It's insane how many social interactions can go on in the Endless Forest without the players talking to one another through words. In almost all online games, there is a way of chat, whether it is censored, limited, only available as a member, etc. Starting the game a month ago, I was really hoping it would be something that I would be able to get into since it seemed to be really interesting. As a fawn, I greatly did not want to wait a whole month to grow up but I figured I would get to learn a lot of things first from the furry community. I did not involve myself in the website at this point; I wanted to get to the know the game myself. The Endless Forest has endless opportunities of social experimentation and seeing as how I want to go into Psychology, this was a lovely sounding idea... I traveled around only basically knowing what the bowing and "moo"-ing were at first. It's funny how the fawn really came off as an inexperienced child in a new world. I would try to introduce myself to some of the older folk but later figured out that when they are laying down, they're probably not gonna answer. Running was so nice and fast. It got addicting. Sometimes I would wash myself in the Pond to feel refreshed and meet others. A few times, an adult deer would guide me around and have fun with me, showing me how one can eat off the trees for masks and rub against trees for antlers. I hadn't understood how to change pelts but I figured it didn't matter too much anyway because once I got attached to a certain pelt, the spell would wear off since I was still so young. I genuinely got disappointed and felt a bit dejected whenever I would go over to a group of deer, say hi, and no one would really acknowledge me. However, if it were a dancing line or circle, I would immediately join and all was good. Dancing is so much fun since one can only hear the particular music when dancing and sounds are added in once more deer join. It became hard to process immediately that the other players were other people but easy to immediately process them as other deer, other animals. Even in solitude in this game, I can enjoy the scenery just running around or laying down. It's so sweet to see deer lay down next to each other and sleep like family. The whole community is just one big family in general. Finally as an adult deer, I was so happy to be able to permanently customize and fix up myself as a way of others identifying me besides observing my symbol. Also, I figured out how to change others pelts and sleep in mushroom circles to gain shapeshifting abilities. I actually felt SYMPATHY for fawns coming up to and greeting me, as if they were children and I were the adult now. I was now expected to know things about the Forest and social interactions and I DID after that whole month. It was crazy. Whenever my computer goes to screensaver I get excited to play around in this other world. Or if I feel like it, I'll just activate the game from my desktop instead. As I said before, this game has no spoken/typed words. In other online games, people make connections and relationships by confiding in each other through chatting it up like there's no tomorrow but it is so much better in my opinion to create genuine friendships without words needing to be spoken. The Endless Forest does that for everyone. It is as if, in real life, two people spoke different languages and never spoke to each other because of this but hung out all the time and grew close. My relative spoke his surprise and annoyance that one I couldn't verbally communicate with anyone which just proves how much of a breath of fresh air the Forest really is. I'm sure I have more to say but it's not really coming to mind right now so in another blog I might continue my observations and opinions. Now I'm gonna go play the game, actually.

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I know I wasn't too organized but hey.