Flag ideas

Overview

This article describes various flag suggestions for the game.

Rejections

Many flag ideas are rejected, mostly because they are not well thought out, or they take the game in a direction that the project management does not wish to go. Rejected flags are moved to the Flag ideas/Rejected page.

Idea Submission Guidelines

Users should read and understand the following guidelines before submitting a flag idea.

• Check that the idea isn't already listed on this page or the flag ideas already rejected page. If the idea has been considered and dismissed, it will not be accepted if submitted again.
• Think carefully about the flag idea. Ideas must be described in a short and succinct sentence or paragraph. Ideas that are difficult to describe do not make for fun features, and will most likely be rejected.
• Flag ideas should not be overpowering, or do something that you think simply looks Cool. Flags must maintain gameplay balance and have a disadvantage for every advantage. Flags that combine features of other flags will be rejected. Flags that simply let you "win" will be rejected.
• Add the flag idea to the New Flag Ideas section, following the format of the other ideas.

 If a flag idea is approved, it does not mean that it will automatically happen or be put into the game.
 It simply means that it is not a bad idea. The idea will not be implemented until a developer takes 
 the time to implement the code for the feature into a version. Most new flag ideas require a change 
 in protocol and must wait for the next major release, and can take some time to complete.

This list is intended for information and discussions only. Information listed on this page does not imply any form of official acceptance of an idea into the game..

Things to remember

• All powerful flags aren't fun.
• Flags that ensure your immediate destruction aren't fun.
• Flags that aren't useful aren't fun.
• Flags boost/modulate tactical trait of tanks

Flag Rules

The project management uses these rules for good flag ideas:

Flag power must be limited

For example, BZFlag has stealth and cloaking flags, but no stealth-and-cloak flag. Such a tank would be virtually impossible to destroy. Nobody likes to play against someone who can't lose. The guided missile and laser flags are both exceptionally powerful flags, but neither make the owner invincible. Laser takes twice as long to reload and a guided missile can be dodged while still firing on the owner.

Flag powers can counteract/balance each other

Some flags are handily defeated with another kind of flag. The oscillation overthruster can be destroyed by a super bullet or a shock wave (or a genocide). Cloaking is effective against laser and stealth is good against guided missile. Ricochet is useful against ricochet.

Counterbalancing flags should be added/sugested together, or counterbalanced by an existing flag; superbullet is often a good choice.

Flags never instantly kill the owner

Flags should not kill people in what seems to be a random manner, this includes flags that kill on pickup, or "mines". Players should be able to use skills to avoid death.

Flags should require new skills

Flags that require new skills keep the game interesting. The more there is to learn about the game, the longer people will play.

Implemented Flag Ideas

Good Flags

Cloaked Shot (CS)

Description: Shots are invisible out-the-window. Still visible on radar. Glow is still visible out HUD. Watch out for ricochet!

Implemented in: 2.99.x

Low Gravity(LG)

Description: Gravity is reduced to a large degree allowing the tank to jump very high in the air.

Implemented in: 2.99.x

Approved Good Flag Ideas

None

Possible Flag Ideas

Good Flags

Long Shot(LS)

Description: Shots have increased range.

BackFire (BF)

Description: Shots fire to rear of tank instead of front.

Extra Shot (ES)

Description: Player gets an extra shot.

Bad Flags

Long Reload (LR)

Description: Shots take longer to reload.

Don't Stop (DS))

Description: Tank always moves forward or backwards, it cannot stop.

Sensor Echo (SE)

Description: All tanks show up twice (or more) on radar. Echoes behave like the tank they mirror, down to the flag.

Delayed Shot (DS)

Description: Shots wait some prescribed amount of time (2 seconds?) between clicking and actually firing.

SlowMotion (SM)

Description: Tank moves and turns with half speed.

High Gravity(HG)

Description: Gravity is higher for the tank (faster fall, lower jumps).

Unrated Flag Ideas

Good Flags

Radar (RD)

Description: Like how in some maps that have jumping flags or ricochet flags when those things are normally disabled, in maps with radar disabled, this would give you radar ability. It would counteract the Jamming flag in normal maps.

Shield (SH)

Description: It's an idea for the improvement of Shield, not a new flag entirely. The idea is that if a person with Shield is hit, they are briefly invincible, and possibly flicker and/or be unable to shoot. This would really help; I remember numerous times when I was hit while equipped with Shield, and was immediately killed anyway because the other guy launched a cluster of shots.

Bad Flags

LimitedSensors (LS)

Description: Your tank's radar is reduced to the smallest of the three basic radiuses (#1), and your vision blanks out at the same distance as the radar stops at.

Variable Speed (VS)

Description: Your shots go at random speeds between .5 and 2 times normal. (Range increased/decreased when speed goes up or down, possibly?).

SlowShot (SS)

Description: Your shots travel at half speed. (Maybe half range too?.

Short Shot(SS)

Description: Not as limited as the No Shooting flag, this shortens how far your shots go before dissipating. Speed stays the same.