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[Mike Mayday]

The fact that DF is still in alpha may be both a curse and a blessing for many of us. One of the more fantastic aspects are the bugs, quirks and placeholder functions that make people behave in unexpected yet entertaining ways. Add to this the already well-fleshed out racial profiles that Toady came up with and we've got a winner here folks.
Now, some things that happen might be happening because the proper functionality is not implemented but that doesn't mean we don't like some of those things the way they are. Anyway, I've decided to write a short summary on all the races that I would like you to help me expand (I've added some things NOT in the game). Hopefully, even if proper functionality is added, these things will remain (optionally) intact

DWARVES
Dwarves are, by human standards, insane. They are obssessive and liable to hurt others when unhappy. Any morals and social structure become obsolete when a dwarf doesn't have his needs/demands met, ESPECIALLY if a strange mood is in play. At the same time, anything can balance out a dwarve's unhappiness: for a dwarf to get better after the death of a spouse, it's enough to dine in a REALLY GREAT DINING HALL. Except for insane dwarfs, the only emotion that can affect a dwarf's actions is RAGE.

Except for nobles, Dwarves aren't greedy. They tend to gather stuff they like but that is more like an obsessive-compulsive disorder than greed.

Work is very important to a dwarf. VERY. This leads to some interesting behaviour: talking to a lover once a few weeks is ok. Carrying your baby to sparring practice is ok. Not caring for your clothing and hygiene is ok. Anything goes, as long as it serves the Fortress!

Dwarves have an innate admiration for good craftsmanship. A plain door is enough to make a dwarf weep as long as it's sufficiently well crafted.

By some strange twist of fate, alcohol is an important nutrient for Dwarves, so much that even children consume it.
 
HUMANS
Humans are boring, predictable and greedy. They're mostly concerned with trading, shopping and art. A typical human has no appreciation for good craftsmanship- things have to look pretty for them.
Emotions are an important drive for a human. Rage, happiness, jelousy, revenge, despair, love- all can have a serious impact on a human's action.

Humans get easily attached. The death of a spouse is a complete tragedy to a human, a mental wound that only time can heal. Sometimes even the loss of a material good is difficult to forget.

ELVES
Elves consider all life sacred, so cutting down trees is like murder to them. This is especially valid since they have the ability of expansion (buildings and tools) without cutting down trees.
They would share this ability with the other races BUT, seeing as they are all filthy murderers, the other races can't be trusted with that ability- they would probably just exploit it for their own needs instead of living in harmony with nature (which is probably right). That is why they bring wood (obtained in the harmless way, they probably ask trees to produce some logs?) to other races (GAME NOTE: THEY BRING FAR TOO LITTLE OF IT). When that is not enough to stop the barbarians from killing trees, they get eaten- no life should go to waste, so just like animals do, Elves only kill people to eat them.

GOBLINS
PLACEHOLDER: goblins are evil.

KOBOLDS
Kobolds are cute little kleptomaniacs. They are not greedy, stealing simply lies in their nature. Apparently, so does failure.

[Jackrabbit]

Goblins are everything Dwarves despise. Goblins are greedy, Goblins are absolutely fanatical about death and killing, which to an extent is similar to Dwarves except Dwarves consider death sacred and kill either to defend themselves or because they're mildly unhappy, whereas Goblins treat it as a sort of pre-tv entertainment. Goblins, more importantly, worship demons, which Dwarves cannot abide. Therefore, due to extreme cultural differences, both Dwarves and Goblins are doomed to wage eternal war. Should they put aside their differences and ally, it will never last for long. It can't.

[Mike Mayday]

That's very well put.
Just one question- ARE goblins greedy? I've always thought they only raid for the killing.
And how does the whole kidnapping thing tie in? Do they seek pleasure in bringing up the other races' children in their own, twisted ways?

[Jackrabbit]

They just enjoy the idea of minions. As for greed... they're not, really, are they? They're more... spiteful. They steal your food just to watch you starve. They strike me as the kind of race that would cut off your nose to spite your face.

[Danarca]

Goblins are cowards.
They pick any demon they can come in contact with, and swear allegiance to it.
They know it's evil, they know they live forever, so they know they will either die by his hands or the enemy.

They know from their first breath that they will die in a horrific way.
And yet they go to demons for.. Protection? Maybe they go to demons simply because they do not know what else they would do.
Eternity is a long time, what would you do with it?
Goblins are cowards, they dare not face reality.

Just a thought.

[Seagoon]

I dont see goblins as realy evil.
My personal idea of a goblin is that they admire POWER over everything else and have no social problems with killing anything. The more powerfull of two beings is the one that is in the right, if someone is more powerfull then no matter what he does that was the right thing to do, atleast untill someone more powerfull comes along. So naturaly Demons and other beings become their leaders, and fights will break out to sort out the pecking order with in the group.

They will attack and kill any other race because they belive themselfs to be more powerfull than that race and thus anything they have that is usefull or valuable is actualy the goblins property, the other races have no right to it at all.

This also explains why they run away so easily, as if they belive that you are winning and more powerfull than them, then not only do they have a good reason to run and save themselfs, but also their claim to the targets property and land is instantly null.

I can seem them being clan/gang based social groups too, as they are smart and will realise that ganging together makes them ALL more powerfull compared to going it alone and that since they have trouble reproducing, stealing children is the quickest way of increasing their gang/clans size and power.

I think you can extrapolate quite an interesting civilisation from this idea of might = right sort of thing.

(Sorry for the spelling and lack of focus of the above post :/ )

[Mike Mayday]

Hey, Danarca gave me an idea.
If goblins live until something kills them, maybe that's why they have no respect for the life of others? Because they know that pretty soon their victims would die anyway?
Do goblins fight wars between themselves?

Seagoon, that's a great idea too!

[Bouchart]

Where do the Snailmen fit into all of this?

[Mike Mayday]

Where do the Snailmen fit?

They fit in their shells, DUH.

Also duders, while the characteristics of a civ ARE also important here, try to think about the difference between a race and a civilization.
While unlikely, a human civilization that worships demons and only respects power may happen. What differentiates the races are their biology, emotions, instincts.

[GlyphGryph]

Goblins are about not power or greed, but SUPERIORITY, both individually and as part of the collective that makes up their way of life. They believe if you are superior, you should prove it - its that simple. If others do not respect your superiority - you make them.

Think about it - They commonly wage war, unending war if possible, on most civilizations they encounter. But they don't do it for stuff, they do it to prove they can win. That they are superior. And they truly believe that they are. Even more, they aren't greedy or racist - in a way, they are compassionate. They steal the children of their enemies because they wish to share their superiority (and thus prove it). They see the strengths of other races, and believe any creature that follows the goblin way is well and truly a goblin, regardless of race. They believe that with the right environment any race, even dwarves and elves, can also be a member of the superior.

They are the least racist of all the races - they don't hold any shape or type of creature as inherently undesirable. Other cultures need to be destroyed if they do not submit, of course, but their members if possible should be integrated into the glory of goblin society. They do not see a goblin society without goblins as a problem, even. Race simply doesn't enter into it.

As to worshipping demons - once again, its about superiority. Goblins believe anyone can be a goblin, and they believe the best goblin should be in charge. Demons just... abuse those notions. They simply prove their power and take what any goblin believes should be the rightful place of the most powerful creature around - ruler of those who are less powerful. Goblins would have no problem worshipping and following a dwarf assuming he met those same qualifications.

Goblins are not evil. They believe they are doing the right thing, the good thing. It just happens that the "good" thing is extremely unpleasant for the vast majority of sapients on the planet - but the goblins go out of there way to save as many of these souls as possible when they can.

In essence - they are the essence of a powerful an organized religion. All others must be absorbed or destroyed.

[Seagoon]

But that makes them too simmilar to the elves, the only real difference being that the elves are not so proactive...

EDIT: not that its not a cool idea or anything

[GlyphGryph]

How is that like elves at all? Elves don't actually think they're superior to everyone - in fact, I sort of get a feeling they feel subservient to nature, or at least just a small part of it. They have strict morals and views, and may require those they trade with and deal with not to insult them by blatantly doing distasteful things, and they may try to protect the forests and trees they worship, but there is no real ego involved. They don't care how other races organize or whatever, just that they don't mess with the forests.

[Seagoon]

They dont think they are superior racialy, but culturaly they do. How else do you think they would dare aproch a race and tell them that they have to limit their cutting of trees when wood is a vital resource that dictates the growth of a comunity? EVEN when that wood is in another races territory!

You also can tell they have a massive ego from how they talk to you in fortress mode :/

[Ironhand]

Elves like to place blame on other races.

They force their culture and their morals onto other races, because they believe other cultures are WRONG.
The goblins simply open their culture to the other races, and welcome us to join them in their warring violence.
I don't think the goblins hate other creatures as much as the elves do. War is simply part of the goblin culture.

[Vester]

*Goblins are about superiority*

Yeah, I like that sort of dynamic.