Country Flag System

From Mario Fan Games Galaxy Wiki

The Country Flag System was a board feature added by Techokami on August 17th, 2008 after naggings from Black Squirrel. It is located in the user profile page and displays a flag sprite next to the username depending on the country selected by the member. It's a default feature in IPB 2.X message boards, but as MFGG uses a IPB 1.X board it needed to be added manually. All of the flags were designed by Black Squirrel, who was the person responsible for the idea. They're supposed to look like SMB3 blocks.

The purpose was to try and stop the annoying assumptions that everyone on MFGG is from the US. Also to "prove to the world that MFGG was an international community" and all that jazz. The system has been met with positive feedback.

Originally, there were 161 different flags. IPB 2.X forums have over 200 as a default. Missing flags include some Caribbean islands, regions of Africa and some small islands in Oceania. If your country isn't represented, BS will make a flag for you.

A few flags have been added or changed since the system was implemented - South Sudan being one.

Abuse

Some MFGGers were caught abusing the system by claiming to be from a false country and were threatened with a possible ban. However, since 2009, many MFGGers have used "joke" flags without being scolded.

Trivia

  • There was originally a Nazi flag in the set, but is absent from the final version. There was also a flag of the Kingdom of Lovely and Sealand but these was also removed because Micronations aren't likely to have a huge impact on the internet, let alone MFGG.
  • There's about 5 or 6 other flags on Black Squirrel's computer, but weren't included in the original zip. There's also the different regions of the United Kingdom because BS is British, and thought about rubbing it in some more. He decided not to.
  • On April 12, 2018, a Littlelund flag was added. Unlike other flags, Littlelund might not actually be an independent nation. In direct response to this, Dustinvgmaster added an ARML flag (Anti-Rolling Mario League). Then on June 3, 2018, the Littlelund and ARML flags were replaced by the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.