[Raynor]

Originally Posted by alatar

Would elves have gotten a taste for each other's blood had they never taken the road West?

However, the chainning of Melkor for three ages brought almost to zero during that time the number of elves that became orcs (who had no problem killing elves).

How would they have turned out had they not heeded the Call?

Well, I already quoted in my first post here the various positive aspects of the elves that made to Aman - and back.

but methinks in time everyone would lose interest from the monotony.

The last paragraph of the (actual) Silmarillion warns about the power of Melkor's lies, which grow fruit ever and anon. In the letters, Tolkien comments on the fact that Men believing that serial immortality in Ea should be theirs is a chief lie of the agents of evil. Thus, I don't think your alternative is better; giving perpetual opportunity, they would keep on falling.

But in this version we don't see him slugging it out with Melkor.

Besides what I mentioned earlier, he is the first to oppose Melkor's claim of lordship; Valaquenta mentions speciffically Melkor contended with Manwe ("and the other valar"). Moreover, a great leader needn't be a factotum, always at the forefront; most of the times, if not always, there is far greater advantage to be gained from proper coordination.

chopping off someone's arm when no other way is available to keep them from stabbing my child is not.

Then again, even after Melkor's escape, the valar were still cautious to attack him, since even then he was still powerful enough to destroy Arda, as can be seen from some comments in HoME X, which I partially quoted. Permanent propensity towards violence is not the best attitude in such conditions.