Firstly, why is Furcadia important to Deviantart? How are they related? The answer is, many deviantart artists play this game, these two communities largely share their user base. (Though Furcadia's user base is considerably smaller!). Furcadia is also a place where artistic expression is encouraged, integrate-able, and very active. Artists largely play this game because it allows them to share their art within it.
Furcadia is the internet's longest standing MMORPG. Meaning it has been active continuously for the longest, not necessarily that it is the oldest. It celebrated it's 12th year on December 16th, 2008.


The facts about Furcadia, For better or for worse:

1. What Furcadia Is.
Furcadia is an MMORPG. Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game.
How 'Game' is defined here may not be the same thing you think of when you hear the word game. While it is possible for players to make types of games that can be played through the client, Furcadia itself is essentially a chat client with graphics. That's breaking it down to a pretty low level, but that's what it is.
Furcadia has 60,000 regular users, and may have over 4000 logged in and active at primetime.

Sprites, player tools, official graphics, and dreams.
In the game, users are given a choice of free, and for-pay sprites to use. These sprites are how you navigate from chatroom to chatroom. The chatrooms are called 'dreams', and with the exception of the main maps, are player made. Players are given the option of making and patching in their own graphics for their uploaded maps(Dreams).
Also among the graphics, are other free and for-pay items that can be traded and used within the game. Most of these items are graphics that can be used to decorate a player's in-game profile. Which is their 'desc'. A desc is viewable when a sprite is clicked. These free and for-pay graphics range from cookies and muffins, to roses, swords and seasonal expressions, among others.

Example: [link]

Also available for use in dreams is a special code designed to allow players to code their own events. These are broken down below.

DragonSpeak: A proprietary, easy-to-use scripting language focusing on cause and effect triggers. DS can be triggered by someone moving, bumping into an object and much more. Effects range from teleporting players around, setting off animations, playing sounds, printing text, or others.

Phoenixspeak: More complex than Dragonspeak, Phoenixspeak allows players to access persistent databases for their dreams that allows stats to be remembered from one play sessions to the next. High-score lists, RPG statistics or elaborate memorization of map states are all possible for diligent scripters. Combining DragonSpeak and Phoenixspeak, with some creative patching, allows a creative user or group to transform Furcadia in a myriad of forms, some of them bearing little to no resemblance to the base game.

Also provided is an editor similar to but more advanced than paint, to make the creation of game use-intended pixel art easy with the Furcadia Palette. In the future after Furcadia's 24-bit conversion, the editor will allow 24-bit edits and include more advanced tools.


Main Maps
Main maps are the 'dreams' that are provided by the client. On the main maps, players may upload their personal maps, if they don't choose to populate the main map instead.
The main maps are given standards of behavior, that are enforced as much as they can be by a volunteer community of helpers. These standards can be viewed here: [link]
Standards of main maps extend to the dreams loaded on that map. They are expected to follow that standard, or find a map more suited to their content. Most main maps are intended for roleplay purposes or roleplay oriented dreams. There was several intended for conversation.

Entertainment
Furcadia is a place that is very partial to artistic people. On Furcadia there are various forms of social groups that lean toward different hobbies and pass-times. This mostly includes roleplay, art, and writing.

To my knowledge, there aren't many MMORPGs quite like Furcadia. Because Furcadia gives it's users the opportunity to contribute to the game. The game itself does not provide many quests, and there are no significant tasks to perform. It is not a 'game' in the traditional sense, it depends upon it's community to create it's own entertainment. And provides the tools for the community to do so.
On Furcadia, it is a trend of players to create their own maps, and on their maps they have the ability to invent their own games, puzzles and to create their own visual scenes. To which they can invite other players.
The users of Furcadia build communities within the community, they are often roleplay and hobby based and come in all types. This is somewhat unique to Furcadia because it allows so much freedom for creativity to it's user base, and allows them to share it. It also gives them places to share it with fewer restrictions than other MMORPG's might offer. There is a place for everything.

This is pretty much all you need to know about the game to know what it is.

2. What is the User-base like?
First and foremost, yes, Furcadia is a very furry friendly game. It is not necessarily designed that way. It is a game based on a fantasy world that focuses mostly on animals. Hence, the sprites are anthromorphic in nature. It is also a game designed to be teen-friendly, and has a large teen user base, but includes players of all ages. Including a large group of young adults (20s - 30s).

A large part of the user base is composed of 'furries'. There are several ways to define 'furry' because not everyone who refers to them self as such can be defined in the same way. To read a proper definition of what a 'furry' or 'fursona' is, you can go to this page.

[link]

Not all of the user-base is furry, though. Many of them are also 'roleplayers'. This type of roleplay is text-based. And I couldn't find a decent page defining what roleplay is, unfortunately I only have this wikipedia article:

[link]

To dumb it down to the kind of 'roleplay' you find on Furcadia, I'll write a quick description. The roleplay on Furcadia is widely text-based, and happens in the game. Through the chat client. In this kind of roleplay, users create a character, and it's player describes it's interactions with other characters, played by other people.
Think of it like writing a book between several people, as it will read very much like one. This kind of roleplay is a popular pass-time between writers and artists. It can be of any setting, comes in many types, and can have any kinds of characters.
Still not sure what I mean? Here is a brief log of a roleplay between just two people:

[link]

Not all Furcadia users are furries or roleplayers, and there are many who aren't either. On Furcadia there are many groups with many interests, including anime, feral art, comic books, etc. Some players just play to chat.


3. What are the main-maps and standards like?
Again, I encourage you to view this page to familiarize yourself with Furcadia's standard of behavior: [link]

Furcadia takes steps to see that children are separated from inappropriate content, as it does have young players. (As a game with animals, this is not surprising). Parents are given the option to password protect the game, and to lock access to more adult-oriented areas.

Everyone8+: This is Furcadia's youngest standard. Furcadia has two 8+ Main Maps. And this is where you typically find it's volunteer staff and new players hanging out. Cussing is not allowed. It is a fairly controlled, child-friendly environment. As much as a community on the internet that people can access can be child friendly. Nothing on the internet that allows interaction between people is fool proof. The other 8+ map is in essence a default map where players are transported when the client is told to remove(eject) them from an area and put them somewhere else.

Teen+: Teen+ maps prohibit adult activity. Sexual material of any sort is not allowed. What these maps mostly have is conversation, some crude behavior.. some crude language, and that's about it. A Teen+ map is an every day walk outside in the neighborhood.
Mostly people sit, chat, and share interests. I reiterate, it's basically just one big chat room.
There are several Teen+ maps, these make up most of the game areas.

Mature16+: To best explain a 16+ map, imagine a video game. Room for violence, mild sexual content (not explicit) and no swear filter. These maps allow players more freedom for behavior but are still expected to fall within a certain bubble of dos and don'ts.

Adult Only: Furcadia has a single adult only map. And though I may be biased, my personal opinion is that adding this map was a very wise choice.
On the adult only map, there is still an expected standard of behavior in public, but it is fairly low. Players are expected not to perform explicit sexual actions in public, but may load a private or public dream where they may go do them.

Why I think an adult only map is a wise choice comes down to what I have seen in many other online communities. When not given a place to go, adult material spreads out and looks for places to be. This assures that different levels of adult material go to different maps, where they are intended to be, and keeps milder maps 'mild' without having to instill an unnecessary amount of restrictions on behavior.
Players younger than 16 years of age are not allowed on these maps, period. Players between 16 and 18 may go with parental permission. And their access to them can be very easily blocked. In the future, this will change to 18 years of age, and Furcadia will have a sort of 'adult verification' system. Players are not allowed to create and 'roleplay' characters younger than 16.
Furcadia takes strides to see that adult material is separated from the under aged.

4. Furcadia's Volunteer Program.
Also a large part of Furcadia, are the Beekins. Beekins are Furcadia's in-game helpers, they are volunteers of various kinds that help players with information about the game, game bugs, current events, and other material. Beekins come in the following groups:

· Bugge Hunters - Bugge Hunters review reports about client bugs and glitches that need to be fixed. They also test new features prior to release to see that they work properly.
· Guardians - Guardians help maintain the piece and enforce the standards of behavior.
· Helpers - Helpers offer general help and relay players with special help needs to the appropriate help groups.
· Masons - Masons offer insight and know-how on dragonspeak, phoenixspeak and dream weaving.
· Pixels - Pixels help players learn how to add custom graphics to their dreams.
· Scribes - Scribes are responsible for editing Furcadia's website.
· Teachers - Teachers train new volunteer helpers.
· Welcomers - Welcomers are the first Beekins new players meet, they welcome a player to the game and offer to give them tours and help them get accustomed to the game commands.

5. Graphics? What does Furcadia look like?
Because describing it as 'just a chat with graphics' is unfair, I rounded up a few players, and Furcadia's Community Manager 'Emerald Flame', and we all took some screenshots (with permission) of various areas. Mostly main maps, many of the player-made maps are actually much.. much prettier.

Imaginarium: This map is one of the couple where you'll find the most roleplay and roleplay-oriented material. You can see there's a little variation in what kind of roleplay dreams are loaded to this map, they are chiefly medieval-fantasy. Some are downright space-age.

[link]

Allegria Island: On this map, you'll find the fad-oriented dreams mostly, when there's a new Furcadia craze it tends to end up in Allegria Islands. This map equally leans toward roleplay and conversation/hobbies/games.

[link]

Naia Green: Naia is Furcadia's 'new person' map, it's also friendly to the youngest players as it's really the only in-use 8+ map. This is where you typically find player-made help dreams and volunteers hanging out. It is most likely to be your first main map.

[link]

The Wylde: Recently introduced to Furcadia is it's newest main map, The Wylde. Which is the first map to feature a new, custom patch. With this map came the arrival of the 'ferians' which are feral based avatars to appeal to the players who prefer ferals over 'furries'. It is the prettiest main map. And is also roleplay oriented.

[link]

Player-made maps: Lastly, these portals you have been seeing in the other screenshots are what we call 'dreams'. They are the player-made maps that give Furcadia it's biggest source of content. Maps can be customized in many ways. By changing the appearance of avatars, game art, and even the navigation skin, as shown here.

[link]


6. As an artist, can I benefit from Furcadia?
Yes! Actually, you can. There is a demand for art on Furcadia and because of this it is possible (and actually fairly easy) for experienced artists to find commission-work. Patch commissions (patches are the player-made graphics used in dreams) are especially in demand. And in the future will be possible in 24-bit, as opposed to Furcadia's current color palette.
Furcadia includes portrait spaces, these are for-pay spaces for 95x95 icons, which are 24bit compatible, and there is a demand in game for commissioned portrait art.

In rare cases it is even possible to find commission work with the game, which I myself have personally experienced! This is for experienced artists only.

7. Getting Furcadia.
Downloading Furcadia is easy, click this link!: [link]

Website link: [link]


There's a lot that I didn't cover. I went over what I felt was most important! Furcadia is one of the last decent roleplay-based communities on the web that I know of, and probably the only one that allows as much contribution from artists and players! Happy hunting, fellow artists!