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

MissButterflyCaught's picture
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.

    ***


    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.

    ***


    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 few things to remember about our forest. Please enjoy your time here and a big Welcome on behalf of the Forest and Community!

    *****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.*****
Unplugged's picture

If there is something going

If there is something going on and you don't know what it is, check the Community before you approach.
I disagree with this suggestion. It discourages getting involved and restricts the freedom of players. I understand why one would want others to not interrupt but at the same time it is excluding players. If I were a new player, such rule would make me afraid to approach anyone or get involved in anything.

Give 'em a bow!
I have a problem with this. While bowing is the widely accepted form of greeting, no action has a set meaning and as older players we should acknowledge this and the fact that a new player may have a different understanding of those actions. They will get the hang of it soon enough. I do not like giving meanings for body language because observing and learning to understand it is one of the biggest parts of the forest experience.
MissButterflyCaught's picture

1. The reason I put that is

1. The reason I put that is mostly because of things like Births, where deer tend to be aggressive toward outsiders, and situations of the like.

2. That is just a formal suggestion, and was given to me back when I first joined. I also see it as the most widely accepted form of greeting, and a "good" way to get the attention of other deer.

Thank you for your input, Unplugged. It's actually really appreciated.... I haven't gotten much negative feedback on this post and sometimes I feel like it needs some.
[right]
DEERTH's picture

This is a great thing!

This is a great thing! Bumping... :3

Thank you for making this!
Call me Deery. Smiling
Dragon Scroll.
Avvie by me, siggy by Saosin

Foxglaive's picture

Very helpful about learning

Very helpful about learning about deermans culture.

[youknath, youknath]

... I mean, thank you, thank you.
MissButterflyCaught's picture

Thank you two for your kind

Thank you two for your kind words!
[right]

would you like to do a friend

would you like to do a friend rp? im setting one up for me you and ickydog. please join it!
IoRez's picture

Quite thorough and helpful.

Quite thorough and helpful. An excellent ettiquette guide!
WonderfullySarcastic's picture

>

<< >> <<

bump~ <3
#1354
.
IoRez's picture

I have a suggestion for an

I have a suggestion for an addition to this entry: Posting in the appropriate blog/picture category. I see misplaced entries everyday, but recently this particular error has gotten my dander up. I'm trying to host an actual in-forest event in mid-November, but my entry only remained on the Community Events front page for about two days. The non-event entries which pushed it off of the page? These included (but were not limited to): RP blogs, Photo and Music blogs, Poetry, a "food blog"(?), set requests, Technical issues, non-anniversary age announcements, and (of course) the "my deer is in the forest" announcement (which does not count as an event unless you are Michael, Aureia or Velocity).

PLEASE post in the appropriate area. Your unaccounted self-importance doesn't make everything your deer does in forest an "event" to me. Thanks.

(No subject)

Shocked Cool
Olivia
WonderfullySarcastic's picture

~(^ w ^)~

~(^ w ^)~
#1354
.
FaunGrae's picture

(No subject)

<3 Love you too, WS

ForTwoLifetimes, Moonsoverwater, PandaXiongMao, MissButterflyCaught, FaunGrae, All the same, a friend with many names.
Avatar by Meadow Sig by SightHoundLady
WonderfullySarcastic's picture

Ya really mean it? 9u9

Ya really mean it? 9u9

/brick'd <3
#1354
.

ya its 31 days to grow

ya its 31 days to grow

-bumps blog-post of

-bumps blog-post of awesomeness- Thank! was a great help! You should add this to the support/Faq forum-site thingy Smiling
FaunGrae's picture

Thank you, Kileah. I would

Thank you, Kileah.

I would add it there, but these are more suggestions geared to TEFc.

*nuzzle* thank you again!

ForTwoLifetimes, Moonsoverwater, PandaXiongMao, MissButterflyCaught, FaunGrae, All the same, a friend with many names.
Avatar by Meadow Sig by SightHoundLady

;D awsh, awesome anyways

;D

awsh, awesome anyways :3

Your very welcome! *nuzzles back*
LoppEars's picture

Thanks for giving me the link

Thanks for giving me the link to this, it helped alot! ^^
FaunGrae's picture

No problem! :3 And welcome

No problem! :3 And welcome again!

ForTwoLifetimes, Moonsoverwater, PandaXiongMao, MissButterflyCaught, FaunGrae, All the same, a friend with many names.
Avatar by Meadow Sig by SightHoundLady

This is pretty helpful but i

This is pretty helpful but i feel it should addres more on the think before you post and what you shouldn't do. like post in all caps and yell at someone in all caps with multiple punctuation marks.

I just think that what i mentioned in the sentace above should be in there just in case it happens. You never know when an argument will turn into a capital letter war for one reason or another.
quotes that i thought should be added too.
Kileah
"the world is a gigantic playground"
Shadowcharge
"and we are all just kids playing in it."
FaunGrae's picture

This blog is so that newbies

This blog is so that newbies can learn a few ways of the forest. Most of the old members helped me create it, so they know exactly what is on it.

Rudeness and discrepancies are dealt with outside the site, over email. Most character biographies have a message stating to contact the player if you have any discrepancies, followed by an email address at which to do so. This blog does deal with specific types of rudeness, but I cannot address every situation so I did not put all of them down.

I more thought of this as a "Welcome, let me help you!" thread.

Thank you for the suggestion, though. Smiling

ForTwoLifetimes, Moonsoverwater, PandaXiongMao, MissButterflyCaught, FaunGrae, All the same, a friend with many names.
Avatar by Meadow Sig by SightHoundLady
Yato's picture

Thanks for this helpful blog!

Thanks for this helpful blog! I'm new here, and I'm glad someone hooked me up to this blog. Many thanks. :]
FaunGrae's picture

You're welcome, Yato! I am

You're welcome, Yato! I am glad you like my blog.

ForTwoLifetimes, Moonsoverwater, PandaXiongMao, MissButterflyCaught, FaunGrae, All the same, a friend with many names.
Avatar by Meadow Sig by SightHoundLady
Nimariel's picture

~bumping~ every new player

~bumping~ every new player should read this, it was very helpful and even helped me a little >_^

(It is quite inconvenient for minis yes? And very confusing when someone 'aggressive' suddenly begins dancing, even though it may be fun playing with them afterwards 8D )

thank you!!
This land is made of love and peace!
GlobalBeauty's picture

(No subject)

<3 Thank you for the bump, Nim!

Siggies by Carry & Amazengalo
Nettlebrier 's picture

Really helpful for a new faun

Really helpful for a new faun like me Smiling


- Nettle
FeintHearted's picture

Oh good, just the kind of

Oh good, just the kind of thing I was looking for. Glad to see that I haven't made an serious faux-pas while playing the past couple of days. Most of it is pretty common sense but... some people need to be reminded what that is these days. :\

The standing on hind legs emote almost seems to be used playfully at times. Not saying this needs to be added, just an observation I've made.

Glad this exists though. Smiling
Poppyflower's picture

Bump~ Now this is what we

Bump~

Now this is what we need. Smiling

~Poppy~
Profile picture by ahimsa ♥


Pixel Wis by squeegie~
OrinocoFlow's picture

bumping this for it's

bumping this for it's awesomeness.
great work :3 wish I had this when I first arrived ^^
You do not have a soul. You ARE a soul. You have a body.
~ C.S. Lewis
IoRez's picture

freshbump

freshbump
Apoidea's picture

Oh IoRez thank you! haha this

Oh IoRez thank you! haha this blog is so old... your bump makes me want to give another go at updating it. >.<

-MBC
Poppyflower's picture

Perhaps I should take up the

Perhaps I should take up the job of bumping this once a day...


but then again, I`ll probably forget XD
~Poppy~
Profile picture by ahimsa ♥


Pixel Wis by squeegie~
Apoidea's picture

You're really sweet, Poppy!

You're really sweet, Poppy! <3
IoRez's picture

This requires a more recent

This requires a more recent bump
Apoidea's picture

(No subject)

<3 Thank you, IoRez.
SoliloquyChryseis's picture

I completely agree, lol

I completely agree, lol
keepspeeps's picture

Bumpity bump.

Bumpity bump.
Keeps loves Fay.
Apoidea's picture

(No subject)

<3 Thanks guys

Thanks it helps alot. i

Thanks it helps alot. Laughing out loud i always wonder if i used the bow rightO.o found out i did Laughing out loud XD
kihone's picture

what is a mini deer? how did

what is a mini deer? how did they get mini? what good is being mini? -asks too many questions-
SoliloquyChryseis's picture

Mini deer is basically

Mini deer is basically getting a special spell that makes your deer look smaller than normal. You get it by having someone else sleep in a mushroom circle, then cast the spell on you. But it's a small chance, as you will most likely get a critter spell instead.
Bubblegum909's picture

Utterly deserves a bump.

Utterly deserves a bump.
All art by me!
Apoidea's picture

Bump

Bump

-sits and eats popcorn- +

-sits and eats popcorn-

+ i'd like to say that some deer may not act too friendly because they're roleplaying and they're in-character, and that's how the player wants them to act, but they don't feel that way directly towards you or your character. things that happen in RP are in RP and things that happen in real life happen in real life. don't take it too personally, because sooner or later there will be a person who's playing oocly :>

feel free to bash me if this has been said like, 10000000 times ;n;
Apoidea's picture

Four bullets from the bottom.

Four bullets from the bottom. Eye