The field of virtual communication and simulation is moving towards increasing the ecological validity of interactive environments, with a focus on eliciting natural communication behaviour in users. This is achieved through the use of animated characters, avatars, and virtual reality technology, which provide a more immersive and realistic experience. The inclusion of nonverbal cues, such as head movements and real-time interactions, has been shown to enhance the sense of presence and communication success. Furthermore, the use of large language models to generate diverse virtual patients and scenarios is improving training and educational programs in fields such as massage therapy. Online social support is also being enhanced through avatar communication, which provides a richer online social experience and more stable relationships. Noteworthy papers include:

• The study on the effect of avatar head movement on communication behaviour, which highlights the importance of realistic head movements in virtual environments.
• TheraQuest, a gamified simulation platform for massage therapy training, which demonstrates the potential of large language models in generating realistic practice scenarios.
• The research on avatar communication providing more efficient online social support than text communication, which emphasizes the significance of realistic online communication experiences.