How to make them a stronger race. I have my own ideas about them and what they should be, and mostly I'm tired of ripping up 50 elf raiding parties with a moderately skilled squad. Even their animals are of limited help to them.
So:
Giving them metal (not my idea of 'fair'. I'm more than happy with Toady's vision of Elves as naive to metalwork)
Giving them custom weapons (I do this, in this new version with archery more nerfed I'm currently experimenting)
Giving them more access to animal products (animals die of old age, after all)
Giving them more exotic mounts (to limit other races' access to them)
Giving them poison weaponry (ala cavern tribals)
Giving them better bodies (size, skills, w.e.)
Giving them better minds (attributes, 'magic' (CDI)
Ive toyed with some ideas, like adding new creatures that can benefit the elves (mammoths, dinosaurs, and sentient plants), but thats kind of sidestepping the problem of wood weaponry being terrible.
Ive thought about adding a cdi on the elves, either a 'heal' spell or a 'mutate' spell, or else something to make them more capable of not dying.
Ive considered adding some natural skills to the elves.
Ive considered the custom weapons, giving them custom arrows and bows.
What would make elves more capable and still fit the generalized lore Toady has lain out?