Discussion More War or Trade for Elven development?

Yes Elves fight for food.

However they aren't fighting for normal food and is more specifically fighting for land to grow a certain crop they need to live, but this crop can only be grown in an magically enrich land and need constant use of nature magic to be maintain. While other humanoid races don't eat this type of crop as it is poisonous to any other non-magically gifted race or need this kind of magically enrich land to farm their food. So once they capture an Elven land they will most likely farm on it normally, but not maintain its magically enrich property as it is exceptionally costly for a non-magical race to do this unlike the Elves. This is the reason why Elves will not invade another Elves land if they are being attack by a race different from Elves because all Elves know from previous experience that once another race take their land. The other race will farm their land until its magically enrich property is gone and can no longer grow Elven crop and farm it normally until the land is fallow.

Which will take a long time even for Elves to repair and even longer to bring it back to its magically enrich state. While If the land is capture by other Elves, they can always just take it back later to grow their Elven crop as they know that the Elves capturing their land before would not let it be stripped of its magically enrich property as they eat the same crop. Since all Elves need this type of land to farm the same type of crop. However, other humanoid race don't eat the same crop that elves need to live and since Elves want to get rid of their excessive population anyway. They would help kick out any foreign race invader and if possible reverse invade that species land to gain more territory to farm their crop.

Many human kingdom once tried what you are saying and invaded the elves with the thought that Elves are like them and would not help each other. But in the end, they only realize their terrible mistake once they were swarm by other elves and had their entire population genocides to make room for Elves to farm their land.

 

I honestly don't see the need for you to have to choose between one or the other. Couldn't you just do both? Not as in both concurrently, but have them rotate, e.g. there was one ruler who focused on trade and made the country rich, but due to being too focused, did not develop their military, and so was almost conquered until the son/next ruler, who was more pro war came up, etc etc.

I think that if a country was to only focus on one aspect forever, they would quickly be annihilated/absorbed into a different/bigger country:
Too much war --> not enough resources/population, country crumbles.
Too much trade/too little war --> you make the strong stronger, and leave the country more complacent.

Of course, you could also turn that into a plot point --> members of the absorbed tribe want to revolt/declare independence/return their fallen kingdom.

 

You're making it worse with every explanation. But it's fine, I give up. It won't be the first setting with things that just don't make sense. I just won't read it.

 

Okay, but I can ask which point of my explanation does not make sense? Beside all of them?

 

I'm not going to keep saying it in different ways until you get it. I have nothing new to say; it just seems contrived for the reasons I already put forth.