About The Critical GeoWiki Experiment


Introduction

For games like those in the The Legend of Zelda series, movement through mapped territory is central to the game's components, both narratively and ludologically. Maps play prominent roles in these games, acting at once as tools for completing tasks as well as records of past travels. The Critical GeoWiki Experiment aims to inscribe the stories and deeds of the hero on the overworld map and provide a collaborative forum for academics to mark and analyze patterns that develop on the map of one game. It is not intended to be overly formal; casual commentary is also welcome.

This experiment is still in a beta form; the software implementation is rudimentary and the data does not yet cover the entirety of the game. The map images, assembled by Ian Albert, comprise only an image of the Light World before retrieving the Master Sword. In the future, users can toggle between different versions of the LTP overworld. Numbers on the map refer to Ian Albert's complete collection of LTP game maps, which document all interior areas of the game. Where available, map data that corresponds to an interior space are marked at the entrance of that space in the overworld.

Since the Light and Dark incarnations of the overworld are basically interchangeable in terms of geography, the original plan was to plot Light and Dark World events on the same map. Map data has not yet reached the Dark World, however, and data cluttering is already an issue.

The Critical GeoWiki Experiment aims to collect any relevant data that corresponds to a location on the overworld map. External links and images can be attached to a data point (see the url and image url sections of the input form). Data can range from item locations to critical commentary about a feature of the landscape. Game glitches, secrets, code commentary, Easter eggs, and external controversies about the game are welcome. Hopefully, the aggregation of data about the game mapped onto the overworld will give a birds-eye view of the game that will foster creative scholarship.

Data Mining Technique

Though originally envisioned as a collaborative activity, I gathered my initial data for the LTP Critical GeoWiki from a fresh session with the game, which I recorded for accuracy and consultation. After playing, I reviewed the recorded footage for data to place on the GeoWiki.

The catalogue of tags and icons grew in response to the types of data I put on the map; though deciding what data was relevant to the map was a personal decision, I anticipate that the inclusion of more users will require new tags to accommodate new types of data. In the spirit of assembling a database, I will refrain from limiting the types of data that users see fit to include on the map.

Preliminary Comments

Looking at the environment of the game from a distance has proven quite illuminating. Though the maps lack any image of Link and do not have an especially good way to account for individual gameplay experience, this depersonalized encounter with the game was useful to analyze certain features of the landscape without having to worry about moving through enemy territory or overcoming obstacles. In short, the map gave an opportunity to look at the game without having to worry about movement, period.

Some observations of LTP grown out of the GeoWiki:
  • Geographic inconsistencies of overlapping regions points to a really fascinating break between actual and perceived space.
  • Almost all text encountered in the game is attached to people, so there is a high concentration of story information in the Kakariko Village area.
  • People and enemies are more like geographic features - tied to specific areas except when moved by worldwide event triggers (this is more evident comparing the different overworld maps).
  • The Bumpkins, as parodic objects, bear some striking resemblances to Link.
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    As more commentary accumulates on the map, more observations of this type are made possible, and can hopefully foster better discussion of the game as a whole. Increasing the volume of commentary will, of course, make filtered viewing options necessary.

    I also expect that looking at the game critically in this manner will make for easier comparison to other Zelda titles; as a series, the most common unifying variable is Hyrule itself. There is a lot of debate regarding chronology and even parallel universes in this series, and one of the interesting ways to track the development of these games would be to look at the landscape. Any significant changes in the territory will, of course, mostly be due to technological constraints and game design decisions - but gamers still experience Hyrule as the same Hyrule in all the games, no matter the generation or lay of the land. Maps may help to illuminate this issue further.

    Wish list of future functionality

  • Toggling images of Light 1 (pre-Agahnim), Light 2 (post-Agahnim), and Dark World maps
  • Filtering plot points based on tag content
  • More intuitive user interface (be patient - my programming is rusty)
  • Tracking game paths over time
  • More comprehensive icon system
  • Exploring the map without any visible plot points
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    Pick your path:

    The GeoWiki or Back Home
    Back to the Critical GeoWiki Experiment's project page


    Amanda Phillips
    UC Santa Barbara Department of English