THE ENDLESS FOREST by anima suri

THE ENDLESS FOREST AN ANALYSIS OF A SPECIFIC DEER-AVATAR’S SUPERPOWER: FUNCTIONAL TRAVERSABILITY.

This Essay is constructed around massive multiplayer online games but will also touch on some digital single player games as tools for comparison. The main focus is directed towards “functional traversability”, a concept that took shape during firsthand game-play. Although this concept of traversability might be further developed through in-depth analysis of avatar behavior across various digital games, this paper will limit itself to certain aspects surrounding the deer-avatar in The Endless Forest screensaver-game. The avatar in this game functions differently from those in other 1

MMOGs . The former gives the impression to possess certain powers other avatars across games, or at least those2 that have been analyzed previously to writing this paper, often seem to lack: they can’t die, and consequentially don’t resurrect. More importantly, they have another uncommon power compared to avatars found in different genres: they can traverse specific in-game objects with functional in-game consequences. Although one might observe such functionality in other games as a power rather than a graphical shortcoming, inside The Endless Forest it seems to be a more purposeful utility tied in with its overall “game-structure” (Aarseth, 2003, p.2-3). Functional traversibility, appears to be “[a rule]… attached to… objects internal to [this] fictional world” (Ryan, 2006, p202). The deer-avatar can walk through such obvious in-game objects as the forest’s pond, or brook but surprisingly also through the statue-rock found stream upwards and even through other deer-avatars. The latter doesn’t sound peculiar as it can be observed in other games as well; WoW’s3 avatars can functionally traverse other avatars. Though, rather than being a part of the “game-world”, of any narrative within that fictional world, or of a narrative as a consequence of playing within its virtual environment, the functionality of traversing other avatars within WoW seems to be directed towards efficiency in “game-play”: it is troublesome to continuously walk around the characters (Aarseth, 2003, p.2-3). Whereas within WoW, an avatar seems to possess this power for pragmatic reasons, serving only the gamer’s need for efficiency in maneuverability of his/her avatar,

and not for fictional magical purposes, the deer-avatar, on the other hand, does invoke observable sustainable or momentary alterations by traversing specific in-game objects. In one instance the deer-avatar can be virtually baptized. Going for a digital dip, such as in a pond, has been possible within many games. For instance in the classic King’s Quest series, its avatar, Sir Graham, is able to swim, though, can additionally drown and die when its proper swim-command is not entered. After drowning, dying and resurrecting Sir Graham can be controlled to continue the game without any further implications, obviously that is the case if one has saved the game before the incident of drowning. The previous is contrary to the powers of the deer-avatar: it cannot drown. On the other hand, it does go through a cleansing process shedding particular features, namely those that have been added on due to interacting with various objects. These features are for instance collected or obtained through gift giving, mainly amongst avatars. The gifts within the game are spells cast by an avatar onto another, or they can be effects created by interaction with other non-avatar objects or with the Twin Gods 4: a couple of avatarstatue hybrids purely reserved for the designers of the game. The alterations obtained through a mixture of methods come in various forms such as masks, fur patterns and colors, a new set of antlers, or even entire shape-shifting effects. One of the methods of interactions, to obtain and loose add-ons or alterations, is “traversing”. This seems respectively feasible with at least two in-game objects: the rock, which is the source of the brook, and the pond. The avatar can be controlled to shed one or more of these gifts or rid itself instantly of all gifts when entering the pond. The process of gift-giving and cleansing seems somewhat similar to potlatch, a ceremony amongst North-American Indians during which possessions are handed out or destroyed to show-off wealth or increase social-status. If it’s hard to see at least a loose association between the deer-avatar’s interaction and this tribal tradition it might be easier to see one, related to the effects resulting from entering the pond, with religious rites of baptism where an individual is purified by actions of sprinkling, dipping, bathing or washing.

An elaborate audio-visual consequence seems to be realized by one deeravatar traversing another deer avatar. Though only when the avatars maintain position whilst partly or fully being assimilated by one another can the gamer observe circular and radiant phenomena, accompanied by New-Age-like sonic constructions. In-game consequences following the latter event, besides this momentary audio-visual spectacle, seem absent. One might be tempted to speculate on the possible semiotic value of this event. Is it a sign for deer-cybersex, one related to religion due to the halo-like manifestation, or rather one for a vague conceptualization of holism? Whatever the symbolic intentions of the designers, it is safe to conclude that this consequence related to traversability is rather unique to this specific “game-structure” (Aarseth, 2003, pp.2-3). A peculiar in-game tension has been created between the pond and the rocklike statue stream upwards, which seems to be the source of the fictional water. As mentioned above one cleanses the deer-avatar by dipping into the pond yet one, amongst other methods, can redesign the avatar’s fur by traversing the statue: the digital deer’s appearance will turn red-brownish. Although The Endless Forest’s phenomenon of “functional traversibility” seems attached as a rule to only a few in-game objects it does make way for a possible future game development where the traversing of objects, such as other avatars, leads to more variety of increase or (gradual) reduction of alterations on the avatar’s body5. “Traversing” might simply be an interesting addition to the gamer’s experience and possibly an ideological statement implying that interaction with one’s environment alters not only the environment but also oneself in a physical or spiritual sense.

Massive Multiplayer Online Games. For a basic introduction to this game-concept see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMOG 2

Games, amongst other, such as: Blizzard’s WoW. But also avatars, in previously played offline games such as Cid Meyer's Civilization III, idsoftware’s Quake and Doom, Roberta Williams and Sierra On-Line’s King’s Quest series, etc. For more information on the Classis KQ series see for instance: http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/120/ 3

WoW or World of Warcraft™ a registered trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. See: http://www.blizzard.com/ or http://www.wow-europe.com and http://www.blizzard-europe.com 4

The Twin Gods is a name for one couple of in-game objects that is attached to certain rules. These statues remain motionless until the designers decide to participate within the game during special online and real-time in-game performances. One might go as far as to state that these statues symbolize the designers of the game. During the most common and previously mentioned motionless phase the deer-avatar can receive momentarily a white fur by praying to these statues. More information can be found at http://www.tale-of-tales.com/TheEndlessForest/abiogenesis.html?english 5

See for instance FluID – Arena of Identities, by Fuchs & Ackermann, whom have developed an envirionment with an avatar that, amongst other possibilities, traverses brandlogos following a change in its “clothing” (Wenz, K. 2006, p. 17).

References:

Aarseth, E. J. (2003). Playing Research: Methodological Approaches to Game Analysis. MelbourneDAC Papers, 2003. http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/Aarseth.pdf Web accessed: Thursday, November, 2006 Harvey, A. & Samyn, M. Tale of Tales: The Endless Forest. Version 2.0 (26 April 2006) http://tale-oftales.com/TheEndlessForest/ Web Accessed: November 2006.

Ryan, M.-L. (2006). Avatars of story. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.181-203.

Wenz, K. (2006, November). Game Art. Powerpoint lecture presented at the University Maastricht, MA Media Culture, Maastricht.