History Main / EventFlag

-->--'''VideoGame/CaveStory''''s entry for this trope

* Several of the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series games (notably Rome) have their historical progression events driven by the actions of one faction - eliminate that faction and history stands still for everyone else. This is often a lot more noticeable in realism mods like Europa Barborum, if only because a lot more happens on the back of the event flags.

** RuneFactory4 continues this spartan tradition by having {{NPC}}s greet you in a way that acknowledges you are in a relationship and/or expecting a child, then following it up with, "...so have you found anyone special yet?" A few other wallbangers include Dylas asking Frey if she will be his friend when she's his wife and the mother of his child, characters commenting that you're dating Dylas if you trigger the "Smiling Practice" event after tying the knot with another bachelor, and Leon continuing to refer to Frey as his girlfriend even after putting a ring on her finger.

The term is often used for gags in Anime and Japanese games, where GenreSavvy characters talk about needing to [[InvokedTrope set off flags]] for [[BreakingTheFourthWall the plot]] or [[DatingSim relationships]] to move in a [[EarnYourHappyEnding favored direction]]. More commonly it is a joke about TemptingFate, where once a certain event has been set off, [[{{Troperrific}} something inevitable]] will follow.[[note]]In this situation, when going through said playthoughs, it is a MemeticMutation in the Japanese community.[[/note]] Anybody who talks about [[{{Retirony}} what they're going to do after a war]], for example, has [[DeadManWalking set a death flag]].

The TropeCodifier for this is the VisualNovel genre. In most of the games, flags are triggered by important decisions, but usually a small slip-up can cause the difference between their MultipleEndings.

[[/folder]]

** In the second series, Malshina takes over the Franchise/SuperSentai franchise and makes a VillainWorld. Red realizes he has to act GenreBlind because death flags are now victory flags! When they were losing to a monster, loudly talks about what he's going to do after the battle as everyone panics and tells him he's dooming himself, and finally his attack gets through. [[SuddenDownerEnding Eventually the whole team dies from Hakase accidentally setting off a death flag for them to make a]] HeroicSacrifice, [[PaintingTheFourthWall complete with a flag popping up on screen]].

** Near the end of the first series, the heroes are trying to avoid triggering event flags for the series to end but ExecutiveMeddling is trying to thwart them. The final enemy begins spitting out death flags left and right as the team panics and tries to stop him. "[[JustBetweenYouAndMe Before you die, I'll tell you this]]!" *Rangers panic* "[[NothingCanStopUsNow My new armor is all-powerful]]!" *Rangers panic more* [[{{Retirony}}"And after I kill you, I'm going to go]] [[FatalFamilyPhoto see my fiancee]]!" *Rangers go into full-on OhCrap mode*

The TropeCodifier for this is the VisualNovel genre. In most of the games, flags are triggered by impprtant decisions, but usually a small slip-up can cause the difference between their MultipleEndings.

The term is often used for gags in Anime and Japanese games, where GenreSavvy characters talk about needing to [[InvokedTrope set off flags]] for [[BreakingTheFourthWall the plot]] or [[DatingSim relationships]] to move in a [[EarnYourHappyEnding favored direction]]. More commonly it is a joke about TemptingFate, where once a certain event has been set off, [[{{Troperrific}} something inevitable]] will follow. Anybody who talks about [[{{Retirony}} what they're going to do after a war]], for example, has [[DeadManWalking set a death flag]].

** RuneFactory4 continues this spartan tradition by having NPCs greet you in a way that acknowledges you are in a relationship and/or expecting a child, then following it up with, "...so have you found anyone special yet?" A few other wallbangers include Dylas asking Frey if she will be his friend when she's his wife and the mother of his child, characters commenting that you're dating Dylas if you trigger the "Smiling Practice" event after tying the knot with another bachelor, and Leon continuing to refer to Frey as his girlfriend even after putting a ring on her finger.

-->--VideoGame/CaveStory's entry for this trope

* A bug in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'' makes the game {{Unwinnable}} this way: Death has some dialogue immediately after you beat him, and at the end of the dialogue, his "boss beaten" event flag is set. However, if you skip the cutscene, the flag never gets set, so re-entering the room seals the doors just as if you had a boss battle, but the boss never appears; you are locked in the room until you reset the game. Worse yet, if you went back out of the room to take advantage of the nearby savepoint, you obviously can't get ''through'' the room, which is where the rest of the game is, and the only recourse is to restart the file.

* LampshadeHanging in ''VideoGame/FlowerSunAndRain''. In Scenario 4, there's a point when you will probably have already figured out the solution to a puzzle, but aren't actually offered the chance to solve it. You first have to talk to Stephen Charbonie, who, as part of his [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} usual bizarre rant]] will mention that "digital games also need flags" and that he's going to "trigger a flag for you." From then on, he mentions "flags" every time he allows you to progress further.

* SamAndMax games in general, and Episode 302: Tomb of Sammun-Mak in particular are all about this trope.

* The [[GameEngine Unreal Engine]]'s ScriptingLanguage Kismet is designed specifically to manage Event Flags, rather than going through the more complicated Unreal Script or C++ routes, kept for more standard functionality.

* One spot in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' can only be passed via StupidityIsTheOnlyOption. If you try to delay doing what will trigger the bad event, the character you are conversing with will eventually [[BreakingTheFourthWall bring up event flags]].

*** This one is somewhat justified: if you talk to him, he gives you an item which is the only way to get back out of that pit. The tow rope, less so.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' has ''hundreds'' of Event Flags, some for as obscure things as the particular branches you took in earlier conversations.
** This is also the case with ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', as well as every other role playing game in which the dialogue choices actually ''matter''.

* Games produced by ParadoxInteractive ''run'' on this trope.

* ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}'''s Beloveno Arc depends entirely on event flags, that are set off when talking to certain people in a certain order, a certain amount of times. For example, while collecting information on a plot to assassinate the council president, the player will be prompted to talk to a certain NPC once he discussed the issue with two particular individuals. Talking to the NPC in question, will trigger the assassination. If the president was warned before that happens, the attempt will be twarted and the player will be rewarded for their service. Othervise, he will be killed.
* In ''VideoGame/SepterraCore'', Maya's father won't know that [[spoiler:Tori is in Outlaw Canyon]] until you ask Azziz the same question (he answers "I don't know, ask your father). Lo and behold, [[spoiler:Tori]] shows up in [[spoiler:Outlaw Canyon]] instantly after talking to Maya's father.

* Omerta: City of Gangsters uses event flags to Level Up your gangsters. Usually, these happen after a significant battle between your gang and the enemy you're fighting. The stages of the game tell you beforehand if a Level Up event flag is coming.

* It is a DiscussedTrope in ''Series/HikoninSentaiAkibaranger'', a Franchise/SuperSentai parody. Not only is it mentioned in the ThemeSong, but Akiba Red remarks e.g. in the first episode that every time an enemy commander leaves saying something like "I leave it to you", this is a flag for the heroes to defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Sure enough, the Rangers suddenly start winning. However, the show also likes to play with the rules of sentai. When they expect MakeMyMonsterGrow to happen after the monster's first apparent destruction, ''it doesn't.'' The monster is really dead. The team ''complains about that,'' just because it's not how it's supposed to go.

** In the second series, Malshina takes over the Franchise/SuperSentai franchise and makes a VillainWorld. Red realizes he has to act GenreBlind because death flags are now victory flags! When they were losing to a monster, loudly talks about what he's going to do after the battle as everyone panics and tells him he's dooming himself, and finally his attack gets through.

* In ''SuperMetroid'', the large crashed ship is supposed to be entered from the west; a boss fight there triggers an event flag which turns the power on. Through heavy-duty SequenceBreaking, it can also be entered from the east, but it will be completely empty until this flag is triggered.

* It is a DiscussedTrope in ''HikoninSentaiAkibaranger'', a SuperSentai parody. Not only is it mentioned in the ThemeSong, but Akiba Red remarks e.g. in the first episode that every time an enemy commander leaves saying something like "I leave it to you", this is a flag for the heroes to defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Sure enough, the Rangers suddenly start winning. However, the show also likes to play with the rules of sentai. When they expect MakeMyMonsterGrow to happen after the monster's first apparent destruction, ''it doesn't.'' The monster is really dead. The team ''complains about that,'' just because it's not how it's supposed to go.

** In the second series, Malshina takes over the SuperSentai franchise and makes a VillainWorld. Red realizes he has to act GenreBlind because death flags are now victory flags! When they were losing to a monster, loudly talks about what he's going to do after the battle as everyone panics and tells him he's dooming himself, and finally his attack gets through.

** Near the end of the series, the heroes are trying to avoid triggering event flags for the series to end but ExecutiveMeddling is trying to thwart them. The final enemy begins spitting out death flags left and right as the team panics and tries to stop him. "[[JustBetweenYouAndMe Before you die, I'll tell you this]]!" *Rangers panic* "[[NothingCanStopUsNow My new armor is all-powerful]]!" *Rangers panic more* "And after I kill you, [[{{Retirony}} I'm going to go]] [[FatalFamilyPhoto see my fiancee]]!" *Rangers go into full-on OhCrap mode*

The term is often used for gags in Anime and Japanese games, where GenreSavvy characters talk about needing to [[InvokedTrope set off flags]] for [[BreakingTheFourthWall the plot]] or [[DatingSim relationships]] to move in a [[EarnYourHappyEnding favored direction]]. More commonly it is a joke about TemptingFate, where once a certain event has been set off, [[{{Troperrific}} something inevitable]] will follow. Anybody who talks about [[{{Retirony}} what they're going to do after a war]], for example, has [[DeadManWalking raised a death flag]].

* One spot in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' can only be passed via StupidityIsTheOnlyOption. If you try to delay doing what will trigger the bad event, the character you are conversing with will eventually [[BreakingTheFourthWall bring up event flags]].
* An infamous bug is found in ''UltimaVIIPartII'', Serpent Isle. In a haunted house near a lighthouse you visit early in the game, speaking to certain ghosts shows you dialogue from much, much later in the game. This information is useless at that point and doesn't really make sense yet, but more importantly that conversation sets a few event flags that may cause future areas to become impassable.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' has ''hundreds'' of Event Flags, some for as obscure things as the particular branches you took in earlier conversations.
** This is also the case with ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', as well as every other role playing game in which the dialogue choices actually ''matter''.
* ''VideoGame/RuneFactory 2'' has only a very few of these. Those it lacks often lead to rather humorous conversations where villagers ask what you think about their LoveInterest ''after you've married her''. And you still respond with "i dunno lol".

* A bug in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'' makes the game {{Unwinnable}} this way: Death has some dialogue immediately after you beat him, and at the end of the dialogue, his "boss beaten" event flag is set. However, if you skip the cutscene, the flag never gets set, so re-entering the room seals the doors just as if you had a boss battle, but the boss never appears; you are locked in the room until you reset the game. Worse yet, if you went back out of the room to take advantage of the nearby savepoint, you obviously can't get ''through'' the room, which is where the rest of the game is, and the only recourse is to restart the file.
* Konata of ''Anime/LuckyStar'' often goes on about event flags [[WrongGenreSavvy as if they happen in real life.]]
** The characters of ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' occasionally do this as well.

* LampshadeHanging in ''VideoGame/FlowerSunAndRain''. In Scenario 4, there's a point when you will probably have already figured out the solution to a puzzle, but aren't actually offered the chance to solve it. You first have to talk to Stephen Charbonie, who, as part of his [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} usual bizarre rant]] will mention that "digital games also need flags" and that he's going to "trigger a flag for you." From then on, he mentions "flags" every time he allows you to progress further.
* The [[GameEngine Unreal Engine]]'s ScriptingLanguage Kismet is designed specifically to manage Event Flags, rather than going through the more complicated Unreal Script or C++ routes, kept for more standard functionality.

* Several of the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series games (notably Rome) have their historical progression events driven by the actions of one faction - eliminate that faction and history stands still for everyone else. This is often a lot more noticeable in realism mods like Europa Barborum, if only because a lot more happens on the back of the event flags.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Exile}}'' scenario editor charmingly names these ''Stuff Done Flags.''

* Partway through ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', you're asked to provide a password to get back inside Tetra's pirate ship. However, even if you solve the password riddle perfectly, capital letters and all, the game still won't let you into the ship until you view the correct cutscene where Link overhears the password from two pirates (thus triggering the event flag).
* Opening the portal to [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Black Castle]] in ''VideoGame/AnUntitledStory'' requires the player to talk to the girl on [=LongBeach=]. Aside from this, these two things are otherwise mostly unrelated.
* Anybody playing ''Land Of The Dead'' will quickly discover that yes, the five-minute trek back to where you need to be (fighting a hoard of zombies the whole way) is absolutely necessary. Event flags are used to ensure that the gamer doesn't cheat by using the "ghost" cheat to just fly through walls and to the goal. If the player doesn't walk all the way through each area, no zombies will spawn and it won't trigger the level end. Until you go back to where you broke the sequence, you're left wandering around.
* The whole premise behind the anime/manga ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'' is based on setting flags. The main character, Keima, is a hardcore DatingSim otaku so interactions with other characters, mundane everyday tasks and random events all end up being flags.

* In one level of ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor: Frontline'', you have to blow up several trucks. The last truck doesn't appear until you get the [[PlotCoupon deployment roster]]. Destroying it collapses a girder, creating a ramp over the [[BrokenBridge otherwise insurmountable wall]] [[DirectContinuousLevels to the next level]].
* In one ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' mission, a different set of enemies would appear depending on the order in which the player destroyed his first two targets.

* SamAndMax games in general, and Episode 302: Tomb of Sammun-Mak in particular are all about this trope.
* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' uses event flags mainly in finales. Until you trigger the button/radio/whatever to start the finale, you are stuck where you are until you start the event. Left 4 Dead 2 have two finales that are triggered by riding an elevator down to the lower floor but sometimes, due to a glitch or lag online, the finale event fails to start, thus the flag is never triggered. However, thanks to TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything, there's an object that can be "activated" to trigger the finale flag as a failsafe should the first flag fail in triggering.
* ''VideoGame/{{Soulcaster}}'' and ''VideoGame/SoulcasterII'' make heavy use of event flags for controlling traps, ambushes, monster spawns, and other such triggers.
* It is a DiscussedTrope in ''HikoninSentaiAkibaranger'', a SuperSentai parody. Not only is it mentioned in the ThemeSong, but Akiba Red remarks e.g. in the first episode that every time an enemy commander leaves saying something like "I leave it to you", this is a flag for the heroes to defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Sure enough, the Rangers suddenly start winning. However, the show also likes to play with the rules of sentai. When they expect MakeMyMonsterGrow to happen after the monster's first apparent destruction, ''it doesn't.'' The monster is really dead. The team ''complains about that,'' just because it's not how it's supposed to go.
** Near the end of the series, the heroes are trying to avoid triggering event flags for the series to end but ExecutiveMeddling is trying to thwart them. The final enemy begins spitting out death flags left and right as the team panics and tries to stop him. "[[JustBetweenYouAndMe Before you die, I'll tell you this]]!" *Rangers panic* "[[NothingCanStopUsNow My new armor is all-powerful]]!" *Rangers panic more* "And after I kill you, [[{{Retirony}} I'm going to go]] [[FatalFamilyPhoto see my fiancee]]!" *Rangers go into full-on OhCrap mode*
* ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' gives Samus upgrades merely for being in the right place with the right event flags triggered. Most noticeably, this happens with the Grapple Beam and the Wave Beam.

* [[VideoGame/{{Rayman1995}} The first Rayman game]] plays with the concept a little. First of all, event flags only affect the level in which you are. Secondly, the event that sets the flag is just getting into some area; this may mean anything from collecting a powerup through walking a platform up to leap of faith. Moreover, the effects of flag being set are sometimes visible immediately - the game is not above spawning enemies just behind you, and edutainment spinoffs spawn killing obstacles directly into you when you select a wrong answer - but sometimes the only thing you get to know is that you set a flag, due to a distinctive sound - that is, if you play with sound.