They don't kill themselves, they kill Torians, Altarians, humans, etc. They are very tasty!!!!

why wouldnt a pacifist species be able to survive on there planet? if a herbivor species gained intelligence and was completely pacifist all they would have to do is build a wall of some sort or go into a cave and defend it and most predetors would be kept at bay, since there staying in one spot they begin to expirement ways of increasing food production in there area thus the dawn of the agricultural revolution for them, since they are pacifists and no energy is spent on killing eachother they can focus energy on making there lives better and keeping the predetors at bay beyond there walls, resulting in population booms and discovery after discovery not hindered by the destroying power of war.

the only promblem, they can overpopulate too quickly cover there planet eat all the food die and go extinct, but lets assume that they are able to increase food production to the point that they dont have to worry about that

without any war the governments that would be formed would focus on two things: increasing there understanding of the universe and increasing there comfort and without the need for funding an army or defense beyond the fact of keeping the predetors, who by this time are beginning to die out now that there main food source can hide behind walls and have pointed sticks to use against them, they would be able to do these things really well

the only promblem that i can see would be overpopulation but natural things such as disease floods and other natural disasterrs should stop that from being a serious promblem in the early years

Every single organism on this planet posesses at least rudimentiary defense and attack mechanisms, right down to the cellular level. Think virus. By just being alive an organism is inherently violent, as it competes with other organisms for those resources necessary to sustain life (in the case of a bipedal ape-like species those would be food, water and shelter). In fact I'd argue that a completely docile organism wouldn't last more than a few seconds. Competition and the ensuing violence are fundamentals of this universe - I reckon we'll find that trend will continue as we (if we) extend deeper into space.

It's ironic don't you think! If we can't wage war we're dead meat... If we know war it's because we've learnt it by killing ourselves. OH THE HUMANITY! Lolzords.

Actually, I have thought about it. Without conflict, I don't think a race would be as motivated to improve on their situation. Why invent a wall if you have noone to keep out? Many computer hobbyists know that the first programmable digital computer was ENIAC, but how many know what ENIAC was for? It was for the military (originally for computing artillery firing tables). First viable jet engines? The military. Where would the space program be if it weren't for the space race to get the first man on the moon?

Our aggressiveness makes us expand faster, so we have more resources to split up between survival and improving our situation (at least until we hit natural boundries, like a gravity well). We tackle problems aggressively and usually get aggressive results because of it. Without that aggression, intelligence would be less likely to evolve, and would actually take longer to reach our current level of technology.

I'm ashamed of what man is capable of doing to man, but without that aggressiveness, we wouldn't be man.

Getting back on topic, it really isn't until nuclear or biological weapons (whichever comes first, depending on the tech bent of that civ) that a pre-spacefaring civilization could wipe itself out. Personally, I don't think that the Drengin ever would have gotten into the cold war to begin with, mostly because the first government to develop weapons of mass destruction would have quickly become THE world government. Also note I'm not saying that that would have been a preferable situation, but the reality that is is that they wouldn't have faced the same challenges on their way to the stars that we have.

i dont think that you guys are giving docile organisms a chance...

Exactly... This is because they don't have a chance to dominate at all. They're docile! Why would they want to?

First of all with the Dregin they could be xenophobic in their warlikeness and that means their race can be perfectly happy towards each other but when meeting another race can have instilled hatred towards them.  Maybe via the Vox they can't stand the way they look, or via the Ul-Quan they were once enslaved and now have hatred towards the other races because of that.

Evolutionary speaking the brain, intelligence for an herbivore is an upmost priority when speaking of survival.  There is no reason why an herbivore couldn't obtain sentience given the right conditions.  First assumption was that there were preditors on their world.  Lets say a simular enviornment to Earth.  For all we know they could be a Silicion Crystalline Creature who grows in a methane world.  No need for preditors in a world so hostile to life that you need to be a different type of organism, going off of the Carbon base, just for existiance.

Getting back to adaption, when evolution and mutation occurs the organism is always seeking a form with adaptations making it last longer.  Being smarter is a different way of having advantages then say another stomach, and it pays off differently as well.  Lets say a smarter Herbivore went off from an Area that they were gathering because it sensed a change in the weather/conditions and knew I need to look elsewhere for food.  Now the one that's eating more will continue to be there and wind up die of starvation, while the other one went off and (well could be eaten by a preditor) find food substiance there.

Just because your food source is vegeterian does not mean you don't have to be smart about it.  Just becasue the carrot doesn't run away, doesn't mean you don't have to look out for the hungry tiger who wants you as a snack.

for any herbivor animal , when it is being chased all it needs to do is run and save its self (which does not require alot of thinkin) while workin in packs to hunt, requires alot more thinkin .
Also one of the most important things that ive said before is food for intelligence, u have to have a high protein diet which comes from animals, thats y u see sheep and other herbivors eat all day long coz there food isnt as concentrated ( and for a herbivor intelligence is a disadvantage)