NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

by **Vaspelia** » Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:27 pm

Let's see. I like Nova City's flag, a proper flag with adequate symbolism for a city(-state?). But with Bloodshade?. Now that's a flag for a nation!. It calls the attention of the eyes with it's more vibrant blue, which is supported by some good red and a cool eagle. And also there's the quite-detailed symbolic description, can't forget that. My vote goes to Bloodshade.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:01 am

Bloodshade defeats Nova City (by New Solaurora) 16-4.
Congratulations, Bloodshade!

Top 64 Match 17
Paradeavenlisian States - Alternate vs Mountainia Region (by Onfande)
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: Another difficult choice. I really like the diagonal layout of Paradeavenlisian States, but I also like the integration of the sun and mountains onto Mountainia's flag. For now I'll give my vote to Mountainia, since a better color variation of Paradeavenlian States' alternate flag is already in the top 32 and Mountania's flag seems cleaner.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:03 am

Yeah... I think I'm losing this one but oh well... Good luck to Onfande and their submission!

by **Drongonia** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:47 am

I'll be voting for Paradeavenlisian States' alt-flag as Onfande's submission doesn't gel with me, or at least the white at the bottom doesn't.

by **-Astoria** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:04 am

I'll be going for PS; personally resonates better.

by **Valentine Z** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:52 am

Paradeavenlisian States' for this time, though I will pretend that I didn't see those aliasing lines! ><

by **New Solaurora** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:25 am

Disappointed but not surprised. Well done, Bloodshade!

As for today's vote I'm going with the Paradeavenlisian States. Personally, I like the formatting better. The symbol is kinda big but thats not really an issue and the flag looks pretty good. For Mountainia it just feels kinda unbalanced with the level of detail. The style of the sun and the pentagram don't really match which kinda leaves it feeling incohesive.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 7:02 am

Paradeavenlisian States - Alternate defeats Mountainia Region (by Onfande) 16-9.
Congratulations Paradeavenlisian States! Your flags are much better than you know.

Top 64 Match 18
Parthenia (by Greenwichian Arcadia) vs Onfande
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: While Parthenia's flag uses some good ideas, Onfande's flag is superior here. It has colors that combine extremely well, and the unique elements of its design work much better than those on Parthenia's.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:31 am

That was a bit of an unexpected result. Honestly, I thought it would be the complete opposite (vote-wise) but thanks to everyone who voted for me.

Which flag, between Parthenia and Onfande, will I vote for?

Simplicity:It is obvious that Parthenia's flag is more simplistic as it is comprised of a diagonal design with green and blue diagonal stripes on the right and a seal consisting of a yellow outline and a fallen crown leaning on its side. AllI of those features are all simplistic in their own right and easily drawable for a child. On the other hand, Onfande's flag is comprised of a detailed pattern on both sides (each with a fleur de lis in the centre) with the central emblem consisting of an outline with a wheel, the sun and a crown in the centre. A lot of these symbols are quite detailed and complex especially the side patterns which would be quite difficult for a child to draw.

Originality:As for originality, I'm also giving this one to Parthenia's flag because of its sheer unconventionality and its unique layout and colours. This is especially the case for the ''P'' symbol and the fallen crown which I personally regard as one of the most intriguing aspects of the flag, which have never really been featured on any other flags and its colours and layout are both also distinguishing. For Onfande's flag, while the proportions, side patterns and layout are definitely unique, there are some similarities that it faces with other flags. For one, it has the fleur de lises found on the Kingdom of France flag. Secondly, although the colours are implemented uniquely, the colour scheme is still the rather standard red, blue and white combo which are the three most commonly used colours in real world flags (both collectively and individually). And thirdly, it features a wheel and sun that is quite similar to India's.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I think I'll have to give this one to Onfande's flag because the colours work well together with each other and layout, it isn't too bright, its meaningful and executes its concept better through its conveyance of the historical aesthetic surrounding its nation. While Parthenia's is more striking and does also have some good meaning, I do think their colours may be a little bit too bright for my liking which could go against its design and could do with some slight toning down.

Design:In terms of the design, I still think Onfande's flag has the superior design because it feels memorable and recognisable with its features working quite well together in giving off the historical aesthetic that is desired in its flag. Not only that, but I do quite like the symbols in the centre and the pattern which give off some great symmetry for a flag of its complexity. However, I do think the fleur de lis could be removable as I feel like the red and white pattern surrounding it does convey the historical aesthetic well enough without the fleur de lis. Not to mention, the fleur de lis just makes the patterns feel unnecessarily clustered. For its counterpart, Parthenia's flag design is, as I have said before, quite unconventional but surprisingly meaningful, creative and well-thought out, especially the ''P'' which, while it may look a bit odd on a vertical design (honestly, the P would look better if it were done on a vertical design with the emblem at the centre and the P done on the stripe on the right hand side), is designed in a clever manner so I'll give a pass on it. One thing that I'm not much of a fan of is the fallen crown. While I certainly understand the meaning behind it, it just feels a bit off but it can be fixable without altering the design too much (unlike the P). To fix it, I'd prefer if the crown was rotated back to its normal position but have a zig-zag line running through the centre of the crown to show a crack in it (or could just separate the two sides entirely with the crack).

Realism:In regards to realism, I'm, yet again, giving this one to Onfande's flag because it just looks far more grounded in reality, from its colours, to its layout and symbolism used. In fact, I could see this flag work quite well as a flag of an historical kingdom in the Indian Subcontinent. On the other hand, Parthenia's flag just looks far too unconventional to fit as a real world flag largely due to the ''P'' symbol marked on the green stripe and the crown on its side. Not to mention, the colours would probably be considered as strangely vivid for real world flag standards and the way the stripes are laid out just feels a bit off-putting.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 3 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will vote for Onfande's flag because it is just more meaningful, more fitting for its concept, has crisper edges, and it isn't quite as off-putting as its counterpart. Parthenia's flag, for all of its creativity and distinctiveness just isn't grounded enough or contrasting enough to really earn my vote.

by **Kromi** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 7:54 pm

Starting with Onfande's, though it is hard for a child to draw (looks like a well-done carpet design not gonna lie) the colours look good and go together like peanut butter and jelly. On the other hand, Parthenia's flag looks kinda "low quality(?)" specifically the symbol. The colours on the right look really good but the symbol might need to improve (I don't think yellow and orange go well).

So I'm voting for Onfande's and yes, ~~I would love to use it as a carpet~~ the complexity on the left and right go well together with the slightly less complicated but still complicated centre.

by **Onfande** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:21 pm

Thank you to all who have voted for me. Sad to see Mountainia lose, but it isn't a problem. I've seen it before. Good luck to Parthenia and everyone else in this tournament!

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:27 am

Onfande defeats Parthenia (by Greenwichian Arcadia) 20-2.
Congratulations Onfande! May your flag's winstreak be very long, just like the flag itself.

Top 64 Match 19
Megia (by Apabeossie) vs Azania - Alternate
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: Both of these flags are pretty good, but hindered by the lack of antialiasing and some small mistakes. Overall, I think I prefer Megia for its brighter and more appealing colors. Azania's use of a diagonal tricolor in the bottom right looks unusual, and I think the flag would be better if it was a vertical tricolor.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:10 am

Which flag, between Azania Alternate's and Megia's, will I vote for?

Simplicity:This is a pretty tough category to decide on. Azania's Alt flag consists of a green diagonal bend containing three 10-pointed stars within it in a row. This green diagonal bend separates the flag into two sections. The top-left half is entirely black while the bottom-right half is a diagonal tricolour. All of these features should drawable enough for a child in my opinion. Megia's flag is also comprised of a diagonal design but with the diagonal bend being white and separating the green and yellow sections. In addition, it also has a simplistic seal in the middle, comprising of nothing more than a triangle. Comparing these two flags, I'd argue that Megia's flag is more simplistic because each of the sections has less going for it than the bottom right section of Azania's Alt flag and I'm pretty certain that a triangle is easier to draw than even three 10-pointed stars.

Originality:As for originality, I'm probably going to give this one to Megia's flag because the colours are uniquely implemented and that triangle symbol has never been featured, at least within this implementation and use, on any other flag as far as I am aware. Azania Alt's flag, especially the use of black, green and yellow, does have some unique colours and an equally unique layout as well as a diagonal tricolour is almost non-existent on any other flag (that excludes the diagonal line that runs from corner to the opposing corner). However, I just don't think the stars are as unique (in appearance) as the Megia's triangle symbol which leads to me giving Megia a slight edge. Still, it does some unique meaning. For instance, the stars, rather originally, represent the three capital cities in the country instead of the provinces which, in my opinion, are slightly more generic than the former.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I think I'll have to give this one to Azania Alt's flag because while their colours might not be as striking, intriguing or memorable, they are, at least, more balanced in terms of contrast and they aren't that blinding. If there is one thing that I'd change about it, then I would swap the colours of both sections with the black at the bottom right and the red, blue and white at the top left. I'm honestly fine with the red, blue and white diagonal tricolour but I just don't think it has been implemented to its fullest potential. For Megia's flag, while the colours are definitely intriguing, memorable, striking and, mostly, appealing, there is a bit of a poor contrast between the white stripe and the yellow section. To improve on it, I'd change the shade of green with something like forest green and I think there should be a blue outline for the white diagonal stripe (maybe even for the outline of the seal which you're at it.

Design:In terms of the design, this is probably the hardest category to determine. Megia's flag does have a more appealing, striking and, perhaps, memorable design, it does face an issue with the lack of anti alaising on the edges and signs of which there tends to be rather inconsistent and hard to make out. Not to mention, it isn't that clean in certain areas scattered across the flag as there are some specks of yellow where there shouldn't be. Still, it does have some pretty great use of symbolism and, in spite of no given description of its meaning, it is easy to tell what that symbol represents which, in that case, is hope for the future and ever-lasting progress. To improve on the design, I would add an outline between the diagonal line and the sections, add some consistent anti-aliasing for the edges and clean up some areas of the flag that have yellow specks. Azania Alt's flag does have a pretty interesting design as well with the three 10-pointed stars implemented quite nicely on the diagonal stripe. The only exception with that is the jagged edges formed by the lack of anti-aliasing. However, while the Azania Alt's flag may have less anti-aliasing in certain areas than Megia's, it is quite as prevalent throughout the flag and there are, at least, no unnecessary speckles on the flag like its Megian counterpart has. There are a few things I'd do to improve on the design though. For one, switch the designs on the two sections around with each other (just like the colours). And secondly, adds some more consistent anti-aliasing. Even with that said though, I will have to give this one to Azania Alt's flag simply due to its cleaner design and slightly more meaningful design (excluding the symbols). I would have otherwise have given this to Megia's flag but the yellow speckles, along with a similar lack of anti-aliasing prevent me from doing so.

Realism:In regards to realism, I'm, yet again, giving this one to Azania Alt's flag not only due to its cleaner design but also because of its faint (but not excessive) familiarity with some flags. I feel like their flag could easily work well as an alternate South African flag or another country in the South African region due to its colours giving off a good sense of an African aesthetic with the design of the diagonal stripes and inner details clearly reflecting a Southern Hemisphere vibe. Megia's flag is distinctive enough in regards to its colours and the symbol could, possibly, work as a symbol of a real world flag but I don't think the sense of familiarity in the symbol or the flag as a whole is as strong as Azania Alt's.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 3 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will narrowly vote for Azania's flag since it simply has more balanced colours, in regards to the contrast, a slightly more meaningful design, a higher sense of familiarity and, arguably, a downright cleaner and slightly crisper design. Honestly, if it weren't for the poor colour contrast or yellow speckles, then I might have voted for Megia's flag, but with those issues unaddressed, along with a clearer lack of anti-aliasing implemented, Megia's flag's more numerous flaws must prevent it from earning my vote.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:44 am

Top 64 Match 19: Azania - Alternate defeats Megia (by Apabeossie) 12-9.
Congratulations, Azania!

Top 64 Match 20
North German Realm (by Sildorian Empire) vs Samantha-Higgs (by Valentine Z)
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 Samantha-Higgs here as it is extremely creative, conveying an "evil dictatorship" without using any of the obvious "evil" symbolism. NGR's flag is well-designed, but it feels like exactly what it is - just another German nation's flag.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:36 am

Which flag, between North German Realm's and Samantha-Higgs, will I vote for?

Simplicity:I'd say that S-Higgs' flag is more the more simplistic of the two. Their flag consists of what seems to be a futuristic-looking seal with a morse code surrounding a yellow symbol with a ''V'' symbol dissecting the yellow symbol (I'm presuming that's a futuristic coat of arms or an emblem). All of these features are relatively simplistic although the morse code may be a little confusing to some. NGR's flag is comprised of an Imperial German esque tricolour but with an emblem in the centre containing a reichsadler. Now, while the layout is simplistic, the reichsadler, although one of the more simplistic variants of its kind, is a bit more detailed than S-Higgs' morse code or their emblem. And even if we are focusing on the layouts excluding the symbols of both flags, I'd still say S-Higgs' flag is more simplistic since it is otherwise just a field (without the symbolism).

Originality:As for originality, it is pretty obvious that S-Higgs' flag is more original because it has a rather unique colour scheme (both in terms of the colours themselves and their implementation), coupled with the symbolism used in the centre and, most of all, the morse code which has never been featured on any other flag before and is, arguably, one of the most unique aspects of S-Higgs' flag. NGR's flag does resemble a typical alternate German-themed flag with its generic horizontal tricolour design with its colour scheme, black, white and red, arguably being the second most frequently used colour scheme on any flag (besides from red, blue and white).

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is a bit of a hard one for me to decide but I will have to go with S-Higgs with the superior colour scheme since I find their colours to be more intriguing and memorable. Not to mention, their colours are implemented quite well and they are balanced in terms of contrast. While NGR's colours are also implement well, balanced in terms of contrast and, arguably, more meaningful, they are a bit overused for a German-themed nation which makes them less distinguishable, less intriguing and more forgettable in all honesty.

Design:In terms of the design, I'm going to go for S-Higgs' flag because its layout and use of symbolism is far more creative. In addition, just like the colours, it's simply more intriguing and memorable as a whole. Not only that, but the layout matches the futuristic, dictatorial vibe of S-Higgs quite well without being generic. Speaking of generic, the same can't be said for NGR's flag because although their use of symbolism may have more character and the flag, arguably, executing its concept slightly more effectively, its layout, just like the colours, is a bit generic with a slight exception for the eagle which I appreciate the simplicity and really carries the flag in terms of meaning and character as it represents strength, motivation and desire of the people and the nation. This makes the eagle the only distinctively memorable aspect of the flag while the tricolour is just a bit too generic to be that memorable.

Realism:In regards to realism, I'm giving this one to NGR's flag since it has a far stronger sense of familiarity when compared to other flags and it could easily work quite well as an alternate Imperial German flag. Not only that, but the design is grounded enough in reality to fit as a real world flag, especially for the time in which its nation exists. For S-Higgs' flag, even if we were to exclude the obvious fact that it gives off a futuristic vibe, the morse code and everything within it would look a bit unconventional in comparison to that of other real world flags especially the V shaped symbol formed in the emblem. Still, the way in which the dark blue has been applied on the field is realistic enough in its own right, at least individually.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 4 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will vote for S-Higgs' flag because the layout, colours and symbolism used is just far more creative, intriguing and memorable as a whole. It also executes the concept well with the futuristic, dictatorial vibe going on in the flag without going generic over it. NGR's flag, while more meaningful in regards to its symbolism, more realistic-looking and executes its concept slightly more effectively, just isn't creative, intriguing or memorable enough to earn my flag and it is a bit too generic, even for a German-themed flag.

by **Voxija** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 12:42 pm

North German Realm is generic, but Samantha-Higgs is very unique. You don't very often see Morse code on a flag!

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sat Jul 25, 2020 6:03 am

Samantha-Higgs (by Valentine Z) defeats North German Realm (by Sildorian Empire) 17-5.
Congratulations, Val!

Top 64 Match 21
United Republic of Yugoslavia (by Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum) vs Barfleur
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 find Barfleur's flag far more unique than UR Yugoslavia's, despite its ripple effect, so I will vote for it.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:00 am

Which flag, between United Republic of Yugoslavia and Barfleur, will I vote for?

Simplicity:I'd say that Barfleur's is the more simplistic of the two but only by a slight margin. It is comprised of a modified Nordic cross, which separates the three sections of the flag. Now, while it may look a little confusing to some, all of these features are drawable for a child. URoY's flag consists of the Slavic tricolour design with a kolovrat. Now, although the layout of URoY's flag is more simplistic, I do feel like the kolovrat is a little more complex than any of the aspects of Barfleur's flag although it isn't that complex in general.

Originality:As for originality, it is pretty obvious that Barfleur's flag is more original because the Nordic Cross has never been modified in such a way where different sections have different uses of the outline. In addition, the colours are implemented in quite a unique manner. For URoY's flag, the only unique aspect of the flag is the kolovrat which hasn't been seen on any other flag but that's about it. Pretty much every other aspect of the flag is a bit generic. For instance, not only does it exhibit the tricolour design of red, white and blue of Yugoslavia's flag but it also has the most commonly used colour scheme (both individually and collectively) and it also has, arguably, the second most commonly used design (apart from the vertical tricolour design, perhaps).

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is a bit of a hard one for me to decide but I will have to go with Barfleur's flag because its colour scheme is implemented quite well on the flag for its layout and its distinctiveness makes it considerably more memorable. Not to mention, as reflected by its description, the colours are clearly more in-depth when it comes to their meaning. It also does all of this while avoiding poor contrast in any areas. While URoY's colours are well implemented and execute the Yugoslavian concept / aesthetic excellently, the colours are a bit generic, especially for its theme. This makes the flag, as a whole, less memorable or intriguing.

Design:In terms of the design, this is probably the toughest category to decide on. While URoY's flag isn't too memorable or striking (apart from its central symbol), at least comparatively, it stills feels a bit more balanced than the design of Barfleur's flag and it does, at least, have much better symmetry and character. For Barfleur's flag, while its distinctiveness definitely makes the flag more intriguing and memorable, it does feel a bit unbalanced in comparison. To improve on it, without taking away from the uniqueness, I would move the cross to the centre as it would bring some more balance, distinctiveness (arguably) and, to an extent, some symmetry to it. And besides, judging by the nation's concept, I don't see the point in have the cross be the (altered) Nordic variant as it doesn't seem Nordic enough. Considering this, I think I will give this one to URoY's flag because it feels more balanced, and better symmetry and character through its good use of symbolism.

Realism:In regards to realism, I'm giving this one to URoY's flag because it could work extremely well as a flag in an alternative timeline where a reformed Yugoslavia never collapsed and lived up to today. And if we are excluding the existence of Yugoslavia's flags, the grounded-in-reality, balanced colours along with its realistic tricolour design and distinctive use of symbolism make it familiar and relatable enough for a Slavic flag but also distinctive enough to fit in as such among real world flags. For Barfleur's flag, it's simplicity, familiarity and distinctiveness could work well enough to be used as a united Scandinavian/Nordic Union flag. For some, however, the lack of an outline on the left side, which creates a sensation of emptiness, at least when compared to the right hand side of the flag, might make it a little too inequal (or maybe even a tad bit unconventional in the appearance aspect) or unbalanced to fit in as a real world flag. Personally, I am leaning more to the former point but, considering the latter point as well, I just don't think it's balanced enough to beat out URoY's flag on the realism aspect.

Verdict:Overall, this is a tough one to decide on. As tempting as it is to automatically give this to Barfleur's flag simply just due to its distinctiveness in contradiction to URoY flag's similarities with the Yugoslavian flag (specifically before WW2), the fact that the Yugoslavian familiarity is literally ingrained in the nation's concept (even if there is no actual description about it) makes this matchup a lot closer than some people may think, along with the fact that URoY's flag does beat out Barfleur's flag in some aspects (at least in my opinion). However, winning in 3 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will have to give this to Barfleur's flag not just because of its distinctiveness, but also because of it is just far more memorable and intriguing in my opinion with some good, meaningful colours and simplicity. While URoY's flag is also simplistic, more symmetrical, grounded and balanced with good use of symbolism, it just isn't memorable or intriguing enough to really earn my vote for this matchup.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 6:21 am

Barfleur defeats United Republic of Yugoslavia (by Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum) 10-9.
Congratulations Barfleur! That was a surprisingly close round.

Top 64 Match 22
Huktharia (by Thakia) vs Loveday (by Apabeossie)
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: Although the colors on Loveday's flag do not work well together, I find the flag overall more interesting than Huktharia's, so it gets my vote. I think Huktharia's flag would be better with a bit of additional detail outside of the charge.

by **Barfleur** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 7:55 am

Nice, I'm surprised I won (but I didn't vote in that round). In this round my vote goes to Huktharia for the simple and clean design.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Sun Jul 26, 2020 9:02 am

Which flag, between Huktharia and Loveday, will I vote for?

Simplicity:While both flags are simplistic, I'd say that Huktharia's flag is the more simplistic of the two. It's comprised of an emblem with an altered star of David containing the Islamic crescent and a tilted 5-pointed star. Loveday's flag consists of a bend with two thinner parallel lines separated from the main bend with an altered star of David (coincidentally enough) but with a heart in the centre. Now, while the central symbolism for Loveday's may arguably be more simplistic than Huktharia's, there is one aspect of Huktharia's flag that automatically makes it more simplistic as a whole; its comparative lack of a layout since it has nothing but a background beyond its emblem.

Originality:As for originality, it is pretty obvious that Loveday's flag is more original because the colours are quite unique (both in terms of their implementation and the colours themselves) and so is the symbolism used in the flag. These features, especially the heart, make the flag look quite unconventional. Although Huktharia's flag does makes for a unique combination of the Israeli colour scheme and star of David with the Islamic layout, in a bizarre way, I don't think it takes the level of bizarreness of Huktharia's flag to Loveday's level. And besides, it does bear some very clear similarities with Tunisia, in particular, with its somewhat similar emblem.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, this is a bit of a hard one for me to decide but I will have to go with Huktharia's colour scheme because as bizzare as they may look with the layout, they do, at least, work better together than Loveday's colour scheme. However, in terms of their execution, I'm not really sure about this one, specifically in regards to their concept. The colour scheme, along with the layout, make it seems as if its nation was some sort of union between Jews and Muslims but otherwise, it is hard to tell whether that is really the case due to the lack of information provided. Regardless of that though, for Loveday's colours, while they are undoubtedly more striking, memorable intriguing and possibly more fulfilling to its concept than Huktharia's flag, there's just one thing that stops me from handing this category to them; their colours just don't work well together. No, I'm not talking about the pink (even if it can be an unconventional choice) as that works well with the light blue and especially the green which execute the aesthetic quite well for a nation known as Loveday. Rather, it's the implementation of the white that I have an issue with. White as the dominant colour on a flag doesn't always work well, especially in this sort of layout with Loveday's flag being no exception. To improve on the colour scheme, I'd replace the white on the two main stripes (outside the green parallel stripes) with something like dark blue. Now, of course, it may make harder to distinguish the emblem so to maintain this, I'd suggest having a white outline all around the emblem's edges.

Design:In terms of the design, I will go for Loveday's flag this time because it just looks more intriguing, memorable and appealing to my eyes. For instance, not only does the perfect symmetry of the flag create a good sense of balance (even when compared to Huktharia's flag), but I also think the flag has the superior use of symbolism because the heart is very fitting for the concept of the nation and creates a strong sense of charm and probably emphasizes the nation's values of eternal love and happiness (at least as a desire). Huktharia's flag does also have a good design but I just don't think it's balanced or striking enough to my eyes to beat out Loveday's design.

Realism:In regards to realism, it is quite obvious that Huktharia's flag is more realistic due to their far more grounded-in-reality colour scheme. To add to that, their simplistic layout as well makes Huktharia's flag seem rather realistic. The only issue with this is the combination of both the (mostly) Islamic layout and Israeli colour scheme may make it a bit off-putting for flags of its theme. Still, I don't think it is quite as off-putting as Loveday's flag (for real world standards). While the layout (specifically the alignment of the stripes) is quite realistic, that's pretty much about it and everything else doesn't feel very plausible for a real world flag, especially the colours and the featuring of the heart, all of which make the flag look rather unconventional.

Verdict:Overall, this is yet another tough one to decide on. However, winning in 3 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will have to give this to Huktharia's flag not just because of its more grounded-in-reality but also because its colours simply work better together, at least purely perceptively talking, and it has a more simplistic design as a whole. While Loveday's flag does have better symmetry, and a more striking, distinctive and memorable design and colours, the colours just don't work well enough to my liking (if the issues of the white were addressed properly, then I would have voted for them) and it just feels a little too unconventional and off-putting, in some regards, to really earn my vote for this matchup.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 7:22 am

Huktharia (by Thakia) defeats Loveday (by Apabeossie) 16-9.
Congratulations, Thakia! Good luck in the top 32.

Top 64 Match 23
Bryttonia (by Thakia) vs Solaurora (by New Solaurora)
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: While Bryttonia's flag is good, it uses what looks like clip art, and I love Solaurora's flag. Solaurora's flag has excellent color choice, symbolism, and a unique shape, so I consider it one of the best flags in this bracket.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:21 am

Which flag, between Bryttonia and Solaurora, will I vote for?

Simplicity:It is quite obvious that Solaurora's flag is the more simplistic of the two flags. It is comprised of a three bands (one red and two white) at the right edge of the flag with a blue background and a sun at the left of the flag. All of those features are simplistic with a slight exception for the details on the sun. Still, I don't consider it anywhere as complex as what Brytonnia has going for it. Speaking of which, Brytonnia's flag is comprised of a blue stripe at the right containing three gold crowns and a white background containing the Welsh dragon. While the layout is very simplistic, the symbols used certainly aren't with their comparatively detailed features when compared to Solaurora's sun.

Originality:As for originality, it is clear that Solaurora's flag is more original because while the colour scheme of red, blue and white is the most commonly used for flags in general (both collectively and individually) it does, at least, use a unique shade of blue and everything else about it is very distinguishing. For instance, probably the most obvious original feature is the proportions and overall shape of the flag. The vast majority of flags uses a rectangular shape but Solaurora's flag uses a swallow-tailed flag which is rarely featured on flags and, as far as I'm aware, has never been used for a flag in NS outside of Solaurora's flag. Not to mention, the layout, too, is quite unique particularly the swallow-tailed stripes that follow the shape of the flag on the right hand side and it's use of symbolism through its sun has a very original design for an Asian-esque sun instead of going for the Chinese white sun variant. In comparision, while Brytonnia's flag does sport a relatively unique layout and colours, the symbolism most certainly isn't as the flag uses the Welsh dragon which is, of course, found on the Welsh flag, and crowns tend to be a bit overused for flags of British-themed nations (when it isn't an union jack) and so is the colour that is used specifically for these symbols.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I'm going for Solaurora's flag as the one with the superior colour scheme because its colour scheme works quite well both for each other and with the layout, they are well-implemented, and they are far more grounded and balanced. While the colour scheme of Brytonnia's flag are decent and equally striking, there are a few aspects about it that I don't exactly like. For one, I don't like how the outline of the Dragon is yellow, amongst a white background. Not to mention, I feel like the blue is a bit too bright for my liking. To address these issues, I'd replace the yellow outline with black to provide better contrast and make the dragon more distinguishing to the eye from a distance and I'd make the blue a bit darker to make it less of an eyesore.

Design:In terms of the design, I will go for Solaurora's flag because the design has much more consistent and better crispness than Brytonnia's flag. Not to mention, I just find it far more memorable, meaningful and appealing at the same time. It also executes and reflects its concept quite well, both in terms of the traditional Asian aesthetic (not sure whether that was intentional but still worth mentioning) and the incorporation of both precedents of the union with the sun of Sol, the layout of Aurora and the colour schemes of both (which, purely based on my guess, is red and white for Sol and the blue and white for Aurora). While Brytonnia's flag does have some good aspects, particularly the incorporation of the Welsh dragon, as well as it reflecting its desired concept well, I do think there is some rather inconsistent crispness because while the Welsh dragon looks crisp, the three crowns on the right don't. The maintenance of crispness throughout the design is the only thing that really needs improving to Brytonnia's layout though and it does look otherwise good.

Realism:In regards to realism, this is, by far, the hardest category to determine (partly due to how one-sided the other categories are, in my opinion at least). Both flags could fit quite well as historical flags although, given the completely different aesthetics they give off (other than the sense of traditionalism emanating from both flags), these two flags would work better for different regions. Brytonnia's flag would clearly work better as a Welsh flag during the medieval era. Solaurora's flag would work better as a traditional kingdom in the Himalayas or maybe even as a Chinese dynasty. Considering this though, I will have to give a narrow edge to Solaurora, again, only because it feels far more crisp and consistent in such. Otherwise, frankly, I would have given this one a tie.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 5 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will have to give this to Solaurora's flag because their flags just feels far more intriguing, meaningful, appealing and memorable. Not to mention, I simply prefer their aesthetic, it's more simplistic and feels more original, grounded, consistent and balanced as a whole. While Brytonnia's flag does do a decent job in emanating the British aesthetic without basing its flag on the Union Jack (like many other British-themed flags) and does make good use od the Welsh dragon, it's just not consistent enough in its crispness, there's poor contrast in some areas and it's just not appealing enough to my eyes to earn my vote for this matchup.

by **The Cosmic Mainframe** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:25 am

Solaurora (by New Solaurora) defeats Bryttonia (by Thakia) 15-2.
Congratulations to (new) Solaurora! I was not expecting a victory by this margin.

Top 64 Match 24
Six Lunar Duchies (by Glurponia) vs Garden at 6th Mile Road (by Valentine Z)
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: Although I think it's too simple, I prefer the design and colors of G6MR's flag. For some reason - maybe the black background, or the rather boring layout of the stars - the Six Lunar Duchies flag seems to lack character. Despite its simplicity, G6MR's flag has a lot of character and uniqueness.

by **Paradeavenlisian States** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:12 am

Which flag, between Garden at 6th Mile Road and Six Lunar Duchies will I vote for?

Simplicity: It is quite obvious that G6MR's flag is the more simplistic of the two. It is comprised of a flower amongst a blue field and that's literally it. Not to mention, the flower symbol in the centre is probably one of the most simplistic adaptations of the flower synbol possible (at least in a manner that is grounded and sensible for a flag). SLD's flag is comprised of six stars organised into two columns and a rather detailed crown on the left. Now, the crown of SLD's flag could be potentially hard for a child to draw due to its details, more so than the flower of G6MR's flag, and it just feels far more cluttered and more numerous in terms of its colours.

Originality:As for originality, I'll have to go with G6MR's flag as the more original flag because its entire colour scheme is pretty much different shades of just one colour which, in G6MR's case, is blue and almost never featured on any other flag. In addition, while flowers have been featured on quite a lot of flags (especially on this site), it is rare to see flowers of this simplicity featured on a flag, so there's something. In comparison, there aren't that many unique features for SLD's flag apart from the arrangement of the stars and the concept and aesthetic that it's going for. For instance, crowns and stars are quite a common feature on flags and there isn't anything tpo distinguishing about them and the way they are designed.

Colour Scheme:For the colour scheme, I'm still going for G6MR's flag because the colour scheme is just far more appealing and memorable to my eyes. Now, while I don't really have any issues with the colour schemes, I do think the centre of the flower should be yellow to make it more distinguishing. From a purely personal perspective, I think there could be even more changes to make it more distinguishing, striking and memorable but I think it would take away from the aesthetic of the garden (even if green is generally better at conveying the aesthetic of a garden), judging by how it looks, and the connection and importance of the garden to Holly and vice versa. While the colours of SLD's flag are definitely more striking and equally fulfilling to its desired concept, it doesn't make them that appealing or memorable, even comparatively to G6MR's flag. To improve on it, I think the colours of red and green should be used more to emphasize, highlight and reflect on the Austro-Hungarian influence. Sure, it is included in the crown's jewels but they aren't that noticeable from a distance. Therefore, I find the top left third should be red and the top right third should be green with the remaining third black or it could be used in another way that I'll get onto later.

Design:In terms of the design, I, yet again, consider G6MR's flag having the superior design because of its simplicity, good use of symbolism and, most of all, it's sheer character (figuratively and, almost, literally). Not only does the flower show the connection between Holly and her garden, but also emanates charm and nature as well. However, I think the minimalist design may be too simple for my liking and I feel like it could do with more in a variety of ways such as a flowery saltire or a flowery symmetrical cross. However, personally, I would go with a flowery bend where there is a bend that has a dark blue outline with the flowers in a row on both sides of the big flower with an emblem containing a circular outline and the central flower. However, for that to work, I think the central flower should be a little smaller. For SLD's design, I don't think the composition of the flag is as good with the rather dull arrangement of the stars and the not-so symmetrical and, therefore, less balanced design as a whole. To improve on it, I'd position the crown in the centre of the flag with the stars arranged in an upside down V-shape but with a flattened ''top'' for two of the six stars. Now, this is where the recommendations for the colour scheme come into play. Either the stars should be arranged at the borders between the three colours or there should be a bent stripe in the same shape and position as I said before (or maybe even both) with the stars following the stripe. From there, the stripe could be either blue (with the red and green sections on the field) or red on the left half of the bent stripe and green on the right (without the red and green sections on the field) while keeping the colour of the stars the same as a way to show the progress and sacrifices made to ensure the existence of SLD as well as the Austro-Hungarian influence and the equal importance and vitality of each the six lunar duchies.

Realism:In regards to realism, I'll have to give this one to SLD's flag because the colours do feel quite realistic and the design of the crown and the stars are too. In fact, it could even work as a flag of a personal union between Cornwall and Brittany although maybe without four or six stars. The different shades of blue of G6MR's flag don't really feel that realistic and the flower doesn't feel quite as familiar as SLD's stars or crown.

Verdict:Overall, winning in 4 out of 5 of the categories above, at least from my point of view, I will have to give this to G6MR's flag because it feels much more appealing, memorable, symmetrical, balanced and has better composition in my opinion. Not to mention, it has far more in-depth and better executed character within its flag than its counterpart. Despite its interesting premise that it's going for as well as the more familiar symbolism and more contrasting colours, SLD's flag just doesn't feel in-depth, in regards to its character, or appealing enough to really earn my vote in this matchup.

NationStates Flag Bracket II (Congratulations to Albali!)

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