Although i am not an old member, I've really been wanting to say this. thankyou<3

I mean 'Omg im new, will someone be my mate????', it's just not what the forest is about.

*poses Zilant, Fulu, Corvus, and Leara together for a family photo*

I'm not here to stir up trouble, but I will most certainly say that I agree with you, without a doubt. Just the other day, I saw at least two posts from new players asking for mates for their characters. You don't ask for love like that in the real world, so I don't understand why someone would want to do that to their characters in the game. My characters have always meant something to me and it's wonderful to watch them grow up, live life, find love, etc. I understand that characters mean different things to different people and perhaps I take things too seriously, but love is something that should mean something.

I also have no problems with people who play their characters as if they were real deer, but I always thought that the idea of an in game rut was a bit too much. It hasn't caused as much drama as I thought it would, but I can see it now, drama as does begin to get pregnant, fawns that will never see the light of day, characters that will soon be overlooked and forgotten, etc. I remain quiet and hope for the best, but sometimes I can't help but wonder what has happened to this game.

My exact thoughts when the rut was first being decided on. I'm barely tolerating it cuz I try to be optimistic of most things. Doesn't mean my mind won't look for negative on its own though.
We'll see how this goes, and if it does cause a ton of inter-drama, it better not take place again.
If it goes ok (since I have seen some pairings happening cuz of crushes that were going on before the rut), then I don't know.

I know I'll keep playing the way I have been: letting my deer make friends, and if they get closer to one friend than the rest (which is happening right now actually via Bastilion XD), I'll see where it goes.

The only way I'm involved in the rut at all, is saying any participants can spar with my spar-liking stags. That's all. It's basically what Iaurdagnire is doing.

Good thing this will only happen for 2 more days.

---
The Dragonfly Deer's Biography
Pega's Forest Philosophy: "Look for Friends. Let Love find you."
"If you don't like something, tolerate it."

PPFFFFFFFFFFFSHT

[The following is from MY own experience and standpoint, and nothing else. I am not attempting to insult any of the new players or the older ones, in any way. If I do, then I apologize deeply.]

I've only been around for two weeks or so, but when I started seeing the "who will be my mate?" threads, it reminded me of a place long ago. A place where you would search an RPG ring of wolf/horse RPGs, join, and seemingly the ONLY goal of these RPGs was to find a mate and cyber and have babies. Raping in these games was strongly encouraged.

That seems to be reminiscent of where these newer players are coming from.

Back then, it was acceptable. Since people only knew of the RPG world from these websites, the newer members might think this is commonplace for ANY animal-based interactive system. In fact, some may be very, very young and don't know that TEF is different from these particular websites. After all, younger people that are just now learning about sex tend to seek it out more.


I don't think that "HAY GUYZ LETS CYBER" was what the Rut was looking for or even intended to progress into. I saw it as a neat little group thing made by mature individuals. It just happened to start up at the same time as these new players coming in. So they see the Rut, go "hey, everyone's pairing up! I should too!" and go from there.

I've been here for only over a month and I am definately not like that :3 (I prefer to use the word lust instead of sex, because it's more like the opposite of love xD) My deer isn't even attending the rut and I think he'd rather actually get to know a doe then just mate with some random. Even my animal characters have the soul's needs that humans do.

May I remind you all that this rut idea was an experiment? <3 kthxbai
------------------------

I love you too. So much.
You are completely right, others will disagree but I think you're right. >8|
I'd never let Laur have a kid with someone she doesn't know, especially a character who's player I don't know.
Fngngmgm.
I dislike the rut, a lot. x_x

All I ever see are stags showing off and rubbing tree's all day long and having to put up with some of them nuzzle-attacking Laurette, she already has a mate, and found her mate through friendhsip, which I think is the way it should be, not having babies with deer you have no idea who they are, wether or not it's how deer do it in real life. TEF isn't supposed to be realistic, we're destroying it, and we've destroyed it enough already. 8|
Sorry, but it's just what I think.

I also HATE it when Laur's with one of her own friends, a stag, and others who are interested in him taunt and moo at her for being with him. It's like she can't even hang out with my own friends because of it. ._.

...it also makes me wonder if there are participants who are involved in the rut that arent on the list.
But anyway...this isnt what this topic is about |D
___________________________________________________________________________

DraakxMitra C:

Tracking,


Timberrc

Timberr
I have comments both ways or sides on this, I entered Timber into the Rut based on the description of the sight. I knew I would be taking him out because I am not into the "getting a mate thing". I raised and lost a family. I dealt with avoiding this getting a mate for over 12 years on being in chat rooms, being a chat room administrator this gets to be a pain in the tail fur and I can understand where you are coming from on this issue. I am not into war games and most of the 3D graphics are. The appeal of the "rut" and why I joined it was a chance to see how much my life time experience with whitetail, mule deer and elk could be applied.

I had/have no intent of offending anyone!

I am sorry I have to say this, and will say it once!

I posted my age to help keep people from asked me to be their mate. My choice was to be anonymous and hide my age or be honest and present my age and let you decide if you want to interact with Timberrc. I have made an effort to keep individuals from getting to close to me because of my age versus the age of the population here at TEF. And yes we all get to know someone we like a lot, but I have to keep them at a distance.

You have a bigger problem here then this “Rut”, I have not posted it or talked with the friends I have here in TEF. It appears someone does not care for me being here, and I got into the impression that I am being bullied into a corner. Over the past six/ seven weeks the only place I have not been bothered is if I stay within a small area of the forest. The little spot in the forest that I used for the “rut” is the little part of the forest that that person or persons have left me alone if I stay within that area. I had to down a red pelt for a while to slow down the fly by spelling.

I think the rut was the least of your problems. I very much like this site, the graphics and the environment to develop creativity. I came here to try and get back into a more creative mind to do art work. I was not going to post anything about these incidents and just let my deer die at the end of the year. TEF needs to keep going.

I feel the rules and the way the rut was handled is going very well. I am stopping my part as it has caused friction with members and friends.

I will not talk about this anymore. I do not wish to see this site go down!

Timberrc

Yes the rut was meant to be an experiment but I think it's gone a little far. What about you, Verdalas, you've been here WAY longer than I have, you can't say there's been a change in the love situation at all?

And I'm glad more people are agreeing with me than disagreeing. And to those who disagree, I still don't see the reason in your point. You're saying that loveless sex is okay now? Most of you weren't here when the love process was still strong, so really.

I'm sorry, but I hate hearing when more and more does are getting pregnant because of this. Actually, no, I'm not sorry, because I'm not the only one who thinks it. It's like their doing this for no reason. So the fawns will be born and forgotten about, an entire generation that could have been out of love, just fffft. Completely forgotten. I'm sure some of you will remember to take care of the fawns. For a little while.

And then they'll ask "Mommy, where's Daddy?" What are you supposed to say? "Oh you don't have a real Daddy, I just saw someone with a nice performance so I had sex with them."

Real beautiful love story.

Sorry, that was going a little far, but you see my point 8|

I'LL BE THE HERO.
... AND EAT IT.

I strongly disagree with you, Kanaf.

I think you're being over dramatic and rude. People are going to play how they want, and you have no say in that. No one should be allowed to criticize anyone else for what they enjoy.

Personally? I don't any of what you're talking about. When I go into the forest, all I see is people interacting. I don't see mindless sex, I /do/ however see progressive gameplay and new ways of fixing old problems, such as expressing something stronger than mild affection, and an inventive way to /mimic/ the behaviours of real deer. I still see stags changing their pelts and their sets, so no one has forsaken the forest magic, no one's saying this is now a realistic deer simulation.

I think you're seeing things through a jaded eye. But most of all, you're insulting a group of people because you don't understand them or their motives. You take a couple bad examples and form an opinion of their mindsets and then curse them for it. And /that/ is not what the forest is about.

If you don't like it, don't look on the threads about the Rut. Ignore it. Just go into the game and play 'like the old days' and I'm sure you'll stop noticing what you don't want to see.

Most of all, I'd like you to think twice about your choice of words.

EDIT: Also. After reading further comments from you, your attitude frankly /stinks/. You've put far too much thought into the lives of pixel characters. It sounds to me that you're actually trying to make a social commentary about humans rather than these characters. Please, get a hold of yourself. (also, what's to say that some stags and does don't stay together after the rut?)

I suspect some mountains are being made out of some molehills here.

Yeah, the Rut's kind of sex-focused, and that's maybe a touch sad or a touch distasteful, but more deer seem to be in it for the chance of sparring than the chance of babies. And in the end, the choice that the deer involved behaves "like a real deer" and works to earn some tail is as much a roleplaying choice as is finding twue wuv. Yes, I prefer my characters to make deep connections that blossom into love or whatever -- but it's not for every character all the time. I mean, for goodness' sakes, these are characters! Their relative morality is, by-and-large, irrelevant. With a few exceptions, I haven't noticed much Rut behavior involving more outside people than most NON Rut behavior. I'm actually startled and impressed by the relative lack of drama here.

Besides...After tommorow it will all be over anyway, and people will be back to angsting about twue wuv and possibly over some babies, if some babies are made. And then someone will complain about "problem-of-the-day" and how it's an epidemic and it's ruining the forest and "this isn't the forest I joined." and then that will be over as well, lather, rinse, repeat. This happens every other week or so, and I think it's just because we're paranoid: I think the Forest does have something good and special, so we worry like crazy anytime it looks even vaguely like that's going to change. But it usually doesn't.

As for the newbs... hey, they're newbs. We've had far, far worse.
---

Join Nelle Rovine, my unicorn RP

I miss the old forest >:

My Deer

im just talking about around a year ago. Sure there were problems, but people just seemed to take things in such a friendlier and calmer way. There were things, like RD for example, that got everyone to fluff up their feathers and fight but in the end everyone was happy again.
-pokes Tera- ilu, but please don't be so snippy >:

My Deer

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

And there are some events....or should I say event that seems to have started this whole downhill and crushed the old forest...I am trying very hard not to name names here.
___________________________________________________________________________

DraakxMitra C:

To be honest, I'm afraid of the Forest now.

@Tera: its okay, i forgive you x3 -huggles-

After this rut is over i vote we never do something like this again.

My Deer

FAYNE.
I agree.
-DIED-

-- Dannii <3

The point is that you guys shouldn't force other players to do what you say just because you say so. If you try to ban it, it'll go on anyway. People are free to play as they like.

I think what bothers me the most, is how the rules aren't being fully followed.
One of my stags has been having does go up to him more, trying to flirt with him, when he's obviously not involed. I'm not in the rut, and this is happening. I can't tell when he's not being flirted with now, cuz when a couple of does follows him non-stop when he's clearly walking away minding his own business (and I find out later one of them is not actually in the rut), well...
There is a list of participants on the Tales of the Endless Forest forum. It's even been linked multiple times. I wish people would follow it more, or that the list were on this site too.

I stand with my agreeing with Raku.

But if anyone needs to see what is meant by "the old forest", all I need to do is grab the link to my old Antics journal thread on the forum. You'll see a big difference between then (the journal being started in February '08) and now. /slightly off-topic

---
The Dragonfly Deer's Biography
Pega's Forest Philosophy: "Look for Friends. Let Love find you."
"If you don't like something, tolerate it."

'I strongly disagree with you, Kanaf.
I think you're being over dramatic and rude. People are going to play how they want, and you have no say in that. No one should be allowed to criticize anyone else for what they enjoy.'

That's basically saying that we shouldn't be critisized for playing a violent character in game. It's what it sounded like to me anyways, but it's what happens, whenever violence happens and we all know who it is, the player gets flamed at. I see the rut just as bad as violence, but no one yells at the players who participated in it but players still get mad about it.
Not that violence has anything to do with the rut really, but still.

At first i was really happy to see this posted....but i don't like how this seems to be 'exploding'. :/

I understand that those in the rut are going to spit at those not in it that hate it, but pointing names and stomping on them because they come off as rude even though others agree with that person and their opinion is also just as rude. This is getting slightly out of hand.

I also continue to stand by--even in front of--Raku (Kanaf). Although the rut COULD have been respectful and done well, there's too many people in it that can't role-play correctly and know who's not in it, etctetc.

Excuse me for sounding bitchy here, too, but an "experiment?" I know I didn't read into the rut at all because I knew I wouldn't take place in it, but that comes off as a very sad excuse. I have never heard that it was going to be a test. An experiment for what? What are you guys trying to gain from it?

alsokudostoFayne. Aside from human faces, real deer also don't have an endless forest with Twin Gods and magical mushrooms. I know that you guys are just pretending to be real and can overlook that and now I'll get pointed at for mentioning it, but I thought it worth mentioning anyway. If you want to be a real deer and make your own beloved character go very OOC then... I don't want to say go find a different game, but can't you do it in a different manner? I DUNNO /confused self


By the way. I personally see the "Old Forest" as BEFORE the community site came into play. I won't lie--I miss that too. But I'm going with the flow here. I don't see why it's so bad to long for it, either. Really--bitching at someone because they have fond memories of this place? It's been said a million times, but may I just repeat: What happened to our forest?

Quote:

You say you are allowed to play however you like, and we can't criticize or disapprove. Yet you can criticize our discussion as stupid and rude and tell us what we are and aren't allowed to say? Everyone has a right to an opinion, and to express it as they like, even people you disagree with. If you don't like something someone has written, why can't you just ignore it, as you prescribe to us? Your words reveal much about you. Play however you like, but don't be a hypocrite.

This. IoRez, I can't thank you enough for coming in on this. ;_; <3 I always love and agree with you so much; you word things I forget how to say.