Toru Enchanted Forest

I didn't see any Hobbits while visiting Toru Enchanted Forest, but I wouldn't have been surprised had I bumped into one. Designed by Wayne NZ, it's the third version of his sim in the past half year, beginning with the Hazardous-like Toru (about which I wrote here in September 2013), followed by a second version focused on environmental issues. Now, Toru Enchanted Forest takes us into a magical world, an "enchanted land dedicated to NZ and the Hobbits," with thickly rich forests, paths and walkways, carpets of ferns and beautiful vistas. (Click on any of these images to zoom in.)

The adventurer will spot several Hobbit dwellings, and they're all open to the public (an interior detail below). Although you might be tempted to fly about, the sim is far better experienced on foot: the pathways cut through steep and barren hillsides, and it's clear we're meant to view things from ground level. The sim's windlight setting, for those of you without a viewer that switches automatically, is shown here: gray-green and misty, and does much to enhance the settings, especially the effective wrap-around landscapes. If you enjoy Toru Enchanted Forest, there's a tip jar near the waterfall on the sim's eastern side. It's a delightful place to lose track of time.