I've wondered for a while how best to explain my time with Flock's demo. The whole experience was a testament to the joy of flight - much as developers Richard Hogg and co intended - and I relished being able to glide effortlessly over the world. It felt free and easy. Yes, the flying in Flock was certainly a joy.
But that is not why I found myself so enamoured by the whole thing. Rather, it was because in a time when the world feels so full of noise and chaos, Flock gave me a sense of calm, away from the pressures and anxieties that come with everyday life.
Allow me to explain further. In Flock, you are essentially a shepherd, but rather than just your traditional land-based sheep, you are collecting a mixed bunch of eclectic creatures for your Aunt Jane. She is a professor of zoology, you see, so by gathering up these creatures you are helping her with her research. That is not to say there aren't also sheep in the game. There are, and these little fellows can help you by eating their way through grassy meadow patches, unearthing peculiarities hidden beneath. Then, once they have eaten a certain amount, they will grow a nice woolly fleece which you can shave off to use for mittens and the like.