you really need to trim down the encounter pool.
just trying to get wood, stone or fights and having to hit leave without doing anything on the caravan and shack events 90+ times is an almost unplayable slog, and that not even counting the "there's nothing here anymore" event after the naga which exists to do nothing.
have the first time you find the ant that leads you to the ant kingdom be something go can go to at any time like the "ant kingdom outskirts" so you don't get a dead event if you don't want to be an ant.
have the caravan and the shack be something you can go to at any time after the first time you find them and take them out of the forest encounter pool.
after you the translation from where the naga was just take it out of the event pool.
there is a lot of potential here but the event system needs a rework to waste less of the player's time.
I mentioned that one because if you want to be an ant you use the event and then it's removed from the pool if you don't, it's hope it doesn't show up and then click run away (ie leave) without doing anything like the other ones mentioned.
the game is not bad it just has some pacing issues in the forest,
the problem being (and the only other part I don't enjoy) is you will spend over 4 hours in the forest trying to get wood and stone.
if you don't want to lower crafting requirements or just drop more at all times, might I suggest getting one more wood/stone every (x) strength?