Alternative to flags

[DominusNovus]

How could flags end up differently?

For example, if vexillums were dominant, with the cloth hanging from a horizontal post, instead of the pole itself? Sure, its a bit more complicated, but not all that much. Just two sticks instead of one.

[David S Poepoe]

Thats, ah - umm, quite a stylish and manly posture there. I'm sure its suppose to cause dread and fear in one's enemies.

What about wearing those long white stockings? Oh, wait a minute those aren't stockings those are his legs! I guess you blind your enemy with those.

[carlton_bach]

Originally Posted by David S Poepoe

Thats, ah - umm, quite a stylish and manly posture there. I'm sure its suppose to cause dread and fear in one's enemies.

What about wearing those long white stockings? Oh, wait a minute those aren't stockings those are his legs! I guess you blind your enemy with those.

Well, the vexillum clearly identifies him as belonging to the Cohors II Praetoria. You really wouldn't expect soldiers like that to get much sunlight, evercise, or healthy outdoor living. Might as well make snide comments about the muscle tone of a Pentagon filing specialist.

[Thande]

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

[alt_historian]

Originally Posted by Thande

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

He he... finials. A funny word...

Anyway, one simple idea: what if we more often used triangular flags? Or maybe those long, streamer-type ones?

[demonkangaroo]

Or, what if we used swallow tail flags, like the Ohioan flag?

[Alayta]

Originally Posted by Thande

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

My thought were ping pong rackets...
Flags came in use due to their visibility from relativley large distances. Alternatives to flags should match that. Maybe some form of coloured smoke?

[SRT]

Well, it seems to me that most of the suggestions in this thread would be good "alternatives." The requirements of a flag are, in my mind, that it should be easily and instantly recognizable, even from far away.

I don't know how well colored smoke would be since there's only so many colors (although I suppose you could make combinations) but also it doesn't have the same permanence as a flag.