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[Haedrian]

So, the idea is that invaders carry banners/standards with them.

In its simplest form, give the leader of each attack a particular item which we'll call a standard. It'll have a quality which depends on how large and dangerous the attack group is. Each item would have a description which describes the owner's of the banner and an image.

"This is the standard of the goblin army/platoon/battalion/detail The Doors of Milking. There is a symbol of a goblin and a dwarf. The goblin is striking down the dwarf"

Once the standard is obtained, it can be placed in a similar way to a statue. Could give special messages such as "feeling patriotic", or very special messages if the dorf did something important during that battle.

You could also (in the future - with the army arc?) have banners list won battles on them, or parts of the legend.

[Dae]

I  like it. I would also add that you could possibly just saw your own standard. As you said, dwarves would have a happy thought when seeing a banner, theirs or another if it has been captured (no happy thought to see a goblin bannerman if said goblin is still alive).

I would also add the ability of defiling a banner, a sort of spontaneous job that dwarves would do when they feel like it. Defiling a banner grants a happy thought, seeing a defiled banner will give an unhappy thought if you are loyal to its owner.
I could see goblins ripping your banners off during a siege or an ambush, or ennemy ghosts.

This could very well be the introduction of other war trophies as well.

[peskyninja]

Wonderful sugestion.

We should be able to build standards as furniture.

[Waparius]

I can see standards being an important part of the Army Arc, actually, with things like tactics and formation maneuvers built around the use of these and instruments.

With the present small militias we're used to seeing, there's not so much of a need for a regimental standard, but giving an officer a standard bearer and a musician could do things like enable you to alter your orders more efficiently in battle.

Another thing that would be worth implementing is heraldry - guilds, champions and officers could have their own heraldric symbols and gain a boost for their followers when their standard shows up on the battlefield. In non-dwarf mode you could earn yourself a standard through doing deeds for various kings and being appointed as a knight or general yourself.

In fact, that would be a useful way of doing large-scale battles in adventure mode (I haven't played it so stop me if this is irrelevent or not covered) - if ordinarily you can only give orders to a couple of companions, etc, you could use the standard-bearer/musician system to come up with a number of signals and strategies for your troops. Imagine riding out into battle with your personal squad of cavalry, luring the enemy into a ravine, and signalling your archers to pop their heads up and open fire while the infantry block off the exits.

[Footkerchief]

Please search Suggestions before posting.  This idea has already been suggested and discussed twice before:

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=4887.0
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=3708.0

Spoiler: tags (click to show/hide)

flag flags standard standards banner banners ensign ensigns war battle military

[astaldaran]

To be fair though I think this topic does add to the discussion.  The point about possible use in adventure mode, as well as the ideas of standards being used outside of battle as trophies etc.

The previous topics seem to mainly talk about who should carry the standard, what battle uses they would have, and their direct use. I really like the symbolic aspects out of battle.

I wonder if something like this could accompany other sorts of signal (like bells etc) whereby you have to use physical signals for things--whether auditory (Bells/trumpets) or visual (flags, banners).


I don't remember if Toady has ever mentioned anything like banners or other signals...anyone know otherwise? Perhaps i'll check the dev log.