I still think the bigger fort is more fun. It also leads to more possibilities and more interesting ways for "fun".
Also, I dont mind the lack of knowing single dwarfs, usualy I know a few because they are in the army (three cheers for my 10 marksdwarfs of doom, some are missing arms) and I know of one guy because he lost his leg to a python attack when he was a child (his mom ran of an left him). He walks around with a crutch and I call him Timmy. I also know the doctors rather well since I built a 60 bed hospital and it has a dedicated staff of doctors (next migrant wave it gets dedicated nurses).
I like how my dwarfs have to earn my attention by doing something or having something interesting happen to them and they dont get it by default because they exist.
So far my butcher is retarded and lets things rot in the butcher shop... so much for legendary status.
Large forts have thier own enjoyment.
Also, with how people on this forum seem to throw away the lives of thier dwarfs to such an extent that they do (testing traps, throwing into volcanos and such) I would have expected the anonymity to be a bonus since you dont grow attached to what your killing (except in a noted case with a legendary miner and no fresh water) and hence would enjoy it more.
Unless many of you are truly sadistic people who enjoy torturing helpless (but seriously retarded) dwarfs.
I think sadistic is a fair bet.
Also, size makes micromanagement less nessesary. At 200 dwarfs I know I have at least one dwarf that can do what I need done which is nice. I have 6 masons just pouring out masterwork blocks using all the extra stone I have and still have plenty of masons left to make furnature and other things.
Off to build a new barracks for an additional 40 troops.