[Idea] If you don't want to see huge flags taking space over actual drawings in the Canvas, pick the biggest flag that you can find to deface.
As long as a lot of people are doing that, the ones templating larger flags will be forced to reduce their layouts and give more room for actual drawings.
[Reasoning] When it comes to country flags, I think that the immense majority of the users can be split into four groups:
- The ones who don't want to see country flags at all.
- The ones who are OK with smaller flags, but don't want to see larger ones.
- The ones who want to see a specific large flag taking a huge chunk of space.
- The ones who want to see the whole canvas burning, like the void.
I'm myself firmly rooted into #1, but this idea is a compromise between #1, #2 and #4.
Typically #3 uses numbers (and/or bots) to seize a huge chunk of the canvas to their flags. Well, let's use numbers against it then. As long as #1, #2 and #4 are trying to wreck the same flag, we win.
[inb4]
But what about identity flags?
Not a problem. They're typically bands instead of thick squares, and people drawing them are fairly accommodating.
But what about [insert another thing]
Even if [thing] is a problem, it's probably minor in comparison with huge country flags.
What should be the template?
None. We don't need one, as long as everyone is working against the same large flag.
Just draw something of your choice over the flag, preferably over its iconic features.
But I'm not creative enough for that!
No matter how shitty your drawing is, it's probably still way more original than a country flag. So don't feel discouraged.
That said, you can always help someone else with their drawing. Or plop in some text. Or just void.
Why are you posting this now, you bloody Slowpoke?
I wish that I thought about this before Canvas 2024. But better later than never. (And better early by a year for Canvas 2025.)
EDIT: addressing on general grounds some whining from group #3 (the ones who want to see a specific large flag taking a huge chunk of the canvas space).
You do realise that this sort of "war against the largest flag" should benefit even you, as long as the biggest flag is not the one you're working with, right? Even for you, this makes the canvas a more even level field. Let us not forget that you love to cover other flags with your own.
I'm not even really disagreeing with you. To be honest, I'm quite sick of seeing large plain flags on the canvas, too. But I fail to see a point in being so angry about it to the point of wanting to "fight back" against the "nationalists".
At the end of the day, it's not that important. Just leave them and look for other spots to draw your stuff, maybe ask around in participating communities; they'll even help you if you ask nicely.
Don't assume emotions of people on the internet. My reply was snarky indeed, but I'm not actually angry.
You're preaching to the choir - that is exactly what I did in Canvas 2024. And also the reason why I'm proposing this alliance for Canvas 2025.
Conflict, forming factions, co-operation, and even vandalism are part of the game. That is how large flags pop up, and that is why I'm not proposing "GRAAAANT! We need rules against flags!" or anything similar.
However it works both ways. And just like people posting flags can organise towards a goal, I'm proposing that people with another goal should organise themselves. Even if you don't like it because it goes directly against your goal.
As I've said, I can understand your point and that's part of the reason I do not support the German community for example; they tend to have the most flags every year and don't really allow anything on them from what I can see.
I was more or less helping to maintain the Australian flag, as well as some of the drawings on it. Granted, I also helped to delete a few drawings off it and admittedly, I was just following along in those cases.
That fits what I've seen in r/place and Canvas '23, too. And this year, too - the huge ~~rat~~ ~~mouse~~ ~~gerbil~~ lemming was still technically a drawing, but only technically, effectively it was a huge BRD flag.
Frankly this year I was rather surprised that the issue was the Australian flag taking too much space.
It was scheduled to be even bigger last year... my point is that there's basically two types of flag-making communities; those who really do just take up space that could be otherwise used by many for themselves and those who let others' drawings co-exist on their flags.
I think the latter isn't all that bad, as long as there are no weird rules in place of what can and cannot be drawn on the flag; although I don't know what rules the Aussies had for this, aside from keeping the integral parts of the flag mostly intact, as I wasn't involved in the planning process.