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by 
The Federation of New Jaedonstan.
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NJ's Helpful Guide to Designing a Flag!
Discord |Flags. One of the first things that anyone who looks at a nation or organization will see. There are good flags and bad flags and mediocre flags. However, you are here to make a good flag, aren't you. Well, let's get to it! First, I will explain what your flag is, why it's important, and what it means for you. Then, I'll discuss the nitty-gritty vexillology science behind the creation of flags and some pointers for your own flag, and finally, I'll end with a display of some of my favorite NS flags and why. As always, if you have questions, let me know via telegram or Discord at Lies Kryos#1734.
Historically, flags can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Assyria as battle standards, a way to tell two armies apart. Over time, they have come to represent great warriors, royal houses, and, eventually, entire nations. A flag bears the heraldry and history of the nation it represents. Each flag is like a nation's business card or cover letter for a resume. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you have a good, solid flag design that represents what your nation is about and what your nation represents.
There is something about a flag that, often, instills courage, honor, or respect in the beholders. Many nations have national anthems or songs that revolve around the national flag: France, America, England, etc. These symbols of real-life nations are perfect examples of what you should have in mind when designing your not-real-life flag. It should represent something about your nation's history, founding, or some cultural event. For instance, the flag of 
The Federation of New Jaedonstan represents the unity of the East and West (black and blue split field), as well as the price of freedom (the red Nordic Cross). In addition, the capital city is displayed in the white-and-black star.
Now, of course, you want to make something unique and different. Just using the flags of the real world that the game provides is just... boring. Especially if you use the default flag. So, instead of just being boring and using someone else's flag, why not learn to make your own! And that's what's next.
There are some things to get out of the way before we start. You'll obviously need something to design your flag with. I would strongly suggest avoiding stuff like MSPaint because that will limit how creative and good your design can be. My go-to is using paint.net, but others use GIMP, Photoshop, and other similar programs. You should also look around at some other designs that you think could work, or even draw out a rough sketch of what you want it to be.
There are a few base rules you should start out with when designing your flag.
Keep it simple. Much like with most things in life, the simpler you flag you have, the easier it will be to make, and the better it will look. Your flag should have a few basic colors, simple designs, and straightforward symbolism. For example, the flag of France is three basic colors, a simple tri-color design, and symbolic of the French Revolution. It doesn't have complex designs or too many colors.
Make it mean something unique. If your flag is just a flag... well, it won't be very good. Your flag needs to actually mean something. For example, the American flag is a visually pleasing flag, but it also has a deep meaning behind it that lends even more beauty to it. The red and white stripes represent the thirteen original colonies, the blue represents the union, and the stars represent each state within the union. Your flag might look cool, but if it has no meaning, it's pointless.
Use basic or few colors. You should use about three or four colors for your flag design, but you can use any variety of complementary colors. Often, your flag will look better with two or three of the six basic colors: red, white, blue, green, black, and yellow. You can certainly use other colors, but they need to be complimentary, generally separated by a "neutral" basic color.
Don't use lettering or seals or overly complicated emblems. If you have ever looked at a US state flag or a lot of organizational and company flags, you'll notice they have seals and lettering. These are disgusting and unsightly, making the flag hard to recognize or distinguish and just giving it a tacky or low-effort feel. Seals, for one, are intended to be seen on paper, up close. Putting a seal on a flag makes it hard to tell what the seal is, destroying one of the design purposes of a flag. The lettering does the same. Flags flutter and change direction in the wind, making reading a flag almost impossible. It also gives it a lazy or tacky feel. Avoid these like the Devil.
Follow these steps and you should have a pretty good flag! There are obviously certain real-world and in-game exceptions to this. For instance, in the real world, the MacDonalds flag has the large "M" on it, but, since it's just the symbol, it works well. In-game, the flag of the Augustin Alliance has the "AA" on the flag. But it's so simple and iconic, it works well and doesn't seem tacky.
Well, that's about it for flags! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know! You can contact me via telegram or, better yet, through Discord at Lies Kryos#1734.
Created by New Jaedonstan. Do not replicate, in whole or in part, without express permission. If you have found this dispatch to be helpful and informational, please consider upvoting and sharing with your friends! Make a suggestion or give feedback!
