Research

22/2/2022 - Media Theory: Semiotics

Today, we learned about the study of Semiotics.

Semiotics is the study of signs & symbols--objects that can hold different meanings to different people and may have little or nothing to do with the object itself.
There are three distinct categories an object can be in and can be in multiple of them:

Icon - Directly resembles the object. What you see is what you get. "I am that I am".

Index – Implied logical association with the object. For example, a coffin logically implies loss or death.

Symbol – Not inherently connected to the object. The meaning it may hold is taught and does not come naturally. An example is the Eggplant Emoji (🍆), which has a wildly different association in internet cultures.

23/02/2022 - Media Theory: Todorov's Narrative Theory

Equilibrium - The world and characters are in a 'normal' state, whether good or bad. No disruptions exist yet.

Disruption of Equilibrium - The equilibrium is disrupted by something or someone.

Recognition of Disruption - The protagonist(s) are alerted of the disruption and are motivated one way or another to do something about it.

Attempt to Repair - The protagonist(s) attempts to sort out the disruption and repair the damage, whatever that may be.

New Equilibrium - The disruption has been resolved and a new norm is established, regardless if it has changed or if it's good or bad.

07/03/2022 - Mythology Secondary Research: Hades & The Underworld.

I have chosen Greek Mythology Hades to conduct secondary research on, as my game will primarily be based on Hades & the Underworld. Specifically, I want to know what the 'accurate depiction' of Hades is and how different it is from other media texts that include him.

Hades, despite being God of the Underworld, has surprisingly few myths that include him.
What is known is that he is said to be strict, but impartial.
In fact, Hades is debatably one of the most passive Greek gods, at least when compared to someone like Zeus (as seen in the myth of Persephone, where Zeus approved and assisted in her abduction--which is also where Hades is portrayed at his worst).

The easiest way to get Hades' attention is to attempt to leave the Underworld, which he strictly forbids.

Hades from Hades (the game) is the most accurate depiction of Hades I have seen so far. He is pretty much exactly what one would expect: Cold, but fair. Still, the game does take a few creative liberties in his favor as seen with its version of Persephone's tale, where Hades had nothing to do with her kidnapping and so both she and Hades were forced into the situation by Zeus. 

Contrast this with the likes of Disney's or Kid Icarus's Hades, who are depicted as comically evil villains. Accuracy is almost completely thrown out the window with these two. Despite this, they are strong contenders for the best characters from their respective media texts.