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[Zokinin]

I just got an emissary that is asking me to stop cutting down trees (I've already cut down 2000+ trees). I've heard people say that the caravan brings you better stuff if you piss them off at every turn?

1. Is it true that pissing off the elves makes them bring you "better" stuff?
2. If I refuse to stop cutting down trees outright will the caravan leave? Nope. Just the emissary.

Edit: Told the emissary that I wouldn't stop so he politely left.

[petersohn]

I think that cutting down trees won't make them bring better stuff. They will cease to bring you wood, though. And they may go to war in time. However, seizing their stuff may help. If they leave without profit, they will bring less value next time. Which means less cloth and more animals, because large animals have relatively low value/weight ratio (because they are heavy).

[Double A]

If you piss them off so much that if you size one more good that they'll invade you, they'll probably have dragons or something.

[kaijyuu]

Pissing off elves isn't just beneficial, it's your duty as a human being stout hearted dwarf.

[JinF]

The more annoyed they are, the more "less worth per pound" items they will bring you to trade. Cloth and silk seem to be the most expensive and animals are the cheapest. So if you piss them off enough, but not enough to go to war, they should bring you few large caged animals like giant eagles.

[Quietust]

The more annoyed they are, the more "less worth per pound" items they will bring you to trade. Cloth and silk seem to be the most expensive and animals are the cheapest. So if you piss them off enough, but not enough to go to war, they should bring you few large caged animals like giant eagles.

You have stated a common misconception. The problem never had anything to do with the value of cloth, just the priority at which binned goods are loaded onto a caravan (namely, at maximum priority) - if they decide to bring a hundred bins of cloth, a hundred barrels of booze, a hundred caged animals, a hundred stacks of plants, a hundred wood crafts, a hundred wooden weapons, a hundred pieces of wooden armor, a hundred pieces of large rope reed clothing, and a hundred barrels of gnomeblight (having heard of your fortress's immense wealth), they'll load the bins of cloth first, even if it means not leaving any room for anything else.

[ledgekindred]

I've found I don't have to sieze anything to get the Elves to bring Interesting animals.  If I tell the diplomat "piss off Elf, we're cutting trees" a half dozen times or so and don't buy anything from them,  (I don't need eight thousand bolts of cloth, tyvm)  they bring more animals and leave all the other crap at home.  It probably takes a couple years longer than just taking everything, but I think it's easier. 

I don't really know if this is something carried over from 40d, but I've definitely noticed in 2010 that merchants start bringing more and more of the stuff you actually buy.  After six or seven years or so, at least dwarf and human merchants bring me almost exclusively the things I need like barrels, raw wood, booze (you can never have enough booze) and cheap crap metal toys and whatnot that I melt down for raw metal.  I virtually never see a hundred bins of cloth and leather and a hundred bags of seeds anymore.

[slothen]

My very first elf caravan has brought a single tame giant eagle.  I've already told the emissary I would keep cutting wood.  I wonder what the best approach is?  I really want a second eagle.

[jester]

I know that how much wood they bring is based on how much is in your stockpile, so store up for higher chance at something decent.

[mLegion]

I don't really know if this is something carried over from 40d, but I've definitely noticed in 2010 that merchants start bringing more and more of the stuff you actually buy.

Noticed that too, traders almost exclusively bring me the things i general buy off them after the first 3 visits.

[Strange guy]

I believe that the carrying capacities of animals have been increased since 40d so you don't need to annoy the elves to get animals, though there's not harm in annoying them anyway. Unless they siege you that is.

[terminal]

I always tell them to screw off when they ask me not to harvest trees, but I am wondering if it might be more effective to agree to their demands and then just deforest the whole zone anyways after telling them you wouldn't?