Competition: make an ex-nation flag!

[Somewhereistonia]

I don't like your design, it doesn't look like a flag, isn't instantly recognisable and generally imo looks dodgy.

I don't really see the point in making it look like a recognisable traditional flag - didn't a nation give up the right to a nation's flag when they ceased to be a nation !?

If we try to be too traditional to fit in with what "looks like a default flag" - it's going to look boring, and I mean what's the point of a creative community effort then?

On the one hand your saying that old nations have no right to have a flag like flag whilst on the other hand you talk about the community. I think that a flag will make the forum appear to be more creative and not just going on a whim to select an image that looks like a regular avatar on any forum.

Scolo's latest design on the other hand, could be a flag and also looks good (although imo not as good as my or CH's flag designs).

[HC Eredivisie]

This blends into the forum color scheme, making it stand out from the colorful flags of most actual nations without being distracting.

Like this, but with 'Former Nation' as the text.

Or 'Norwegian Blue'.

[Somewhereistonia]

Seeing as people seem to prefer the more faded versions, here is the Mk.5. Both of the grey bands have been made lighter to help it 'blend' with the forum. The bold red makes it clear at a glance what it means unlike most of the other designs which wouldn't initially register as as ex-nation flag.

[Bears Armed]

My fave so far is Commerce Heights' "EX-NATION" on a washed-out default flag.

With any other flag, I'd say, "Brilliant!"

But the default flag is the Australian Aborigines' flag. It's completely theirs. Designed by an Aborigine and one of the few things other Australians haven't (completely) appropriated.

I'm sorry to go all PC on you, but I don't like the idea of an Australian-founded game showing it as a washed-out symbol of an ex-nation.

And no, that's not consistent. I'm usually among the first to say, "flags are just bits of cloth, why all the fuss?" when the "insulting the flag" debate comes up. If you wanted to do it to the Australian, or -- oh joy -- the British flag, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. In fact, I'd think it was funny.

Hr'rmm, maybe we should have a new 'Default' flag too?

Question... Are we using these flags for nations that are short term delete, such that the forum checks, instantaneous flag change? Or overnight check? Or is this for nations that we *know* won't be coming back because their nation name has been removed and opened up for new registration? Or is it for both?

I would like to advocate for 2 separate flags for those 2 different situations. For the first, it's quite possible they could be coming back and simply forgot for a period of time or went on vacation or such. The second means there's no possibility that account could *ever* be posted under again, and so the Ex- part is much more final.

Other than the rare cases of deleted nations, I wouldn't of thought that we would easily be able to distinguish the two, especially when some people come back long after originally leaving. One flag is a lot simpler for coding, and means that the flag image becomes easily recognisable, whereas having two may mean the rarer one gets confused for something else.

Using one flag for "banned" nations but a different one for those ex-nations that have only CTEd looks like a good idea to me.

Hah! Skull, check! Ex-nation, check! Gyronny by eight pattern that no real country uses, check!

Similarity to my flag... well... so I use gyronny by eight. So what?

Doesn't the Dutch naval ensign have a 'gyronny by eight' pattern?

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Smaller, more fadey?



Or more smaller with a touch more color/smoother fade?

[King Arthur the Great]

THIS!! Or maybe do the monochrome-fading thing, but Sawbones McCoy FTW!

[Bears Armed]

THIS!! Or maybe do the monochrome-fading thing, but Sawbones McCoy FTW!

"It's a flag, Jim, but not as we know it."

[Ardchoille]

I swear, I don't know why I pay this $50 adopt-a-mod fee I pay to you each month, you're as ungrateful as a real child, if it wasn't for the threat of being DEAT-ed if I'm a day late I might never pay it.

No support whatsoever

Shush, you! I have to oppose you on minor issues so nobody suspects I've been bought.

And it's $55 now, owing to the World Financial Crisis.

[Unibot]

I don't know if this sends a "Ex-Nation" kind of message or a "Violet the Oppressive Admin" message .... but I got a kick out of it...

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Or perhaps something darker?






Or as suggested without the small text ...

[Somewhereistonia]

I don't know if this sends a "Ex-Nation" kind of message or a "Violet the Oppressive Admin" message .... but I got a kick out of it...

Ha, that looks great! Surely nobody could take it the second way

[Spartzerina]

I like it. But if "Ex-Nation" was made Admin, for example, then I'd like to see it as [violet]'s avatar.

[Unibot]

Ha, that looks great! Surely nobody could take it the second way

Funny, today I saw the mention of a "DEATreaper", apparently the pic has made it into pop culture, I FEEL PROUD!

All hail the DEATreaper ! ... and don't look at me for a human sacrifice .....

[Erastide]

I don't know if this sends a "Ex-Nation" kind of message or a "Violet the Oppressive Admin" message .... but I got a kick out of it...

LOL That's silly.

[North Olochapolo]

I just got another idea. this image? would there be a way to make a red one for deceased nations? that way you just leave the flag and apply the side icon universally.[/quote]
That is probably the best idea ive seen. You can just keep the flag there, turn that symbol red, and make it say deceased. you dont even need to remove the flag, so it would require even less coding.

[Rosbaningrad]

I don't know if this sends a "Ex-Nation" kind of message or a "Violet the Oppressive Admin" message .... but I got a kick out of it...

This is awesome.

[Somewhereistonia]

That is probably the best idea ive seen. You can just keep the flag there, turn that symbol red, and make it say deceased. you dont even need to remove the flag, so it would require even less coding.

That requires old flags to be stored for each deceased nation, not something thats going to happen. It would also require more coding I would have thought.

[Unibot]

ANIMATED - Due to "popular" demand, and because the DEAT-Reaper threatened me!

[West-Flanders]

What about a sunset..

[Somewhereistonia]

What about a sunset..

It looks too much like a normal flag, its not easily recognisable as an ex-nation. The sunset looks the same as a sunrise anyway...

[[violet]]

Ahhhh, funny stuff. Thanks again.

But the default flag is the Australian Aborigines' flag. It's completely theirs. Designed by an Aborigine and one of the few things other Australians haven't (completely) appropriated.

I'm sorry to go all PC on you, but I don't like the idea of an Australian-founded game showing it as a washed-out symbol of an ex-nation.

That's silly. The Australian Aboriginal flag is our default at least partly because it's a good cause. (Also it's a great flag. Also it's funny when you take down a Nazi flag and replace it with this one.) The image is used to express support for the rights of indigenous Australians all over the place. It flies over Parliament House. Protesters wave it in marches. It's a real stretch to turn promoting it into "appropriation."

Question... Are we using these flags for nations that are short term delete, such that the forum checks, instantaneous flag change? Or overnight check? Or is this for nations that we *know* won't be coming back because their nation name has been removed and opened up for new registration? Or is it for both?

Both, in that there's nobody in the latter category. If/when we do start releasing old nation names, I'm thinking I'll allow restore-and-rename for those ancient nations whose names have been appropriated. So any nation that gets deleted can potentially come back.

Nations' custom flags get deleted when they do, so at the moment there's no ability to stamp "EX NATION" on the nation's old flag, although that is a great idea. It'd be good to get something static up now and look at the fancy option later.

[Katganistan]

THIS!! Or maybe do the monochrome-fading thing, but Sawbones McCoy FTW!

"It's a flag, Jim, but not as we know it."

"There's Klingons off the starboard bow!!!"

[Erastide]

Question... Are we using these flags for nations that are short term delete, such that the forum checks, instantaneous flag change? Or overnight check? Or is this for nations that we *know* won't be coming back because their nation name has been removed and opened up for new registration? Or is it for both?

Both, in that there's nobody in the latter category. If/when we do start releasing old nation names, I'm thinking I'll allow restore-and-rename for those ancient nations whose names have been appropriated. So any nation that gets deleted can potentially come back.

Do you agree it would be nice to distinguish though? If you're posting on the forum and you see the poster has a flag that indicates their nation account has been opened up to registering again, it's *fairly* certain they will not be coming back under that name. I'm assuming here you wouldn't get this status until after a year or so of not logging in. Granted the same person could come back after a long absence, that's happened, but it's not as likely as a brand new person having that nation. The other (temporary flag) category could indicate either someone that has just forgotten for awhile, been unable to login for awhile, or actually left, we wouldn't know.

[Scolopendra]

Hah! Skull, check! Ex-nation, check! Gyronny by eight pattern that no real country uses, check!

Similarity to my flag... well... so I use gyronny by eight. So what?

Doesn't the Dutch naval ensign have a 'gyronny by eight' pattern?

It's not a national flag so naval ensigns don't count.

Scolo's latest design on the other hand, could be a flag and also looks good (although imo not as good as my or CH's flag designs).

You're just saying that because I'm making the core design in Paint and then adding the text and alpha channel later in Gimp. Yeah, it's pixellated, but it's faster for me to prototype things that way. It can be fancied up if chosen.

(Then why isn't your obviously MS Paint flag fancied up, Scolo?)

Because I like it that way, and it's been that way for six years.

(Didn't you change the color scheme last week?)

Shush.

[Somewhereistonia]

Scolo's latest design on the other hand, could be a flag and also looks good (although imo not as good as my or CH's flag designs).

You're just saying that because I'm making the core design in Paint and then adding the text and alpha channel later in Gimp. Yeah, it's pixellated, but it's faster for me to prototype things that way. It can be fancied up if chosen.

(Then why isn't your obviously MS Paint flag fancied up, Scolo?)

Because I like it that way, and it's been that way for six years.

(Didn't you change the color scheme last week?)

Shush.

Split personalitites scolo?