What is the importance of flag recognition?

[IncredibleHat]

This is a stupid question I am sure... but I find myself asking it anyway...

Why do we have this complicated system in place to detect a raised flag (false or not)? And what is so important about the whole flag situation?

It seemed like there really wasn't much of a problem with this in the stock game... so I wonder why this was added (and now causing some bad issues with certain quests).

Anyone have the details, the lowdown, the whatnot of this? I'd like to know.

 

[LarryHookins]

I like the false flag detection. It makes sailing into an enemy port under a false flag more interesting. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> But there are ways to tweak it so that it's not a major issue with quests.

If you find it annoying enough, look at the bottom of nations.c and add the line "return 0.0;" right after the opening "{" in the GetChanceDetectFalseFlag function.

Hook

 

[IncredibleHat]

Well, I'm not annoyed by it... I am just curious why was it brought about? How would they know you are flying a false flag in real life? I don't recall them having radios to call in and check with the local harbors to see if your plates are correct <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

Just curious is all. It is an interesting angle on the whole "lets be sneaky bastards" part of the game... I'll give you that!

 

[LarryHookins]

<!--quoteo(post=153166:date=Jun 30 2006, 08:14 PM:name=IncredibleHat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IncredibleHat @ Jun 30 2006, 08:14 PM) [snapback]153166[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Well, I'm not annoyed by it... I am just curious why was it brought about? How would they know you are flying a false flag in real life? I don't recall them having radios to call in and check with the local harbors to see if your plates are correct <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Recognition signals. One ship would fly a specific set of flags. If the other ship didn't reply with the correct flags from that day's codebook, it was an enemy.

Hook

 

[IncredibleHat]

Oooooo... cool.

Lets add that to the game! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Flag waving decoder ring 2000 !

Naw, I think it works ok... its just too bad a ship on the other side of the island, sees that you are falsely flying the wrong flag... but then, if it checked by NearestShip routines, the game would run like crap... oh wait!

 

[Merciless Mark]

<!--quoteo(post=153185:date=Jul 1 2006, 05:53 AM:name=IncredibleHat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IncredibleHat @ Jul 1 2006, 05:53 AM) [snapback]153185[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Oooooo... cool.

Lets add that to the game! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Flag waving decoder ring 2000 !

Naw, I think it works ok... its just too bad a ship on the other side of the island, sees that you are falsely flying the wrong flag... but then, if it checked by NearestShip routines, the game would run like crap... oh wait!
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

some ships, also could be recongized, suppose a pirate or privateer had been very active in a region, the flags may show on distance, but his ship would be well known.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Sort of like in M&C they disguised their ship to fool the farken bastid. I thought that was so cool and cunning <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />