NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 12:51 pm

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:Speaking of nominations, I'm not sure if we're allowed to say more than one nomination per user. However, if it is allowed, then there are some nominations that I'd like to make. Ultimately, with a lot of surprising results amongst some very good flags, it was very hard to narrow it down but I've ultimately managed to narrow it down to 3 flags that I felt should have made it further and deserve honourable mentions in my opinion:
Astoria's Main Flag: I find the design to be quite creative, it uses crisp and clean colours, is unique with its use of symbolism and it's very memorable. Personally, I felt like their flag did get a bit unlucky in terms of the match-ups it faced to be honest (Astoria's other flags did have tough match-ups too to be fair). Frankly, I expected their flag to make it to the Top 16 at least.
Greenwichian Arcadia's Flag: Similar to Astoria's flag, it's very memorable, grounded and balanced as a design, fitting colours, in-depth meaning and very iconic use of symbolism. I also, initially, expected their flag to make it to at least the Top 16 and they did get quite close to reaching beyond the Top 64 as they lost by only 1 vote in their Top 64 match-up.
Valentine Z's Animated Flag: As a flag who won the last NS bracket, it was quite a shock for this flag to be eliminated during the first round and a lot of us probably thought it would make it a bit further than that especially as an improved form from last time out. Even then, it still feels very striking, appealing and memorable in all its technical glory (by technical I mean the gif effect). And even with its clear unconventionality, the sheer quality, uniqueness, extravagance and character that the individual flags of the gif give off simply can not be ignored in my opinion.

Multiple nominations are absolutely allowed!

by **Fallen Albali** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 2:06 pm

Oh right, for an honourable mention I would like to nominate Onocarcass' flag
When I saw I was matched up against this flag I thought it was all over - it should have been tbh. Genuinely an amazing flag that imo could have gone on into the finals

by **Vaspelia** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 3:10 pm

On nominations my picks are:
>kingdom of Velosia's flag
>val's GIF flag
>khorozon's gif flag
also, anyone has noticed that in the second sub list my Freedonia's flag doesn't appear?. I did, but i hadn't said anything before.
And by the way, on the voting at hand. I say both Sildora and Para' are equally matched. It's an hard one for me. Like, i prefer the Sildoran green and it feels overall more cleaner than Para's. There's also the strong symbolism of P.S flag... maaaaaaan... Going to vote for Sildora, but again, this decision is a hard one between two equally excellent flags.

by **Aroni** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 3:11 pm

Vaspelia wrote:...this decision is a hard one between two equally excellent flags.

I agree, but i lean the other way a bit.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 3:14 pm

Vaspelia wrote:also, anyone has noticed that in the second sub list my Freedonia's flag doesn't appear?. I did, but i hadn't said anything before.

Sorry about that, fixed.

Val's GIF has now been nominated three times!

by **Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 3:59 pm

My candidate

. Will there be something like a candidate table ?

Thakia-Huktharia Flag

by **Onocarcass** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 4:24 pm

If I'm nominating anything. Valentine Z Animated only got eliminated so early because it was facing what I believe was the best flag in the bracket first. Speaking of which, Vidinaz's main flag would get mine as well for literally being my favorite flag on the site.

by **Bloodshade** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:02 pm

I'll be nominating these four for honorable mentions if that's possible:

Valentine Z - Animated Flag
Paradisia Heavenlonia Stralisia Union - Paradeavenlisian States
Khoronzon - GIF
Trymia - Thaki

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:21 pm

Due to the large number of honorable mention nominations coming in, I think I'll have to close nominations tomorrow. And I won't be nominating any myself.

But for now, until Match 2 is posted, keep the nominations coming!

Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum wrote:My candidate . Will there be something like a candidate table ?

Thakia-Huktharia Flag
(Image)

I'll make a post with trophy images for each of Honorable Mentions, which will include a list of everyone who nominated them.

by **Khoronzon** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 10:09 pm

Bit sad about getting all my flags knocked out, but I suppose getting Top 16 is pretty solid already and the flag that ended up sending me out was interesting and well-designed enough for me to not be too salty about it. I guess this goes to show my older flags are in need of an update. Congratulations and good luck to Albali ~~though I actually prefer Bloodshade's flag in that matchup and want it to win but ehhh, formalities~~.

As for honourable mentions, I'd like to nominate Onocarcass' main flag, Onfande's Eternia Autonomous Region, and Haruhi Japan's Five Nights at Wario's. Also pretty nice seeing people nominate one of my flags - personally I'm a bit more proud of Ialvarith than the GIF one, but I'm not complaining.

Regarding the current matchup - both definitely have their merits, but Sildorian Empire's flag is a good bit more appealing to me thanks to the colour scheme and sleek, futuristic design, which is something I tend to prefer.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 5:53 am

Sildorian Empire ties with Paradeavenlisian States - Main Flag 16-16.
Congratulations to both submitters - of course, there will be a tiebreaker in the semifinals.

Top 8 Match 2
Bloodshade vs The Albalian Kingdom (by Fallen Albali)
Vote for your favorite flag and, if you want, explain your preference in the thread!

Due to a large number of nominations earlier, no new flags may be nominated for an Honorable Mentions. Everyone in the top 8 will receive a prize - these matches will determine just how large that prize is!

Bloodshade
The flag of Bloodshade is a representation of the plight of the Bloodshadian people: A mixture of refugees consisting of humans, elves, dwarfs and vampires who sailed an interstellar ark ship, 'Erebus', in order to find a paradise of their own amidst the stars, after the cataclysmic 'War of Woes' brought about extreme instability to their former homeworld's tectonic plates, enabling it to be plagued by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes until it would eventually blow up, exterminating all life along with its death. Now then, onto the meaning behind the flag which I shall go into detail. The colours and emblem on the flag represent a myriad of meanings:

The light blue is a representation of the perseverance of the Bloodshadian people as they travelled the black null void of space in order to find a place which they can finally call home. Some believe that it signifies the liberation of the people from the shackles of tradition and ancient grudges, joining in a common struggle to finally grant future generations a planet that they can call home, free from hazardous bigotry and xenophobia.
The blood-red aspect is an extremely significant part of the flag as it is supposed to immortalize those whose blood was spilt in the unfortunate 'War of Woes' and in the pursuit of a new home-world, currently named Tejon. The people of Bloodshade are not ones to shy away from conflict because they have everything to lose. Tejon is their home and they refuse to allow anyone to snatch that from them.
The white should represent the purity and innocence of the Bloodshadians as they roamed the galaxy in the hopes of settling down. They were a substantial collection of plucky, desperate survivors that simply wanted another chance at life, hoping that fate would be a merciful mistress for once. At their lowest point, they were finally of one heart and mind.
The 'Vega Eagle', named after the brightest star in Lyra, is supposed to represent the burning sensation in the souls of the Bloodshadians as they soar across the void of space. To them, the 'Vega Eagle' is a sign of hope, courage and regal power. Your typical eagle is known to be able to travel for 255 miles a day during its migration period, showcasing its determination and zeal. Coincidentally, the people have Bloodshade spent many years on the interstellar ark ship known as 'Erebus', neither stopping nor resting until they could settle down in greener pastures.
As for the bundle of arrows, officially, it is supposed to acknowledge the power being wielded the Vega Eagle. Some say it is a or should be a representation of the the militaristic nature of their people but most found this unofficial meaning to be rather traumatic and malicious in nature, considering the 'War of Woes' is still a rather fresh memory. Others claim that the 'three arrows' is a sign of resistance against the ancient ideologies that had resulted in the destruction of the Bloodshadian's original home planet. Those ideologies being ethnic nationalism, communism and absolute monarchism.
Simply put, the thunderbolt is a divine weapon. It is supposed to represent the instantaneous retributive destruction that Bloodshade could wreak upon its rival if its people were angered or wronged. Despite the depressing turn of events due to the 'War of Woes', this has only created stronger men and women that will rabidly protect what they believe is dear to them.

My opinion: This was a difficult decision - as it should be, given how far we are into the competition. I will vote for The Albali Kingdom, since its color scheme is easy on the eyes, and it looks more unique, less like the flag of some American territory.

No more honorable mentions may be nominated today. I will post the trophies for all of those nominated later.

by **Fallen Albali** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 6:11 am

I can already see it'll be close. At least I hope it is.
Good luck Bloodsy! :hug:

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 7:48 am

Wow, I was not anticipating a tie at this stage in the Top 8, especially as it results in a tiebreaker that could feature my Esceanian flag (IF it does win its match against Alanis Star's flag that is which will be a tough one undoubtedly). I was fully expecting Sildorian Empire's flag to triumph in that match due to its crispness, more original use of green and just the sheer simplicity of it. But regardless, I'd like to give my congratulations to the user of SE's flag for making it so far!

Which flag, between Ialvarith and The Albalian Kingdom, will I vote for?

Simplicity:For simplicity, it is quite obvious that TAK's flag is more simplistic. It consists of four stripes (two thin blue bands at the top and bottom and two thicker yellow bands at the top and bottom) and a field in between which further consists of a wreath, a raptor, four stars and a crown. I find the raptor, in particular, to be an interesting case in regards to simplicity due to its suprisingly simplified design but I'll go more into depth with it in the next category. Bloodshade's flag is comprised of a red fess with a white outline separating by a thin blue band on each side. Dissecting the two halves of the fess is a diamond-shaped emblem. Within this emblem, it contains an eagle clutching a grain of wheat and a thunderbolt in its talons. Therefore, not only does Bloodshade's flag have more features in its layout, but its symbolism is far more detailed despite having a lower number of symbols used and it has more colours.

Originality: For originality, this is an extremely tough one to determine (perhaps the hardest one to analyse). For TAK's flag, while it does have a fairly familiar layout, they, too, also implement and arrange their symbols in a distinguishing manner. For instance, the arrangement of the stars with the crown is clearly very unique but what I find most distinguishing about the design is the raptor, specifically the way in which it is designed. Most eagle-like designs are usually extremely complicated and detailed, especially those going for an historical aesthetic. But this one is very simplistic, even the wings and the tail, a feature that is rarely seen on any eagle-like flags outside of Albalian flags. For Bloodshade's flag, while the the flag does share some similarities such as the American eagle, and the Cape Verde-like layout and colours, it does feature some unique aspects (such as its diamond-shaped emblem, some unique details on the eagle, and the rare featuring of a thunderbolt. When comparing the two on originality, it really depends on what aspects we're referring to. If we base it on symbolism, then TAK's flag is more unique. If we base it on the overall layout, then Bloodshade's flag is more unique. Therefore, it would likely have to come down to the colour scheme and meaning of the two flags. For the originality of the colour scheme, Bloodshade's flag does have the red, blue and white colour scheme which is also the most frequently used colour scheme amongst flags whilst TAK's flag does use a blue and yellow colour scheme which, while more unique than blue, red and white combined, is still quite a frequently used colour scheme. However, what makes Bloodshade's colour scheme more unique is its unique use of azure blue which is rarely featured amongst a combination of red, blue and white. As for the originality of the meaning, this is an extremely tough one to determine but I think Bloodshade's flag just about edges it especially in regards to the meaning of the Vega Eagle, bundle of arrows and lightning bolt. Henceforth, I think Bloodshade's flag is just about more original because of its unique use of meaning behind it, original use of azure blue alongside red and white and just the more distinguishing layout as a whole.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is also a tough category but I'll have to give this one to Bloodshade's flag because the azure blue, in combination with the red and white, make for a more striking, aesthetically and visually appealing, enticing and memorable colour scheme. It also feels considerably more meaningful and characterful as well with the azure blue representing the perseverance of the people, the red representing the blood spilt and the white representing the purity of the Bloodshadian people. TAK's flag does have a rather interesting colour scheme as well as an intriguing meaning behind it mainly involving the wealth of the nation. However, while it is meaningful with plenty of appeal, I don't think it does so to the same sort of extent as Bloodshade's flag and neither is it as enticing or appealing to my eyes.

Design:In terms of the design, I'll have to undoubtedly give this to Bloodshade's flag because, like the colours, it gives off much more meaning and character, has more visual and aesthetic appeal, feels more memorable and striking and it just has downright better composition in my opinion. I also feel like the design is tidier, more organised and much cleaner and crispier. The only issue I have with the flag is the prescence of a red streak along the bottom of the white outline but it is next to, if not, completely unnoticeable from a distance. As for TAK's flag, particularly its use of symbolism, it gives off quite a bit of character to it due to its association with power and grace. That being said though, I do feel like the positioning of the symbols is a little off. For instance, the tail tip of the raptor doesn't really precisely line up with the centre of the wreath and I feel like the head is a little off in correlation to the crown for some reason. There is also the stripes which feel a bit off and uneven in terms of proportion with the bottom blue stripe being a bit thicker than its top counterpart and I don't like how the inner yellow stripes are thicker than their outer blue counterparts. While its flaws are also relatively unnoticeable from a distance, I'd still say they are easier to notice than Bloodshade's.

Realism:In regards to realism, this is probably the toughest category to determine, but I think I'll have to give this to Bloodshade's flag for two major reasons. For one, the design is, and feels, much cleaner and crispier throughout the design and consistently such. And two, the positioning of the symbols aren't quite as off-putting as those on TAK's flag. Not to mention, I feel like Bloodshade's flag could fit quite well for a flag of some form of an American World Order or something along the lines of that. For TAK's flag, while the colours are more plausible for a real world flag, the lack consistent anti-alaising along with the off-putting, unbalanced arrangement and positioning of the symbols would make it a bit implausible for any sort of real world flag in some aspects. If the flaws were addressed, then I might have given it to them to be completely honest.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 4 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will vote for Ialvarith's flag because the layout, colours and meaning feels more original, it has a slightly more intriguing and much more in-depth meaning, the design is just far more crisp and clean and the flag, as a whole, just feels far more striking, enticing, appealing, plausible and memorable to my eyes. While TAK's flag does have more plausible colours, greater simplicity and more original use of symbolism, it just isn't as consistent in anti-alaising, not as enticing and neither is it as organised or grounded in terms of its positioning of the symbols. However, to be fair, if TAK's flaws were sorted out, then there it probably would have been even tougher to determine and their flag and Bloodshade's would be near equals in my opinion.

Also, TCM, I believe there is a typo error in the Upcoming Matches section of the OP (specifically the semi-finalist matches).

by **Bloodshade** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 9:16 am

Fallen Albali wrote:I can already see it'll be close. At least I hope it is.
Good luck Bloodsy!

Yuppers! it’s looking like a hype round! All the best and good luuuck, Allie! :hug:

Complementary cute Skaven as a show of good sportsmanship

by **Fallen Albali** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 9:45 am

Bloodshade wrote:
Fallen Albali wrote:I can already see it'll be close. At least I hope it is.
Good luck Bloodsy!

Yuppers! it’s looking like a hype round! All the best and good luuuck, Allie!

Complementary cute Skaven as a show of good sportsmanship

I'll protect him forever <3

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:50 am

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:Also, TCM, I believe there is a typo error in the Upcoming Matches section of the OP (specifically the semi-finalist matches).

Sorry, I don't see the typo. Though I did add something to clarify that Top 8 Match 1 will in fact be a three-way match.

Edit:

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:Wow, I was not anticipating a tie at this stage in the Top 8, especially as it results in a tiebreaker that could feature my Esceanian flag (IF it does win its match against Alanis Star's flag that is which will be a tough one undoubtedly). I was fully expecting Sildorian Empire's flag to triumph in that match due to its crispness, more original use of green and just the sheer simplicity of it. But regardless, I'd like to give my congratulations to the user of SE's flag for making it so far!

Also, as I am trying to avoid two flags from the same submitter, I may shuffle the semifinals matches around if Esceanian Union wins Match 3.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 3:03 pm

Let's give a virtual round of applause for our honorable mentions! Listed first are flags that were nominated more than once for an extra special honorable mention, then in order of bracket placement.

by **Fennoscandia Union** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 3:58 pm

No offense, but how did Five Nights at Wario's become an honorable mention

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:12 pm

Fennoscandia Union wrote:No offense, but how did Five Nights at Wario's become an honorable mention

Khoronzon nominated it, I assume because they thought the non-flags deserved representation. And while I agree it wasn't a good submission, it was at least provocative.

by **Occidens Praseodymia** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:14 pm

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:15 pm

by **Onocarcass** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:19 pm

Lots of good flags got eliminated earlier than expected, but that's just how it goes sometimes. lol

by **Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:29 pm

Will there be a competition for the memorial ceremony ? + Voting for the flags we make ourselves for commemoration should not count.

I wonder who will win a match like this

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:33 pm

Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum wrote:Will there be a competition for the memorial ceremony?

I don't think I'll do an extra competition right away, at least not of that sort. There may be a Flag Bracket III, though, albeit not right away (a few months from now perhaps).

by **Drongonia** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:39 pm

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:Also, in regards to the last match, I was honestly expecting it to be a bit closer than that as their progress and positions in the last bracket clearly highlights that their submissions aren't to be underestimated. While Drongonia's submissions have all been eliminated, I do, still, want to say congratulations to them for not just doing so well in the last bracket but also by still doing relatively well even through heightened competition (I'd argue that increased competition was, perhaps, the main/only reason why they didn't made it to the Top 8 and the sheer aesthetical appeal and elegance of their submissions is what makes them so good in my opinion. Also, I'd like to wish them good luck in the future if they plan to submit more flags for any potential flag brackets after this one and, again, it was a honour to go up against their South Pacific flag.

Thank you PS, you're too kind! Rest assured I do have some new designs being cooked up in the background for whenever the next flag bracket might be. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed about my flags not making it any further, but hey, the competition was amazing and I'm glad that the best flags are making it through in the end.

NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

Who is online