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[SlyStalker]

Everyone knows that kobolds and goblins are evil... Pure evil. But some remain unaware of the greater threat that humans pose, not least the elves. So I ask the Bay 12 community, how do you usually deal with other races when they come?
I, for one, kill any and all elves when they arrive. If they are traders I seize everything and then kill one so the other escapes. The humans are sinister and too strong for me in the beginning of the game... But I am cunning... Usually I just wait until I have a good enough military and then take them down. I don't really like killing by collapsing random shit on them because it's too easy. As for goblins and their stunted allies the kobolds, I trap them in a cage and then chuck them into the Colosseum.

[Thisfox]

If elves are available, I'll trade with them, but if I have a choice between having a location with elves and no humans to trade with, or humans and no elves, I'll take the humans. Not because of racisim: Humans arrive with caravans full of fabric and leather. That is useful to me. Elves do not. But I do love the elf tamed beasts. I want a wombat farm one day...

My opinion of Elves are not so much evil (I think people are weird to attack them) but misguided. I don't sell them any wood (Wood is expensive anyway, keep it for my smelting) and I leave them be. I've had elf caravans arrive with a few olives, some wooden swords, and a few empty cages and so on, and I just felt plain sorry for them. Like any people with a religion, they are pathetic, and I don't want to hurt the poor things. Soft in the head.

Humans are great. Cloth, cloth, cloth, fish which didn't come out of a cave, and plenty of leather. I'll trade with them happily.

[Psieye]

It's the cannibalism that gives DF elves their spice. "Don't harm trees, be at peace with the wildlife, but eating sentient creatures is a-ok." I recall a thread years ago where the OP had just finished dealing with an ambush when the elves came to trade. He looked away to sort out some other tasks and when he looked back, all the corpses had disappeared. Sure there could be a mundane explanation, but given Elves do have "cannibalism: OK" in their ethics, it's a lot more fun to uphold the natural conclusion.

[SlyStalker]

The thing about elves is that they're so fun to kill. Humans, on the other hand, are more FUN than fun, although I am still a new-ish player. How do you even kill the caravan and the retinue by the first year with the military short of conscripting the whole fortress? My soldiers are never good enough by the first year. Second definitely, but not first.

[Melting Sky]

I tend to treat the elves with respect unless they do something to earn my ire. The filthy humans, on the other hand, are generally considered vermin and are treated as such.

[Voidlord]

To be honest idont kill either, I prefer humans cause they are eaiser to trade with, but I will trade with both.
Humans becuase of cloth, leather and above ground seeds they can bring, I once bought some rice seeds off them, thats stuff is the plump helmets of AG crops, except you cant cook it so in some ways they are worst once thier numbers cant so high. And elves for the exotic beasties they can bring which arent grazers, once they brought a breeding pair of hippos to trade, I snapped them up

[Loam]

Ah, the casual racism of Dwarf Fortress.

For clarification, Elves only eat the corpses of enemies they kill in combat; they won't eat sentients solely for food, unlike the goblins.

[Kuikka]

I'm a good guy who's in friendly terms with good folk. Real reason is that I can barely handle annual goblin sieges with honest fight and as I'm 99 % dependent on surface trees I dont need any more enemies...

[MDFification]

Ah, the casual racism of Dwarf Fortress.

For clarification, Elves only eat the corpses of enemies they kill in combat; they won't eat sentients solely for food, unlike the goblins.

It's more of a "waste not the sacrifice of the being we were forced to kill, because we could really use the protein for a balanced diet" situation than it is a "I thirst for the blood of infant dwarves, their pily flesh is like KFC to my twisted elvish brain" if you think about it.
Elves are so idealistic they've made their military almost entirely useless (if bows weren't OP, they'd have nothing). It's really hard for me to imagine them as predators I should fear. More like those hippies that occasionally bring by exotic war animals for me.

[Patchy]

During good times I'm reasonably friendly to both. At the worse of times I'll pretty much ignore them and let them sit in the safety of my depot for the season. My military does protect them and escort them off the map if need be, but it's only cause I don't want to clean up all the garbage they bring should a goblin ambush pop a merchant.

[Urist Tilaturist]

The thing about elves is that they're so fun to kill. Humans, on the other hand, are more FUN than fun, although I am still a new-ish player. How do you even kill the caravan and the retinue by the first year with the military short of conscripting the whole fortress? My soldiers are never good enough by the first year. Second definitely, but not first.

Magma, my friend. Just use magma. If you have not yet reached magma, raise the drawbridge and stay inside until you reach it, then give them a warm welcome.

[Kuikka]

Update to my previous comment. Just received a visit from human law-giver vampire who had time to drink some blood.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

[Thisfox]

..... I once bought some rice seeds off them, thats stuff is the plump helmets of AG crops, except you cant cook it.....

I was under the impression that rice flour was allowed in roasts and such. Just get a quern.

[smeeprocket]

I resent the elves and only agree to their tree chopping requirements because I love the exotic animals they bring me. Already nice and tame, it's the only reason I don't murder them immediately.

Humans bring useful stuff, even the large armor they bring I can melt down. And I love the plants they bring.

Remember, elves often bring fruit, if you are in dire straights one year, they can be a life saver.

If I have goblins in the area (which I used to avoid and now go out of my way to make sure are around) fighting two or three wars seems kind of daunting. I mean, the elves and goblins might show up at the same time and fight one another, but more likely I'll barely survive one siege only to be picked apart by enemies using wooden weapons and armor (which would be embarassing, tbh.)

It's funny because I am a huge elf fan in every other game, always play an elf in tabletop fantasy rpgs, but here, I hate them. I can't help but get into the anti-elf spirit of things. Especially after I try to trade for desperately needed food, accidentally offer them wooden items, and they storm off and leave my dwarves to starve.

[Illogical_Blox]

If elves are available, I'll trade with them, but if I have a choice between having a location with elves and no humans to trade with, or humans and no elves, I'll take the humans. Not because of racisim: Humans arrive with caravans full of fabric and leather. That is useful to me. Elves do not. But I do love the elf tamed beasts. I want a wombat farm one day...

My opinion of Elves are not so much evil (I think people are weird to attack them) but misguided. I don't sell them any wood (Wood is expensive anyway, keep it for my smelting) and I leave them be. I've had elf caravans arrive with a few olives, some wooden swords, and a few empty cages and so on, and I just felt plain sorry for them. Like any people with a religion, they are pathetic, and I don't want to hurt the poor things. Soft in the head.

Humans are great. Cloth, cloth, cloth, fish which didn't come out of a cave, and plenty of leather. I'll trade with them happily.

I find your comment on religion offensive, ignorant and crude.

I do, however, agree with the rest of your comment.