What separates us from other animals? Is it speech? Is it the understanding of life and death? Or is it the strive to conquer and control that which is around us? I believe there is much more to the separation of the human from the rest of the animal world.
Take a simple idea--a game where one is the avatar of a stag--and toss in the human element. At first, the novelty of it is grand, and to some it remains a grand design in the simplest of forms. However, this human element needs to socialize on a more human level.
Enter speech. With a game void of human speech, the players seek an outlet, the community forum. It is another simple idea to a simple game. On the other hand, there are some who will never tread on these forums, seeing the novelty of a human-free area as their haven. But there are those who need this human interaction, myself included.
Now enter the human element.
The innocent forum, the community and refuge for those yearning to communicate on this human level, became the perfect outlet. It wasn’t needed to fully experience the Forest, but it was a welcomed addition for a different experience.
Friends were made and characters were forged. It was, in a way, a brand new level to the Forest. Regardless of good intentions, the popularity and growth soon became its downfall.
