Quoting Tsumerius, reply 20Large amount of text.
Making them uncapturable would be a bad idea. Pressuring those flags is the best way to get them off the citidel mob. 3-5 demigods next to a health crystal could probably take the creeps down endlessly, especially the AoE ones. Unlockable isn't exactly the best solution in my opinion because the winning team would have to babyguard the flag or it'd just be recaptured the second they left. You have to remember the team is right next to both flags, the main lane, and a health crystal. Meanwhile the attackers usually have to move around the outside.
Completely denying caplocking portals is too much, it would drag out endgames unnecessarily. Perhaps it would be a better idea put a non attacking tower/fortress next to it and require that it be destroyed before you can capture the flag or something along those lines.
+Karma for getting us back on topic
Well I know its the best way to get them off the citadel mob, thats part of my point. When you have all the demigods in one area, bashing on a citadel, and a ton of very powerful creeps theres a huge advantage. Giving yourself even more creeps from their portals, ups that quite a bit further (obviously). The unlockable idea was intended to have a babysit effect. Is it fair that your team crushing the citadel can go gank a flag, lock it, then return to bashing on it in the center, and slaying enemy demigods, while they have to divide their attention in a match that they already have momentum stacked against em? It would force them to cat and mouse the flag, and keep an equal attention focus on both tasks, without either side having a Demigod number advantage at the citadel front.
I also don't agree with the point about the health crystal. I can't think of any map where you can actually hit a good portion of the creeps while still on the crystal. And I usually find that at that point in the game, all the added creep damage and one stun and focused dps from your team pretty much kills, or forces those DG to continually retreat to those crystals, moving them from the front.
I've actually only came back from a citadel crunch once. Well came back and won. But even if you shift the tide, those losses always end with the same way, a portal being capped n locked. I'm not sure it would really drag out the game. I mean, have any of you come back from that? The time I had a match where we did come back from a cita crunch and back and forth sorta game and won, was pretty epic feeling. I think that sorta play should be allowed, and encouraged. Realistically, the match should depend upon the skill of the players, not the status and number of the creeps, right?
I like the thought about the non attacking structure. That would give an extra line of defense, but when its gone, youd suffer the same problems and the same arguments over flag locks. I just don't think its fair for creep numbers to be such an advantage like that. Upgrades, protecting creeps, trying to amass them on it, sure, thats strategy and takes quite a bit of effort. But we all know how easy it is to eventually gank a portal, and how an even match, where you were fighting great opponents suddenly becomes an easy slaughter. I guess I do see your point about dragging it out, after all. Playing hard against someone can get pretty tiresome.
I just think flag locks should be focused around Warscore advantage, and not reinforcement portals. I believe thats why they were included, and that they shouldn't really be the asset they are end game. 250g for an item that at the crucial moment ends up being better than Ash, All Fathers, and anything else you could've stacked. I just don't think thats their intended use.
EDIT: Forgots, the idea of an unlock is also very doable. But then it gets to a point where Flag Locks are pointless in the first place. I think some boundaries on what they could be used on are better all around. The concept of item/counter-item breeds into dangerous territories, making a game even more item dependent as opposed to skill dependent. I think thats why all the 'game breaking' items have such insanely high costs and a special shop, right?
