Hng the golden question. XD
To me, a furry is someone who either feels more closely related to a certain animal, or someone who has a deep interest in the humanoid representation of an animal. Perhaps one might be a furry because they like making/wearing fursuit, or perhaps they like the anthro genre of art, etc. Honestly, there are multiple ways in which someone could identify as a furry, and I don't feel as if there is any strict detention, as long as it falls somewhere in the likes of what I mentioned above.
I don't consider myself a furry. Personally, I do not like the kind of atmosphere that surronds furries, and that's why I don't get involved with it. Not saying that there is anything wrong with those who believe that being one is alright, but it's just not my type of thing.
Plenty of friends here on FH don't consider themselves a furry. I've heard OC and fursona tossed around a lot among friends, but I've never once had a friend that mentioned being or wanting to be a furry. A lot of my friends identify with their fursona, a play on the word persona, but instead a fur-persona. Which I think is entirely different from a furry, as a fursona is more of an animal persona for your online use that simply represents you. Maybe in personality, color, design, etc.
I don't really believe playing FH obligates you or makes you into a furry. Each and every person has the right to like whatever they like, and there's nothing wrong with a non furry playing an animal MMORPG. Likewise, there's nothing wrong with a furry playing an animal MMMORPG. From IRL friends, I've heard them bash FH For being a furry game, or a game with no purpose, or an all around childish game. But really, it's quite the opposite. I think what really keeps people around in this game, or at least it was the case for me, is the possibility to create and write. You can create a character and you can develop that character as if you were writing a story. Or perhaps you can use that character to communicate with others in a certain way, or something you wouldn't be able to do as a human behind the screen. It's a different world, and it's fun and exciting to explore and delve into another universe
As to why I enjoy Feral Heart, including some of the reasons above, I do believe that the community above anything is the reason that the game is all around enjoyable. Furry or not, everyone is kind and warm and just down to earth people. I've never come across another video game with quite a community like this one, and that's what I really enjoy. Sure, the game itself, the Roleplay, and the creative side of it like presets and maps are fun on its own, but without the community, the game would lack the energetic and happy feel to it.
-Heavy Breathing- Finished my essay xD