Are Elves better than Men?

[Nickolai77]

Elves are elegent, artistic and cultured and quite profficent at fighting. Humans are not so cultured, but breed faster, and can be just as profficent fighters. I would also say that humans are more industrious and hardy than elves.

Coming to think of it, humans sit roughly between elves and dwarfs. They are like a compromise between two exteremes.

 

[Kollega]

Tolkienesque elves (or rather, their pastiches in most fantasy works) are just arrogant cheesy pricks. They are in no way better than humans. On the other hand, gnomes and dwarves - who actually do shit - probably are. Especially when they are not too greedy.

As for aliens - well, as long as they are Good in alignment (humanity is Chaotic Neutral), they are better than us. If they are Neutral or Evil - not so much.

Coming to think of it, humans sit roughly between elves and dwarfs. They are like a compromise between two exteremes.

Well, duh - remember that elves and dwarves are mythological races derived from opposite human characteristics - dwarves are "close-to-earth" laborers, while elves are a bunch of pretentious artists. Humans, thanks to their versatility, are a major Game Breakers.

 

[thiosk]

Elves aren't better than men. Of course not!

If you prefer elves to men, I wager you like your vampires sparkly, your zombies fast, and your coffee with soy milk.

*shudders*

If aliens are better than us, they will rightfully subjugate us and send us to work in the tetralithium mines of Krondor 11.

If we are better than the aliens, we will subjugate them and force them to submit to rule 34.

 

[GloatingSwine]

By and large with fantasy, either the author thinks that Elves are better [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurElvesAreBetter], or the Elves themselves do. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitleukqnnj0yvqci?from=Main.CantArgueWithElves]

Which is the primary reason why I hate (loathe, despise) most portrayals of elves, and why I want to grind them under the feet of unsophisticated orcs or goblins. Or have them pick-axed in the head by a dwarf. Either way works.

This is one of the reasons I like The Witcher. Elves aren't significantly better than anyone at anything, and it's evident that the ones that are resisting assimilation into human society are basically doomed losers.

Also, Dragon Age, but that's basically The Witcher with the serial numbers filed off.

 

[Amnestic]

Elves can't be paladins (at least not in the rules I'm familiar with).

That said, who wants to be a paladin?

I can think of a [http://foro.cemzoo.com/picture.php?albumid=10312&pictureid=159962] few [http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/168/b/d/Mograine__The_Ashbringer_by_pulyx.jpg] guys [http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2008/11/samwise-paladin-painting.jpg]

Elves have bows and arrows. Humans have guns and lots of sex.

Guess who wins in the long run?

 

[LaughPatrick]

Well it depends on how you define "better"

If you say that in terms of skills, abilities, appearance, etc then yes Tolkienesque elves would be superior to humans.

If you define better as in motivations then it still might be yes though humans all have differing motivations

Which brings up another point
Elves may have different appearances, motivations, anything

some may be fairer, better looking, and more intelligent, Some may be evil, immoral, and disgusting just like humans.
Every little detail would need to be looked at
every elf and every human looked at
then the average would be taken
and compared.
Far to much work for one forum

I say that elves are better in my personal opinion because their pointy ears entice me into panicked frenzies of ecstasy, While humans make me feel a range of emotions

with elves i now what I'm dealing with
Humans? not so much

And "aliens" is loosely defined. The discussion would be endless

so fuck it.... HUMANS ARE ALWAYS SPACE MARINES THAT KICK ALIEN ASS.

unless they get eaten..............

 

[Snork Maiden]

Elves can't be paladins (at least not in the rules I'm familiar with).

That said, who wants to be a paladin?

I can think of a [http://foro.cemzoo.com/picture.php?albumid=10312&pictureid=159962] few [http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/168/b/d/Mograine__The_Ashbringer_by_pulyx.jpg] guys [http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2008/11/samwise-paladin-painting.jpg]

Gahh Kensai is where its at!

 

[scotth266]

Not all elves are superior to humans, and vice versa. It all depends on the balance that the writers apply.

Christopher Paolini? Not a good balancer. Tolkien? VERY good balancer.

 

[Booze Zombie]

They're not better, they've just adapted to survive in a different way.

 

[TRR]

Men are better, why? because we actually exist.
Obviously thats not an acceptable answer here. I wouldnt say they're better just different. Yes they can do more/better things than men, but usually they will have more weaknesses of some sort, well at least in most things i read/watch/play.

 

[Skeleon]

They might be "better" than us individually, but remember that the saber-toothed tiger was also better than us.
We'd fuck those aliens/elves up, anyway, because we are survivors, we're adaptive.
Elves are too persistent in their ways, this is why they're doomed in almost all works they are a part of.
FOR HUMANITY!!!

 

[_zuul]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBQjap1qxhY

elves are great

 

[Knight Templar]

In Forgotten Realms they are faster, stronger, more agile, but lack the drive of humans halflings and even dawarves.
They are not as immortal as a species.

Also, Dragon Age, but that's basically The Witcher with the serial numbers filed off.

People keep saying this, I have not played the Witcher (and have no knowlage of what it is based on), but nobody ever goes into detail when I ask them to explain why they think such as you do.

 

[Ocelot GT]

elves are hawter too :3

 

[Spitfire175]

Elves are elegent, artistic and cultured and quite profficent at fighting. Humans are not so cultured, but breed faster, and can be just as profficent fighters. I would also say that humans are more industrious and hardy than elves.

Coming to think of it, humans sit roughly between elves and dwarfs. They are like a compromise between two exteremes.

This of course varies quite a lot. Ere the elves and dwarves really the two extremes? Both wish to preserve things in their society, shape their surroundings into their liking and perfect their culture. The elves with their music, poetry and art, the dwarves with their metalwork and masonry. The opposite is obviously orcs, but that's bit too obvious.

Elves didn't have the problems of a diminishing population until they ran into humans. They (tolkienese elves) fought many wars and built societies that worked like clockwork without too many setbacks. It was when the elves encountered competition, a rapidly advancing ambitious civilisation of humans. In all, it reflects the human need for change. The elves and dwarves represent the stuck up, overly conservative parts and the humans the thriving, advancing parts.

 

[Crystalgate]

They're not better, they've just adapted to survive in a different way.

Indeed. I imagine the Tolkien elves being less likely to succumb to a disease or an accident. However, they breed slower and aren't able to adapt, so if the environment ever gets the better of them they're doomed. Actually, I think their first response is to retreat to another location.

I have however seen a lot of other interpretations of elves where there's frankly no way they could survive as a species for long. Pretty much any interpretation where elves doesn't have superior strength, endurance and ideally also some magical power, but still have the whole "lives really long, but breeds slowly" going for them.

 

[heyheysg]

Suppose a stronger 'Species' came and invaded us, we would be like animals to them, people who think they are doing dogs a service by having them as pets don't like to think upwards.

 

[Agema]

I think ancient myths are an important backhistory to the genre, even back in Norse or Greek times, they contain an idea that there was a time of magic and legends, and what humans have steadily brought to the world is mundanity, and the remnants of the old days dwindle and disappear. Even without elves and dwarves, fantasy heavily leans on ideas of a historical golden age from which there has been a decline to the current day, and the modern protagonists are scrabbling around trying to find lost artefacts and knowledge from it.

The creatures of an age of magic in fantasy generally do seem to have treated the humans as a lower class of creature. However, the humans do not replace them by fighting them, it's the the likes of the Elves and Dwarves exhaust themselves fighting various mighty creatures (each other, dragons, demigods, whatever), and once all the contending parties have devastated each other to the point of neat-extinction, all humans have done is fill the depopulated remains of the world.