Why, Suggestions, and What Not To Do -A Help and Etiquette Blog For Newbies-

August 18, 2011 - 5:13pm — MissButterflyCaught

The Endless Forest is a beautiful and peaceful place. There is a lot to do and an infinite amount of possible ways to make a mistake as a newbie to the forest. I'm not trying to scare anyone here, but to help so you don't make a suggestion and get shot down with the outcome. Please, do not just do something like tl;dr or skim this because you don't feel like listening to rules. This blog is FOR YOU.

<3

Let's start with "Things We Do Not Suggest For The Forest."

Chat
Predators.
Herds.
Female Deer, a.k.a The Antlerless Option

All of these things entice a response from the community that is negative toward your suggestion.

Here are some reasons to forego suggesting the things above, affectionately known as:
"Why or Why Not + Alternatives"

Why there is no in-forest Chat: It's simple. The entire game is simple, as the Creators made it. We are not playing Feral Hearts, LOTRO, or PWI. We are playing The Endless Forest. In the forest we are all on an equal level. One can communicate perfectly fine through action alone. In-game it is more fun to forego the use of words, but to try and interpret the other player's body-language. That is the extent of in-forest chat. You'll learn other players' styles over time, and it will be just as if you are chatting with them through a chat-box. Your list of actions and their meanings as defined by the creators is here.
*YOUR ALTERNATIVE:* This place, the Community, is the place to chat. Post a thread, make a friend, read a blog. We are all here to help. You can always post your username for an Instant messenger like Yahoo, Gmail, or MSN and chat there as well. We promise not to spam you.
Why we have no Predators: The forest is a peaceful place. Predators would ruin the peace of the forest, and by adding them the entire forest would lose its magic and tranquility.
*YOUR ALTERNATIVE:* Characters are permitted to have enemies. Make sure you get permission before deciding your character is to be an enemy to someone, though! Characters are also permitted to have a plot with an enemy predator. Please don't just assume everyone is going to take part in your plot, though. Post on the Community before hand and ask who wishes to take part.
Why there are no Herds in the forest: We all are friends here on the community. Herds would split that up, as well as causing unnecessary conflict.
*YOUR ALTERNATIVE:* Though there are no herds in the forest, there are families. You can either get adopted in to a family or create one yourself. Please, though, interact with other deer before creating one of those "I need a family" posts... I assure you that those posts get more of a negative response than one that you want.
Why there is no option to create a female deer or be antlerless: Who does not like the elegance and organic shape of an antler? The Creators took this to their advantage while designing the game. They created many different sets for you to choose from, and allowed creativity in your choices. In the beginning, before sets, The Creators wanted everyone to be equal in the forest. This still has not changed.
*YOUR ALTERNATIVE:* There are many feminine antler types in the forest for you to choose from. The Noh nubs, magpie feathers, and peacock feathers are very good choices for female characters, as well as the Space Beluga antlers, the Monarch antlers, and even just adding some flowers! Though beware, males add flowers to their antlers too.

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Alright, now that we have gone through things not to suggest on the Community, let's head in-forest for some "Etiquette" lessons!

First things first and foremost, "How to Behave Politely and Mind Your Manners."
- Please, do not cast ANY spells on Mini-deer unless you are asked to. These deer go through an entire process to get their pelt in the forest. When you cast a pelt spell on a Mini-deer, they have to go through an entire process in order to gain the pelt they once had. This also means it is not good to use a sleeping mini to gain pelt spells for another deer. You could accidentally cast the spell on the Mini-deer.
- Give 'em a bow! When you greet another deer you do not know, it is polite to bow to them. More often than not they will bow back to you if they are not sleeping or laying down. Please refrain from just moo-ing in their face. How would you like it if someone just came up and screamed "Hello!" in to your face? (This is called "Respect" on the actionspage.)
- Don't constantly moo! This one's big. Don't moo over and over again. It gets really annoying and you won't be liked very much. Nobody cares if you like the sound.(This is called "Roar" on the actionspage.)
- No means no. If another deer you don't know acts aggressive toward you or shakes their head no, don't become belligerent. Please either stop what you are doing or go away. Most of the time it is in-character, but another portion of the time you may be doing something that another player doesn't like or want. Be polite and respect their wishes and/or personal space. ("shake head no" on the actionspage.
- Don't be Aggressive. Lowering your antlers at a random deer is not any way to make friends. Other players don't always want to fight. Some people might sit in your deer's favorite spot, but there is no need to bully them from it either. Please, be passive. ("anger", "Taunt" and "stand on hind legs" on the actions page.)
- If there is something going on and you don't know what it is, check the Community before you approach. This may be a personal plot. Don't just barge in to it without knowing what is going on. Think and research before you act. Things like this: *A circle with nobody in the middle means don't just go in to the middle. *A tight group of deer with a bunch of deer surrounding them at a distance might be a birth, and you will most-likely be attacked if you get too close. *A fight with other deer watching means don't try and stop the fight, but you are more than welcome to watch it from a distance. ***The exceptions to this rule are Dancing Lines, Deer-piles, and Dance-parties. You'll be able to recognize these and are more than welcome to join them.
- People don't like it when you get too close to their spellspam. If you see a deer spell-spamming another deer, don't get in their way because you want a spell. They are probably helping someone get a set that they want. Please, keep your distance.
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Everyone understand? It's important, so please listen.

Little other things to remember:
- You will be a fawn for one month after you create your account and log in to the forest. This means thirty days from the very second that you became a member. You will not be able to hold magic for very long. Be patient and enjoy your time as a fawn.
- Please put big pictures, all CSS codes, and long writings under the cut. All of these things mess up the site, so please keep that in mind. To put things under the cut, simply click the "split summary at cursor" button before you begin typing. Everything below the cut should be typed in the second box that appears.
- There is a "search" button on the menu. If you would like to know something that others may have asked, type in some keywords and see if you can find it before you ask the community. We do love questions, though, if you ask for help. But if you do ask, it is easier to ask all of your questions in one thread.
- The map is there to help you find out who you are playing with. Up by the search button, there is a map button. Find where your pictogram is and click on those around it, or any pictogram of a deer you would like to know. This brings up their user page, which often has a link to the deer's biography on it. If there is no biography link, please don't refrain from posting with the deer's username or a screenshot to find them! If no page comes up, you know that they are not a member of the Community.
- Read ALL the comments to a "hot topic" or argument before posting. Maybe someone has posted something that is relevant to your comment. Be sure to read and think before you post. Mind your word choices as well.
- Please read a deer's biography if you have any issues with their behavior or questions. Some deer are aggressive naturally because it is their character. If this is the case, you could either contact the player and voice your concerns, act according to character and accept their personality, or just don't play with that particular character when you are in the forest.
- Deer under Animal Spells cannot communicate in the same way that regular deer can. Please understand and be respectful of that.
- Only hit the "save" button once when making a post It will post, even if you have a slow connection. Multiple presses of the button will make multiple copies of the same comment or post. Purposefully doing so is considered spamming, which is bad.
- All actions should be taken as IC or "In Character" unless specifically stated in their biography. No in-forest actions should be taken personally. After all, this is only a game.
- Posting or using other people's art without express permission from the artist is not allowed. You will be asked to remove the art. If you post others' artwork, please get permission to do so and credit the artist that created it. If it is Endless Forest fan art, chances are it was already posted on here by the artist and doesn't need to be posted again. Please respect this rule.
- Please type how you would speak. There are people on here from many countries around the world. Some may not understand english very well. If u type liek dis all da tiem they cannot understand you as well as if you typed like this. Also, please use proper punctuation and spelling to the best of your abilities. It makes things easier to read.
- Please post your entries in the appropriate category. This means that only Forest Events concerning everyone or important things like account name changes or asking for technical help with the game should be placed in the Community Events category, Biographies in the Biography category, screenshots in the Screenshots category, etcetera. And along with this, I will include that "my deer is in-forest" posts would be best sensibly placed as an update on your biography rather than on the community events page.

*****There are a ton of other help blogs on the Community, so be sure to look them up or read the comments. Other members are asked to post links to other help blogs there.*****

Community Events

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August 18, 2011 - 5:25pm — theswan

&hearts;&hearts; ++ this

♥♥

++ this should get on the front page.

August 18, 2011 - 5:39pm — Unplugged

/skims jala's TEFc

/skims

jala's TEFc Directory, definitely.

/starts reading

[e]:

I am a bit skeptical of the in-Forest Etiquette part, mainly because I believe The Forest should not be a place of rules and that instead we, as older players, should be tolerating of new players exploring the game and finding these things out themselves. Especially the "If there is something going on (...) check the Community before you approach. " slightly rubs me the wrong way, as well as giving the "Bow" action a set meaning.
However, I realize that this is not the most popular view on The Forest and I can see where this makes sense.

That said, your guide is very nice!

Extensive yet short enough to not be tl;dr for new players. Also nicely structured.

I might see whether I can dig up explanations from M&A for the ideas/suggestions.

August 18, 2011 - 5:24pm — Aivilo

A link to the TEFc Directory

A link to the TEFc Directory might be useful here.

Edit: Unplugged, you ninja

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♥

August 18, 2011 - 5:26pm — MissButterflyCaught

(No subject)

<3 <3 Thanks you all

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August 18, 2011 - 5:38pm — quadraptor

Thank you for this!

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Quad's Updates and Stuff

August 18, 2011 - 5:44pm — MissButterflyCaught

OHMYSTARS! A Quad-nod!

OHMYSTARS! A Quad-nod! <3 Blog is complete with one of these!

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August 18, 2011 - 6:50pm — Snowsauria

Thank you for making this!

Thank you for making this! n_n

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August 18, 2011 - 7:45pm — Kuziifish

Love it! Totally helpful,

Love it! Totally helpful, though, there are still players out there who don't use this site, so you'll still have some players doing things they shouldn't or not know what's going on. Though I do have to ask to make a small correction, the wait time till you are an adult isn't 30 days.. yesterday was my 30 day limit and I was still a fawn. I made my account the 18th of last month and am hoping today (the 18th of the month after creation) is when I will turn to an adult. I have until about 1pm (Arizona time) to find out if it is the 18th to the 18th though for sure. :/

August 18, 2011 - 8:56pm — MissButterflyCaught

It is exactly one month after

It is exactly one month after creation. Today is the 18th here, and you should turn in to an adult at the exact time you first logged in.

Trust me, I have grown over 20 deer this way.

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August 18, 2011 - 8:58pm — z.m123

This is awesome.

August 18, 2011 - 9:01pm — MissButterflyCaught

Snow, Z.m: thank you both

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August 18, 2011 - 9:30pm — paperfang

Is there an option to go

Is there an option to go genderless? Without antlers?
If so, I dont see any reason why the choice to go antlerless should be discouraged.

August 18, 2011 - 9:45pm — Deyna

There is a genderless option

There is a genderless option on the Display page of the Menu screen, but it's probably not what you have in mind

Here's an excerpt from taken from the FAQ of the main site about this issue:

...we feel that if we were to give you the choice of playing a stag or a doe, your experience would become about your gender. The Endless Forest is not about being male or female, but about (role)playing a deer. You are a male deer, not a human in a deer skin.
But don't worry: later on there will be many opportunities to make your avatar appear more feminine if you like. He may be male but he doesn't have to be a macho (if it is even possible for an animal to be a macho...).

There was a time when players would use a hack to be antler-less and appear feminine, but that went against what M&A wanted for the game, and they threatened to shut it down.

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August 18, 2011 - 9:48pm — Verdalas

It would be wise to note that

It would be wise to note that some deer are openly aggressive regardless, but a new member should check the bios of these characters to see if it is so. And they should remember that these cases of aggressiveness should always be taken ICly.

August 18, 2011 - 9:52pm — paperfang

Deyna: Oh I see :\ Thanks for

Deyna: Oh I see :\ Thanks for the thorough explanation.
While I don't agree with this entirely (I could be a guy who identifies with a doe!) I can see their reasons for restricting gender from the game.

August 18, 2011 - 10:11pm — theswan

also, what is the genderless

also, what is the genderless option in the menu used for? (aside from turning your deer into a pink bubble thingy)

August 18, 2011 - 10:14pm — Unplugged

The genderless option was a

The genderless option was a joke

People were complaining about only having the option of being a stag so they implemented it.

August 18, 2011 - 10:59pm — Kuziifish

I guess you can see it as

I guess you can see it as exactly one month.. 30-31 days.. (I was thinking more along the 31 days line which it turns out is how it worked for me), either way, adult Kuzii, whoo-hoo!!

August 18, 2011 - 11:06pm — theswan

Ah xD Well I enjoy running

Ah xD Well I enjoy running around as a pink blob no one else sees

August 19, 2011 - 12:00am — MissButterflyCaught

I'll be sure to add those

I'll be sure to add those things suggested <3

Thanks everyone for the input!

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September 12, 2011 - 5:01am — BigBunny

People with animal spells

People with animal spells like me do not have the communication options that deer have.

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We Are Always Special When We Are With Friends.

September 12, 2011 - 5:10am — Mr.Sanguine

This also means it is not

This also means it is not good to use a sleeping mini to gain pelt spells for another deer. You could accidentally cast the spell on the Mini-deer.

Thisthisthisthis
This This This
This x10000000000000000000000000000000+

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♖♘♗♔_{S c a r l e t}♕♗♘♖

September 12, 2011 - 8:37pm — Lung

Quote:Please, do not cast ANY

Quote:

Please, do not cast ANY spells on Mini-deer unless you are asked to. These deer go through an entire process to get their pelt in the forest. When you cast a pelt spell on a Mini-deer, they have to go through an entire process in order to gain the pelt they once had. This also means it is not good to use a sleeping mini to gain pelt spells for another deer. You could accidentally cast the spell on the Mini-deer.

Someone please get this blog on the front page. I cannot stress ^ this point enough.

September 12, 2011 - 8:46pm — MissButterflyCaught

(No subject)

<3 thanks guys.

BB, I put it on there.

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September 12, 2011 - 8:47pm — MrsMorbid

Awesome job! I have a

Awesome job! I have a friendly suggestion. You're welcome to use it, or disregard it~.

It could be an addition to this already-useful blog; you could add the pictures of the in-game emotes and explain what they mean. It might add a bit more for someone who's trying to understand the emotes, since you already have suggestions for some of those emotes. :B

September 12, 2011 - 9:04pm — MissButterflyCaught

Thank you! I haven't been

Thank you!

I haven't been able to find the blog, but I know of a blog that shows the emotes already. I think it is way back.... and I have been searching for it.

If anyone could find it for me, I could link it with those up there to show what each emote I am talking about is...

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September 12, 2011 - 9:13pm — MrsMorbid

Swell idea! Unfortunately, I

Swell idea! Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to look. :U

September 12, 2011 - 9:27pm — 010

.

September 12, 2011 - 10:09pm — Deyna

I'm not sure about the

I'm not sure about the authoritative, uh, attitude of the guide, but it does have some helpful tips.

As for the emotes, there's already a helpful list of them on the main website under Forest Actions.

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September 12, 2011 - 10:56pm — MissButterflyCaught

~huggles Deyna~

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September 12, 2011 - 11:20pm — august-jay