Friday, July 26, 2024

Building Worlds to Live In

It is a fact that everything that takes place in the Pokémon world takes place in a world of its own, which is not too far removed from (or is an alternate of) the real world. It's a world that many people would conceivably like to live in... or perhaps they already do, if Pokémon Go has something to say about that. Regardless, this world can't exist - even in the figments of imagination - without some amount of effort that goes into building it, and this is what I would like to discuss at this time and how that translates into the prospects of living in this world, or even other worlds, as will become clear shortly.

There is a term that is thrown around related to this discussion, and that term would be "worldbuilding". It refers to the organization of real-life concepts (language, culture, society, and so on and so forth) into a fictional universe or world to make that as realistic as possible. Though the aspects are not too emphasized - as the emphasis is on the eponymous monsters and the interactions with and among them - there are some semblances of the concepts in Pokémon, as lifelike settlements as well as a good amount of lore, both physical and spiritual. Along with the species interactions, they make the world believable - and livable as well.

Obviously, the same occurs for other fictional universes, one of which will become pertinent soon. Even so, with regard to livability, even with worlds that have been built up, it is likely that fans might favor certain ones for living in. Certainly, given my preferences and this blog, I tend to favor living in the Pokémon world than in other worlds - but others surely may have the inverse given what they like. So, there may not be a firm correlation between worldbuilding and livability, though some amount of the former will certainly contribute to the latter and influence preferences all around, including for myself and what I enjoy.

Having said all that, this discussion was spurred by the Myst series of games. A documentary in the works for it - yes, it is in fact what I alluded to nearly four years ago - has been revealed to have a potential or possible title of "A World I'd Want to Live In". This certainly resonates with its fanbase, including me as a supporter, but it also greatly resonates with me as a Pokémon fan, so I've taken the liberty of applying the title to (my interest in) Pokémon, discussing it on this blog, and meeting my "quota" of mentioning the other series at least once a year. In both cases, the title is applicable to different extents.

At any rate, it's hard to discount that worldbuilding does or has to occur in universes or worlds with great coverage or reach, in both fans and content. It is a way that engagement is realized as well as maintained for the case of fans who continue their interest. My interest in Pokémon, no matter what form, is also a continuing one, and though worldbuilding is not emphasized in it greatly, it does influence that continuity. It also affirms my choice as a world for living in - as does Myst, by the above - and that's something that has to become a testament for those who enjoy different fictional universes to escape the real world... or even make it their real world.

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