The punch only comes into play with orc wrestlers...
That is half of the Orcs I encounter.
I feel that it's realistic because DAMAGE is dependent on SIZE and orcs are much smaller than demons.
Orcs are size 8. Titans are size 20 and do 1:2 bludgeon with a punch.
Many creatures have some form of 1:6 damage
...Not with a PUNCH. With a bite, claw, fire punch, sure. Not with a fist.
the orc 'punch' is meant to represent all close quarter attacks including: ripping at the throat, headbutting, stomping enemies while they're down. What it comes down to is orcs are STRONG and BRUTAL and when bloodthirsty and enraged in melee combat they're going to be a biach to take down.
Every race is assumed to perform those attacks in "wrestling". It represents savage beating, twisting, stomping, etc. There is no reason for orcs to do three times as much damage as a human being in a fist fight. You could just give them a claw attack instead, if you want horror.
The trapavoid assumes that they're so freaking tough and bloodthirsty that they pretty much can just smash through any cage/stonetrap/whatever in there way to get to their target
But that can't happen. Smashing through a cage? Sure. "Smashing" through boulders falling on you? That doesn't even make sense.
...I'll bet orcs will just "Smash" through 10 blades hissing at them from the nearby wall. Just smash through those 10 steel blades. Yep.
..No.
Lockpicker is a workaround because I don't think it's very orcly for an orc siege to be stopped by a wooden door. However if I give them building destroy they will target buildings BEFORE engaging any dwarves in the area which I also think is very unorcly.
You're right. Its best to give them LOCKPICKER instead of destroyer so that they don't zerg for the nearest building when they should be zerging at a dwarf. I take back what I said.
In summary: Players exploit the fuck out of the game anyway, orcs needed more dakka for balance.
Balance is the opposite of Dwarf Fortress.
No point in getting all butthurt about orcish behavior, if they bother you a moat stops em just fine.
It isn't "Orcish" to have 1:6 bludgeon damage on a fist. Its "stupid". I never mind getting slapped around by powerful creatures, so long as they are somewhat believable.
Like instead of saying "Oh god, Orcs! Those guys are going to fight to the death..." its more like "Oh god, Orcs! ...They punch as hard as most creatures bite.. wait..."
Yeah. Makes little sense. Like I said before, I just went off because this mod in particular is really awesome, and while orcs are great for it, THESE orcs ruin the "feel" of the mod with absurdly high unarmed damage.
I have potatoes, pigs, new metals, and basically a more "real" feel to DF. Since I changed my orcs, I have everything I need.
I went down to 3 population just now in my fortress, two of which bedridden. Thanks to a sheriff who beat people to death, and an Orc attack, we almost got wiped.
I zerged the invaders with 33 untrained wrestlers, eventually wiping them out at the cost of my population. If I would have kept the retarded orc RAW file, we would have died 12139832 times over, because those bastards punch as hard as most creatures bite.
So we have two situations here.
1 - Realistically swarming over larger creatures with superior numbers and more than a little booze for courage, eventually winning against said larger creatures despite them having armor and weapons (And a boatload of wrestlers).
2 - Keeping the original orcs, sending 40 dwarves against them, and watching your ENTIRE army get massacred because they can two shot you with a punch.
Which one is more "realistic", and fitting? Yeah.
Anyway, I wasn't bitching at THIS mod in particular, or even the original Orc mod, just bitching in general. Naturally, my install of DF is tweaked the way I want it, like everyone elses. My orcs have 1:2 punch damage, no TRAPAVOID (and I'll put LOCKPICKER back in, since it makes more sense). Your stock orcs are Shaolin monks who obviously don't get enough of a bonus for being two sizes larger than dwarves (damage bonus there), don't get enough of the "savage" and "brutal" feel out of having NOPAIN and NOFEAR, and generally are smaller megabeasts.
Whatever your play style is.