a geographically organized encyclopedia of Pokémon, which are fictional creatures from the Pokémon series of games. Analysis was focused on the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue games in the in-game region known as Kanto. In the games, the Pokédex treats each Pokémon as a unique entity. Each entity has up to two classes called “types” (e.g. fire, water, grass). For this analysis, an entity’s names, classes, and total number of locations each entity was found in each game were recorded in Excel. This was analyzed by creating pivot tables to study the correlation of classes, and the number of locations each entity was found. The results of this showed that certain classes were correlated than others and that the combination of classes were not reciprocal. For example, the primary class “grass” and secondary “poison” collocate nine times, but the opposite combination does not occur. The analysis also showed that Pokémon found in the most areas are also those ranked towards the top of the encyclopedic order, while Pokémon with fewer areas are found towards the later parts of the encyclopedic order in the Pokédex. In conclusion, the Pokédex follows the linear journey mapped out for a player in an ordering system called “routes,” that represent new ecosystems in which each Pokémon to appears. If the player were to record every entity in a route, all the entities should be close to one another in their proximity of the Pokédex list order. And as the player travels in game, the ecosystems become more distinctive from one another, giving the player distinct geographic areas in which Pokémon can only be found.
