[DF] How big are the settlements built by the PC races?

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by mburr0003

Why do dwarves always have to be "civilized? I like my grubby little barbaric cave dwarves.

It's a typical fantasy stereotype, with village- to city-sized subterranean dwarf settlements. There's no reason that you can't have low TL, low population density members of any species even if they normally get a rap for being higher TL and preferring to live in big cities.

Playing against stereotypes, with groups like "city elves" or "nomadic halflings" is a refreshing change. Good that you're doing it.

My current mindset WRT fantasy races is influenced by the ancient Master of Magic video game, that I rediscovered and fired up after years of neglect.

The basic premise, typical in a lot of video games, is that you've got the "uncivilized," "primitive" or "mentally limited" species with fast initial growth and relatively powerful early game units, but very limited long term expansion, "civilized" species with weak early game units, slow but extensive long term growth and brutally effective mid- to late-game units. In between, you've got the "semi-civilized" species that peak at mid-game.

[mburr0003]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Nitpick. The plural of polis is poleis.

that would be my latin bias showing.

Originally Posted by ericthered

I don't imagine half-elves building the cities, but living in those of others.

I like treating my DF High Elves almost as an invasive social parasite.

[HUMOUR]
Like cockroaches, once one High Elf moves into town, you start finding them everywhere; every public house has a High Elf bard, squabbles* of HElves fight over performance space in the public square like pidgeons, big cities have to constantly deHElf their colleges and Sage Guild Houses, the Wizarding Guild keeps trying to create anti-HElf wards, but they were infested by HElf wizards so long ago they're considered a lost cause and the Fighter College constantly makes noise about "just burning those dress wearing mumblers to the ground and riding the world of the pests once and for all" (no one's sure if they mean the HElfs or the Wizards though, probably both).


* Groups of High Elves are called squabbles.