NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

by **Voxija** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 12:49 pm

I'll still have to choose Drongonia.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:42 am

Drongonia - Alternate defeats Two-Oh-Four (by Dukin Donuts) 15-7.
Congratulations, Drongonia!

Top 64 Match 32
Sildorian Empire vs Hiems - Old Main Flag
Vote for your favorite flag and, if you want, explain your preference in the thread!

Time for the top 64! Submissions are now locked in, no substantial changes allowed. Good luck to the remaining competitors.

My opinion: I prefer Sildorian Empire's flag between these two. The color scheme works very well, the symbol is interesting, and it does a good job of representing the Sildorian Empire without being too complex. While Hiems' flag has an interesting symbol also, it includes an unnecessary ripple effect and vignette, and the color scheme is not as effective.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:47 am

Which flag, between Sildorian Empire and Hiems' Old Main Flag, will I vote for?

Simplicity:For simplicity, I'm giving this one to Sildorian Empire's flag. Their flag consists of two thin white bands separating the thicker stripes from the pale. Speaking of which, the pale, in itself, contains a symbol in the centre which consists of a bottomless isosceles triangle with two extensions per side. All of these features and the layout are simplistic in their own right and shouldn't require that much difficulty for a child to draw. For Hiems' Old Main Flag, it consists of a two stripes between a pale in the centre. Just like its Sildorian counterpart, the pale also contains a central symbol but with a lotus instead. Now, while the layout is quite simplistic (arguably even more simplistic than Sildorian Empire's, on its own), the symbol in the centre isn't mainly due to the sheer detail through its sheer amount of petals implemented collectively on the lotus. And due to the detailed lotus making it potentially hard for a child to draw, it pretty much makes Sildorian Empire's flag more simplistic automatically.

Originality:As for originality, I would say that Sildorian Empire's flag is more unique in pretty much every aspect of it. For instance, green, white and yellow make up for quite an original combination in my personal opinion and so is their implementation with the green, in particular, being a rather rare and original choice for a "dominating" and major colour(in terms of its use) on a flag. Not to mention, the symbol in the centre doesn't really resemble anything found on any other flag of some sort, not even on this site as far as I am aware and, while there is no given description on its meaning, I can bet that it has a rather unique meaning behind it as well. For Hiems' Old Main Flag, while the lotus is uniquely designed and does make for a rather unique choice of symbol for a flag that is both focused on a cold, wintry aesthetic and for a rather cold nation, the lotus has been featured in a few flags, both on this site and in real world flags, specifically the flag of Macau. Also, while it does use for a unique shade of blue (instead of the more generic navy blue), it just isn't distinctive enough to make for a unique combination with the white which are generally a bit generic for a colour combination.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I'll have to give this to Sildorian Empire because the colours of white, gold and green work very well in a way that is striking and intriguing at the same time with its great implementation amongst the design without messing it up in regards to the balance of contrast. Not to mention, having the yellow be used for the central symbol makes the flag feel quite memorable to me. Personally, I would prefer it if either the two bands at the top and bottom or the pale in the middle were either purple or dark blue as a way to emphasise the space aesthetic of the nation but, again, it's just a personal preference and I don't really have any real problems with the colour scheme of Sildorian Empire's flag. For Hiems' Old Main Flag, while their colours, indeed, do well in conveying the wintry aesthetic of its nation, it just doesn't do well in appealness, strikeness or memorability as a whole which makes it feel a bit drab and lackluster in all honesty and neither the ripples nor the vignette help either. To improve on it, I'd try to replace what seems to be Prussian Blue with something like navy blue (even if it may be a little generic) or, perhaps, azure blue.

Design:In terms of the design, I'm still giving this one to Sildorian Empire's flag because while both flags have equally great use of symmetry, Sildorian Empire's flag has excellent composition, more character through its symbolism which seems to represent the futuristic vibe as well as the seemingly endless economic and technological progress, and a more intriguing layout. All of these features make the design quite easy to recognise from a distance while being extremely memorable at the same time along with (mostly) consistent cleanliness and crispness. I do, however, have one slight nick pick with the design, over a feature that is pretty hard to notice and that is the edges of the central symbol where it is the only inconsistent feature when it comes to clean and crisp edges. Upon close examination, there does seem to be some white edges in some areas and there are even some jagged points in some areas as well. Henceforth, the only thing that the flag needs improving is to ensure and maintain crisper and cleaner edges on the edge of the symbols but it can be easy to ignore (without even knowing) and its the only minor nickpick that I have with the otherwise elegant design. For Hiems' Old Main Flag, even if we were to exclude the completely unnecessary ripple and vignette effects, there isn't really anything too striking about the layout and, therefore, isn't really that memorable to me. And even for the only potentially striking and memorable aspect of the flag, the lotus, it is also the most inconsistent area when it comes to crisp and clean edges, far more so than the central symbol of Sildorian Empire's flag as it is easily noticeable in comparision. Therefore, to improve on it for starters, I would simply crispen up the edges of the lotus flower a bit more.

Realism:In regards to realism, it really depends on what we are considering. If we are going strictly based on MT standards, then Hiems' Old Main Flag would prevail, in spite of the more jagged, J-PEGed edges, because of its more plausible symbol and, perhaps, colours as well. However, otherwise, I may have to narrowly give this one for Sildorian Empire's flag because of its more grounded and cleaner colours and design with its crisper and cleaner edges and it does at least feel extremely plausible for an FT flag due to its intriguing, balanced colours and its simplicity.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 4 or 5 (depending on who you ask) out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will vote for Sildorian Empire's flag for this round because of its simplicity, its considerably more distinctive colours and central symbol which is also more fitting for its concept and meaningful-wise, coupled with better composition, more intriguing and appealing colours and just downright crisper and cleaner edges as a whole. For Hiems' Old Main Flag, while the colours are fitting for its concept, has a striking symbol and has a decent layout, the colours just aren't that memorable and feel a little too drab for my liking, the central symbol is not as fitting for its concept and the edges just aren't crisp or clean enough to really earn my vote in this matchup.

by **Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum** » Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:07 am

Flags I love for this tour

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 6:39 am

Sildorian Empire defeats Hiems - Old Main Flag 18-7.
Congratulations, Sildorian Empire/NGR!

We've now eliminated three quarters of all of the flags and more than half of the submitters in this bracket. That means that all of the flags remaining are great flags, with great designers. Good luck to those designers! The top 32 will begin with this tiebreaker:

Top 32 Match 1
Three-way match
Ensholm (by New Spiedska) vs Duolin - Midnight (by Diarcesia) vs The Perpetual Peace - Alternate
Vote for your favorite flag and, if you want, explain your preference in the thread!

It's time for the top 32 - only great flags could have made it this far! Good luck to the remaining submitters!

My opinion: While TPP's alternate flag makes a strong case, I still find the unique design of Ensholm's flag to be the best of these three, with great colors, diagonal stripes, and a great way of incorporating its crown symbol.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:38 am

BTW TCM, you forgot to update the title (specifically the bit in brackets) to "(Top 32, Match 1)".

Which flag, between Kycci Province, Duolin Midnight and Ensholm, will I vote for?

Simplicity:For simplicity, I'm giving this one to DM's flag. Their flag consists of a blue background, three yellow lines per side cut off by two smaller blue lines per side and a triangle at the bottom centre of the flag. all of the features are very simplistic in their own right and can definitely be drawn by a 7 year old child. For Ensholm's flag, it contains a white diagonal stripe dissecting the design in two. The white diagonal stripe is bounded on both sides by three thinner gold stripes at the top left section and a diagonal row of three Swedish crowns. Now, while most of the features are simplistic, it does have more going for it (feature-wise) than both of the other two and the three Swedish crowns are a bit more complicated in design than either the 4-pointed stars nor the stripes. In regards to Kycci's flag, it is comprised of a maroon field with two thin bands on the each top and bottom side with a star and an extremely detailed eagle in the centre. Now, while the layout (excluding the symbolism) is simplistic, I do think that their symbolism, specifically the eagle, is extremely detailed even when compared to the Swedish crowns of Ensholm's flag even though Kycci's layout is, arguably, easier for a child to draw out (excluding symbolism). This makes Ensholm's flag the more simplistic of the two because while it does have more features, the symbolism clearly doesn't have anywhere near the amount of detail that Kycci's eagle exhibits. Henceforth, here is where I'd rank them from most to least simplistic:
1. Duolin Midnight
2. Ensholm
3. Kycci Province

Originality:As for originality, this is quite a hard one to determine as all of them are unique in one way or another. Ensholm's flag does have quite a unique layout largely in part with the incorporation, arrangement and implementation of the three thinner gold stripes and the three Swedish crowns. However, in spite of its distinguishing design, Ensholm's flag does feel very Swedish-esque in terms of its colours (although there are some clear differences in regards to the colours such as the darker blue and additional featuring of white) and especially its use of symbolism which has been featured on the Swedish coat of arms. Duolin Midnight's flag features 4-pointed stars which have rarely been featured on a real world flag and the gold stripes are even more distinguishing since they have never really been featured on any real world flag. While Kycci's flag does have the generic 5-pointed star and an eagle at the centre, the eagle is still uniquely designed and, most of all, the colour scheme of maroon, white and yellow is an extremely rare colour scheme and even maroon, by itself, is rarely used on any other flag whatsoever. Considering this, I may need to give a slight edge to Kycci's flag purely because of the distinctively rare colours used and implemented on the flag. Between Ensholm's and Duolin Midnight's flag, I think I'll go with DM's flag because it just doesn't have that much similarities or aesthetical links with real world flags when compared to the Swedish-esque flag of Ensholm. Taking that into account, here is where I'd rank the flags from most to least original:
1. Kycci Province
2. Duolin Midnight
3. Ensholm

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is yet another tough category to decide on. Ensholm's flag has very appealing colours (perhaps the most appealing of the three) which are balanced in terms of contrast in the way in which they are implemented. Not to mention, it does well in emphasising the Swedish aesthetic and it executes the concept quite well. It is also well implemented through the fact that it avoids potentially poor contrast between the white and the gold. Duolin Midnight's flag does also do well in emphasising and conveying the midnight aesthetic through its similar colour scheme to the point where it has more meaning to it than the other two. However, it just doesn't feel as striking nor appealing to my eyes, for some reason, as Ensholm's colours. Kycci's flag has, perhaps, the most striking and memorable colours of the three. However, considering this, I think I'll have to narrowly give this one to Ensholm's flag because I feel like the colours are simply more appealing to my eyes and it executes the aesthetic and concept quite well in my opinion. Between Kycci's and Duolin Midnight's flag, I think I'll have to give it to Kycci's flag because I feel like the colours are just a bit more striking and memorable to my very eyes. Henceforth, here is where I'd rank the flags from the best to the worst colour scheme:
1. Ensholm
2. Kycci Province
3. Duolin Midnight

Design:In terms of the design, this is, perhaps, one of the more difficult categories (which is really saying something) to determine. Ensholm's flag does have quite a good use of symbolism with the three Swedish crowns excellently executing the concept of what seems to be a former Swedish colony is what is, perhaps, Eastern Canada or New England. However, I do find the arrangement of the three crowns, along with the thinner yellow lines, to be not quite as balanced as the other two which could make it feel a little off-putting. Also, while I do definitely understand the reason for the positioning of the three crowns (to avoid poor colour contrast between the gold and white), it just disrupts the balance and it does feel a bit weird to have the three thinner gold stripes at just one side of the white stripe. To improve on it, I think the three gold crowns should be placed in the white stripe but with a black or even blue outline around each of them to avoid poor contrast and to make them more distinctive on the stripe. I would replace the three crowns with one thin yellow line to make it less clustered and get rid of the two already existing outer lines on the other side to make it feel less clustered. Duolin Midnight's flag is, perhaps, the most balanced out of all of them, due to their symmetry and does seem to be the more meaningful of the three mainly due to them being the only one with an actual description. Kycci's flag makes for some very good use of symbolism, especially the way in which the eagle is intricately designed. Not to mention, the layout, as a whole, is very grounded to my eyes. The only personal issue that I have with the flag is the lack of anti-aliasing of the eagle although, to be fair, it is hard to do that on something as intricately designed as their eagle. Bearing that in mind, I think that Kycci's flag has the superior design of the three because it is, by far, the most striking and memorable of the three and it makes for some very good meaning and character through its eagle symbol of pride and strength. Between Ensholm's and Duolin Midnight's, while both designs are great in their own right, I may need to narrowly give this one to Duolin Midnight's because it feels far more balanced, it feels less flawed, has more in-depth meaning behind it and it is just less off-putting in terms of the arrangement of the symbols and layout. Therefore, this is how I'd rank the flags from the strongest to weakest design:
1. Kycci Province
2. Duolin Midnight
3. Ensholm

Realism:In regards to realism, I think I may need to narrowly give this one to Kycci Province's flag because while it is the least crisp of the three, it could work quite well for an alternative flag for a US state in the southwest, particularly such for Utah, Nevada or Arizona or perhaps for a flag for an alternate Deseret nation due to its use of symbolism and the desert-esque colour scheme. For Ensholm's flag, while the design does feel a tad bit unconventional due to certain off-putting features, it does, at least, have a more realistic and grounded aesthetic and it could really work well as a flag of an alternate former (or ongoing) Swedish colony in either Eastern Canada or New England. The way in which the yellow stripes on Duolin Midnight's flag are arranged could make them a little unusual on a flag but not too far off in terms of plausibility and I'd argue that it could fit well enough on a flag, if used correctly and to its full potential that is. Not to mention, it does have some grounded and relatively plausible colours. Between the two flags, I think Ensholm's flag is the more realistic of the two flags because while it does have more off-putting features, it does, at least, have some form of familiarity through both the colours and the symbols of the flag which are both also more grounded-in-reality and plausible in my opinion. With this in mind, this is how I'd rank the flags from most to least realistic:
1. Kycci Province
2. Ensholm
3. Duolin Midnight

Verdict:Overall, this was quite a tough match to decide on. However, having won 3 out of 5 categories, I will vote for Kycci Province's flag for this round because it is, by far, the most striking and memorable of the two in both colours and design, the eagle gives off plenty of meaning and character (even without a description) while having, arguably, the best overall design of the symbols, and, ironically enough, has the greatest plausibility and originality. Ensholm's flag does have better and more appealing colours and it does feel relatively realistic and plausible but it does feel a bit more unbalanced than the other three in regards to its design, the least original out of the three and it could do with the most improvements, specifically in regards to the thin gold stripes and crowns. For Duolin Midnight's flag, while it is, indeed, the most balanced, simplistic and symmetrical out of the three, it just doesn't quite have the strike factor to the same extent as the other two in regards to its colours. Between the latter two, it is quite hard to determine but, having ranked higher more consistently, I'll narrowly give it to Duolin Midnight's flag not only because of its greater balance and simplicity but it also feels more original, has greater meaning, isn't as riddled with flaws and has less off-putting features. If the flaws of Ensholm's flag were to be fixed as mentioned earlier, then it would likely beat out Duolin Midnight's flag and could make for a good match against Kycci Province's flag from my point of view but, as it is, it remains the weaker of the three flags in my opinion. Taking all of this in mind, this is where I'd rank them as the strongest and weakest of the three flags, purely in my opinion:
1. Kycci Province
2. Duolin Midnight
3. Ensholm

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:45 am

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:BTW TCM, you forgot to update the title (specifically the bit in brackets) to "(Top 32, Match 1)".

Oops! Fixed now

by **Barfleur** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:41 am

Congrats to everyone who's made it to top 32!

by **Valentine Z** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:22 am

Best of luck to all!

by **Onocarcass** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 7:17 pm

I'm voting Ensholm, it's very well designed and just kinda nice to look at.
Looking ahead, am I allowed to vote for one of my opponents in the next match? Because one of them is literally my favorite flag I've seen on all of NS.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 7:26 pm

Onocarcass wrote:I'm voting Ensholm, it's very well designed and just kinda nice to look at.
Looking ahead, am I allowed to vote for one of my opponents in the next match? Because one of them is literally my favorite flag I've seen on all of NS.

Of course, you can vote however you like.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 6:38 am

Ensholm (by New Spiedska) and Duolin - Midnight (by Diarcesia) tie for first, The Perpetual Peace - Alternate is third; vote total is 12-12-2.
A tie in a tiebreaker! It looks like Ensholm is going to be placed in three tiebreakers in a row; we'll see both their flag and Duolin's yet again in the top 16.

Top 32 Match 2
Three-way match
Northern Federation (by Greater Cosmicium) vs Dyota-Metura Province (by Onocarcass) vs Vidinaz - Star of Discovery
Vote for your favorite flag and, if you want, explain your preference in the thread!

It's time for the top 32 - only great flags could have made it this far! Good luck to the remaining submitters!

My opinion: All three of these flags are great, and I can't give much criticism to any of them, but with regards to color scheme and overall design, my favorite flag is Northern Federation's.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:36 am

Which flag, between Northern Federation, Dyota-Metura Province and Vidinaz's Star of Discovery, will I vote for?

Simplicity:For simplicity, this one is a bit hard to determine. NF's flag consists of a horizontal triband design with an outlined emblem at the centre. Within the emblem, it contains six 6-pointed stars surrounding a bigger, 8-pointed star at the very centre of both the flag and the emblem. Now, while a child would obviously have a harder time to draw a six or eight-pointed star than a 5-pointed star (due to less experience and the fact that there's more points), it is still quite simplistic in regards to its layout and it isn't too overly cluttered to not be replicated with some ease to the very least. D-MP's flag consists of a pixelated shaazuuq with a two stripes (one on each side) separating the outer stripes from the pale. Now, while the layout (excluding the symbol) is more simplistic than NF's, the simplicity of the shaazuuq can vary a bit depending on what we are considering. It is obvious that it could easily be replicated and designed on a computer. However, as for a child drawing it out on paper, while it can be drawn purely with a ruler, it would take some precision to draw out the temple, especially the four pixelated points. For VSD's flag, it also consists of an horizontal triband design with an outline acting as a border between the three stripes. At the centre, it contains an emblem which consists of what appears to be a ring of stars surrounding a wheel. Now, right off the bat, even excluding the symbolism, the layout of VSD's flag is not as simplistic as neither of the other two (but only narrowly if considering NF's layout) due to the addition of the outline. What really makes the design considering more complicated than both submission is, of course, the symbolism as it has much more going for it than NF's and D-MP's flags and the wheel, especially, is considerably more complicated. Considering this, I think that D-MP's flag is the more simplistic of the three, but only narrowly, because it would be the easiest to be replicated on a computer with its pixelation and it has the least going for it layout-wise. Between NF's flag and VSD's flag, I will give it to NF's flag since the symbols are more simplistic, spaced out, have much less going for it and are less cluttered. Henceforth, here is where I'd rank them from most to least simplistic:
1. Dyota-Metura Province
2. Northern Federation
3. Vindinaz - Star of Discovery

Originality:As for originality, I will have to give this to D-MP's flag because green tends to be a rare dominant colour amongst flags especially what seems to be pigment green. Not to mention, not only does it have the most unique layout of the three but a traditional burial structure such as a Shaazuuq is rarely seen in flags, especially in pixelated form in a provincial flag. For Northern Federation, it does use the generic tricolour design but it does make up for it with some very unique colours, especially with the featuring of two shades of blue with cadet blue (yes I'm pretty sure it isn't dark cyan as it appears to be too light in tone for me to consider it as such) rarely, if at all, featured in any flag at all. It also uses a unique combination of both 6-pointed and 8-pointed star variations which both make for a good break from the more generic 5-pointed stars. Speaking of which, VSD's flag pretty much has the general layout and the colour scheme of Venezuela's flag but with an outline separating the three stripes. And even the emblem shares some similarities as well with the yellow star ring of the EU flag and the wheel of the Indian Flag Taking that into account, here is where I'd rank the flags from most to least original:
1. Dyota-Metura Province
2. Northern Federation
3. Vidinaz - Star of Discovery

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is yet another tough category to decide on. For D-MP's colour scheme, it definitely has a striking colour scheme but, personally speaking, I think the green may be a little too bright for my liking. To improve on it, I think it could do with some slight darkening but not too much. As for the other two, this is where it really becomes hard to determine. For NF's colour scheme, their colour scheme definitely exhibits some intriguing meaning behind it (as shown by its description) and it probably has the most balanced colour scheme of the three in terms of contrast and it does have strong memorability due to its distinctiveness. My only issue with the colour scheme is that I just feel like the cadet blue used for the top stripe is a little too drab. Personally, to improve on it, I would go for, what I would consider to be, a more appealing and memorable #008b8b which is more similar to what the flag description considers as dark cyan. For VSD's colour scheme, it is definitely, by far, the most striking, memorable and, in my opinion, appealing out of the three. It also seems to bear the most in-depth meaning as well and it is very well incorporated and implemented. However, there is one minor issue I have with the flag and that is the poor contrast between the outline and the top yellow stripe. However, I personally don't think it's actually fixable to be completely honest, at least not without either ruining it or completely changing the entire design. With this, I'll narrowly go for VSD's colour scheme because they feel far more appealing, striking, memorable and meaningful than the other two colour schemes and I do have a personal preference for the aesthetic in which the colours bring to the flag. Between NF's and D-MP's colour scheme, I will have to give it to NF's flag because, while their colour scheme might not be as striking, it does, at least, feel more meaningful, fitting for its concept and balanced as a whole. Henceforth, here is where I'd rank the flags from the best to the worst colour scheme:
1. Vidinaz - Star of Discovery
2. Northern Federation
3. Dyota-Metura Province

Design:In terms of the design, this is, still, another (probably one of the most) difficult category to determine. For D-MP's flag, it does have a decent layout coupled with good use of symbolism. For the pixelation of the symbol though, this one is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, a pixelated symbol can look a bit off-putting, especially if used on what is, otherwise, a rather modern/futuristic looking layout. On the other hand, though, if incorporated correctly, on the right sort of design, then it could potentially work really well since a pixelated symbol on a flag can give off tribal or, occasionally, provincial vibes (maybe even both). And luckily for D-MP's flag, I'd argue that it leans more to the latter due to its relatively minimalist design which is, more often than not, an aspect for provincial flags when compared to national flags. While the pixelated design may not give off the best aesthetical tastes for me, it stills works well for both the flag and the concept that it is trying to execute. VSD's flag does have great symmetry and a memorable design with good use of symbolism which is both appealing and fitting for its concept and desired aesthetic. However, I do personally feel like it is a little bit cluttered in the centre and I think that the central component of the wheel is a bit too small for my liking, especially when compared to the extensions which it emanates. To improve the design, I'd do 2 things. One, make a centre of the wheel bigger (to the point where it is touching the two barely noticeable points that are closer to the centre than the edge of each extension) as a way to make it more distinctive and secondly, I would have it so the outline would completely surround the emblem. NF's flag probably has the most balanced design in terms of simplicity and it has some very good symmetry, coupled with some excellent composition and good incorporation of symbolism. Personally, I think NF's flag has the superior design because although VSD's design does feel more meaningful, NF's flag, at least, doesn't feel too overly complicated in comparision, it feels less flawless and it just has slightly better composition in my opinion. Between VSD's and D-MP's flag, I'd still have to give this to VSD's design because it feels far more meaningful, has more grounded symbolism and just feels more appealing, has better character and better memorability. Therefore, this is how I'd rank the flags from best to worst design:
1. Northern Federation
2. Vidinaz - Star of Discovery
3. Dyota-Metura Province

Realism:In regards to realism, I think I may need to give this one to NF's flag because it feels simplistic enough to fit in as a real world flag, coupled with its distinguishing but balanced, grounded, sensible and plausible design. In fact, I could see this fitting for an alternate nation in the North of Canada or, for some reason, or an alternate flag of Myanmar or for a province within it. VSD's flag does have some decently grounded symbolism and its colours and layout, in particular, could work very well for an alternate Hindu Gran Colombia. For D-MP's flag, I could see it working as a tribal nation in the Great Lakes or Prairies Region or maybe even one in Siberia although I feel like the pixelation of the central symbolism could be potentially deemed as a bit off-putting to the eyes of some. With this in mind, this is how I'd rank the flags from most to least realistic:
1. Northern Federation
2. Vidinaz - Star of Discovery
3. Dyota - Metura Province

Verdict:Overall, this was quite a tough match to decide on. However, winning in 2 out of the 5 categories above, I will have to vote for Northern Federation's flag because it just feels more balanced as a whole in terms of its greater simplicity and good, adequate implementation of central symbolism, has good meaningful, solid colours, better overall composition and symmetry and also a downright more plausible flag as a whole. Between VSD's flag and D-MP's flag, while the latter does win in more categories (2), it does also come in more categories (3). Therefore, as a result of consistently better ranking, I think VSD's flag is superior between the two since it has the most meaning, intriguing premise and character of the three while also have more intriguing, appealing and just downright more memorable colours. For D-MP's flag, I do feel like it could work for a nation of this concept and it definitely does have some promise through its greater simplicity and originality of the three, as well as some good use of symbolism. However, I do feel it could do with some improvement (mainly in regards to the colours), and it just doesn't feel meaningful, characterful, or appealing to really earn my vote in this match up. Taking all of this in mind, this is where I'd rank them as from the best flags downwards, purely in my opinion:
1. Northern Federation
2. Vidinaz - Star of Discovery
3. Dyota-Metura Province

by **-Astoria-** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:44 am

by **Onocarcass** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 6:53 pm

It looks like I'm in the minority here. But I think Vidinaz's flag is the best flag I've seen on this site.

by **Drongonia** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:12 pm

I'm going for DMP on this one.

by **Vaspelia** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:29 pm

I have abstained from the previous vote because the flags were good enough to make me confused of which one to vote. The situation is similar here but this time i want to finally make a decision. DMP's flag is really good but both Vidinaz's and NF's will take the lead here i'm afraid. Vidinaz's flag is quite nice and with a excellent symbolism. And despite the colors don't stop screaming "venezuela!" to me, i guess it's a respectable decision to take the primary colors here as it's going to be made somehow either way IOTL. Fun fact: apparently German writer Von Goethe went to Francisco de Miranda in a converstation that went like this:

And NF's flag?. I really, really like its colors!. dark tones that make the white of the circle and the stars really stand out. Hmm. Now i see the proof i have pointed out, i think i have an idea of who i'm going to vote for. My vote is for Vidinaz's flag, a very interesting one!.

also: my respects to PS (more like Paraking) here. He does loooong essays breaking down the flags and analyze them. That unsung dedication deserves me at least pointing that out.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 5:25 am

Vaspelia wrote:also: my respects to PS (more like Paraking) here. He does loooong essays breaking down the flags and analyze them. That unsung dedication deserves me at least pointing that out.

Thanks!

Also, since it looks like there is going to be yet another tie (but this time between VSD's and DMP's flags who both seem to be on the losing side of this match), what happens from there may I ask since it is looking like a different case of a tie? Does the match keep going on until the tie is broken or does the match just end and the tie remains unbroken (if a last minute vote for one of those flags doesn't slip in) or is it something else (like another match involving both of those flags at some point in time)?

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 5:46 am

Paradeavenlisian States wrote:Also, since it looks like there is going to be yet another tie (but this time between VSD's and DMP's flags who both seem to be on the losing side of this match), what happens from there may I ask since it is looking like a different case of a tie? Does the match keep going on until the tie is broken or does the match just end and the tie remains unbroken?

The match will just end, with the tied flags being eliminated. The exact rankings don't matter too much until the top 8 (where they determine prizes), so it's fine if there is a tie for second. Even if I needed to determine their rankings, I would use their Top 64 matchups and give the higher ranking to the one that won with a higher margin.

Northern Federation (by Greater Cosmicium) wins, Dyota-Metura Province (by Onocarcass) and Vidinaz - Star of Discovery tie for second; vote total is 10-5-5.
Congratulations to Greater Cosmicium!

Top 32 Match 3
Sildorian Empire vs Trymia (by Thakia)
Vote for your favorite flag and, if you want, explain your preference in the thread!

It's time for the top 32 - only great flags could have made it this far! Good luck to the remaining submitters!

My opinion: These two flags are very similar in design, so the main differences are in their color scheme and symbol. I like both of these flags, but I will vote for Sildorian Empire because it is simpler and, in my opinion, has the better color scheme.

by **Drongonia** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 5:59 am

Trymia is a fantastic flag.

by **Onocarcass** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:16 am

I figure Dyota-Metura would've been eliminated sooner than now. It's definitely the weakest of my submissions, lol.

For the current match I'm voting Sildor due to me liking the color scheme just a bit more.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:44 am

Which flag, between Sildorian Empire and Trymia, will I vote for?

Simplicity:For simplicity, I'm giving this one to Sildorian Empire's flag. Their flag consists of two thin white bands separating the thicker stripes from the pale. Speaking of which, the pale, in itself, contains a symbol in the centre which consists of a bottomless isosceles triangle with two extensions per side. All of these features and the layout are simplistic in their own right and shouldn't require that much difficulty for a child to draw. For Trymia's flag, it has a very similar layout but with thinner stripes and an eagle (yes, it's an eagle, not a phoenix since they, themselves, have confirmed that their national animal is an eagle) and wreath replacing the triangular symbol. Both their eagle and their wreath also turn out to be quite detailed as well due to them featuring feathers and leaves as well as details in the eagle's talons. And almost, if not, any eagle and wreath would be far more complex to draw the Sildorian triangular symbol.

Originality:As for originality, I would say that Sildorian Empire's flag is more unique mainly due to the symbolism. The triangular symbol hasn't really been featured in any real world flag outside of Sildorian Empire's flag and it is considerably more distinctive in appearance as well. In addition, the colour scheme and choices are very unique, especially the featuring of green as a "dominant" colour throughout the flag. Now, while Trymia's flag does, arguably, have slightly more original colours (only if we are excluding the resemblances from other NS flags) as well as a very similar layout to its Sildorian counterpart, the thing that makes me consider their flag as less distinctive is their use of more generic and frequently used symbols through the eagle and the wreath. However, even then, both the eagle and the wreath are uniquely designed through the incorporation of the feathers and the leaves and just the overall design of the features of both symbols.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I'll have to give this to Sildorian Empire because the colours of white, gold and green work very well in a way that is striking and intriguing at the same time with its great implementation amongst the design without messing it up in regards to the balance of contrast. Not to mention, having the yellow be used for the central symbol makes the flag feel quite memorable to me. Personally, I would prefer it if either the two bands at the top and bottom or the pale in the middle were either purple or dark blue as a way to emphasise the space aesthetic of the nation but, again, it's just a personal preference and I don't really have any real problems with the colour scheme of Sildorian Empire's flag. For Trymia's flag, while the colours aren't quite as appealing to my eyes, they are still decently such, are more firm and grounded in terms of contrast and they seem to have gone for a more thematic approach in regards to the aesthetic of their colour scheme. However, I do have somewhat mixed feelings about the white feathers and leaves. On one hand, the use of white on the feathers and the leaves do seem a bit unnecessary, especially since the majority of the eagle and wreath are orange. On the other hand though, they do add in more detail and could even make them more striking amongst a red field although I'm leaning more towards the latter.

Design:In terms of the design, this one is a bit hard in my opinion due to their very similar layout so it would mainly have to be decided by their symbols. For Sildorian Empire's flag, it has great use of symmetry as well as excellent composition, more character through its symbolism which seems to represent the futuristic vibe as well as the seemingly endless economic and technological progress, and a more intriguing layout. All of these features make the design quite easy to recognise from a distance while being extremely memorable at the same time along with (mostly) consistent cleanliness and crispness. I do, however, have one slight nick pick with the design, over a feature that is pretty hard to notice and that is the edges of the central symbol where it is the only inconsistent feature when it comes to clean and crisp edges. Upon close examination, there does seem to be some white edges in some areas and there are even some jagged points in some areas as well. Henceforth, the only thing that the flag needs improving is to ensure and maintain crisper and cleaner edges on the edge of the symbols but it can be easy to ignore (without even knowing) and its the only minor nickpick that I have with the otherwise elegant design. Trymia's design does have some very well-designed symbols with some very intricate details in the form of the eagle's feathers and the wreath's leaves. My only issue with the flag is, of course, the comparative lack of antialaising when compared to its counterpart. However, for the sheer level of detail on both the eagle and the wreath, the lack of antialaising is minimal and barely noticeable so it can be easy to ignore as a major issue. And besides, it still feels very memorable, well-designed and has great composition. Considering this though, while both flags are equally as meaningful and characterful, I think I may need to narrowly give this one to Sildorian Empire's flag mainly due to its greater simplicity and cleaner and more crisp edges.

Realism:In regards to realism, it is pretty hard to decide but I may need to give a slight edge to Trymia's flag because while it does have considerably less antialaising, their flag could work quite well for an alternative flag for a US state in the southwest, particularly such for Utah, Nevada or Arizona or perhaps for a flag for an alternate Deseret nation due to its use of symbolism and the desert-esque colour scheme.For Sildorian Empire's flag, it does also have grounded colours, a cleaner design as a whole and an equally plausible layout but the FT aesthetic of the flag may not bode too well in the real world in terms of overall plausibility.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 4 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will vote for Sildorian Empire's flag for this round because of its greater simplicity, its considerably more distinctive central symbol which is also more fitting for its concept and meaningful-wise, coupled with excellent composition, more appealing colours and just downright crisper and cleaner edges as a whole. For Trymia's flag, while the colours are fitting for its concept, has a striking symbol and has a good layout, the colours just aren't appealing enough nor is it balanced enough in regards to simplicity (coupled with less antialaising around the edges of the symbols) to really earn my vote in this matchup.

by **Barfleur** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 12:03 pm

...and we have a tie!

by **Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 2:45 pm

Barfleur wrote:...and we have a tie!

I hope the voting is not finished late :eyebrow:

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 2:52 pm

Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum wrote:
Barfleur wrote:...and we have a tie!
I hope the voting is not finished late

I'll try my best to reset the vote at a good time.

Anyway, the vote is currently in Trymia's favor, and there's no way to be certain whether there will be a tie in 15-17 hours.

NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

Who is online