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[Pathos]

So, what mistakes have you seen people who read these forums making about creatures etc in Dwarf Fortress? I mean, I know in an ASCII game it doesn't matter, but I feel it's important. I was struck by amazement when I found out most of these.

A couple've of my corrections for ones I've seen:
- Goblins are twisted elves, pretty much like the Tolkein version. They're not primitive green chappies. They're primitive green ELVES. With red eyes.
- Beak dogs are velociraptors.

[darkflagrance]

Thinking that magma men could swim.

[Danarca]

I thought Elves and Dwarves could coexist peacefully at first.

[piecewise]

I always wondered why a velociraptor like creature would be called a "Beak Dog". When I imagine a beak dog I imagine a large wolf-like body with a bald bird-like head.

[Pathos]

I always wondered why a velociraptor like creature would be called a "Beak Dog". When I imagine a beak dog I imagine a large wolf-like body with a bald bird-like head.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviraptor

[Sir Iryn]

- Goblins are twisted elves, pretty much like the Tolkein version. They're not primitive green chappies. They're primitive green ELVES. With red eyes.

I object to your use of the word "primitive" to describe dwarf fortress goblins. I would not call a species primitive that manages to erect towers made of cast and carved obsidian. Nor would I call a species primitive that manages to come clad in strong armor forged from from iron, wielding deadly iron weapons. Theyre probably on or near the same level with humans in terms of technology.

The elves are the primitive one. They don't work metal, they don't work stone, they don't even have a roof over their heads unless they've been conquered by another species.

[SkyRender]

 I always got the impression that the civilization castes worked something like this: Elves and Goblins are the first-born races of good and evil, respectively.  Humans were second-born from Elves, Kobolds second-born from Goblins, and Dwarves second-born from Elves intermingling with Goblins.  That model does bring up a slight issue, however: Demons act as high overlords to the Goblins, but who's the representative high overlord for the Elves as an avatar for good?  Of course, that issue's in place in general anyway: the lack of powerful representatives for the side of good in DF.  But I'm getting off topic.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

I reckon Dwarves were always around, along with Elves. The fact that Dwarves build and delve and forge whilst elves do nothing seems to point to this. I see Elves as immortal wasters, never doing anything because they could always do it tomorrow, and Dwarves resenting the fact that the lazy Elves got to play with eternity whilst the industrious Dwarves toiled away, conscious of the fact that their life has an end.

I'd agree with the fact that Goblins are or were Elves, warped by demonic forces. The love of nature and laziness became a restless hatred for all things, hence why goblins intentionally throw up sterile obsidian towers. Their restlessness also drove them to forge iron to cut trees and slay elves. Again, they have an implacable loathing for the steadfast, mortal dwarves who stand in their way, wielding steel and Adamantine, the very substance their overlords fear.

Humans represent another try by whatever forces created the world. They are mortal and prone to disease, much more than the solid Dwarves, but they hold few grudges, and whilst they do work hard, it rarely, if ever, completely consumes them. Obviously most humans loath Goblins, although there are tribes that may work with the hateful greenskins.

Kobolds are somewhat of a mystery. They live and die quickly, living of pilfered produce, and few will bother with them at all. They speak an incomprehensible language that varies almost day to day, and seem to fear everything.

This is how I see the DF world, anyway. I'm sure it has a few issues, because I've never written it down before.

[lordnincompoop]

I'd agree with Maggarg more than SkyRender, as there is a rather large missing detail (at least to me) in his argument: Elves are cannibals. I do not remember cannibalism being in any traditional definiton of "good".

[Jacob/Lee]

I always got the impression that the civilization castes worked something like this: Elves and Goblins are the first-born races of good and evil, respectively.  Humans were second-born from Elves, Kobolds second-born from Goblins, and Dwarves second-born from Elves intermingling with Goblins.  That model does bring up a slight issue, however: Demons act as high overlords to the Goblins, but who's the representative high overlord for the Elves as an avatar for good?  Of course, that issue's in place in general anyway: the lack of powerful representatives for the side of good in DF.  But I'm getting off topic.

Druids could be representing good in elven society as higher overlords.

[Cespinarve]

I'd agree with Maggarg more than SkyRender, as there is a rather large missing detail (at least to me) in his argument: Elves are cannibals. I do not remember cannibalism being in any traditional definiton of "good".

Of the top of my Head, Mike from Stranger in a Strange Land.

[wallish]

I'd agree with Maggarg more than SkyRender, as there is a rather large missing detail (at least to me) in his argument: Elves are cannibals. I do not remember cannibalism being in any traditional definiton of "good".

I thought that the Elves were cannibals/sentient eaters because they loathe killing.  That is, they feel that they should imitate nature as best they can.  While they do not kill for hunger only, they at least let nothing go to waste.

Hence, Elves are the super-hippie philosophy taken to an awesomely dark extreme.  They love nature so much that they eat sentient beings to prevent wastefulness, hence them seeing themselves as "good".

The other races just see a batshit insane species that eats people.

Neither group is completely wrong.

[SkyRender]

I'd agree with Maggarg more than SkyRender, as there is a rather large missing detail (at least to me) in his argument: Elves are cannibals. I do not remember cannibalism being in any traditional definiton of "good".

I thought that the Elves were cannibals/sentient eaters because they loathe killing.  That is, they feel that they should imitate nature as best they can.  While they do not kill for hunger only, they at least let nothing go to waste.

Hence, Elves are the super-hippie philosophy taken to an awesomely dark extreme.  They love nature so much that they eat sentient beings to prevent wastefulness, hence them seeing themselves as "good".

The other races just see a batshit insane species that eats people.

Neither group is completely wrong.

 That's pretty much the impression I got too.  Elves are very much waste-not-want-not, hence why they take offense at needless slaughter of innocent animals and trees.  Also, they ride unicorns into battle, and unicorns are notorious for refusing to tolerate impure beings touching them in mythology.

[mattie2009]

-Thinking cats are harmless
-Thinking elephants want a hug
-Thinking skeletal elephants won't mind you trying to recover that !!Giant Cave Spider Silk Sock!!

[Lalandrathon]

Thinking that polar bears and skeletal polar bears would have different looking icons.